Healthy Cinnamon Rolls

Don't let "healthy cinnamon rolls" scare you off- these soft whole wheat cinnamon rolls don't taste healthier at all. They're soft, fluffy, and have the yummiest ooey gooey cinnamon swirl filling. You would never guess that this recipe only requires 10 ingredients and is completely refined sugar free! These healthy cinnamon rolls are large, fluffy, and not dense and dry like other whole wheat cinnamon rolls. These are absolutely perfect for holiday mornings so let's get baking, shall we?

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CINNAMON ROLLS AND CINNAMON BUNS?

So, both cinnamon rolls and cinnamon buns are a yeast risen dough that is filled with a gooey cinnamon swirl filling, however the main difference between the two comes down to the topping. Cinnamon rolls are frosted in either a vanilla glaze or cream cheese frosting and cinnamon buns are topped with nuts and are baked in their own sticky brown sugar syrup that turns into the topping.

HOW CAN I MAKE CINNAMON ROLLS MORE HEALTHY?

Looking to make cinnamon rolls a little more healthy? I got you covered! Here's my top 5 tips:

1. Use whole wheat flour instead of bleached all purpose (read down below for substitution ratio)
2. Substitute the brown sugar with coconut sugar
3. Swap out whole milk for almond milk
4. Skip the cream cheese sweet frosting and make a glaze with maple syrup instead
5. Switch out the butter in the filling with coconut oil

TROUBLESHOOTING: COMMON CINNAMON ROLL PROBLEMS

WHY ARE MY HOMEMADE CINNAMON ROLLS TOUGH?

If your homemade cinnamon rolls are coming out tough, more than likely you are adding too much flour. The flour is sucking up all of the moisture, which will dry out the rolls. You could also be overbaking them, pull the cinnamon rolls out of the oven when the tops are a nice golden brown color. Lastly, you need to give the rolls adequate time to rise. If you're rushing the rising process your cinnamon rolls won't turn out as soft and fluffy.

HOW DO YOU MAKE CINNAMON ROLLS RISE HIGHER?

Give them adequate time to rise! Patience is the key in this scenario, because I know you just want to dive into these delicious homemade rolls! However, letting the dough rise in a warm place first, and then doing a second rise once they're filled and cut will help your rolls to achieve that high, fluffy texture we're looking for.

WHY DIDN'T MY CINNAMON ROLLS RISE?

Here's a couple of possible reasons your rolls didn't rise:

• Liquid was too hot or too cold for your yeast. Yeast is a living organism and if your liquid is too hot you'll kill it, if it's too cold you won't activate the yeast. The best temperature for yeast is between 110-115 degrees F
• You didn't let your dough rise in a warm spot. Some recipes allow you to do a slow rise in the fridge overnight, but those long hours give the yeast enough time to develop and rise. Yeast works best in a warm, moist environment, so keep dough away from any drafts or cold spots in the house if you're doing a normal "quick" rise. I find it best to heat my oven to the lowest possible setting then turn it off. I'll place my dough into the warm oven with the door cracked and let it rise there.
• Your yeast could be old! If it's too old it'll be too weak to result in a proper rise. You should always test a small pinch in a warm bowl of water with a pinch of sugar before baking. Yeast will last up to 4 months in the fridge, so I recommend storing it there instead of your pantry cabinets.
• You didn't rise the dough in an oiled bowl. If you don't rise the dough in an oiled bowl it will end up sticking to a tea towel or sides of the bowl and can tear instead of bubble up and rise.

CAN YOU STILL BAKE THEM IF THEY DIDN'T RISE?

I mean...yes, you can. However, the finished product will be pretty dense and probably dry since no rising occurred.

HOW DO I MAKE DRY CINNAMON ROLLS MOIST?

You can microwave dry cinnamon rolls with a pat of butter on top to help revive them and keep them from being so dry. You can also add more glaze if desired, the sweet liquidy glaze or frosting will add some moisture to the cinnamon roll.

HOW TO KEEP ROLLS SOFT AFTER BAKING?

