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You know what I’ve been missing lately? Cinnamon rolls. Even though the weather has been insanely warm this week (60 degrees in February – what?!), I still love to warm up in the mornings with a steaming cup of coffee. There are a million and one things that go well to accompany it, but all month long I’ve been dreaming of having it with a great big cinnamon roll. This healthy cinnamon rolls recipe was just what I needed.
The challenge with creating gluten-free, low carb cinnamon rolls is that the texture doesn’t lend itself well to typical low carb flours. Without the gluten found in traditional wheat flour, a dough made with almond flour and coconut flour simply doesn’t hold together well enough to be rolled up. I knew I’d have to experiment with some kind of binder.
After debating whether I was going to use psyllium husk powder, gelatin, protein powder, or mozzarella cheese, I settled on the first option. Psyllium is a soluble fiber that comes from plantago ovata, an herb plant, and the powder is the husks in ground up form. Like other soluble fiber, psyllium is beneficial to the digestive system. Having heard that it works exceptionally well as a binder, I have been wanting to experiment with it.
Needless to say, it took several tries for psyllium husk powder to work the way I wanted in my healthy cinnamon rolls. I had attempts that had too much psyllium, resulting in a strange texture. When I tried reducing the amount too much, my rolls fell apart. Mixing the powder with water prior to adding other ingredients made the dough difficult to mix, so that method was out, too.
Between my experiments, I stumbled across a psyllium cinnamon rolls recipe from Keto Adapted. It looked amazing, but I wanted my own version for more tender rolls and a less chewy texture. With that inspiration, I landed on this final recipe for healthy cinnamon rolls.
These low carb cinnamon rolls do have a more cake- or muffin-like texture than wheat rolls. I brought them to a few gatherings and felt the need to add a disclaimer that they’d be a little different from traditional cinnamon rolls. Still, they’re sweet and cinnamon-y, and have a yummy glaze.
I made the glaze with coconut oil and coconut cream, to also be able to call them paleo cinnamon rolls, but you don’t have to. Any version of a glaze that you like would be amazing. Cream cheese frosting tends to go really well, too, if you don’t mind the dairy.
In the end, I was pretty happy with my healthy cinnamon rolls adaptation. The flavor is exactly what you’d expect from a cinnamon roll! And, they stay together well enough to eat with your hands. That’s pretty amazing when it comes to gluten-free cinnamon rolls. Even better, I can enjoy them as a treat with the knowledge that I’m eating natural ingredients with no sugar. Will you give them a try?
Tools To Make Low Carb Cinnamon Rolls:
Click the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Parchment Paper – Parchment paper is recommended for this recipe to keep the cinnamon rolls from sticking to the pan. It also makes clean up so much easier.
- Bowls – These glass bowls are the ones I always use in my kitchen.
- Baking Sheet – This is my favorite baking sheet. It’s great for this low carb cinnamon roll recipe.
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The recipe card is below! Readers also made these similar recipes after making this one.
RECIPE CARD
Healthy Cinnamon Rolls (Paleo, Low Carb, Sugar-free)
PrintIngredients
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Dough
Filling
Glaze
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.
- In a large bowl, mix the almond flour, psyllium husk powder, erythritol, baking powder,and salt. Stir in the egg whites, vanilla extract, and coconut oil. Add the warm water and mix well.
Place the dough between two large pieces of parchment paper. Roll out into a 12x8 in (31x20 cm) rectangle, about 1/2 in (1.25 cm) thick (press to form the four corners as necessary).
- To make the filling, melt the coconut oil together with the cinnamon and erythritol in a small bowl in the microwave (or on the stove if you prefer), and mix well. The mixture will be crumbly. Sprinkle the dough rectangle with the cinnamon oil mixture. Spread evenly so that there are no clumps, then press into the dough.
- Roll up the dough into a log (start with the long side, for a longer, thinner log). The dough will start to crack as you roll it. As you go along, just pinch the cracks shut, pull away the paper, and scoop up any dough that sticks to the parchment, pressing it back in place on the log. Freeze the log for 20-30 minutes, until firm (but not hard) and no longer sticky on the outside. (You can also refrigerate until firm, but it will take longer.)
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut the dough log into 12 slices. Arrange the slices on the lined baking sheet, about 1.5-2 in (4-5 cm) part. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden. They will be a little soft and will firm up as they cool.
