These amazing Healthy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls and Cream Cheese Glaze are out of this world! They are made in a very unique way from the typical butter recipes out there, as these have no butter and no oil and are absolutely just as delicious! They are super easy to make and only require 1 rise!
HEALTHY VEGAN CINNAMON ROLLS NO BUTTER OR OIL
I’m beaming with excitement to share this well tested and loved recipe with you all today. These Vegan Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing have absolutely NO butter and NO oil! Yet, they are absolutely delicious in every possible way!
I’ve received multiple requests for a cinnamon roll recipe for quite some time. But, as we all know, most cinnamon roll recipes out there all use butter or oil and lots of it! Did I let that huge challenge scare me? Heck no. Y’all know by now I thrive on recreating classics without oil. I have all kinds of tricks I use. But, for these, I wanted them to taste just as amazing and not like a low-fat or diet cinnamon roll, haha. What would be the point of that? In other words, applesauce was not going to cut it here.
So, I came up with an incredible combo that knocked our socks off.
MY SECRET INGREDIENTS TO OIL-FREE CINNAMON ROLLS
To replace the copious amounts of butter used in traditional cinnamon rolls, I used a combo of lite coconut milk and……..roasted walnut butter and mashed yukon gold potatoes!! I know you are thinking, what?? I’m here to tell you, not only does my husband still not know the secret ingredients, he doesn’t care because they are SO GOOD.
Almond butter is very, very nutty, really thick and a strong flavor. That was immediately out of the question. Pecan butter I’ve used many times for a buttery result, like in pie crust, but the color is pretty dark. Ding ding, a light bulb went off, walnuts! They have a lighter color, get insanely buttery when you roast them and after processing it into a butter, it gets an oily liquid consistency. Voila, perfect for cinnamon rolls and you get a good, healthy dose of omega 3 fats, too, haha.
The filling: Unlike butter and white sugar, like 99% of recipes use, I use walnut butter, cinnamon and coconut sugar for the most luscious, moist and rich caramel-like flavor when baked. It is truly divine.
To replace eggs, I didn’t want to just use a starch, as that would dry them out more. So, since I sneak potatoes in practically everything from sauces, to desserts to ice cream, I knew they would provide moisture and binding here as well. The lite coconut milk adds additional moisture and fluffiness. Light milks like almond or rice, etc. will not work well. Coconut milk adds a buttery layer more than soy, oat, etc. It’s creamy and as you can see from the photo down below, it creates a buttery layer onto the dough, so don’t skip it. It leaves NO coconut taste.
So, now that you know how and why I came up with this recipe, let’s see how to make them! This recipe is actually super easy to make and very minimal active prep time, no more than 5 minutes actual kneading. I’ve provided step-by-step instructions and photos to help you!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
(Only 8 main ingredients needed. Full details and measurements on the recipe card below.)
- regular all-purpose flour
- instant yeast
- pure maple syrup
- coconut sugar
- cinnamon
- canned lite coconut milk (I use and recommend the Thai Kitchen brand)
- roasted walnut butter: This replaces the need for any butter or oil. It makes them taste SO rich and delicious.
- cooked/mashed yukon gold potatoes
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN CINNAMON ROLLS – STEP BY STEP
So, get your scale out so we can make perfect vegan cinnamon rolls. Especially for a recipe that requires precision in the dough, a scale will save you a big headache!
Step 1: First, you will need to make the walnut butter. You can make this the day before if you like to get a jump start. It takes all of 20 minutes from start to finish. Once that is done, making the rolls are incredibly easy.
Step 2: To a very large, deep tall bowl (if possible), add the flour, instant yeast and salt. Whisk well.
Step 3: Next, cook a medium yukon gold potato with the skin on wrapped in a damp paper towel in the microwave until squishy soft. 3-5 minutes. If you don’t want to use a microwave, bake it, but this will obviously add much more time. Do not boil or steam it, as this will add too much moisture to the potato and affect the dough. Peel the skin off the potato, mash well with a fork and weigh 60 grams in a separate medium bowl (not the bowl with the flour) Set aside.
