These Healthy Cinnamon Rolls have gooey cinnamon roll filling, fluffy dough and sweet vanilla cream cheese glaze. Delicious and made healthier with whole wheat flour without skimming on flavor!
Reader’s Review
I made your healthy cinnamon rolls recipe for Thanksgiving and they were a huge hit!
Olivia
Why You’ll Love My Cinnamon Rolls
In our household, homemade cinnamon rolls are a treat or breakfast for Holidays. So naturally, we have high expectations for healthy cinnamon rolls. Especially, older kids, can’t trick them anymore.
And trust me, when I say it took me a while to perfect a healthy cinnamon roll recipe, I mean a few years. Now, we have a batch every major holiday or as soon as it starts raining in Pacific Northwest.
I created the recipe so you have to rise the dough only 1 time and cinnamon rolls are ready in 2 hours. We use more wholesome ingredients like whole wheat flour, coconut sugar, and overall less sugar and calories.
The cream cheese frosting is more runny but is much lighter and still delicious. And if you are looking for high protein cinnamon rolls, check out my cottage cheese cinnamon rolls or Greek yogurt cinnamon rolls.
Ingredients for Healthy Cinnamon Rolls
- Two types of flours: You will need all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. And you have to use 2 kinds of flour because all my tests with only whole grain flour did not produce good results. I believe you can use 100% of white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour.
- Milk: Any dairy milk works and I used 3.25%. Dairy free milk like almond milk, soy milk etc. is OK too. Rolls will be a bit less flavorful but you are probably used to that, if you are asking.
- Eggs: 2 large eggs of room temperature to make sure yeast activates.
- Butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter. Vegan butter or coconut oil will work as well. Will need it at room temperature for the icing.
- Quick rising instant yeast: It allows the cinnamon roll dough to rise within an hour. You can use active dry yeast, the dough will take a few hours longer to rise.
- Cane sugar and powdered sugar: Use any light color sugar. Coconut sugar or brown sugar will work too. Stay away from liquid sweeteners as they will offset the consistency. Powdered sugar is for the icing.
- Cream cheese: Make sure it is at room temperature. I recommend to use full-fat but light cream cheese is OK.
- Cinnamon and vanilla extract: For flavors.
How to Make Healthy Cinnamon Rolls
- Activate the yeast: Warm up milk in a microwave or on the stove until it is warm to the touch and not exceeding 110 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, whisk melted butter and sugar, then sprinkle instant yeast on top and let it stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
- Make the dough: Then whisk in the eggs, add white flour and whole wheat flour, and stir with a wooden spoon.
- Let it rise for 1 hour: Cover mixed dough with a towel and place in warm place until doubled in size. This may take more or less time depending on the humidity and temperature in your home. Then you will add more flour, baking powder and salt and knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for about 3-4 minutes.
- Roll: Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a 16 x 12 inch rectangle with shorter side closer to you.
- Add the filling: Spread softened butter over dough, then sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture on top evenly. You want to make sure of two things – to soften the butter and not melt, and to leave a 1/4 inch margin at the far 12 inch side of the dough.
- Roll and cut: Starting again at the longest side, roll the dough very tightly, pinch the seam and place the seam side down. Slice with a sharp knife or dental floss works very well too because it cuts from the inside to the center. You want to cut the log into 12 pieces by trimming half inch ends first.
- Bake: At some point you want to preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and butter large 9 x 13 baking dish. Arrange the rolls and bake for 20-25 minutes or until just lightly golden brown. You do not want to bake your healthy cinnamon rolls longer, so they stay soft.
- Frost: Before frosting, make sure to let them cool a bit and only then spread the icing.
Frosting Tip
If you would like to use maple syrup and no butter in your icing, make this healthy cream cheese frosting.
Tips for Best Results
- Make sure yeast isn’t expired: Every package of yeast has Best Before date. If yeast is old, milk mixture won’t foam even after 20 minutes and the dough won’t rise. I always buy fresh just not to risk it.
- Test the temperature of milk: You need it to be 110 degrees F. If your milk is over 120 degrees F, it will kill yeast and nothing will happen. If milk is too cold, it’s not warm enough to activate the yeast. In either case you have to restart.
- Measure flour correctly: To measure flour correctly, spoon it into a measuring cup rather than scooping with it from a bag.