To maintain the fresh, soft, just from the oven texture of homemade cinnamon rolls you'll want to wrap each roll individually after baking. Wrap them in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and this will help keep the cinnamon roll from drying out. Additionally, if you want to keep them in the pan, double layer the pan with plastic wrap and cover with a final layer of aluminum foil. Just be sure to remove the plastic wrap before heating them up. Storing the cinnamon rolls properly is the number one way of keeping them soft- you want them to come in contact with as little air as possible to prevent them from going stale.

HOW DO YOU MAKE CINNAMON ROLLS TASTE BETTER?

You can always add different elements!

• Add a pinch of nutmeg to the filling
• Top with a cream cheese frosting
• Sprinkle chopped nuts or raisins inside
• Brush with melted coconut oil or butter immediately after removing the rolls from the oven

WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR:

IS WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR BETTER THAN WHITE FLOUR?

From a nutrition standpoint whole wheat flour is better than white flour. White flour is way more processed and sometimes bleached, whereas whole wheat flour is less processed and doesn't get bleached. White flour also loses its natural nutrients due to processing, they sometimes are added back in, but this is a man-made solution so the nutrients are not in their natural form. On the other hand, whole wheat flour is loaded with nutrients and vitamins in their natural form- making it a healthier, more nutrient rich option for your diet. You can read more here!

CAN I SUBSTITUTE WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR FOR REGULAR FLOUR?

In most recipes you can substitute most of the regular flour with whole wheat flour. However, NOT in yeasted loaves- whole wheat flour and all purpose flour do not substitute 1:1 in those recipes. (found that out the hard way) I like to use this informative post from King Arthur Baking when I go to substitute whole wheat flour.

WHAT CAN I USE INSTEAD OF WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR?

You can substitute whole wheat flour with all purpose flour! The end result will be lighter and fluffier, but still delicious.

WORKING WITH YEAST:

WHAT EXACTLY IS YEAST?

Yeast is a single celled microorganism. Through a process called fermentation, yeast can turn sugar into alcohol, as well as producing carbon dioxide while proofing which will cause your bread to rise.

WHAT DOES PROOFING YEAST MEAN?

Proofing yeast means that you've activated it with the proper temperature liquid, gave it a food source (sugar), and it is now able to be added to your dough.

IS PROOFING NECESSARY?

Yes, proofing is very necessary! Without proofing your yeast won't be able to release carbon dioxide, then your dough won't rise, and it will result in a dry, dense baked good.

HOW LONG DOES IS TAKE TO PROOF YEAST?

It usually takes about 10-15 minutes as long as you use the correct temperature of liquid.

WHAT TEMPERATURE DO YOU PROOF YEAST AT?

You should proof yeast in a warm liquid that is between 110-115 degrees F. I like to do the "finger test" - if it's warm to the touch, BUT I can keep my finger in it, I know it is the correct temperature to proof yeast in.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THESE WHOLE WHEAT CINNAMON ROLLS

• A more nutritious version of a classic cinnamon roll
• Refined sugar free
• Made with whole wheat flour
• So soft and fluffy
• Makes an amazing treat for holiday mornings!
• No stand mixer needed!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO BAKE A BATCH OF CINNAMON ROLLS

• Almond milk: I used unsweetened vanilla in this recipe
• Yeast: I use Fleischmann's Instant Dry Yeast
• Coconut sugar
• Whole wheat flour
• Vital wheat gluten: important to achieve the soft, fluffy texture of these rolls
• Eggs
• Butter
• Salt
• Vanilla bean: you can use vanilla extract in place of this
• Cinnamon
• *optional* Powdered sugar: I used Purecane's confectioner sweetener to keep these completely refined sugar free

WHAT IS VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN?

Vital wheat gluten is a little super hero when it comes to whole wheat baking! Vital wheat gluten is the natural protein found in flour and is all gluten and very little starch. Since whole wheat flour is so low in protein percentage you can add a little vital wheat gluten to improve the texture and elasticity of the dough.

Where can I buy Vital Wheat Gluten?

I found it at my local grocery store, however small stores tend not to stock it. You can find it at most health food stores, Amazon, or order it directly from the brand website! I like Bob's Red Mill.