Step 4: To the same bowl with the potato, weigh the milk, maple syrup, vanilla (if using) and ONLY 1/4 cup (64g) walnut butter (you’ll use another 1/4 cup for the cinnamon filling).
Step 5: Transfer this mixture to a food processor. Process for a couple of minutes until 100% smooth and no bits or chunks of potato remain. You want to make sure it’s totally a smooth liquid.
Step 6: Pour the liquid (scrape the processor out well) over the dry ingredients. Use a large silicone or rubber spoon, this will make your life easier than trying to use a metal one. Stir for a few minutes until it comes together into a rough, shaggy looking dough (pictured above). This means it is not smooth or fully mixed. It will seem dry at first, but do not be tempted to add more milk! Mixing by hand (as opposed to an electric dough hook) will take longer. Stir until about 90% of it is combined.
Step 7: Flour a work surface lightly and scrape the dough out. Knead the dough for just a couple of minutes, rotating, pressing and flipping over the dough until it comes together into a smooth round ball. This should be fairly quick, as mixing with your hands at this point is much easier than a spoon. Do not over mix the dough, you just want it smooth and combined. Overworking the dough can make for tough rolls. It should not be sticking to your hands, but be easy to work with.
Step 8: Clean out the large bowl you just used and wipe it dry. Add the ball of dough back to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap (sprayed with nonstick spray if it’s a short or shallow bowl, otherwise the dough will stick) and seal it around the edges. Alternatively, if you have a really tall bowl like I used here, and don’t like to use plastic, use a slightly damp towel to cover the bowl. I prefer the plastic wrap method, as it really traps the air and moisture to help the yeast do it’s job.
Step 9: Turn on the light of the oven, but don’t turn the oven on! Place the bowl in the oven and let it rise 45 minutes to an hour, or until it looks to have about doubled in size. Mine took around an hour and a few minutes. Please keep in mind, judge this rise by the look, not the time, as each environment and climate will affect how quickly it rises.
Step 10: Remove the bowl from the oven once it’s ready and scrape the dough back onto the lightly floured work surface. It’ll be a comforting warm temperature. Use a rolling pin to gently roll out into a rectangular shape of about 10 1/2 inches wide by 16 inches long. It should be about 1/4 inch thick. The dough is a dream to work with at this point and this happens within a minute.
Step 11: At this time, preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a pan with parchment paper.
Step 12: Use a pastry or silicone brush to lightly brush on some coconut milk in a thin layer. This is important so that the cinnamon sugar mixture adheres well and doesn’t create open gaps while baking. It also makes the interior moist where butter would normally be used!
Step 13: In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon, coconut sugar and ONLY the 1/4 cup (64g) remaining walnut butter. Mix and press together with the back of a spoon or fork until it resembles a moist, crumbly consistency. Sprinkle this all over the dough evenly, leaving about a 1/2 inch boarder along the edges.
Step 14: Start with the long end and gently and tightly roll it into a log. You will need to trim off the ends as these are mostly dough without the filling. About 1-2 inches worth. Use a very sharp knife or serrated knife to gently cut into rolls, 1 1/2 inches thick (if rolled out correctly) yielded 10 perfect size rolls. To help cut them evenly, I slightly scored mine measuring 1 1/2 inches. The dough will be soft, but they do slice fairly easily. I used a really sharp smooth knife and preferred this over serrated. You will need to hold each roll with one hand as you slice down, doing a gentle sawing motion. In between each slice, pat your knife with a little extra flour. This will help slicing, as the knife gets sticky with the filling.
Step 15: Carefully pick up each roll and lay it (filling side up) onto the pan spaced at least 2 inches apart. I fit 8 on the first pan. You will be tempted to eat one as is. But let’s bake them at 350°F for 18-20 minutes or until looking golden brown. Mine were perfect at 19 minutes. Cool before adding the glaze.
VEGAN CREAM CHEESE ICING
This icing is incredible! It has a slight tang to it and really compliments the rolls perfectly. After the rolls have come out of the oven, let them sit 5-10 minutes before icing them. Add a spoonful of icing on the center of each roll and spread it around to let it drizzle down the sides. Serve warm!