- Don’t add too much flour: If you add too much flour, your dough will be tough and cinnamon rolls will not turn out moist and rather dry. Once rolling out the dough, add flour little by little if you dough is sticky. Also don’t overwork your dough.
- If using a knife for cutting: Make sure to use a very sharp knife and saw back and forth instead of cutting and squishing the rolls.
- Don’t use any liquid filling ingredients: It might be tempting to make healthy cinnamon rolls even healthier by adding applesauce or maple syrup to the filling but please don’t do it! It will leak out and you will be disappointed with the results. This is well tested recipe as is, trust me.
How Make Ahead
After you roll and cut cinnamon rolls, arrange them in a baking pan as directed. Cover tightly with plastic and refrigerate overnight.
Next day, when ready to bake remove them from the fridge and bring to room temperature for about 1 hour. Then bake as per recipe instructions.
How to Freeze Before or After Baking
To freeze before baking: Roll them out, cut and assemble in a baking dish. Cover tightly with a few layers of plastic wrap and aluminum foil on top, then freeze for up to 3 months.
When ready to bake, thaw in the fridge overnight or 3-4 hours on a counter. In either case, make sure to bring the rolls to room temperature before baking as directed.
To freeze after baking: Bake, cool and freeze either in entire pan or individual ones tightly wrapped in plastic.
You can also place them in an airtight container to help prevent the freezer burn. The icing is also freezer friendly!
How to Store and Reheat
Store: Because of the cream cheese icing situation, you have to refrigerate the rolls covered for up to 3-4 days.
Reheat: Reheat in a microwave in 10 second increments. If they were previously frozen, thaw individual ones for an hour and microwave. Or for a big batch, thaw and reheat at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes in the oven.
More Healthy Recipes to Try
- Almond flour cinnamon bread
- Almond flour snickerdoodles
- Healthy gingerbread cookies
- Healthy gingerbread loaf
Healthy Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1 cup milk, 3.25% or 2%
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1/3 cup cane sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon quick rising yeast, 1 packet
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour or spelt flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
For the Cinnamon Filling
For Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3 tablespoon butter, softened
- 3/4 cup powder sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Warm up milk to 110 degrees F by placing in a microwave for 40 seconds or on the stove. It should be warm to the touch. Add melted butter and sugar, then whisk. Sprinkle yeast, gently stir and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
- Add eggs and whisk until mixed. Add 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour. Stir with wooden spoon, cover with linen towel and let stand in warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size. This may take more or less time depending on the humidity and temperature in your home.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and butter large 9 x 13 baking dish, set aside. Sprinkle remaining 1/3 cup flour, baking powder and salt. Stir with spatula until can't stir any further, then knead on a floured surface for about 3-4 minutes.
- Roll out dough into a 16 x 12 inch rectangle with shorter side closer to you. Spread softened butter over dough, leaving a 1/4 inch margin at the far 12 inch side of the dough.
- In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon, mix. Sprinkle all over buttered part. Starting at 12 inch side, roll the dough as tightly as possible, pinch the seam and place the seam side down.
- Using a sharp knife or dental floss (my favorite), cut off 1/2 inch without the filling on each end. Then cut into even about 1 inch pieces and place into previously prepared dish.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until just lightly golden brown. You do not want to bake cinnamon rolls longer so they stay soft. Remove from the oven and let cool a bit.
- To make the frosting, in a medium bowl, add cream cheese, butter, powder sugar and vanilla. Beat with an electric hand mixer until smooth and fluffy. Spread over warm cinnamon rolls and enjoy!
Notes
- Flours: You can use ALL white whole wheat flour. Substitute spelt flour with whole wheat flour. You can’t use all whole wheat or spelt flour because all my tests didn’t produce tasty results.
- Healthier frosting: In a medium bowl, whisk 1 cup Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup maple syrup and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Add it not more than an hour before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi Olena, i’ve found your recipe and it looks delightful. i don’t have the quick rising yeast, though, so is it possible i could substitute it for something else or just extend rising time? I want to make these soon, it would mean a lot if you could reply!
Unfortunately, this recipe has been tested using only quick rise yeast so we can’t say how it would do with regular yeast.
I’m making the rolls as we speak. Minutes from going in the oven. Will get back with the results.
Is there a way to make this gluten free?
Unfortunately not.
I made your healthy cinnamon rolls recipe for Thanksgiving and they were a huge hit!