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I’m at a conference in Utah this week, so no cooking for this girl until Sunday. I’ll admit it’s nice to have a break sometimes, and by now I’m used to finding low carb options just about anywhere. I’ll be back just in time for Mother’s Day. I can’t wait to see my girls again and make fathead keto cinnamon rolls for them!
This low carb cinnamon rolls recipe takes just 40 minutes from start to finish. It’s longer than most recipes I have, but it really isn’t a lot for cinnamon rolls. Most cinnamon roll recipes take at least an hour!
If you’re looking for a super quick breakfast recipe, you’ll love these keto pancakes.
Inspiration for Fathead Cinnamon Rolls
I actually have an older recipe for healthy cinnamon rolls on the blog already. They were pretty good, because really, the flavors are just incredible no matter how you make your keto cinnamon rolls. Cinnamon rolls and crepes are two of the best breakfasts.
Still, I always felt like something was missing. They were good, but I wanted better. I was probably just being picky, but couldn’t shake the notion that they could be.
You might know already that fathead dough and I are kind of BFF’s. And clearly we’re not exclusive, because your most visited recipes on the blog happen to be fathead bagels and fathead pizza.
So now, say hello to a new fathead cinnamon rolls recipe!
Keto Fathead Dough without Special Flour
There are several ways to make fathead dough, most commonly with either almond flour or coconut flour. For these keto cinnamon rolls, I wanted to test avoiding a specialty flour altogether. People don’t always have them around.
Since I’ve been loving macadamia nuts lately (have you tried my new chocolate keto fat bombs with them?), I used them in these fathead cinnamon rolls instead of flour. The flavor from the buttery macadamias makes the dough taste amazing.
And, they increase the fat content and reduce the carbs, compared to using almond or coconut flour. That’s a great thing for keto cinnamon rolls!
Still, if almond flour is what you have, you can certainly use that as well. Use the same amount by weight.
How To Make Keto Cinnamon Rolls
The process for how to make keto cinnamon rolls is similar to fathead bagels and fathead pizza. So, be sure to check those recipes for tips on working with the fathead dough.
Since we are dealing with whole macadamia nuts, run them through a food processor first, to make fine crumbs. We’ll be using the food processor to form the fathead dough, too. Try to pulse, and don’t overdo it, or you’ll end up with nut butter!
Unlike bagels and pizza, the dough for fathead cinnamon rolls is sweet. But, it doesn’t actually need to be that sweet, as most of the sweetness will come from the filling. Pulse in some erythritol and baking powder, then eggs and vanilla.
Heat the mozzarella and cream cheese until you can stir them together. Either the microwave or a double boiler on the stove works fine.
Add this to the food processor, pushing it down, and process to form the dough. Sometimes you have to stop and push the cheese toward the blade to mix well.
We have to refrigerate the dough before moving on, because it will be too sticky to work with right away. Usually, 30 minutes to an hour is enough time to make it more manageable, but some stickiness is normal.
Roll the dough into a rectangle between two pieces of parchment paper. Using some melted butter to coat the dough can help make it less sticky.
Time to add the filling for our low carb cinnamon rolls! Brush the rectangle with more melted butter, then sprinkle with a mixture of erythritol and cinnamon.
Now comes the challenging part. Roll the rectangle into a log. This can be a little difficult, so cover your hands with more melted butter as you roll, carefully peeling the dough away from the parchment as you go along. If you get any cracks, just seal them back together.
Slice the log into slices and place them onto a lined baking pan, so that they are almost touching.
Pay attention to the spacing here! Fathead cinnamon rolls will expand and rise during baking. Putting them too close together won’t give them room to expand, but too far apart and they will spread instead of rising.
Admittedly I had them a tad too far apart for the pictures but re-tested again to make sure almost touching is the best way. Don’t worry, they will still be delicious if the distance isn’t quite right!
Bake the keto cinnamon rolls for about 25 minutes, until they are nice and golden. It’s important to let them cool a bit before adding icing, not until they are cold of course, but until warm and not hot. Partly this is because they need to firm up at the end, and also to prevent the icing from soaking in.
Fathead cinnamon rolls are so worth the wait!
Fathead Keto Cinnamon Rolls Recipe - Quick & Easy:
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RECIPE CARD
Fathead Keto Cinnamon Rolls Recipe - Quick & Easy
Everyone loves these keto cinnamon rolls! Only 40 minutes to make, with simple ingredients (no special flour!), and they're totally delicious. For an amazing low carb dessert or keto breakfast, try this fathead cinnamon rolls recipe.
