Easy, No Mess Cinnamon Rolls

What is your all-time favorite breakfast food to “indulge” in?

Mine is a cinnamon roll.

Actually, I take that back.

Mine is multiple cinnamon rolls.

Cinnamon rolls have always been a hit in my house, ever since I was a little kid and we discovered the Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls that you just popped the rolls out of, threw in the oven, and slathered as much icing as humanly possible on them. And just like that each of my sisters and I had three rolls we could enjoy to the fullest extent.

Not to mention clean up. I mean, licking all that extra icing out of the pan? Heaven.

But I have to say, if we didn’t get to the icing immediately after the pan cooled… The result was none short of a nightmare.

Icing stuck to the pan, crunchy cinnamon shoved into the very corners, and caramelized sugar covering the entire bottom of the pan. Yeah, it’s safe to say I spent ten minutes trying to scrape the remnants off of it.

Not to mention, you could practically never bring these rolls to a breakfast party, as they would harden to the sides or just be too messy to take out once you got to them.

And let’s not even mention to the calories, okay? 😉

Sure, it’s fun to indulge every once in a while. But if you ever get a strong craving for cinnamon rolls, want to bring them to a party, or even just want to eat more than one (say… three?) without feeling massively guilty… this is definitely your recipe!

These cinnamon rolls do not taste healthy.

Okay, sure, I understand why you currently think I’m lying through my… keys. But let me tell you, these babies were 14-year-old tested and approved!! By my sister’s friends of course. Because when it comes to healthy recipes, sweets, or food of any kind… I tend to be a little biased. 😉

But seriously, what’s not to love about a healthy cinnamon roll recipe? This one is made with oat and whole wheat flour, without any butter, white sugar, or butter. They’re dairy free and only about 100 calories a pop! Have you seen the nutrition info of a classic cinnamon roll? If not, then please don’t freak yourself out by checking it out (and suddenly feel extremely concerned you used to pop three of these babies like they were nothing). But believe me when I tell you, this recipe has a lot less calories, and is definitely healthier!

Plus, no mess (aka. cupcake tins are my new best friend). And they’re ready in the same amount of time as classic cinnamon rolls. So really all you have to do is make the dough the night before (and roll it up of course), store it in your fridge, and that morning just cut into little buns, bake, and enjoy!

Cinnamon rolls on a chilly morning. What could be more perfect?

Easy, No Mess Cinnamon Rolls

3/4 c old fashioned oats
3/4 c whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1/4 c stevia
2 tbs warm almond milk
1/4 c coconut sugar
2 tbs coconut butter
2 tbs applesauce
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3 tbs sugar

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners, and grease lightly. Process the oats in a food processor until the consistency of oat flour is reached. Combine with whole wheat flour, baking powder, and 1 tsp cinnamon in a small bowl. In a large bowl, combine coconut sugar, coconut butter, stevia, applesauce, and egg. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and add almond milk. Stir until a dough is formed. Place in the fridge for 5-10 minutes if still sticky. Place dough on a floured surface and roll out into a 1/4 in strip. Combine cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Lightly the dough with PAM coconut oil spray, and sprinkle on cinnamon and sugar. Roll up and slice into about 1 in rounds. Place each in the cupcake liner, then bake for 8-10 minutes (or until lightly golden brown). Remove and let cool.

Once slightly cool, drizzle each with additional melted coconut butter, lightly sweetened with stevia. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Serve and enjoy!

Nutritional Information (from myfitnesspal.com)

Calories: 106

Fat: 3g

Carbs: 19g

Protein: 3g

(Yields 10 cinnamon buns)

Nutritional information not calculated including icing. The icing you choose to use is your preference. I mixed 2 parts coconut butter and 1 part coconut oil in a measuring cup and microwaved it until spreadable. I then added a bit of stevia for sweetness. You can use powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla for a coconut-free option, or whatever other icing (if any) you choose to use!