- Meanwhile, make the glaze. Whisk the melted coconut oil, coconut cream, erythritol, and vanilla extract together. When the cinnamon rolls are ready, let them cool enough until they are firm, then drizzle the glaze over them.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cinnamon roll
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. Net carb count excludes fiber, erythritol, and allulose, because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. (Learn about net carbs here.) We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.
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64 Comments
Jen
Love this recipe! Can I replace the psyllium husk powder with flax or chia seeds?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Jen, I have not tested this recipe with either of those alternatives. I think ground flax may work. Please let us know how it turns out if you decide to try it.
Jill
Thank you for all of your work to come up with this recipe! Your directions are clear, easy to follow and explain why you use certain ingredients. Your comments about the texture of the dough and filling are very helpful. The rolls freeze well (sliced and placed on a paper plate in a sealed plastic bag) and make for a quick and healthy breakfast. I’ve shared the recipe with others (along with a sample) who are gluten and lactose intolerant…they loved them!
josh bornstein
I am a enthusiastic home cook. And I know I’d like honest feedback on my dishes, if said kindly. Sadly, this recipe was an utter failure for me. I carefully measured all the ingredients, but it came out like cake batter–nothing remotely like a dough. Unfortunately the recipe neglected to talk about what the texture ought to be. But it did say “dough” so that is what I aimed for. Added another 1/3 c. of almond flour. Still cake mix. Added another 1/2 c. of almond flour. A slightly firmer cake batter…but nothing remotely close to a dough. When I ran out of almond flour, I had to start adding bread flour. Another 1/2 c. and I got the consistency of cooked polenta. Good enough, I hoped. Put it into a pan and rolled it out. Made the glaze. Nothing close to “crumbly” texture using the given ratio…a thick glaze. But no big deal, just spread it out across the dough. Not nearly enough, so made another batch, adding another 50% of glaze. (And, being a glaze and not crumbly, this was with me spreading it out *very* thinly.) Rolling up was no problem, which was a nice surprise. Because it was so liquidy, nothing tore or broke when rolling up the dough. Into the freezer, per instructions. During the time in the freezer, the log collapsed a bit. So, when cut into sections, they ended up looking similar to biscotti. The baking time was accurate, and the rolls/rectangulars came out with a nice surface. But texture is nothing like a cinnamon roll. Sort of like a chewy muffin. And did not taste anything like a traditional cinnamon roll. But did taste okay. I probably would not call this a cinnamon roll. And I’d work on the recipe, to get the proportions a bit more accurate. But it was a fun experiment, and I’m glad you posted the recipe. 🙂
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Josh, I’m sorry this recipe didn’t turn out as planned. Unfortunately, I don’t know why your dough turned out so liquidy. Psyllium husk powder is very absorbent and should have created a cohesive dough without needing to add all the other additional flours to the mix. I am glad you were able to make it work. The final texture of my recipe is more like a cinnamon roll muffin, and it sounds like you got a similar result. I hope you decide to give these a try again or if you would like to try something different, I have a recipe for Fathead Cinnamon Rolls.
Tari Newton
Thank you SO MUCH for creating a dairy-free option!!! I created a similar dairy-free recipe – the taste was good and they held up, but they were dry. So I am excited to try yours!!!
Rebecca Moss
It didn’t work out for me. The “dough” was more like thick pancake batter. Maybe I didn’t froth the egg white enough? Anyway I didn’t want to waste it so I cooked them like drop cookies and they taste ok, just don’t look like cinnamon rolls. Kinda messy.
Bailey
I’ve made this recipe several times. I replace the coconut oil with butter, use a dough cutter to square off the edges, and freeze the dough square before rolling it into a log. Slice and then refreeze before baking. It has taken me a few tries to work this out. But this recipe, with a few tweaks, make beautiful, and tasty low carb cinnamon rolls. I also double the filling and top with cream cheese frosting instead of the glaze. They are perfect. Psyllium husk has an overwhelming flavor that needs to be masked.
Good recipe… but I feel keto baking always needs tweaked.
Merilyn Herrod
I can’t seem to find a video for this recipe. Is there one? If not, a novice like me would sure appreciate it.
Wholesome Yum L
Hi Merilyn, we do not have a video for this particular recipe yet. We have one for this Fathead Keto Cinnamon Rolls Recipe that you may enjoy.
Cathy
Delicious
Dolly Ocasio-Huertas
Hi Maya, why wouldn’t these be Keto as well? All the ingredients are Keto, but you only say Paleo and Low Carb.
Just wondering.
Curious in NY
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Dolly, They are keto, too!
