Indulge guilt-free with this refined sugar-free Healthy Cinnamon Rolls! Experience the perfect blend of fluffy, soft, and naturally sweet flavours in this easy-to-follow recipe.
I absolutely LOVE cinnamon rolls – you know those cute Swedish mini cinnamon rolls from IKEA? I can’t resist them, I could literally eat the whole packet! Cinnamon rolls are the epitome of autumn comfort, don’t you think? I’ve been dying to make my own cinnamon rolls for the longest time, but I was always intimidated by dough. Every time I make dough, it just never seems to rise the way it should. That is until I stumbled upon a hack, which I’ll be sharing with you if you’ve ever faced dough-related struggles.
These healthy homemade cinnamon rolls are not only incredibly delicious, but they’re also refined sugar-free! A little guilty pleasure you can enjoy without worrying about the health impacts of refined sugar. It can’t get better than this!
I’ll walk you through the entire process with easy, step-by-step instructions, including how to store them (perfect for meal prepping). Once you give these a try, you won’t believe how straightforward they are to make. They turn out so soft, fluffy, and just the right amount of sweetness, topped with a healthy sugar-free glaze. Trust me, these will be the best easy healthy cinnamon rolls you’ve ever tasted, and knowing they’re homemade and refined sugar-free makes them even more special.
Your feedback means the world to me, so please do share your thoughts by rating this recipe and leaving a comment. I always love to hear what you guys think, And if you decide to share your recreations on your Instagram stories, don’t forget to tag me @lotsoflovemariam.
This post is all about healthy cinnamon rolls.
Healthy Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients Needed
Dough
- Plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- Unsalted butter
- Organic Coconut Sugar: To keep this recipe healthy and refined sugar-free, use organic coconut sugar or any unrefined sugar. Coconut sugar has this caramel-like taste to it so the dough was so delicious!
- Dried active yeast
- Full-fat milk
- Baking powder
- Himalayan salt/sea salt: We will only be using a little but these are a healthier alternative to normal salt
Filling
- Softened unsalted butter
- Organic coconut sugar: Normally brown sugar is used, but this is a refined sugar-free recipe, and coconut sugar just makes the best alternative to brown sugar – plus it’s healthier.
- Ground cinnamon
Glaze
- Reduced-fat cream cheese
- Pure maple syrup: Make sure it is pure and 100% maple syrup or else it will contain refined sugar.
- Ground cinnamon
How To Make Healthy Cinnamon Rolls
Activate the yeast
- In a large bowl, combine your melted butter and warmed milk. Ensure they are at room temperature – when you touch the mixture, it should feel neither hot nor cold (it should feel like nothing). This is important for yeast activation.
- Add the coconut sugar and mix. Sprinkle the yeast packet over the mixture and stir well.
- Cover and place the bowl in a warm spot for about 10 minutes to allow the yeast to activate. You’ll notice a change (see picture below) indicating that the yeast is ready.
Create the dough
- After the yeast activation, add 4 cups of flour to the bowl. Mix until the ingredients are thoroughly combined. The dough will be sticky, but that’s okay.
- Cover the bowl with a towel and set it in a warm place for 1 hour.
Prepare the baking pan and the filling
- While your dough rises, generously butter a deep baking pan.
- In a separate bowl, mix softened butter (not melted), coconut sugar, and cinnamon until you have a smooth filling. You can also just spread the butter on the flatten dough later and sprinkle the coconut sugar and cinnamon evenly around the dough.
Continue dough preparation
- After 1 hour, when the dough has risen, poke it and add the remaining cup of flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold it twice and transfer it to a floured work surface to avoid sticking.
- Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, adding flour as needed until it’s no longer sticky and bounces back when poked. (Only keep adding flour if the dough keeps sticking to your hands and worktop)
Roll and Fill the Dough
- Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to create a large, 1 cm thick rectangle.
- Spread the filling evenly across the dough.
- Roll the dough from the short end, forming a long roll. If the dough is too soft, refrigerate it for 10 minutes.
- Cut the rolls using unflavored floss and place them in the prepared pan. The rolls should be roughly 8cm thick. You can use a thread but I found using a floss works so much better.
- Place them in the butter pan and make sure there is a slight gap between them as they will expand.
- Allow them to rise in a warm spot for about 35 minutes.
Store Any Extra Rolls
- If you don’t want to bake all 12 rolls, place the ones you wish to save in a freezer-safe tray, cover them with cling film, and freeze for up to 3 months. Make sure you do this before the proofing (do not let them rise then place in the freezer, place in the freezer without rising).
- When you are ready to eat them, just defrost them for a few hours at room temperature or place them in the fridge to defrost overnight. And then after they have defrosted, set them aside in a warm place for proofing for 35 minutes and then place them in the oven to bake.
Bake the Cinnamon Rolls
- Preheat your oven to 180°C and bake for 20 minutes. (usually, its 25 minutes, but 20 minutes keeps them soft and fluffy in my opinion).
