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Skinny Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls -- my family called these the BEST they've ever had! They don't taste healthy at all & they're just 109 calories!

Healthy Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls

© Amy's Healthy Baking
Yields: 12 cinnamon rolls
The filling in these healthy cinnamon rolls tastes just like the filling of chocolate croissants! They’re soft, tender, and taste really rich. The perfect guilt-free breakfast treat! Leftovers will keep for at least 5 days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
4.43 from 7 votes
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Ingredients 

FOR THE DOUGH

  • ¾ cup (180mL) warm nonfat milk (100-110°F)
  • ½ tbsp (7g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tbsp (12g) coconut sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 ¼ tsp (7g – or one ¼-oz package) dry yeast (see Notes!)
  • 2– 2 ½ cups (240-300g) whole wheat flour (see Notes!)

FOR THE FILLING

Instructions

  • Lightly coat a 9” springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, stir together the milk, butter, sugar, and salt. Sprinkle the yeast on top, and wait 10-15 minutes or until the mixture turns frothy. Mix in 1 ½ cups of flour. If the dough is still wet, continue stirring in flour 2 tablespoons at a time until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
  • Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and knead for 3-5 minutes or until the dough springs back most of the way when you gently press your index finger into it. Let the dough rest while preparing the filling.
  • To prepare the filling, stir together the coconut sugar, cocoa powder, and cinnamon in a small bowl.
  • On a clean, well-floured surface, roll the dough out into a 16x10” rectangle. Brush with the melted butter, leaving a 1” border on the two longer sides. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar, leaving a 1” border on the two longer sides again. Carefully roll up the dough into a log, starting at one long edge and rolling towards the other one. Pinch the free end onto the roll to seal. If the dough won’t stick together, gently brush the second longer edge with water before pinching to seal.
  • Slice the log into 12 pieces using dental floss or a sharp serrated knife. Place the rolls into the prepared pan, and cover the pan with a clean towel. Set the pan in a warm, draft-free spot, and let the rolls rise for 30-45 minutes or until doubled in size.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the cinnamon rolls for 17-20 minutes or until the filling is bubbling and the sides feel firm. Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
 
YEAST NOTES: For the yeast, I HIGHLY recommend Red Star Quick Rise Yeast. It performs the best out of any yeast I’ve used, so I highly recommend it! It isn’t always easy to find in grocery stores, so I buy mine online here. (Their regular active dry yeast also works equally well!)
 
WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: For the whole wheat flour, I HIGHLY recommend Gold Medal whole wheat flour. It performs the best out of any brand I’ve tried, and it ensures your cinnamon rolls fully double in size while rising in Step 6. (Other brands of whole wheat flour don’t rise nearly as high, if at all!) It also yields a more tender texture in these cinnamon rolls.
 
All-purpose flour may be substituted for the whole wheat flour. White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, and other brands of whole wheat flour may also be substituted for the Gold Medal whole wheat flour, but your cinnamon rolls may not rise as high as with Gold Medal whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour.
 
COCONUT SUGAR ALTERNATIVE: Brown sugar may be substituted in place of the coconut sugar. The cinnamon rolls will no longer be "clean eating friendly" with this substitution.
 
COCOA POWDER NOTES: For the best results, use regular unsweetened cocoa powder. I don't recommend using Dutched or special dark cocoa powder. They have a different acidity level, and they don't taste as rich, strong, or chocolaty as regular unsweetened cocoa powder in this recipe.
 
CINNAMON NOTE: I highly recommend using Saigon cinnamon. I buy mine online here because it’s so inexpensive and affordable, and it’s the main cinnamon I now use in my baking now. It has a stronger, richer, and sweeter flavor than regular cinnamon, which makes your cinnamon rolls taste even better!
 
SPRINGFORM PAN NOTE + ALTERNATIVE: I highly recommend using a 9”-round springform pan, like this! Springform pans have taller sides than most traditional cake pans, so this allows your cinnamon rolls to rise properly without touching the top of the towel in Step 6. I also love how the sides are removable for easy serving. A regular 9”-round cake pan may be substituted instead.
 
STEP 5 NOTE – ROLLING PIN + WORK SURFACE: I absolutely love using my silicone rolling pin and silicone baking mat for rolling out the dough in Step 5! Their nonstick surfaces make the process much easier, and they’re also really easy to clean. (However, even if you use the same silicone tools as I do, make sure you lightly flour your surface and rolling pin first so the dough doesn’t rip or tear!)
 
GLUTEN FREE NOTE: I have not experienced good luck substituting gluten-free flours or oat flour in this recipe. The cinnamon rolls don’t rise the way they do with wheat-based flour due to the lack of gluten.
 
EGG FREE, DAIRY FREE + VEGAN OPTION: For a vegan version, substitute your favorite non-dairy milk and stick-style vegan butter (I like Earth Balance) in place of the butter. Coconut oil will also work in place of the butter, but it won’t have quite the same flavor and the yeast will not turn frothy in Step 2.
 
For more tips on kneading the dough and slicing the cinnamon rolls, watch my video here located directly above the recipe. (It's for my classic cinnamon rolls, but the process of making them is the same!)
 
{clean eating, egg free, vegan option, dairy free option, low fat, low calorie}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.