
The Best Keto Cinnamon Rolls (2021)
These are The BEST Keto Cinnamon Rolls. Hands-down. No questions asked. These are it.
I have made…5, 6 maybe even 7 keto cinnamon roll recipes now. Some were too horrendous to even share online, lol. All of the ones I've shared have been good and some GREAT (I'm talking about you my Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls ). But none have truly given my the satisfaction of a REAL cinnamon roll.
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I'm talking a doughy, soft, pillowy, chewy roll with cinnamon, brown sugar goodness spilling out. Not a tough, semi-soft roll with some sort of lame excuse for brown sugar filling.
When we are talking about keto cinnamon rolls, they should not break in half like a cake or cookie. I've seen so many keto cinnamon rolls recipes that look good when but when you actually look at the texture, it's not doughy at all. They almost should be called “cinnamon cakes”. LOL. And trust me, I've been guilty of making recipes like this too.
That's why, when I tell you these rolls are different, you have to trust me. They PULL-APART. You can see the strands of doughy goodness as you tear pieces off. They also have that sought-after and coveted gooey cinnamon roll center. JUST LIKE THE REAL THING. NO KETO CAKE ROLLS HERE.
Just straight-up soft, sweet keto cinnamon rolls topped off with the most amazing sugar free cream cheese glaze.
If you miss bread, dinner rolls and all things soft and doughy, then these are for you. PS. I also have a similar very tasty keto dinner roll recipe so check that out as well if you like this recipe.
Lastly, all I want to say is that normally as a keto baker, I get quite sick of eating keto desserts. I bake them almost 7 days a week so usually it's the last thing I'm craving…
BUT with these rolls, I dug into my freezer and heated one up for breakfast this morning and am eating it as I write this post. This is RARE for me. I usually never eat a dessert after the day I make it. Usually I give them away. But these are so dang good. They will be my weekly breakfast from now on..because truly are delicious.
These would go up on my MouthwateringMotivation hall of fame… if I had one.
Tools I Used To Make The Best Keto Cinnamon Rolls
- Mixing Bowls
- Cuisinart Hand Mixer
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Large Glass Dish (A 9×13 dish would work)
- Non-Stick Rolling Pin
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients In The Best Keto Cinnamon Rolls
- Almond Milk – I've found the Silk brand's Cashew + Almond Protein Milk to work the best because it has the perfect nutrition facts, almost identical to whole cow's milk. But regular almond milk can work too. You could also use 14 tbsp water and 2 tbsp heavy cream for a similar effect.
- Eggs – We use 1 whole and one yolk in this recipe to add additional fat to the rolls without added TOO much structure.
- Salted Butter – You can also use unsalted butter (just add an extra 1/4 tsp of salt to the dough) or try these rolls with softened(not melted) coconut oil for a dairy-free version.
- Vanilla Extract – I used pure vanilla extract but artificial works just as well!
- Vital Wheat Gluten – This the main ingredient in our dough because it provides the cinnamon roll's structure. The gluten strands allow the yeast to properly expand the dough and creates rolls that are soft and chewy instead of tough. You can read more about vital wheat gluten in my article here. But in short, it's a high protein, low carb flour. Gluten is the protein extracted from wheat flour. Gluten itself is keto friendly and will not spike your insulin but you should avoid it if you have a gluten allergy or are celiac.
- Lupin Flour – A super important ingredient!! Do not sub this. Please just don't, haha. It's essential for making extra-soft, pull-apart, doughy cinnamon rolls. No other low carb flour can achieve this effect.
- Oat Fiber – Very high fiber, this adds bulk to our recipe without much flavour!
- Tapioca Starch OR Coconut Flour – I have used both and each work just as well. This simply lightens the rolls a bit.
- Powdered Monkfruit Sweetener – My favourite keto sweetener in terms of flavour. But you can use any you prefer. Allulose is another great substitute. But be sure to use 1.3x as much when compared to the monkfruit sweetener as it is not as sweet.
- Active Dry Yeast – Essential to make our dough rise and for beautiful, fluffy cinnamon rolls. Store yours in the freezer to keep it fresh!
- Inulin – Works in place of sugar to provide “food” for your yeast. If you don't have it, simply sub with 1 tsp of sugar or honey. (This will be consumed by the yeast so don't worry about it affecting you!)
- Xanthan Gum – Works similar to vital wheat gluten. It helps give the cinnamon rolls some chewy/doughy-ness.
