Cinnamon Rolls

I have been making these cinnamon rolls for a few years now and realized I didn't really share the details with you. How rude of me :) Seems like it was about time with Christmas morning right around the corner. So here my best take on the traditional magical treat of the cinnamon roll.

When our little family grew and we had little ones, we started the Christmas morning tradition of making cinnamon rolls or monkey bread for breakfast. Honestly the kids are more interested in all the presents (and why not ;) but eventually their stomachs remind them about breakfast. And they are super easy to make ahead and warm up if that works better for you. It's also a great treat for my husband and I to eat cinnamon rolls, sip coffee or cocoa and just soak in the magic of Christmas morning with little ones. 

Cinnamon Roll Recipe

{gluten, dairy, egg, yeast, soy, nut and seed-free}

3 TB of psyllium husk powder

1 1/2 cup of coconut milk beverage (I use So Delicious unsweetened)

1/2 cup of water

1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar

1 TB of blackstrap molasses

1 TB of pure honey

2 TB of olive oil

Whisk all the above ingredients together very well in a large mixing bowl. It will turn into a pudding-like substance. Then you can add the dry ingredients...

1 3/4 cups of certified GF oat flour *I grind my own from GF rolled oats*

1 1/4 cup of white rice flour

1/4 cup of tapioca flour

1/4 cup of potato starch

1 TB of baking powder

1 ts of baking soda

1 ts. of sea salt

*1/4-3/4 cup of extra flour (oat or rice/tapioca or a mix) for rolling out and kneading if need be

After you add in all the dry ingredients you will roll together, knead together and start to form a log or bad and you may need to extra flour (oat, rice, tapioca) in the kneading or rolling out process if your dough is extra sticky. So form a lump or log and start to roll out a flat dough piece on parchment paper. You want to roll out a 12x15-18 inch dough rectangle. Let it sit while you mix up the filling...

Cinnamon Spice Filling

1 cup of coconut palm sugar

5 TB of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice blend

2/3-3/4 cup of coconut oil

In a small mixing bowl, or you can save a bowl and mix it up in your dough bowl. Mix up the above ingredients until it becomes a wet sandy mixture that you can evenly spread over the whole rolled-out dough piece. You can leave 1-2 inches without the filling at the end closest to your body. Then, at the end farthest from your body start to pinch the first few inches of the dough pieces into a roll. You want to evenly roll the whole 15 inches of dough into a roll towards you. There is a lot of technique here, but basically you want to stretch-then roll-stretch-then roll, and you will eventually get a TIGHT roll of dough swirled with cinnamon filling. Pinch the endings of dough on each side and at the end of the dough roll. This will help the dough stick together. Then take a bread knife and cut 1 inch cuts along the roll and separate each inched roll and place it on a parchment papered baking sheet. A 15x18 baking sheet works best, or 2 12x9 baking sheets would work too. Spread out 1/2 inch apart so they bake together but they will expand a little. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes until bubbling and golden brown. The coconut oil sugar will and may be really melty and bubbling- so be careful because it could easily burn you if you touch it, but then let the rolls sit for 15 minutes and the oil will soak back into the rolls and make a very moist and chewy consistency that is great! 

This recipe can make 24 mini rolls or about 18 larger rolls. It just depends on how long you roll out your cinnamon log and how large you slice off the rolls from the log. If you have ever made homemade cinnamon rolls before you can use all the same techniques here with this recipe, but this dough is free of yeast, so no rising time, and free of the pesky allergens. They turn out fabulous though!

You can frost with a simple powdered sugar/coconut milk icing if you desire. Me and my kids just like topping it with regular or dairy-free butter or cream cheese. Or even just a swipe of honey butter, honey, or jam. So you don't really need the icing, but if you want that more traditional feel, then by all means. 

This recipe is gold I tell you!!!

Merry Christmas and happy planning for a special and meaningful-magical Christmas morning. 

Much love and light, friends  xoxo