Recipe Video
Click or tap on the image below to play the video. It's the easiest way to learn how to make this recipe!
PrintIngredients
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- 2 cup Macadamia nuts (10 oz)
- 1/4 cup Erythritol
- 1 tbsp Gluten-free baking powder
- 2 large Egg
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract (optional)
- 4 cup Mozzarella cheese (shredded)
- 4 oz Cream cheese
Filling
- 1/4 cup Butter (melted)
- 1/2 cup Erythritol
- 2 tbsp Cinnamon
Icing
- 1/3 cup Sugar-free cream cheese frosting
- 1 tbsp Unsweetened almond milk (or any milk of choice)
Instructions
RECIPE TIPS + VIDEO in the post above, nutrition info + recipe notes below!
Click on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
Place the macadamia nuts into a food processor fitted with an S knife blade. Pulse just until the nuts reach a fine crumbly consistency, without large pieces. Make sure to pulse, don't leave the food processor running, to try to make flour and not nut butter. Scrape the sides as needed. The nuts may still begin to form nut butter a little, but try to avoid as much as possible.
Add the erythritol and baking powder. Pulse a couple times, just until mixed.
Add the eggs and vanilla. Pulse a couple times again, just until mixed.
- Heat the mozzarella and cream cheese in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring halfway through and at the end, or on the stove in a double boiler, until easy to stir. Stir until smooth.
- Add the cheese mixture to the food processor. Push the cheese mixture down into the nut/egg mixture. Pulse/puree until a uniform dough forms, scraping down the sides as needed. If you have trouble getting it to mix, you can knead a little with a spatula and then pulse some more.
Refrigerate the dough right in the food processor for about 30-60 minutes, until the top is firm and not sticky.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (191 degrees C). Line a 9x13 in (23x33 cm) baking pan with parchment paper.
Take the dough out onto a large piece of parchment paper (not the one on the baking sheet). It will still be fairly sticky. Use a little bit of the melted butter on your hands to prevent sticking as you spread it into a rectangle. Place another piece of parchment on top and roll out to a thinner rectangle, about 14 in (36 cm) long by 10 in (25 cm) wide, and 1/3 to 1/2 in (8 to 13 mm) thick.
- Brush the dough rectangle with most of the remaining melted butter, leaving aside about 1-2 tablespoons. Stir together the erythritol and cinnamon for the filling. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the rectangle.
- Oil your hands again with the melted butter. Starting from a long side of the rectangle, roll up the dough into a log. As you go along, oil the underside of the log as you peel it away from the parchment underneath during rolling. (This is to prevent cracking and sticking.)
Slice the log into 1 in (2.5 cm) thick slices, which will look like pinwheels. Place the pinwheels flat onto the lined baking pan, almost touching but not quite.
Bake for about 25 minutes, until the keto cinnamon rolls are golden on top. Cool for at least 20 minutes, until firm.
- Meanwhile, making the icing. Beat almond milk into the frosting a tablespoon at a time, until the icing is thin enough to drizzle. When the keto cinnamon rolls are firm enough, drizzle the frosting over them.
Readers Also Made These Keto Low Carb Recipes
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cinnamon roll
Video Showing How To Make Keto Cinnamon Rolls:
Don't miss the VIDEO above - it's the easiest way to learn how to make Keto Cinnamon Rolls!
Want more help and tips on working with the fathead dough used in this recipe? Check my tips in my fathead pizza post or see the complete fathead dough guide in The Wholesome Yum Easy Keto Cookbook!)
Nutrition Information Per Serving
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database. You can find individual ingredient carb counts we use in the Low Carb & Keto Food List. Carb count excludes sugar alcohols. Net carb count excludes both fiber and sugar alcohols, because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.
More Low Carb & Keto Support
If you want to know more about how to start a low carb diet, want to substitute sweeteners, need a food list, or need support, check these guides:
Low Carb & Keto Diet Plan
Starter Guide 
Sweetener Conversion Calculator 
Keto Low Carb Macro Calculator 
Low Carb Keto Food List + Printable PDF
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87 Comments
Pearl
This recipe has me in keto heaven!
Hippychick
Can I just say that almond and coconut flours are pretty main stream in my small town, and macadamia nuts are not? Also, with the convenience of these flours, I’d rather scoop out some flour rather than process macadamia nuts. I’d love to see the alternative recipe using almond flour.