BAKED CINNAMON ROLLS 2 DIFFERENT WAYS
Baking these separately as I’ve done here will yield a more firm, almost crispy exterior to the rolls. I much prefer them this way, which is not really traditional in most recipes out there. I like the look better and I like to just pick up the roll with my hand and eat it, you don’t even need a fork!
If you prefer much softer edges, then place them in a 9×13 casserole dish or two 9 inch round cake pans lined with parchment paper. Make sure to space them a bit apart as well so they can expand and fluff up properly. This method will take longer to bake, more like 25 minutes, but ovens vary. Look for them to be golden brown.
MAKE THESE THE NIGHT BEFORE
Guess what, to save time if you have guests coming, you can do all of the work the night before! I tested this personally, so it works. Follow the steps all the way until after you’ve sliced the log into the rolls. Place them in a casserole dish or something large so they don’t get squished. Cover with a tight lid or plastic wrap and place in the fridge. The next day, take them out at least an hour before you will want to bake them to give yourself time. Let the dough come back to room temperature before baking, otherwise they will not bake up or fluff up well during baking. You will notice the dough start to expand a bit as it comes to room temperature.
Check out that beauty. Dang y’all, these are so good. The Cream Cheese Icing completes them into the perfect cinnamon roll! Don’t eat the picture, just go make them now!
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
Healthy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls (No Butter!)
Ingredients
DOUGH
- 3 cups (384g) regular all-purpose flour (please no subs for the recipe to work best)
- one 1/4 oz packet (2 1/4 teaspoon) instant yeast (make sure your yeast is new and not old, or they won't rise)
- 3/4 teaspoon fine salt (this amount is crucial so the dough is balanced and not bland, as there is little sweetener used inside the dough and this uses a lot of flour. I tested with less and it tasted bland.)
- 1 cup (240g) canned lite coconut milk (not full-fat!), room temperature! (can shaken first)
- 1/4 cup (60g) cooked, peeled, mashed yukon gold potato
- 3 tablespoons (60g) pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup (64g) roasted walnut butter (follow instructions here)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional)
FILLING
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup (64g) roasted walnut butter
CREAM CHEESE ICING
- 1 cup (128g) powdered sugar (sifted if lumpy)
- 2 tablespoons (30g) non-dairy unsweetened yogurt (I use the So Delicious plain coconut)
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
NOTE
- For a recipe like this to require such precision, I recommend using a scale. It will make the process much easier and less room for error. You will only need a scale and bowls, no measuring cups to compare. Follow the grams and you are good to go. Make sure to zero out before adding each ingredient.
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- Follow the photo steps in the post to help guide you. I've explained everything in great detail. First, you will need to make the walnut butter. You can make this the day before if you like to get a jump start. It takes all of 20 minutes from start to finish. Once that is done, making the rolls are incredibly easy.
- To a very large, deep tall bowl (if possible), add the flour, instant yeast and salt. Whisk well.
- Cook a medium yukon gold potato with the skin on wrapped in a damp paper towel in the microwave until squishy soft. 3-5 minutes. If you don't want to use a microwave, bake it, but this will obviously add much more time. Do not boil or steam it, as this will add too much moisture to the potato and affect the dough. Peel the skin off the potato, mash well with a fork and weigh 60 grams in a separate medium bowl (not the bowl with the flour) Set aside.
- To the same bowl with the potato, weigh the milk, maple syrup, vanilla (if using) and ONLY 1/4 cup (64g) walnut butter (you'll use another 1/4 cup for the flling). Transfer this mixture to a food processor. Process for a couple of minutes until 100% smooth and no bits or chunks of potato remain. You want to make sure it's totally a smooth liquid.
- Pour the liquid (scrape the processor out well) over the dry ingredients. Use a large silicone or rubber spoon, this will be easier than using a metal one. Stir for a few minutes until it comes together into a rough, shaggy looking dough (pictured above). This means it is not smooth or fully mixed. It will seem dry at first, but don't be tempted to add more milk! Mixing by hand (as opposed to an electric dough hook) will take longer. Stir until about 90% of it is combined.
