I have cinnamon rolls to thank for a lot of the extra pounds I put on as a kid. Those gooey little devils were my favorite and still are. I’d always break them apart and save the middle for the last bite. Waking up to the smell of cinnamon rolls is heaven on earth. My mom always made them on Christmas morning. Once we smelled the cinnamon rolls, we knew Santa had arrived! If we were lucky, she’d make them on a random Sunday. They bring so back so many good memories and fall right into place with comfort foods.
Comfort foods are good every now and then, but not everyday. That is why it’s important to create healthier ways to enjoy your favorite foods. I love throwing ingredients together to create new recipes. They don’t always turn out, but when they do, it’s a peachy accomplishment.
Recently, I have been trying to cut my grain and dairy intake in half. (that’s a story for later) I’ve been introducing alternatives like: almond flour, coconut flour, and other flour alternatives into my recipes and grocery items. I’ve been using almond milk, coconut milk, dairy free protein powders and yogurts. This transition has been a lot easier than I expected and I feel great.
This morning after swimming laps, I made healthy cinnamon rolls to fill my sweet tooth. I also needed a little comfort in my life. I’m ten hours away from home. I don’t know anyone in Michigan. And Jeremy is in Phoenix for two weeks. I deserved a cinnamon roll, so I got to work in the kitchen!
Here is my healthy cinnamon roll recipe!
Ingredients:
2 Cups Almond Flour
1/8 Tsp Sea Salt
1/2 Tbsp Baking Soda
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
2 Tbsp Unsweetened Applesauce
1 Tbsp Unsweetened Coconut Milk
1 Tbsp Honey (In Dough) 1/4 Cup Honey (In Filling)
1 Tsp Cinnamon (In Dough) 2 Tbsps Cinnamon (In Filling)
2 Eggs
4 Tbsps Ground Flax Seed
Mix together: almond flour, flax seed, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Mix in both eggs.
-Mix in the applesauce.
To make it sweet, add honey.
If you do not like honey, you can replace it with a Stevia packet or syrup.
Mix in the teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
Use your hands to form a ball of dough.
Cover and place dough in the refrigerator for twenty minutes to firm.
Lay a piece of wax paper down and spray it with cooking spray or grease it with olive oil.
Roll the dough out with the palm of your hands and fingertips.
This dough will stick to a wood rolling pin.
Cut the dough into five strips.
Drizzle the 1/4 cup of honey on top. (syrup can be used as a honey replacement)
Sprinkle the ground cinnamon over the honey.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Start rolling the strips of dough into cinnamon rolls.
The dough is very soft, so as you’re rolling, make sure to pinch the cracks.
Once the strip is rolled, you can either keep it that size for a jumbo roll or slice it in half.
I sliced mine in half to make mini rolls.
This recipe makes either five jumbo rolls, or ten mini rolls.
Place the rolls in a greased baking pan. If you have a cupcake pan, they fit perfectly in the individual slots.
While the cinnamon rolls are baking, prepare the icing. (optional)
1 Scoop (2 tbsp) vanilla protein powder.
1 tbsp honey
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk.
Mix all the ingredients together and set aside. If the icing is not thick, add more protein powder.
The cinnamon rolls should be ready in 25 minutes. Just watch them and take them out when they are brown and crispy on the outside.
Time for icing! Drizzle about one tablespoon on the top of each. You could even keep the icing on the side for dipping.
These cinnamon rolls are close to being the real deal. If you have a meeting coming up, sorority breakfast, tailgate, or any event, your guest will love you for these! You don’t even have to tell them they are healthy. I have a friend who is 100% gluten free and she always talks to me about how frustrating it is to be in an office surrounded by gluten filled treats. It’s nice to offer more gluten free and dairy free foods so everyone can enjoy a treat.
Now lets get to the fun part. The nutritional information.
Per Cinnamon Roll:
175 Calories, 11 g Carbs, 9 g Fat, 1 g Fiber, 9 g Protein, 7 g Sugar
When is the last time you’ve had a cinnamon roll that contained 11 grams of carbs and only 7 grams of sugar? That’s a steal! That number of fat may seem high, but think about where that fat is coming from. It’s the fats your body needs.
I stored these in my refrigerator. I am going to heat one up for dessert later!
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