This keto cinnamon rolls recipe yields soft, fluffy, slightly chewy rolls with rich swirls of sweet cinnamon. An easy-to-make cinnamon roll icing without cream cheese is literally the icing on the cake! And bonus, they’re much faster to make than traditional cinnamon rolls because they don’t require rise time.
This post is dedicated to everyone everywhere who has ever fallen victim to the evil geniuses at Cinnabon who make carb-y treats that smell like heaven. Surprisingly, it is possible to eat a perfect cinnamon roll and not subsequently crash from a carb-induced coma!
That my friends, is where these keto cinnamon rolls come in.
Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls - The Inspiration For These Low Carb Cinnamon Rolls!
About five years ago when I first started my quest to develop the perfect cinnamon rolls recipe, I wasn’t going for low carb. I was trying to replicate Cinnabon cinnamon rolls, those deliciously decadent treats that perfume the air of so many shopping centers and airports.
I came up with a pretty close replication of Cinnabon (which I have yet to share!), and then started working on a keto version. This is the fruit of those labors! These keto cinnamon rolls are free of added sugar, gluten free, and only have 5g net carbs per serving.
What Makes the Best Cinnamon Rolls?
Most of us can probably agree on what makes the best cinnamon rolls, and the best low carb cinnamon rolls should be equally mind-blowing.
Soft, tender, and fluffy slightly sweet dough, and sweet, buttery, cinnamon swirls. Topped with a sweet, creamy vanilla frosting, because frosting makes everything better.
While I was working on developing this recipe, soft and fluffy with a slightly chewy texture was my goal for these keto cinnamon rolls. I wanted them to be completely indulgent! This recipe took me more tries than I remember (or care to admit, lol! I've been working on perfecting it for years), but in the end it was worth it. These low carb cinnamon rolls are everything they should be.
Fluffy dough, gooey vanilla-laced brown sugar swirls, and velvety sweet vanilla cinnamon roll icing. These are literally the cinnamon rolls of your dreams, and the best part is they're low carb, sugar free, and gluten free!
Fathead Cinnamon Rolls
A lot of low carb and keto cinnamon roll recipes use what is called fathead dough as the base.
Fathead dough is a mozzarella cheese-based dough, in which mozzarella is melted along with a bit of cream cheese. The mixture is then combined with an egg and some type of flour (usually almond flour and/or coconut flour).
This type of dough works really well for simulating a bread-like texture for keto pastries, and makes a pretty darn amazing keto pizza too!
The only thing is, I find that as the dough cools, a day or two later, baked goods made with fathead dough tend to have a cheese flavor. This isn’t a problem with pizza, but with cinnamon rolls it's another story. (Note to Self: Work on developing a Danish cheese pastry recipe using fathead dough!)
To avoid your leftover keto cinnamon rolls tasting like cheese, just make sure to re-warm them before serving!
The Best Keto Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Make this recipe and you’ll see why every single person who has tried them has dubbed them the best keto cinnamon rolls around! (And trust me, it's been quite a few people because I went through many rounds of testing, lol!)
The dough is light and fluffy with perfect sweet swirls of cinnamon and velvety-smooth vanilla-scented cinnamon roll glaze.
Ingredients in the Best Low Carb and Keto Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Cinnamon Roll Icing Without Cream Cheese:
- Heavy whipping cream - this is the base of our rich, creamy cinnamon roll frosting
- Unsalted butter - adds decadence and helps the icing set properly
- Swerve Confectioners - the sweetener in this brand is erythritol, which we use in combination with stevia for the perfect sweetness level
- Liquid stevia - paired with erythritol (in the form of Swerve Confectioners), these keto cinnamon buns have the perfect level of sweetness
- Salt - to pull out the flavors of everything else
- Vanilla extract - for flavor and aroma
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Roll Filling:
- Unsalted butter - make sure it's at room temperature so you can easily mix together the filling
- Swerve Brown - or you can use any brand of keto brown sugar you like
- Cinnamon - don't skimp on the cinnamon here!
