World’s Healthiest and Easiest Cinnamon Rolls

I know what your mom wants for Mother’s Day.

Put the macaroni necklace you made in kindergarten back in the shoebox where you found it, because I have a better plan. We all love our moms, so let’s give them a Mother’s Day to remember.

Okay, so you know how you’ve been getting up every year at the crack of dawn to make cinnamon rolls for Mom’s breakfast in bed? No? Well, let’s pretend you do.

Seeing the look on Mom’s face when she sees how hard you’ve worked to bring her this wonderful cinnamon roll feast is absolutely priceless. The only problem with this picture is the “getting up at the crack of dawn” part. I don’t like that so much.

Don’t get me wrong; I’d totally do it for my mom. But why spend hours and hours proofing yeast, letting it rise, punching it down, and kneading when all of those things are completely unneeded to get fresh, warm-from-the-oven cinnamon rolls onto Mom’s tray?

Plus, you’re actually doing your mother a favor by not spending so much time in the kitchen. Traditional cinnamon rolls are not only time-consuming, but are laden with carbs, excessive fat, and boatloads of sugar. These babies are low carb, sugar free, grain free, vegan, and only 40 calories each.

That is not a typo. These are only 40 calories each. Feel free to break into a happy dance.

I was once a little girl with a dream. After seeing Angela’s amazing post on cinnamon rolls, the dream was born. I had to make these little buns of joy.

But, as easy as Angela makes it look, I just couldn’t take that route. Little old me just had to make the recipe way easier. Tsk, tsk.

I know I should be ashamed. But I’m not. I know I should be losing out on the sense of pride that comes with legitimate bread baking. But I don’t.

Oh, and the fact that I knocked a zero off the calorie count doesn’t hurt too much either. Just throwing that out there.

Do you think these must taste like cardboard? They don’t. They actually taste remarkably like the real thing. I mean, look at the gooey amazingness on the bottom!

Okay, so here is why you are rushing off to your kitchen to go make these. They are mouth-wateringly delicious, ridiculously healthy, and will make your mom happy.

So happy, you will probably have earned redemption for that math test you flunked in the eighth grade. Not that your mother stills prods at you for that.

Well, not anymore.

World’s Healthiest and Easiest Cinnamon Rolls

Forty calorie cinnamon rolls you can whip up in about 25 minutes? Yes please! Just note that you have to be super-duper careful when rolling the dough.      

Makes 8-10 rolls

Adapted from my Easy Low Carb Dinner Rolls and All Day I Dream About Food

Nutritional Comparison

Traditional Cinnamon Buns

Serving size:  1 cinnamon bun

Calories: 223

Fat: 9.8 grams

vs.

World’s Healthiest and Easiest Cinnamon Rolls

Serving size: 1 cinnamon roll

Calories: ~38

Fat: ~5 grams

Ingredients

3T egg replacer mixed with 12T water (I have gotten reports of people trying this with eggs and not having it work. I have not tried this recipe with eggs, and therefore can not personally vouch for the results. If you do try this with eggs, could you let me know how it goes? Thanks!)

1/3c. applesauce (feel free to sub some or all with oil)

1/2c. coconut flour (Check out this post with tips for cooking with coconut flour!)

1/2t baking powder

1/4t salt

2t xantham or guar gum (you can leave this out, but the rolls will be grainier)

3-4 packets of stevia (depending on how sweet you like things. Feel free to taste test.)

2 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon, divided

3 Tablespoon xylitol or erythritol

1 Tablespoon of melted Earth Balance or butter (I bet coconut oil would work, too.)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400F.

Mix together egg replacer or egg, applesauce, and salt. Add in coconut flour, baking powder, xantham or guar gum, stevia packets, and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon. The batter should look somewhat like unkneaded dough. (Seriously, I would check out this post!)

On parchment paper or a silicone mate, turn out the dough and knead until it comes together, about 1-2 minutes. (This is not intimidating at all!) Now, you can either top it with another piece of parchment paper and roll it flat, or smoosh it down to a uniform thin-ness like I did. You should have a big, thin square of evenly thin dough.

Now, combine the xylitol or erythritol with the remaining 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Brush the melted Earth Balance or butter over the dough, and evenly sprinkle the cinnamon mixture over the Earth Balance. Roll the long side up to the other long side, until you have a long, thin log. Be really really really careful when rolling the dough. It is delicate and cracks easily. If cracks do form, don’t worry. Just pinch them closed with your fingers. Cut the log widthwise into 8-10 rolls.

PLace the rolls in a greased baking dish, and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the filling is slightly bubbly and the dough is firm and slightly browned. Let cool before eating. Or just inhale them all over the cooling rack.

I’d be in serious trouble if these weren’t only 40 calories each.

Enjoy!

-Kelly M.

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Tagged as: bake, bread, breakfast, Copycat Recipes, desserts, DIY, easy, gluten free, grain free, healthy from scratch, holiday, low calorie, low carb, makover, quick, Recipes, simple, snack, soy free, sugar free, vegan, vegetarian, with love