- Flour a work surface lightly and scrape the dough out. Knead the dough for just a couple of minutes, rotating, pressing and flipping over the dough until it comes together into a smooth round ball. This should be fairly quick, as mixing with your hands at this point is much easier than a spoon. Do not over mix the dough, you just want it smooth and combined. Overworking the dough can make for tough rolls. It should not be sticking to your hands, but be easy to work with.
- Rinse out the large bowl you just used and wipe it dry. Add the ball of dough back to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap (sprayed with nonstick spray if it's a short or shallow bowl, otherwise the dough will stick) and seal it around the edges. Alternatively, if you have a really tall bowl like I used, and don't like to use plastic, use a slightly damp towel to cover the bowl. I prefer the plastic wrap method, as it really traps the air and moisture to help the yeast work.
- Turn on the oven light, but don't turn the oven on! Place the bowl in the oven and let it rise 45 minutes to an hour, or until it looks to have about doubled in size. Mine took around an hour and a few minutes. Please keep in mind, judge this rise by the look, not the time, as each environment and climate will affect how quickly it rises.
- Remove the bowl from the oven once it's ready and scrape the dough back onto the lightly floured work surface. It'll be a comforting warm temperature. Use a rolling pin to gently roll out into a rectangular shape of about 10 1/2 inches wide by 16 inches long. It should be about 1/4 inch thick. Should only take a minute.
- At this time, preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a pan with parchment paper.
- Use a pastry or silicone brush to lightly brush on some coconut milk in a thin layer. This is important so that the cinnamon sugar mixture adheres well and doesn't create open gaps while baking. It also makes the interior moist where butter would normally be used!
- In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon, coconut sugar and ONLY the 1/4 cup (64g) remaining walnut butter. Mix and press together with the back of a spoon or fork until it resembles a moist, crumbly consistency. Sprinkle this all over the dough evenly, leaving about a 1/2 inch boarder along the edges.
- Start with the long end and gently and tightly roll it into a log. You will need to trim off the ends as these are mostly dough without the filling. About 1-2 inches worth. Use a very sharp knife or serrated knife to gently cut into rolls, 1 1/2 inches thick (if rolled out correct) yielded 10 perfect size rolls. The dough will be soft, but they do slice fairly easily. I used a really sharp smooth knife and preferred this over serrated. You will need to hold each roll with one
hand as you slice down, doing a gentle sawing motion. In between each slice, pat your knife with a little extra flour. This will help slicing, as the knife gets sticky with the filling. - Carefully pick up each roll and lay it (filling side up) onto the pan spaced at least 2 inches apart. I fit 8 on the first pan. Bake them for 18-20 minutes or until looking golden brown. Mine were perfect at 19 minutes, but ovens can vary.
- Add the icing ingredients to a bowl and stir until it is moistened. It will seem too dry, but will come together. Whisk rapidly until completely smooth and sugar is dissolved. After the rolls have come out of the oven, let them sit 5-10 minutes before icing them. Add a spoonful of icing on the center of each roll and spread around to let it drizzle down the sides. Serve while warm! See notes if you would like to bake them in a dish close together.
- Store extra rolls tightly covered at room temperature so they don't dry out. I like to reheat them the next day in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Makes them taste just as fresh!
Notes
- Baking them separately on a pan as I've done will yield a more firm, almost crispy exterior to the rolls. I much prefer them this way, which is not really traditional in most recipes out there. I like the look better and I like to just pick up the roll with my hand and eat it, you don’t even need a fork!
- But, if you prefer softer edges, then place them in a 9×13 casserole dish or two 9 inch round cake pans lined with parchment paper (cut to fit neatly). Make sure to space them a bit apart as well so they can expand and fluff up properly. This method will take longer to bake, more like 25 minutes, but ovens vary. Look for them to be golden brown.
- PREP AHEAD: To save time if you have guests coming, you can do all of the work the night before! Follow the steps all the way until after you’ve sliced the log into the rolls (step 13). Place them in a casserole dish or something large so they don’t get squished. Cover with a tight lid or plastic wrap and place in the fridge. The next day, take them out at least an hour before you will want to bake them to give yourself time. Let the dough come back to room temperature before baking, otherwise they will not bake up or fluff up well during baking. You will notice the dough start to expand a bit as it comes to room temperature.