Elizabeth
These cinnamon buns taste amazing but as a type one diabetic, the carb count as listed sends my blood sugars skyrocketing. I really wish the sweeteners were listed in the nutrition info as I need to include half of them in the total carb counts to keep my blood sugars stable. I really don’t understand the reason for not including them.
Jill
I made this today and they were delicious! We aren’t strictly Paleo, but I was searching for a healthy cinnamon roll recipe to make for my little girl that was gluten free and had a good amount of fiber and these were perfect. I used coconut sugar in the batter and an almond milk/powdered sugar glaze because that’s what I had on hand and it worked well. Planning on making a batch for Christmas morning! Thanks so much!
Lauren
Hello! Could I possibly replace the erythritol with xylitol? I am on a strict grain free diet, and I believe all or most erythritol is derived from grain.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Lauren, Yes, you can use xylitol instead of erythritol – use the sweetener conversion calculator here. However, erythritol is not derived from grain. It is produced using a fermentation process, which does sometimes involve corn, but the fermentation process consumes the corn meaning it’s not left in the end product. I am also completely grain-free and have no issues with erythritol, but if you prefer to use xylitol that uses birch in fermentation instead, you can!
Lauren
This recipe looks really good! Could I sub xylitol for the erythritol?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Lauren, Yes, you can. Check the low carb sweetener conversion calculator.
Eileen
Hi. Can I sub xantham gum for the psyllium powder?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Eileen, The psyllium powder is a significant portion of the bulk in this recipe so I don’t recommend replacing it.
Cyndikay
Maya..these cinnamon rolls are so delicious..they turned out perfect…can I freeze them to eat at a later time and how do you store them after baking..in refrigerator or in cake plate on the kitchen counter? One moe question…can I add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts to the filling? Thank you so much for your time and this fantastic recipe.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked them! Yes, you can add walnuts. Thanks for stopping by!
Irma Furnish
What about the recommended storage of these?
Wholesome Yum
Hi Irma, I would recommend storing the rolls in the refrigerator separate from the glaze, then gently reheat them in your oven (or toaster oven).
Sarah
Could I purchase egg whites in the carton? I hate to use that many eggs and not make something with all of the yolks…
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Sarah, Yes, you can! That’s what I did.
Patrick
Another home run Maya! I tried to stick to the recipe as close as possible but I made a butter cream frosting with Irish butter, cream cheese, vanilla and swerve. Next time I might increase the cinnamon to 4 tbsp just because I love a good cinnamon burn! Try this one folks, it honestly is 90% as good as Cinnabon!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Yay! I love to hear that, Patrick! Thank you!
Paola
Can you replace the psyllium with coconut flour or flax meal?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Paola, I wouldn’t recommend it. Psyllium helps bind these together and I don’t think you could roll up the dough without it.
Erica
Has anyone made them with Swerve and butter vs coconut oil? Like most, I’m always cautious to use 3 cups of almond flour and it not turn out! I’m two different paleo cinnamon rolls in with no real success. :/
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Erica, Butter will work just fine!
Bailey
I halved the recipe and it worked great
Melissa Matthieu
I made these 2 weeks ago and they were the bomb. My coworkers all asked for the recipe. I made them again tonight but since I had a cold, I got my husband to taste test the glaze. He said it was bad (though he liked it the first time). The only difference was this time I used Swerve confectioners and Nutiva refined coconut oil. I hope I can taste in the morning because the Swerve is a lot!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Melissa! I’m glad you liked the cinnamon rolls when you made them before! I’m not sure what was different this time. Maybe the refined coconut oil?
Anna
Would it be possible to use whole eggs instead of egg whites? I hate to waste them.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Anna, You could try, but yolks interacting with psyllium can lead to an ammonia smell. Due to the large amount in this recipe, I wouldn’t replace all the whites with eggs, but you could try replacing some. The 1 cup of egg whites in the recipe is equivalent in volume to about 6 large eggs or 10 large egg whites, so you can use that to determine how much of each you want to try. Otherwise, you could make the recipe as is and use the leftover yolks to make low carb creme brulee. 🙂
Wendy Crispin
or yolks could be used in hollandaise sauce for eggs or vegetables!
Ces
My dough was really wet. Any suggestions?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Ces, It’s hard to tell what went wrong without being in the kitchen with you. Did you follow the recipe exactly and use the same ingredients? Psyllium recipes can be a little finicky. But, it’s normal for the dough to be fairly wet and sticky prior to freezing in step 4.