Argia
Hi, I’m getting ready to make these cinnamon rolls. But I just realized after chopping the macadamia nuts that there’s more than two cups. So my question is, is your recipe calling for 2 cups of whole macadamia nuts chopped, or 2 cups of chopped macadamia nuts after processing. Thank you
Wholesome Yum
Hi Argia, you’ll start with two cups of whole nuts. Check the video at the bottom of the recipe card for a visual guide!
Tamara Graham
OMG!!! I made these and cannot believe how they taste like regular cinnamon rolls! I individually wrap and freeze them so I can pop just one in the microwave for 10 seconds to enjoy a decadent treat any time. Even my non keto family liked them! Thank you for the recipe!!! I love all your recipes and plan on getting your cook book too!
#WholesomeYum
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you so much, Tamara! That means a lot!
Amy
Can I do this without a food processor??
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Amy, You can use a high-power blender instead.
Maria Blanco
How do you store these? How long are they good for? Can the unused dough be kept in fridge and how long?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Maria, You can store them in the fridge for about a week, or freeze them. You can store unused dough in the fridge for a while, but it might not rise quite as much as fresh dough.
Beverly
I’m making these for the first time, and they’re in the oven baking now. Smells wonderful! Thank you! I’m a bit confused as to how to make the frosting, though. Can you explain?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Beverly, I’m glad they smell great and can’t wait for you to try them! The instructions to make the icing are on the recipe card – it’s just the last step of the instructions. Is there something confusing I can help clarify there?
Debbie
Do you have to put the nuts in?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Debbie, Yes, they are a main component in the dough.
Deanna
I just made these and I’m not sure what I did wrong but the dough was so I couldn’t get them to roll right. I did what I could and baked them and they tasted ok but looked horrible. Any ideas what I did wrong??
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Deanna, I have some tips for sticky dough in the fathead pizza recipe here. It’s also possible the dough wasn’t mixed enough or uniform. Did you watch the video to see what went differently for you?
Donna
I don’t use ground macadamias. I tried it and hated it. I replace the nuts for almond flour (same amount) and they are amazing! The filling in this batch is butter, confectioners swerve, swerve brown sugar and pecans.
Laurie
Hi Maya
I just purchased some swerve brown sugar so I am going to try these by first making some brown sugar and melted butter on the bottom of the pan. That way I can then place some pecans on top of that mixture, then put the rolls on that. I am hopeful that they will turn out like the caramel pecan rolls my Mom used to make.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you for sharing, Laurie! Sounds delicious!
MJ
These are so good that my family didn’t even believe they’re low carb! Thanks, Maya!
Mary Thorman
How do you store them?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Mary, Store them in the refrigerator or freeze them.
Susan Friar
I don’t eat cheese. Any suggestions for a substitute?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Susan, I haven’t tried it but have heard some people have had success with fathead dough using vegan cheese substitutes.
Abbey H
I can’t wait to make these! I have a Ninja system that includes a food processor with both knife and dough S blades. After chopping the nuts with the knife blade do you keep the knife blade for the rest of the recipe or would you switch to the plastic one? I only ask bc it seems like in most other “dough” recipes you’re not wanting to cut through it but mix it. Then again I’m not quite used to making many Keto doughs yet. 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Abbey, I usually keep the metal S blade the whole time just to have fewer things to wash, and it works fine with fathead dough, but you could also switch to the plastic dough S blade if you want to.
Terri Toscani
Hi Maya! So I have my very picky 8 year old granddaughter over and she wanted breakfast. Of course I’m doing keto, so no cereal or sweets in my house. There was no better time than today for me to try making these cinnamon rolls and little Miss picky not only enjoyed helping to make them, but ate one and loved it! As did my hubby and of course… Me. There only thing I did different was I put the dough in the freezer vs. fridge to speed up the coolng time (she was starving). They were amazing girl! Keep making amazing recipes for me because I come to you for easy peasy delish recipes!!! Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked and your granddaughter liked them, Terri! Thank you!
Jeanne
This recipe is perfect. I did half a batch and made six rolls. I used the correct amount of almond flour simply because I didn’t have the nuts in my pantry. These rolls are perfect and moist. I also added some pieces of chopped apple as a treat because it’s apple season and my goal was low carb not Keto. I’m so happy I found this recipe. With winter coming this will be a great treat.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked them, Jeanne! Thanks for stopping by!
Kate Lamb
These sound AMAZING!!!! I would like to use superfine almond flour instead of the macadamia nuts. Would you still use 2 cups? I measure my flours for baked goods now in grams. Any chance you could give me how much almond flour either in cups and/or gram weight? Thank you!