- Vanilla extract - for flavor and aroma
- Liquid stevia - along with the Swerve Brown, stevia is the sweetener in our keto cinnamon roll filling
Cinnamon Roll Dough:
- Coconut oil spray - for the pan
- Instant yeast - this gives a yeasty aroma to our low carb cinnamon rolls, and helps them smell more bready
- Warm water - to mix with the yeast
- Almond flour - this keto flour is the base of the dry ingredients; I like to use almond flour here because almond flour cinnamon rolls have a texture very close to regular cinnamon rolls
- Powdered allulose/monkfruit blend - paired with stevia, this keto sweetner adds the right level of sweetness to our keto cinnamon roll dough
- Psyllium husk powder - to help give our buns a bready texture
- Baking powder - a leavening agent
- Shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella - this type of cheese works best for making fathead dough (regular mozzarella has too much moisture!)
- Cream cheese - use full fat cream cheese for fewer carbs than low fat cream cheese
- Egg - this acts as the binder in our dough; make sure it's at room temperature
- Vanilla extract - for flavor and aroma
- Liquid stevia - this keto sweetener adds sweet flavor without calories
- Avocado oil - this is to oil your hands; you can use any mild or neutral-flavored oil you like
How to Make the Best Sugar Free Cinnamon Rolls
Basically, there are three steps to making cinnamon rolls: 1) the dough, 2) the cinnamon sugar filling, and 3) the icing.
Even though this is a non-traditional dough that uses almond flour and psyllium husk powder in place of wheat flour, the dough is still fairly easy to make and doesn’t even require a stand mixer or even a handheld electric mixer!
How to Make Keto Cinnamon Roll Icing Without Cream Cheese
- Add the heavy whipping cream, butter, Swerve Confectioners, stevia extract, and salt to a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Bring to a boil, and then cook until thickened to the consistency of melted frosting, about 12 to 15 minutes. It will thicken more as it cools, so don’t over-cook it. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
How to Make Keto Cinnamon Roll Filling
- Add all ingredients to a bowl.
- Mix together until well-combined.
Step-by-Step How to Make Keto Cinnamon Roll Dough
Make Sweet Fathead Dough:
- Add the yeast and warm water to a small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside until foamy, about 5 to 10 minutes. Whisk together the almond flour, powdered allulose, psyllium husk powder, and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Add the mozzarella and cream cheese to a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 60 seconds and then give it a stir, and continue microwaving in 20-second increments until the cheese is fully melted and combined when stirred.
- Stir the yeast mixture into the melted cheese until combined, and then stir in the beaten egg, vanilla, and liquid stevia extract until combined.
- The dough will look a bit stringy at this point - that's normal!
- Stir in the almond flour mixture until it forms a shaggy dough.
- Oil your hands and knead the dough a couple times until it comes together as a ball.
Assemble and Slice Keto Cinnamon Rolls:
- Roll the dough out between 2 pieces of parchment paper sprayed with coconut oil spray to a rectangle about 11 by 13-inches.
- Spread the cinnamon bun filling out onto the dough, leaving a border of about ¼-inch all the way around.
- Starting with one of the short sides, tightly roll the dough up into a log.
- Cut the log cross-wise into 8 equal pieces.
Bake the Buns:
- Place the rolls into the prepared dish and put it in the freezer to chill for 10 minutes.
- Transfer to the oven and bake until the rolls are golden, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Tips for Rolling Out Keto Cinnamon Roll Dough
- Let the dough rest for 3 minutes once it's mixed.
- Oil your hands with coconut oil before handling the dough (because it's sticky!).
- Roll the dough out between 2 pieces of parchment paper.
How to Store Low Carb Cinnamon Buns
If you leave the icing off, once the cinnamon rolls have cooled, you can store them covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. Store the keto cinnamon roll icing separately; it will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month.
If the cinnamon buns are iced, after they cool to room temperature, you can store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 1 week.
How to Reheat Keto Sweet Rolls: These are best served warm, so I recommend reheating leftovers briefly before serving. To microwave them, heat one at a time and start with about 15 seconds and add more time if needed. Alternatively, you can heat them on a baking tray in a 325F oven until warm.
Keto Cinnamon Rolls FAQs
How Do You Make Soft Cinnamon Rolls?
In regular baking (i.e., when you’re using wheat flour and cane sugar), it’s fairly easy to make a fluffy, soft cinnamon roll because of the gluten in the flour. The main tricks are:
- Don't over-work the dough
- Make sure you use the right ratio of flour to liquid (a kitchen scale helps a lot)
- Don’t add too much flour to your work surface when you roll out the dough
Keep these baking tips and tricks in mind with keto baking as well!
Can You Make Sugar Free Cinnamon Rolls Ahead?