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY CINNAMON ROLLS

1. Start by proofing your yeast. Heat almond milk up in a small pot over low heat and pull it off when it begins to steam. Pour the warm almond milk into a tall glass with 1 Tablespoon of coconut sugar and stir together.
2. Check the temperature of the almond milk, you can test it with your finger or with a thermometer. When the temperature is between 110-115 degrees F, sprinkle the yeast over the top and stir it in. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes to proof, the yeast should turn foamy and rise like the picture.
3. While the yeast is proofing, mix together the other dough ingredients. In a large bowl combine whole wheat flour, vital wheat gluten, eggs, melted butter, salt and vanilla bean. Use a wooden spoon or your hands to mix these ingredients together until a sandy, shaggy dough is formed.
4. Once yeast is proofed, pour it over the dry dough ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to mix them together, and then dump the dough out onto your counter top.
5. Use your hands to knead the cinnamon roll dough for 3-4 minutes. You should have a slightly tacky dough, but it shouldn't be sticky. If too sticky add 1-2 tablespoons more of whole wheat flour.
6. After dough is smooth, tacky, and kneaded place it into a large oiled bowl and cover with a tea towel. Allow dough to rest in a warm spot for about an hour, or until dough has doubled in size.
7. Once dough has risen and doubled, dump it out onto your counter and roll it into a rectangle that is ¼ inch thick.
8. Stir together the coconut sugar, cinnamon, melted butter, and almond milk to make the filling. Use an offset spatula to spread filling evenly over the rectangle of dough, leaving a 1 inch border on the top of the long edge
9. Starting on the long side, roll up the dough into a log and pinch the end together to seal in all the goodness
10. I like to use floss to make smooth cuts- cut the cinnamon roll log into 8-12 cinnamon rolls (depending on the size you like). Use a 9x11 inch pan if making 8 rolls- or a 9x13 inch pan if making 12 cinnamon rolls
11. Arrange the cut rolls in your pan and place in a warm spot to rise for 30 minutes
12. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, once preheated, place the pan of risen rolls into the oven. Bake 9x11 inch pan of 8 rolls for 18-20 minutes, and bake 9x13 inch pan of 12 rolls for 15-18 minutes
13. Take the healthy cinnamon rolls out of the oven once the tops are golden brown and they begin to smell fragrant
14. Whisk together the glaze ingredients (if desired) and pour over the warm cinnamon rolls
15. These are best eaten hot, so enjoy immediately!

OTHER HEALTHIER HOLIDAY DESSERTS

RECIPE TIPS:

• Read full recipe before starting to bake
• Prepare ingredients before beginning
• Test your yeast before you use it for the dough
• Don't add too much flour. I did not need to add any, my dough was perfect with 4 cups of whole wheat flour
• Be patient with the rising, don't rush it
• Don't skip the second rise!
• Cut the unbaked cinnamon rolls with floss for smooth cuts that don't squish the log of dough
• Eat these healthy cinnamon rolls when they're warm and gooey!

CAN I MAKE THESE THE NIGHT BEFORE?

Yes, you can make these healthy cinnamon rolls the night before. You can do the second rise in the fridge, for what's called a "slow rise", instead of doing it in a warm spot before baking. When you get up in the morning, take the covered cinnamon rolls out of the fridge and place them on your stovetop while you pre-heat the oven. This will ensure the rolls are warm when you go to bake and it won't be a shocking temperature difference.

STORING HOMEMADE CINNAMON ROLLS

You can store homemade cinnamon rolls in the pan, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap then a final layer of aluminum foil on the counter for 2-3 days. Additionally, to ensure maximum softness is retained, wrap each leftover roll individually in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and keep at room temperature.

You can also freeze homemade cinnamon rolls! Cut and rise the unbaked rolls in the pan as if you're going to bake them, but instead of baking them, wrap in a double layer of plastic wrap, place the pan into a freezer safe plastic bag, and freeze them for up to two months. Defrost in the fridge the night before you want to bake them. BE SURE TO TAKE THE PLASTIC WRAP OFF BEFORE BAKING.

Did you make this recipe? If you did, I would GREATLY appreciate you leaving a comment and rating down below! In addition, you can also follow me on Instagram @coleinthekitchen and tag me there so I can see your creation!

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