When I was growing up, back when hanging out at the mall and eating gluten were both in vogue, I made many stops at the Cinnabon counter. All of those after-school cinnamon rolls probably explain how I landed the childhood nickname of Baby Fat. Kids can be cruel and brutally honest. By the time I was entering 9th grade, I had packed nearly 150 pounds into my 5-foot frame. There was no denying the fact that I was chubby.
At the time, I had no concept of nutrition. No one pointed out that the majority of my diet was sugar and grains, which were causing me to gain weight. It took years of struggling with my weight and reading about nutrition to discover that once I cut out the sugar and the grains, my body would drop the excess fat.
Now it’s been years since I’ve tasted a traditional cinnamon roll. When a craving hits, I make this grain- and refined sugar-free recipe for cinnamon rolls. To recreate the buttery, cinnamon goo, I used coconut oil, coconut crystals, golden raisins, chopped pecans, and ground cinnamon. (Lots of ground cinnamon!) You’ll never need a traditional cinnamon roll after trying this recipe.
Note: These 3 steps are important for successfully rolling and slicing the dough:
1) Chill the dough for at least 15 minutes before rolling.
2) Use the parchment paper to assist you in rolling, don’t attempt to roll just with your hands.
3) Use a string to cut the rolls, rather than a knife. This helps make a clean cut that doesn’t squish the rest of the roll.
2½ cups blanched almond meal
¼ cup coconut flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
⅓ cup coconut oil
⅓ cup raw honey
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¾ cup coconut palm sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
¼ cup golden raisins
¼ cup Pecans
¼ teaspoon almond extract
Preheat the oven to 350 ̊F. Lightly grease a pan with coconut oil.
Combine the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, and sea salt in a medium bowl and mix to remove any lumps. Combine 1⁄4 cup coconut oil, 2 tablespoons raw honey, eggs, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, and 1⁄4 cup coconut palm sugar in another medium bowl and mix well. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix well. Chill the dough for 15 minutes.
Cut two rectangular pieces of parchment paper and place the dough in between them. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough evenly into a large rectangle. Remove the top piece of parchment paper.
In a small bowl, combine 1⁄2 cup coconut palm sugar, ground cinnamon, 2 tablespoons coconut oil, and the golden raisins and chopped pecans. Sprinkle this filling mixture over the flattened dough, and then carefully roll it up. Use the bottom parchment paper to assist in rolling the dough—this works better than using your hands. Use a serrated knife to carefully slice the dough into 15 rolls. Or use a string to wrap around the roll and pull tight, cutting the dough. Carefully place the pieces on your prepared pan.
Bake for 20 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine 1⁄4 cup raw honey, 1⁄4 cup coconut oil, 1⁄4 teaspoon almond extract, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Drizzle over the cinnamon rolls. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Enjoy!
Calories: 251
Fat: 17g
Carbohydrates: 21g
Sodium: 71mg
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 5g
Sugar: 16g