- Check for doneness; an extra 5 minutes may be needed, but no more.
Cool and Add Glaze
- Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool for 10-15 minutes.
- While they cool, prepare the glaze by combining cream cheese, maple syrup, and cinnamon. Mix well with a whisk until it’s evenly combined and changes colour.
- Spread the glaze over the cinnamon rolls using a spatula, ensuring all the rolls are covered.
Enjoy your refined sugar-free healthy cinnamon rolls!
Other Refined Sugar-Free Baked Goods That You Will Also Love:
Tips For Making The Perfect Low Sugar Cinnamon Rolls
1. Ensuring Proper Dough Rise:
If you’ve faced issues with your dough not rising due to a chilly house, here’s a helpful hack. Preheat your oven for just a minute or two – not any longer. If the oven feels too warm for your hand, simply leave the door open to let it cool down. You want it to be a cozy, room-temperature environment. Place your covered dough bowl inside, and shut the oven (with the heat off), this method will ensure your dough rises as it should.
2. Optimal Milk and Butter Temperature:
When warming your milk, aim for lukewarm. It should feel like nothing when you place your finger, as this can harm the yeast’s performance. This goes for the melted butter too.
3. Kneading with Care:
To achieve soft, tender rolls, knead your dough just until it’s no longer sticky. Over-kneading can result in a tough, crumbly texture. Use minimal flour on your work surface and knead only until the dough becomes soft and stops sticking to your fingers or the counter. Check if the dough is done by poking it, and if it bounces up then you should stop kneading.
How To Store
For the freshest, softest cinnamon rolls, enjoy them on the same day they’re made. Simply keep them at room temperature for up to a day. Store them in an airtight container in a cool, dry area, but be sure to indulge the following day. They’ll still be delightfully fluffy.
Planning for Later:
If you’re not planning to eat them immediately or you have extra rolls then place them in a freezer-safe container. Wrap them securely with cling film, and pop them in the freezer. They’ll stay fresh for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat them, defrost in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a few hours. Then, simply reheat them in the oven.
Healthy Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- 1 baking tray You may need two depending on the size.
- 1 Freezer safe tray This is if you decide to freeze some to bake on another day
- Mixing bowl Mixing bowls for the dough, filling, and glaze.
- Spatchula
- Unflavoured floss You can use string if you like, but I found cutting the rolls with floss worked so much better.
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
Dough
- 5 cups Plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 8 tbsp Unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup Organic coconut sugar
- 1 packet Dried yeast (this is about 2 1/4 tsp)
- 2 cups Full-fat milk
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 2 tsp Himalayan salt
Filling
- 12 tbsp Softened unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup Organic coconut sugar
- 2 tbsp Ground cinnamon
Glaze (for glazing only 6 rolls just half the amount)
- 1 cup Reduced-fat cream cheese
- 4 tbsp Maple syrup
- 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
Instructions
Active The Yeast
- Combine melted butter and warmed milk in a large bowl, ensuring they're at room temperature (neither hot nor cold- it needs to feel like nothing when you place your finger).
- Add coconut sugar and mix well. Then sprinkle yeast over the mixture, stirring well.
- Cover and place in a warm spot for 10 minutes to activate the yeast.
Create The Dough
- After yeast activation, add 4 cups of flour, mixing until combined (the dough will be sticky).
- Cover the bowl with a towel and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
Prepare Baking Pan And Filling
- Generously butter a deep baking pan while the dough rises.
- Just before you take the dough out, start making the filling. In a separate bowl, create a smooth filling with softened butter, coconut sugar, and cinnamon. Or once you flatten the dough you can just spread the butter and then sprinkle the coconut sugar and cinnamon on top.
Continue Dough Preparation
- After an hour, poke the risen dough and add the remaining cup of flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold twice and transfer to a floured surface to prevent sticking.
- Knead for about 10 minutes until the dough is no longer sticky and bounces back when you poke it.
Roll And Fill The Dough
- Roll the dough into a 1 cm thick rectangle.
- Spread the filling evenly across the dough.
- Roll the dough from the short end into a long roll. Refrigerate for 10 minutes if too soft.
- Cut the rolls using unflavored floss (8cm thick) and place them in the prepared pan.
- Cover with a towel and allow them to rise for about 35 minutes in a warm spot.
Bake The Cinnamon Rolls
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and bake for 20 minutes. Do not cook for more than 25 minutes.
Cool And Add Glaze
- Allow rolls to cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Prepare the glaze with cream cheese, maple syrup, and cinnamon using a whisk.
- Spread the glaze over the rolls using a spatula for complete coverage.
- Enjoy!!
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!
Don’t forget to rate this recipe and leave a comment down below! I would love to hear what you guys think.
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Lots of love, Mariam x
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This post was all about healthy cinnamon rolls!
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