- NUTRITION: Nutrition stats does not include the cream cheese glaze.
Nutrition
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Oh em gee!! Can’t wait to try! My local store carries roasted walnut butter. Has anyone tried this sub with success?
Can i replace the golden potatoes with something else? It’s not available here in sweden. Looks amazing!!
Hi! Yes, you can use red potatoes 🙂
These look absolutely divine and I can’t wait to try them, but is I don’t have a scale…do you happen to know the measuring cup equivalent? That would be so fabulous. Thanks so much!
Sorry : ) Type in my previous comment…”I don’t have a scale…” : )
Hi Laura! All the cup measurements are typed right next to the gram weights in the ingredients. Just fyi though, you can find a kitchen scale pretty much anywhere, Walmart, Target, Amazon (the one I linked to) and are very inexpensive. They really do make baking at thousand times more precise, especially in a recipe like this, so if you can, I’d grab one! Otherwise, when measuring your flour, scoop it out and spoon it into the measuring cup until overflowing and level off with a knife.
Thank your Brandi, this recipe looks so divine. I’m a big fan & trust your recipes 100%, good job with the written instructions and testing. I’m happy to see a recipe that isn’t messing with exotic flours (which is cool for GF people) but for us regular folks it’s not worth buying and tracking down these expensive ingredients. I wish all your recipes had a “tested” regular flour option.
Thank you so much! A lot of my recipes rely on certain flours like almond flour or oat flour for specific moisture and texture purposes where regular white flour wouldn’t work anyways, since I don’t use oil. Also, white flour has a higher amount of gluten, so it doesn’t always work as well in recipes that are oil-free, unless a lot of fat is added into the recipe (like nuts or coconut milk) otherwise the texture turns out chewy. But when white flour is best, I’ll list it!
Hi Brandi!
Just for clarification, when it comes to So Delicious yogurt you mentioned, (for the icing recipe) you are using their “plain” brand as opposed to their “unsweetened” brand, correct? The reason I ask is because the “plain” brand has sugar in their ingredient list and the “unsweetened” brand does not. And I’m a bit apprehensive that choosing “plain” might affect the sweetness as far as the sugar content is concerned. Thanks, can’t wait to make this recipe!
Hi Teresa! I actually use the plain unsweetened one by So Delicious coconut yogurt. I buy it from Sprouts and it is very tangy and not sweet at all! It is the green label and says unsweetened at the top. When I say plain, I mean like no flavor like vanilla or anything. I hpoe that helps! Sorry for any confusion 🙂
These things are absolutely amazing!!! I almost didn’t share with my kids:)
Haha, aww, yay, so glad you made and loved them Shane!! Thank you!
Oh how I wish these were gluten free!
I’m testing one, so hold tight! Tricky though, haha!
Any update on the gf version of this cinnamon roll?! These look so amazing, and we absolutely adore and appreciate all of your recipes… I’m dying to try! I might just go rogue with a combination almond flour/oat flour/tapioca starch?!? Any thoughts? Helllllp 😂🤣😂🤣
Hi Alyssa! No, not yet! GF cinnamon rolls are a huge challenge since they need to be rolled and hold together, etc. I’ll get back to those this month! No, I would not do almond flour and starch, it will not bind probably for a dough and would likely end up very dense. I don’t want you to waste ingredients!
Thank you! No, I haven’t yet. GF cinnamon rolls are quite the challenge, especially oil-free. I’ll try to get it done this month! I wouldn’t do an almond/starch version, they won’t have the proper binding and will likely end up really dense, especially just guessing at the amounts. Cinnamon rolls are much more finicky since they need to be a rollable dough.
I don’t beed a GF recipe but maybe try psilium husk? The best GF artisan loaf I ever made uses that.
Hi Brandi!
I’ve just discovered your page and i’m in love!!!!
I live in Madeira Island – Portugal and we do not have yukon gold potatoes. Can i use a different kind of potatoes?
Thanks!!!!
