Cinnamon rolls, but make it healthy
If you’re eating cinnamon rolls, this is about as healthy as they are going to get. They are filling, which is nice when you’re like, ‘I could eat this entire pan of cinnamon rolls’ then change your mind halfway through one.
If you’re used to store-bought or more traditional recipes, these will taste more like a sweet bread. They’re lightly sweet, and have the more complex flavor & higher density of whole wheat flour. These homemade cinnamon rolls require some time, but it’s not a ton of work.
I use white whole wheat flour, which has the nutritional benefits of whole wheat flour but a more mellow flavor. We use King Arthur brand, available at many conventional grocery stores and at Target.
Dough modified from this recipe.
Ingredients
Makes 8 large cinnamon rolls
Dough:
1 cup unsweetened almond milk, warmed
1 package rapid rise yeast
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
⅓ cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
3½-4 cups white whole wheat flour
Filling:
1 tablespoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons maple syrup
Heaping 1 cup chopped walnuts
2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
Maple syrup, for topping
Directions
Mix milk and yeast in a large bowl and let stand for 5 minutes. Then stir in the next six ingredients, through the cinnamon. Stir in 2½ cups of the flour. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead in most or all of the remaining flour for a couple of minutes, until a smooth dough is formed. Shape the dough into a ball, put in a bowl & cover. Let rise until the dough roughly doubles in size, 1½ to 1¾ hours.
While the dough is rising, start the filling. In a small saucepan combine cinnamon, maple syrup, walnuts, and almond milk. Simmer for 5-10 minutes over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the mixture is reduced to a more unified texture.
Once the dough is finished rising, punch dough down and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper.
Roll out the dough into a vaguely rectangular shape, around 12×18 inches. It should be about 1/2 inch thick or around the thickness of your index finger. If the edges are a little rounded, not a big deal, you’ll just have a couple of smaller cinnamon rolls.
Spread the filling out over the dough, leaving about an inch unfilled along one of the long sides. Then, starting from the filled long side, roll up the dough. Pinch dough together at the seam to seal it. Cut into 8 giant rolls. (You could do 10 for more reasonably-sized rolls if you want.) For 8 pieces, cut once down the middle and cut each piece in half twice more to get 8.
Lift the gooey messes into the baking pan and admire briefly, then cover for 45 minutes. This is the last time they’ll need to sit and they’re going to get even larger!
Preheat oven to 360 degrees. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the tops just begin to turn golden. Lightly drizzle the tops with maple syrup, then lift the rolls out of the pan using the parchment paper. Let cool for a few minutes before serving. Drizzle on extra maple syrup if desired.