Wholesome Yum A
Hi Kate, you can use the same amount of almond flour to substitute. If you’d like to measure by weight, click the metric button right above the ingredients list to get the measurements in grams.
Lauryn
Can you make the dough ahead of time? Or bake the rolls and reheat?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Lauryn, You could do either but I recommend baking and reheating. The baking powder’s efficacy is reduced if the dough sits unbaked for a while.
Crystal Pokorny
Is it ok to use the salted roasted macadamia nuts to grind up for this? That’s what the link sends me to. I have a big bag from Costco.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Crystal, Yes, that’s fine! Mine were salted too, but both salted or unsalted work.
Christina Best
Hi, is the dough supposed to form a ball in the food processor? Mine is just a big sticky mess.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Christina, Sometimes it does but it doesn’t need to. It will firm up during the refrigerating step. Oiling your hands later when working with it also helps with the stickiness.
Rachel
I will be using almond flour for this recipe (which looks delicious) so could you tell me if I use 2 cups of almond flour since you posted 2 cups of macadamia nuts?
Thanks so much!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Rachel, You can use the same amount by weight – 10 oz.
Dayna
Would 10 oz of the superfine powdery almond flour be too much or should I use a bit less?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
It should be the same amount.
M. Livingston
How do you make the cinnamon rolls using coconut flour instead of using macadamia nuts?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
It’s not a straightforward conversion. You can try almond flour instead and in that case the amount is the same by weight.
Vic
Lovely recipe! Wouldn’t want want to clean off any present salt from the macadamia nuts first? Wipe them in a dish towel? I would. Also, two cups of macadamia nuts can support an extra half Tablespoon baking powder for a much puffier result. I often add more to other Fathead recipes (rule of thumb: increase by half), with great success.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Vic! I didn’t find the need to wipe the macadamia nuts, though you can if you want. The recipe is tried and tested with the amounts listed, but feel free to experiment if you’d like. Hope you like the keto cinnamon rolls!
Marilyn Brennan
This is my go to recipe for having an afternoon snack. It is delicious, yet filling. I keep coming back to this recipe and love it!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked the cinnamon rolls, Marilyn!
Viana Vallejo
This recipe looks amazing! I’ve noticed that erythritol baked goods usually have that odd cooling effect. I was wondering if anyone has noticed this being the case with this recipe, so that I know if these are best served warm or cold.
Thanks so much!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Viana! The cooling effect is usually more prominent with a lot of sweetener and also varies depending on the type of baked goods. I don’t detect it at all in these cinnamon rolls. I like them both warm and cold!
Jeanette Clayton
I had just made myself an LSA mugcake for lunch and I ended up having 2 slices with Vege spread and two slices with cinnamon and xylitol mix after reading your recipe…I will definitely be making these soon…
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I hope you like them too, Jeanette!
Alyssa
Could I switch the macadamia nuts out for walnuts?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Alyssa, I haven’t tried it with walnuts, but think the flavor is too strong for them to work well here. You can try another more neutral tasting type of nut, like almonds.
Doreen
I cannot believe these are only 3 carbs!! They taste so delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Doreen
Woah! Bliss! Sin on a Sunday!!! Thank you! Delicious…
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Yay, thank you, Doreen!
Terri
I made these with an under powered food processor (I don’t recommend this lol) they still turned out pretty darn good. The icing is the best cream cheese icing I’ve ever tasted!! What brand of food processor do you use?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Terri, I’m glad you liked them! I have this food processor and it has been so worth it. Looks like it’s on sale right now! 🙂
Terri
Thank you!
Amanda
Can these be made nut free? Maybe coconut flour instead?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Amanda, You could try with about 1/2 cup coconut flour instead of the macadamias (you’d need much less for the right ratio), but I haven’t tested it so can’t say for sure. That would just be my first guess at where to start. You’d end up with fewer cinnamon rolls, though.
Ronalyn Hurley
This recipe sounds (and looks) delicious. I’ve always adored good cinnamon rolls like my grandmother and mother used to bake. Sadly, those aren’t possible anymore. I’m hopeful that this recipe will come fairly close. I know confectioners Lakanto isn’t on your sugar replacement list but my question is, will using it change the outcome of the rolls? I have a large bag of the confectioners and none of the granular.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Ronalyn, I haven’t tried it with confectioners sweetener but it should probably work. You might need just a little less – use scant measuring cups. Let me know how it goes if you try!