Hi Tania! Yes, do you have red potatoes, that should work! Just make sure to peel them first 🙂
Brandi!!!! I just made these cinnamon rolls (and your showstopper chocolate cake from your cookbook) and ohhh myyyyy……I’ve never made homemade cinnamon rolls before and these turned out AMAZING! I do have to say though, I don’t think I made the roasted walnut butter as runny as it was supposed to be (my food processor isn’t that good) – I kept mine to the consistence of a creamy peanut butter. They still turned out tasting ahhhhhmazing! Thank you for all your recipes – I know that when I decide to make a recipe of yours I won’t be wasting my time and the result is always delicious 🙂
I just squealed Emma, so so happy to hear this!! Even more amazing to hear this was your first time making homemade cinnamon rolls, yay!! Thank you for the lovely comment!! As far as the walnut butter, if you just keep processing it for several minutes, it will just keep getting runnier 🙂
Another amazing recipe, you never let me down. We loved these, they resembled a real cinnamon roll perfectly and were a HUGE hit with all of my family. Thanks for sharing your awesome recipes, you continue to be my favorite!
This makes me so happy to hear Stephanie! They looked stunning on IG!! So happy everybody loved them!
Hi! I’m excited to try try this today bro tomorrow but just noticed you call out not to use full fat coconut milk. Is this due to day content or will it affect the outcome?
It has 3 times the amount of fat and us much much thicker, it just doesn’t work the same because of the different texture. You can try emptying the contents of the van in the blender and adding a can full of water and blending and try that.
Yes, I always water down the regular coconut milk for your recipes since sometimes I can’t get the lite version.
Made these this morning, and followed instructions exactly. They were out of this world. Outstanding! I can’t wait to make these for friends.
Yay, that is the best thing to hear, thank you so much for making them Regan!
I have been dreaming about these ever since you posted them on Instagram, and now I see how genius they really are. Roasted walnut butter and sweet potatoes? You’re such a creative recipe developer, Brandi! Like, literally would never have thought to use those ingredients in cinnamon rolls. Simply brilliant!
You are so kind, thank you Nisha!! I actually used Yukon gold potatoes, not sweet potatoes here. But I have a billion desserts on the blog that DO use sweet potatoes, haha! I used the gold for color and binding and loved how well it worked in place of eggs! Thank you for checking them out!❤️❤️
These cinnamon rolls are amazing. They taste exactly like a real cinnamon roll. My non vegan husband loves them and says they taste delicious. I was worried about making these because they seemed to be really involved but Brandi lays out the steps perfectly. It’s so simple to understand! 10/10 would recommend!
Thank you so much Amy!! Really happy you all enjoyed these so much! They looked so beautiful on Instagram!
These are some of these best cinnamon rolls I have ever tasted. My Husband and I anxiously waited for this recipe to come out on your blog. I don’t make sweet treats often unless it’s a special occasion so I knew I wanted to make these for hubby and his twin brother birthday today. They both thought these cinnamon rolls were delicious. Hubby said this recipe is going into our favorite recipes collection book, I agree! Also my Mom and kids 14 & 12 enjoyed them too. Which is music to my ears. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes.
These were SOOOO good!!! Instructions perfectly laid out and worded. Will definitely make them again. Thank you Brandi!
Thank you so much Shelly for making them and sharing your photo on Instagram! So glad you loved these!!
Wow. You are a scientist and an artist. How in the world do you come up with this stuff? The amount of work and care you put into each recipe is astounding. I can’t wait to try these.
Thank you so much Stacy! That is so nice of you to say1
using dental floss makes cutting really easy! lay a piece under the log, bring up over the top and criss cross!
Yes, I’m familiar with that too! These cut really nicely with the knife thankfully 😊
Walnut allergy—-can anything else be substituted?
Hi Mary Jean! You can try sunbutter but it will definitely change the flavor, so you can always try! It will not have to same buttery taste or texture since it’s not as runny or oily as the walnut butter though.
Ok, you are officially a GENIUS! I seriously can’t wait to test this recipe!! Thank you a million xo
You are so Sweet Anthea! Such a compliment from you! I hope you love them omg!
