Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls: No Refined Sugar & Vegan Friendly!

 

I love cinnamon rolls. I really really love them, but who doesn’t? Cinnamon rolls are fluffy, buttery, crazy sweet, and super decadent. Let’s not forget how amazing they smell coming out of the oven. My husband’s work makes the most delicious cinnamon rolls every other Friday; they are so terrific that a line of people forms waiting to eat one as soon as they come out of the oven. I’ve only partaken once, and it was truly the best cinnamon roll I’ve ever had. A sugary cinnamon roll is not the type of breakfast I regularly condone eating, but every now and then though, you just have to eat one.

 

So, when your family wants cinnamon rolls for breakfast, you now have a healthy option! I love this recipe because it doesn’t use yeast, so you don’t have to wait on the dough to rise (I can’t wait that long for my treats). They are butter-and dairy-free, so your special vegan friends can finally partake in a warm cinnamon roll too! Plus they use pureed dates for the filling (sounds weird, but it works perfectly), and the whole recipe uses less than 1/2 a cup of honey without sacrificing the sweetness you expect!

 

 

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{Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls}

These delicious and easy yeast-free cinnamon rolls are super quick to make because there is no waiting for any dough to rise. They contain no processed sugar or white flour, so you can enjoy them guilt-free. The filling is made from raw honey, cinnamon, and pureed dates. Coconut oil and almond milk replace the butter and dairy milk so they are vegan friendly too! There’s even a caramel glaze made from honey, vanilla, and coconut oil!

 

Servings: 12

 

Ingredients

Dough:

3 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)

3 tbsp coconut oil

3 tbsp raw honey (strict vegans can sub maple syrup for honey)

 

Filling

3/4 cup pitted dates (tightly packed)

2 tbsp raw honey

2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk

1 tbsp cinnamon

3 tbsp coconut oil (melted)

 

Glaze

2 tbsp raw honey

2 tbsp coconut oil

1/2 tbsp vanilla

 

Directions

For dough: Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl–set aside. In a small pot stir vinegar into almond milk and let sit for 5 minutes. Next, add in coconut oil and honey to almond milk mixture and heat on the stovetop over low heat until oil is melted, stirring frequently. Combine wet and dry ingredients and stir until combined (dough will be sticky). Liberally flour a flat surface and knead dough until smooth (you may need to sprinkle in some more flour until dough can be rolled out). Roll into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.

 

 

For filling: In food processor combine dates, honey, cinnamon, and almond milk in a food processor until a paste forms, and spread evenly over rolled out dough. Pour melted coconut oil evenly over the dates.

 

 

 

 

Roll dough up from one of the long sides and slice into 12 even pieces. Place in a greased 12 x 9 pan. Bake at 375 for 20 min. I took them out when they were just barely starting to brown–hard cinnamon rolls are no good!

 

 

 

 

For glaze: Melt oil and honey on stovetop over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Whisk occasionally until  mixture has cooled to a caramel consistency. Pour over cooked cinnamon rolls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nutrition info per cinnamon roll with glaze: 290 cal, 11 g fat, 46 g carb, 4 g protein, 7 g fiber. Contains 7 g of added sugar (from honey).

 

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