Alicia C
I did not like this recipe. Not sure what could be done to improve it but it tasted very bland. For the amount of almond flour and stevia you use on this recipe it seemed like a big waste of ingredients and not something you would want to make for other people.
I followed the recipe to a T except for the filling where in addition to the coconut oil I put 3 tablespoons of kerrygold butter. I found that when you heated it in the microwave the stevia got hardened and I wish I would have melted the coconut oil first, then added cinnamon and stevia.
Also, I used a cream cheese topping recipe from another keto recipe and that pretty much made these tolerable.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Alicia, Sorry to hear these weren’t for you. You mentioned you followed the recipe, but the recipe doesn’t contain any stevia. Maybe that could have been the difference?
Jo
Hi there. I’m in New Zealand and almond flour is incredibly much. Can coconut flour be used instead? Thank you.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jo, Unfortunately coconut flour wouldn’t work the same way in this recipe, because it absorbs a lot more moisture than almond flour. You’d need other modifications to the recipe and I haven’t tested it. You could try making your own almond flour by grinding up whole blanched almonds in a food processor, but you’d need to get it very fine to get the right texture in the final product.
Kateryna
Hello, I’ve just made these rolls and they turned out pretty yummy. Thank you for the recipe.
Just wanted to share my experience. For the dough, I used a bit less Erythritol, I only used 6 egg whites and my cinnamon filling was super liquid, which made it hard to roll. I also used more cinnamon than was originally stated, but it’s just a matter of taste. It’s well worth trying!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you for the feedback, Kateryna! The ratios in the filling, and sweetener amount in general, are both easy to customize based on taste. I’m glad you enjoyed the rolls!
Hollyanne Butler
Could you use butter instead of coconut oil? I just prefer a butter flavor to coconut oil.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Hollyanne, Definitely! Either one would work.
Kari
I can’t have psyllium husk powder, is there an alternative for it? TIA!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Kari, Unfortunately not for this recipe. But, you might like my cinnamon swirl mug muffin instead. 🙂
April
Thanks so much! Recently found out I can no longer have almond! 🙁 My girls still can so I may make it for them… I can have sorghum flour though… do you think that would be an even swap for almond flour?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi April, I haven’t tried them with sorghum flour. I haven’t done much experimenting with that one in general, so not sure if it would be a good swap. You may want to try sunflower seed flour, which is often a good 1:1 replacement for almond flour (just know that it turns green sometimes during baking – but this doesn’t affect the taste). If you try sorghum flour, sunflower seed flour, or something else, let me know how it goes!
Ed Lockyer
Do you beat the egg whites lightly or until stiff?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Ed, For this recipe they need to be just lightly beaten, until frothy. I added that to the recipe card.
April
We can’t have eggs! Any suggestion for those?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi April, I haven’t tried this recipe without the egg whites. Some people have had success with replacing eggs with flax “eggs”. To replace the 1 cup egg whites in this recipe, you could try this: Stir together 6 tablespoons ground flax seed meal with 1 cup + 2 tbsp water. Refrigerate for 15 minutes, then use in the recipe as usual instead of the egg whites. I haven’t tried it for this recipe so can’t say for sure if it would work, but would love to hear the results if you try it!
Melissia Wagner
Is there any way to make these without the psyllium husk powder? I don’t have any and don’t usually use it. If not I’m willing to get some to try these, but thought I’d ask first! I’m hoping these taste as good as they look!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Melissia, Unfortunately for this one you do need the psyllium husk powder. I try to offer substitutions when possible, but in this case it creates a texture that doesn’t have good substitutions. I hope you’ll get the chance to try these!
Avigail
Wow, these look amazing! It’s extremely hard to make grain free cinnamon rolls. Can’t wait to try them. Most low carb cinnamon rolls use cheese, but I can’t handle lactose, so I’ve never tried a low carb cinnamon roll! Thanks for the recipe. I make a sourdough cinnamon roll occasionally for when I’m craving a real grain based cinnamon roll! Thanks again!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you! I agree cinnamon rolls are not the easiest thing to make grain-free. I hope you like them!
sabrinassinlesssecrets
I seriously need to make these ASAP!!! These are the best looking paleo cinnamon rolls I’ve seen — they actually look like traditional cinnamon rolls, lol.
Rebecca
How many egg whites would that be? I’m from the UK so difficult for me to know.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Rebecca, It depends on the size of the egg whites, but it should be approximately 8-10 egg whites for 1 cup.