Would love to make these, but we don’t use all purpose flour or powdered sugar. We are doing whole food plant based with no oil, no white sugar & no white flour. So I think I can sub whole wheat pastry flour but I don’t know for sure so if you could test it that would be great. Is there something else you can do for the icing instead of powdered sugar? My DH is T2 Diabetic, and we’re following Forks Over Knives way of eating. Thank you so much! Your recipes are the best ever, we love all the yummy ones we’ve tried & have your Cookbook too!
Hi Melanie, unfortunately pastry flour is not a good sub here. It works fine in most recipes like cake or muffins since those are light and fluffy and meant to have a tender crumb. But in the instance like here with rolls, bread, etc. the gluten in all-purpose flour is crucial to the texture and formation of the dough. I’m going to be testing a gluten-free version soon, so you can wait for that one, but for this version, I can’t recommend subbing. Not sure what to say about the powdered sugar, I suppose you could try a powdered xylitol or monk fruit type of sweetener? I don’t use those so I do not know their taste or if it would be a 1:1 sub but I know people use them in place of regular sugar. I believe you can just process xylitol in a blender or processor into a powder texture. I just have never tried it, so I can’t say for sure what would work.
Thank you for the sharing the flour sub info.. I’ve used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 All in One Gluten Free Sub Flour & it worked great. I’d just have to skip the frosting, not worth the sugar rush.
WOW! Thank you! Can’t wait to make these for my hubby! Better yet, I’ll have him help since he will end up eating all but one fork full! Guess who gets that one fork full!
I may have to use the bread machine rise cycle – the weather here has been much cooler than normal.
Thank you!
Oh, I’m so excited to hear what you and your hubby think Rosebud! Haha, that is basically how my hubby reacted. He specifically told me “no more pancakes or waffles for breakfast on the weekends, only cinnamon rolls!” That is how much he loved them, LOL! Sounds great, can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Hi Brandi — I plan to come back and comment once I’ve made these (the recipe only posted today) but I must tell you how much I enjoy reading your descriptions and process. I don’t always bother with the narrative on other recipe sites but this cinnamon roll recipe is a prime example of why I love reading your descriptions (and seeing your photos).
I feel like I’m in the test kitchen with you (America’s Test Kitchen has been one of my favorite shows for years). And the exploration of other ways of making traditional dishes without oil is so much fun. It’s like drawing new maps in a new world 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to do all of this work for the rest of us no-oil explorers. Deeply appreciated — can’t wait to try this!!
Thank you Kate so much for taking the time to share all of this! It really means more than you know how much you enjoy reading my posts and recipe creating process. One thing I enjoy is to share this part of a recipe, as I find it helps explain why I use certain ingredients and also why others won’t work too well and can hopefully it can help others to try these “tricks” themselves in other ways. You are so kind to say this, thank you very much!
Oh my goodness, Brandi! I can’t wait to try these. They look marvelous! Thank you!!
Yay Shree, I will be so excited to hear!
Hi, Brandy! This recipe looks amazing like all of your recipes. I was wondering if you had a suggestion for making them gluten free. I was considering using Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 GF Baking Mix. What are your thoughts?
Hi Lydia! I honestly have no idea if it would work, as I’ve never used that mix. I wanted to perfect these oil-free first using regular flour. But now that I’ve done that, I’m going to start testing a gluten-free version as well since many have asked already! Gluten-free dough like this will be much different so it will require some testing.
Thanks, Brandi! I will wait for your results and try the flour combinations that you recommend. This recipe looks too good to experiment on my own.
I was going to ask about Gluten-free as well, but now that I’ve seen this answer, I will simply wait patiently and hope something turns out well soon!
Nice job with this recipe! I’ve tried making oil-free cinnamon rolls before, and I’ll just say they weren’t the best thing I’ve ever made. :/
These are absolutely delicious and just as indulgent as the regular ones with butter, my hubby and daughter went crazy for them, so I hope you love them too! The key is to still use fat! Oil-free is tricky, but eliminating the fat all together would not produce a good result. These have a good amount of fat in them still and a healthy one, so it’s win win!
It’s great that they taste so good and are oil-free! Definitely like that they are NOT fat-free. Need some of that good ol’ fat in there! 🙂 i’ll have to give them a go.
Yes, exactly! I wanted them to rival traditional and that needs some fat! Haha!