Sparrow
I made these yesterday with almond flour. Used a stand mixer instead of a food processor and they turned out amazing. My non keto boyfriend said they were really good, and he’s super picky. Def making these again.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you so much! I’m glad you both liked them.
Lara
These look so freaking delicious! I can’t wait to try them.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I hope you like them, Lara! Thanks for stopping by!
Kelley
Ok…these are so good!! I’ve had one and have 13 left. What is your recommendation for saving them and reheating? Next time I may just bake half and freeze the rest, but for the already cooked ones I’m not sure. I’d hate for them to go to waste!! They are so rich and satisfying!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Kelley, I’m glad you liked them! They are good in the fridge for about a week, or you can freezer them for longer (even after baking). You can reheat them if they are without frosting, or just let them sit at room temperature if they already have frosting.
Hilary
My first attempt resulted in some tasty macadamia nut butter, but after that everything went smoothly. They were SO good. Well worth the effort and a nice Mother’s Day treat! Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you so much, Hilary! Happy Mother’s Day!
Krista Boutilier
Here in Nova Scotia macadamia nuts are ridiculously expensive. Could I use almond flour for this? if so how much do you think I’d need? Looks sooo yummy!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Krista, Yes, you can! It would be the same amount by weight – 10 oz.
Rose
She said in the recipe that you go by weight. 10oz of almond flour or 10oz of macadamia nuts.
Linda Arreguin
Can you substitute another nut for the macademia nuts??
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Linda, Yes, you can! Higher fat nuts that have a neutral flavor, like macadamias or almonds, work best. The dough will come together with most nuts, but if you pick ones with stronger flavor you’ll be able to taste that.
Jessica
I’ve never been able to find erythritol anywhere where I live, it’s hard enough finding gluten free products sadly (I’m celiac), but I would love to try these as I really miss cinnamon rolls. Would truvia work as a substitute for that?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jessica! You can buy erythritol online if you want to, using the link on the recipe card. Yes, you can use Truvia in this recipe as well – just use scant measurements because it’s slightly sweeter than pure erythritol. I hope you like it!
Marcella Rice
For Jessica – You can use any of the sweeteners appropriate for keto recipes. (Xylitol has a higher glycemic index.) I do not understand why recipes always call for a specific low carb sweetener – unless it is because whoever posted the recipe gets a commission if you buy the product they recommend. As a matter of fact I have a conversion chart for Natural Low Carb Sweeteners that came from Wholesome Yum!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Marcella, Not all recipes can use sweeteners interchangeably, though many can. I do talk about this in the sweetener guide you mentioned. The reason for specific sweeteners in recipes is mainly because I can only 100% vouch for the way I tested the recipe, with my specific ingredients. Sweeteners also provide bulk, so sometimes changing to a different one does change the result as well. In the case of these cinnamon rolls, though, there isn’t a lot of sweetener in the dough, so they do work fine with almost any sweetener you like.
Roberta
I wish I could prepare this recipe for my beloved mum next Sunday (I can imagine she won’t even notice that it’s a low carb recipe! She’s always so skeptical to these kind of recipes), and share a cinnamon roll with her, but unfortunately I struggle with dairy. I’d think to substitute butter with ghee (the only dairy product I consume without problems), cream cheese with coconut cream (adapting the amount, should be enough reducing 1/3), but what about mozzarella? Any suggestion? (No cashews please.) Thank you in advance if you can help me. Your blog is always a wonderful source of inspiration 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
How thoughtful of you, Roberta! That sounds like a lot of changes so I can’t vouch for the results. You might want to try my other cinnamon roll recipe instead, made with psyllium. Otherwise if you’re set on this one, I’ve heard of people making similar fathead dough with vegan cheese and cream cheese products, so you could try those.
Pam
This sounds so yummy. I don’t have the macadamia nuts and can’t afford to buy any at present. Can these be made with almond flour instead and if so, how much flour? Thanks.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Pam, Yes, you can use almond flour. It would be the same amount by weight, which is 10 oz.
Laura
This looks so good! I’m new to Keto/low carb so I have a question: I don’t have straight erythritol. I have stevia, Swerve granular and confectioner, xylitol and Lakanto classic (monkfruit/erythritol combo). Can any of these be used in place of the erythritol in your recipe, and if so, which is best, and is the amount the same or does it need adjustments? Thank you so much!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Laura, Yes, you can use other sweeteners. For this recipe either Swerve granular or Lakanto Classic would both work great. You’d need close to the same amount, just maybe a tiny bit less since they’re slightly sweeter than straight erythritol. Just use scant measuring cups and you should be good.