Most cinnamon roll recipes allow the dough to be made a day or so in advance. Generally, once the dough is made and rolled out and the cinnamon filling is spread on top, it is rolled up into a log. At this point, you can refrigerate the dough, in log form or cut the log into rolls and arrange them in a greased baking pan.
To Make the Icing For This Recipe Ahead: You can make the icing up to 5 days in advance. Let it cool to room temperature, and then store it covered in the fridge. It will stiffen as it cools, so you can reheat it briefly in the microwave when you want to serve it.
To Make the Cinnamon Roll Dough For This Recipe Ahead: Once the cinnamon rolls are in the baking dish, cover the dough and refrigerate up to 2 days in advance before baking. If doing this, put the dough in the fridge to chill instead of the freezer (as directed in the recipe), and bake it right from the fridge.
How Many Carbs Are in a Keto Cinnamon Roll?
This recipe makes 8 cinnamon rolls and each has just 5 grams net carbs!
More Low Carb Sweet Treats Recipes
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The Best Keto Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Frosting:
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons Swerve Confectioners
- 20 drops liquid stevia
- 1/16 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cinnamon Roll Filling:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons Swerve Brown or any keto brown sugar you like
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 10 drops liquid stevia
Cinnamon Roll Dough:
- Coconut oil spray for the pan
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons warm water
- 1 ¼ cups almond flour
- 2 tablespoons powdered allulose/monkfruit blend
- 1 ¼ teaspoons psyllium husk powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ cups shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella
- 1 ounce cream cheese
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 10 drops liquid stevia
- ½ tablespoon avocado oil for oiling your hands
Instructions
For the Cinnamon Roll Frosting:
- Add the heavy whipping cream, butter, Swerve Confectioners, stevia extract, and salt to a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Bring to a boil, and then cook until thickened to the consistency of melted frosting, about 12 to 15 minutes. It will thicken more as it cools, so don’t over-cook it.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
For the Cinnamon Roll Filling:
- Mix together all ingredients in a small bowl until well-combined.
For the Cinnamon Roll Dough:
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Spray the inside of a freezer and oven-safe 9-inch pie plate or an 8 by 8-inch casserole dish with coconut oil spray.
- Add the yeast and warm water to a small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside until foamy, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Whisk together the almond flour, powdered allulose, psyllium husk powder, and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Add the mozzarella and cream cheese to a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 60 seconds and then give it a stir, and continue microwaving in 20-second increments until the cheese is fully melted and combined when stirred.
- Stir the yeast mixture into the melted cheese until combined, and then stir in the beaten egg, vanilla, and liquid stevia extract until combined. Stir in the almond flour mixture until it forms a shaggy dough.
- Oil your hands and knead the dough a couple times until it comes together as a ball.
- Roll the dough out between 2 pieces of parchment paper sprayed with coconut oil spray to a rectangle about 11 by 13-inches.
- Spread the cinnamon bun filling out onto the dough, leaving a border of about ¼-inch all the way around.
- Starting with one of the short sides, tightly roll the dough up into a log. Cut the log cross-wise into 8 equal pieces. Place the rolls into the prepared dish and put it in the freezer to chill for 10 minutes.
- Transfer to the oven and bake until the rolls are golden, about 20 to 25 minutes.
To Serve:
- Pour the frosting onto the cinnamon rolls and serve warm.
Faith's Tips
- Net Carbs: 5g per serving
- To Make the Icing Ahead: You can make the icing up to 5 days in advance. Let it cool to room temperature, and then store it covered in the fridge. It will stiffen as it cools, so you can reheat it briefly in the microwave when you want to serve it.
- To Make the Cinnamon Roll Dough Ahead: Once the cinnamon rolls are in the baking dish, cover the dough and refrigerate up to 2 days in advance before baking. If doing this, put the dough in the fridge to chill instead of the freezer (as directed in the recipe), and bake it right from the fridge.
- Reheating Tip: These are best served warm, so I recommend reheating leftovers briefly before serving. To microwave them, heat one at a time and start with about 15 seconds and add more time if needed. Alternatively, you can heat them on a baking tray in a 325F oven until warm.
- My recipe for Keto Cinnamon Rolls was included in Keto Junk Food, published by Adams Media on November 9, 2021. Note that in the cookbook, the recipe is divided into 10 servings (instead of 8), so the nutrition information is different. If you want to make them less caloric, slice the dough into 10 cinnamon rolls for a total of 10 servings.
Nutrition
This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on March 25, 2019 and was updated on April 19, 2023.
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