Healthy Cinnamon Rolls

5 from 31 votes

My healthy cinnamon rolls are great for breakfast, brunch, and special occasions! This easy recipe is low in sugar and calories, ideal for anyone seeking a healthier alternative to enjoy as a breakfast, brunch treat, or with tea and coffee. With my easy, step-by-step instructions, I’ll show you exactly how to make these fluffy, gooey cinnamon rolls perfectly every time!

Prep Time2 30

Cook Time30

Total Time3

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Calorie, Low Fat, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: cinnamon rolls

Calories: 232kcal

Author: Anjali Shah

Equipment

Ingredients

For The Cinnamon Roll Dough

½ cup unsweetened almond milk or lowfat milk, warm (118 ml)
¼ cup brown sugar (unpacked) or coconut sugar can also use powdered stevia (55 grams)
2 tsp instant yeast (1 package)
¼ cup vegetable oil (Use any vegetable oil like sunflower, coconut oil or canola/rapeseed oil)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
½ cup pure pumpkin puree (110 grams)
3½ cups whole wheat bread flour, sifted, divided (440 grams) Note - you'll need more for hands and work surface
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg

For The Filling

¼ cup butter, softened at room temperature (60 grams)
½ cup coconut sugar or brown sugar, unpacked can also use powdered stevia (100 grams)
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice optional
2 tbsp raisins, dried cherries, walnuts, pecans, or dried cranberries optional

Glaze/Icing (Optional)

2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk or lowfat milk
¼ cup powdered sugar (30 grams)
1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Instructions

In a small bowl add warm milk, sugar and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let it rise for 5minutes.
In a large mixing bowl combine the oil, egg, vanilla, pumpkin puree and mix until smooth and well combined.
Pour in the milk with yeast and stir until combined.
Add the flour and spices and stir until incorporated.
Knead by hand or using a mixer for 3-5 minutes until you have an elastic and smooth dough.
Form into a ball and transfer to a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise for 1 - 2 hours until doubled in size.
Transfer the dough onto a floured surface. With the help of a rolling pin, roll out the dough until you have a 14×16-inch rectangle.
Spread the butter on top and sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin spice. Roll the dough into a log and with a knife cut out 12 rolls.
Place the rolls into a 9x13 inch baking pan and cover again. Let them rise for 30 minutes, then preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Take the rolls to the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown on top.
To make the glaze, mix the icing sugar with milk and vanilla. Top the cinnamon roll with glaze and enjoy!

Video

https://youtu.be/WKMxYS1PnR8

Notes

Do not overheat your milk. The milk should be warm, as hot milk will kill the yeast and the dough will not rise.
Use bread flour in the recipe. The higher protein content in bread flour helps to achieve softer cinnamon rolls.
If you want to freeze the rolls, they should be frozen after the first rise, roll and cut. When you are ready to bake, let them on a countertop for 1 hour before baking.
You can make the cinnamon rolls overnight. After placing the rolls into a pan, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight. On the next day leave them on a countertop for 30 minutes before baking.
Make sure to spoon and level your flour into your measuring cup (versus scooping out the flour with your measuring cup) and don't forget to sift it! Doing these two things will ensure you have a light and fluffy roll vs. a dense roll. Be sure not to add too much flour to the cinnamon rolls. If you add too much, they are going to be denser and not as fluffy.
When making cinnamon rolls, it’s important not to overwork the dough. Once all the ingredients are incorporated, you don’t need to over-knead it. Overworking the dough leads to a stiff, hard roll that’s not too appealing.
To seal the rolled up dough before cutting them into individual rolls, pinch the free end - and if you need to, you can brush the edge with water before pinching to seal.
If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice you can use a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove for a similar result.
For a vegan version, substitute your favorite non-dairy milk for the regular milk, use a flax egg or a vegan egg substitute, and use vegan butter or coconut oil for the butter.
Nutritional information calculated using lowfat milk, coconut sugar and walnuts as the optional add in.

Nutrition