These easy healthy cinnamon rolls are ready in less than one hour. They're low sugar, refined sugar free, higher protein, simple, and can be gluten free. dairy free, and vegan. On a small white plate is a single big round fluffy cinnamon roll coated in cream cheese frosting dripping down the sides. Perfectly round with brown filling showing through. The texture is soft, pillowy, fluffy, and mouth watering.

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These Easy, Healthier Cinnamon Rolls are refined sugar free, made with simple ingredients, and can easily be made gluten free and dairy free with a couple of simple swaps. You won’t believe that these homemade cinnamon rolls take less than an hour, from start to finish, to make. They’re incredibly fluffy and soft with subtle sweetness making them the perfect healthier dessert, snack, or even breakfast!

One of my favorite childhood memories was waking up to the smell of freshly made cinnamon rolls on weekend mornings or to help with baking them. The warm, comforting smell of freshly baked dough, sweet cinnamon roaming through the air… there’s nothing better (or at least, very few things)! Even as I’ve gotten older, I’ve kept up with these traditions of enjoying slower weekends with a baked treat because I can take more time to really romanticize the process and enjoy it more. Especially in the colder months, I lean into these cozy, slow weekend mornings more and it’s something I look forward to so much! This can look like – staying in my pajamas, gentle movement, taking my dogs on a walk, enjoying a warm drink, journaling, longer skincare routine, and making something YUMMY of course 🥰 I highly recommend carving some time out of your schedule to have these slower days and baking a treat!

To give you some ideas, some of my recent favorites I’ve been making are my Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes, Cinnamon Sugar Apples, Cottage Cheese Banana Bread, and now these Healthier Cinnamon Rolls. Sure, store-bought cinnamon rolls are good, but there’s something so satisfying about making them from scratch and with a simple ingredient list too! Unlike most homemade cinnamon roll recipes, these don’t need any time to rise and are just as fluffy and chewy as one you’d get at a bakery. All thanks to a SUPER easy foolproof dough made with three ingredients that come together to create a self-rising flour. Between the dough, filling, and frosting, you only need eight ingredients. When I say easy, I mean it!

I love having these with some chicken sausage and my coffee in the morning. You can enjoy them as is or add things to your filling like chopped pecans, walnuts, raisins, etc. You can never go wrong with adding an extra crunch.

Why You’ll Love These

Easier than you’d think – I can’t say it enough, these come together in less than an hour! It seems like there might be a lot of steps but trust me, it’s a simple process and focusing on simple ingredients. They’ll be ready in no time!
Lower sugar – We’re using coconut sugar for the dough and filling sweetener which is one of my favorite lower sugar options. It’s lower on the glycemic index compared to regular refined sugar so it won’t spike the blood sugar as much! For the frosting, we use maple syrup as a natural sweetener.
Dietary friendly – This recipe can be made gluten free and dairy free with a couple of simple swaps included below. Or you can follow as is and use regular flour and dairy!

What You’ll Need

All-purpose flour – I make sure to use Organic, unbleached. If you want this to be gluten free, you’ll want to get a 1:1 gluten free flour replacement like these from Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur!
Yogurt – I use Greek yogurt for added protein but you can use any kind. If you want to make this dairy free, use a thick yogurt like these from Culina or Cocojune.
Baking powder
Coconut sugar – One of my favorite lower sugar options that’s also low on the glycemic index so it won’t spike your blood sugar as much compared to regular sugar.
Coconut oil – You can use melted coconut oil or butter.
Cinnamon
Cream cheese – If you want to keep this dairy free, Miyoko’s is my favorite!
Maple syrup

How To Make

Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly grease a round baking dish.
To make the dough, in a large mixing bowl add flour, baking powder, coconut sugar, and mix well.
Next, add in the yogurt and mix again. The dough will be a bit crumbly at first!
Place a sheet of parchment paper on the counter and sprinkle with a little bit of flour on top.
Place the dough onto the parchment paper and sprinkle the dough with more flour.
Roll the dough into a thin rectangle shape and let it sit while you make the filling. (Tip: You can use a rolling pin or a large round bottle if you don’t have one.)
To make the filling, in a mixing bowl, mix the filling ingredients (coconut sugar, melted coconut oil or butter, and cinnamon). Pour it onto the dough and let it set for a couple of minutes. (Tip: This helps the filling flavors soak into the dough a bit before baking!)
Carefully roll the dough up, starting with the left or right shorter side (the long sides are along the top and bottom). Use the parchment paper to help keep this a tight roll!
Use dental floss, baker’s twine, or carefully use a knife, to cut the dough into six even rolls.
Place the rolls in the greased baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes. Let them cool for a couple of minutes while you make the frosting.
To make the frosting, mix together the frosting ingredients (cream cheese and maple syrup).
Pour the frosting over the cinnamon rolls, spread, and enjoy!

Recommended Tools

Round baking dish – I used a 9-inch pie dish!
Parchment paper
Glass mixing bowls
Stainless steel measuring cups and spoons
Silicone spatula – I prefer using silicone with any type of dough or batter to prevent sticking.
Rolling pin
Baker’s twine

Must Try Healthier Classics

The Easiest Blueberry English Muffins (Gluten Free)

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten Free)

Healthy Pumpkin Bread with “Cream Cheese” Frosting (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

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