- Cinnamon – I mean, what would cinnamon rolls be without cinnamon?
- Salt – Use a little more if using unsalted butter!
- Cream Cheese – Necessary to make the perfect cream cheese frosting!
- Sukrin Brown Sweetener – This is the sweetener we use inside the rolls for the “brown sugar” flavour. It's fantastic! You are welcome to use another brown sugar replacement if you prefer.
Tips For Making The Best Keto Cinnamon Rolls
- If you have a stand mixer, follow the steps below but cut the kneading time in half (knead on medium speed with a dough hook). Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to bring the dough together and just as written, add the softened butter AFTER you initially form and knead your dough the first time. Work it in and then knead again.
- If you don't have xanthan gum, I suggest you still try this recipe, it's not essential, just helps a little with texture but I'd highly recommend it for future recipe-making.
- Almond milk, boxed (not canned) coconut milk or even 2 tbsp heavy cream + 14 tbsp water can all work for the “milk” portion of the dough. Personally I use Silk's Protein Almond + Cashew Milk because it has almost identical nutritional info to whole cow's milk which is often used in traditional cinnamon rolls.
- If you are unsure your dough is needed enough after working in the butter, lightly press a finger into it. Does it slowly spring back? It's likely ready to go! If you are still unsure, knead for another minute.
- When it's time to let the dough rise, my favourite place to put them is in the microwave! First, grab a large cup of water and microwave it for 1-2minutes. Then if you have space, put the bowl of dough into the microwave beside the cup of hot water and close the door. If you don't have space, simply remove the cup of water and place your bowl of dough inside and again, close the door. If you don't have a microwave you can also turn your oven on to it's lowest setting for a little, shut it off then place your dough in there. (Just make sure it's warm but NOT HOT).
- This dough doesn't rise as much the second time you cover it and let it sit so don't be afraid if your rolls don't double in size!
How To Store Keto Cinnamon Rolls & Re-heating Instructions
- Store these cinnamon rolls in an airtight container on the counter if eating that day. I like to cover mine when they actually are still just a tad warm (NOT HOT) as I find this keeps them softer for longer.
- OR freeze these rolls in an airtight container with a piece of wax or parchment paper on top of the rolls to prevent freezer burn.
- Re-heat these rolls by microwaving one or two at a time for ~40-45s depending on the size of the roll and your microwave OR re-heat in a glass baking dish covered with tinfoil at 325*F until warm.
Other Keto Cinnamon Roll Recipes:
- Keto Cinnamon Rolls Made With Puff Pastry
- Keto Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls
- Keto Caramel Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
- Low-Carb Cinnamon Roll Cake
- Healthy 1 Minute Low Carb Cinnamon Roll Mug Cake
- Low Carb Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
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The Best Keto Cinnamon Rolls (2021)
Serves: 12 cinnamon rolls
Ingredients:
Dough
- 1 cup warm almond milk (I use Silk Almond + Cashew blend), 250g
- 1 tbsp active dry yeast, 10g
- 2 tbsp inulin or 1 tsp sugar (necessary for the yeast to activate)
- 1 1/4 cup vital wheat gluten, 154g (read more about this ingredient HERE)
- lupin flour, 80g
- 1/3 cup oat fiber, 40g
- 1/4 cup tapioca starch, 30g OR 2 tbsp coconut flour, 14g
- 6 tbsp powdered monkfruit sweetener, 60g
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/4 tsp salt (1/2 tsp if using unsalted butter)
- 1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature, whisked together
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup salted butter, softened, 60g
Filling
- 1/2 cup softened salted butter, 120g
- 3/4 cup sukrin brown sweetener, 130g
- 1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup softened cream cheese, 4oz/112g
- 2 tbsp softened, salted butter, 30g
- 1/2 cup powdered monkfruit sweetener, 100g
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 tbsp almond milk, 15g-30g (as desired to thin batter)
Directions:
- Add the warm almond milk, yeast and inulin to a medium bowl. Whisk to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
- In another large bowl, whisk together the vital wheat gluten, lupin flour, oat fiber, tapioca starch (or coconut flour), powdered monkfruit sweetener, cinnamon, xanthan gum and salt.
- Once your yeast mixture from before is foamy, add it to the dry ingredients along with the eggs and vanilla extract.
- Stir together until a thick dough begins to form. Once it becomes tough to stir with a spoon, use your hands to begin kneading the rest of the flour into the dough. (*See tips for the next few steps if you own a stand mixer*)
- Once all of the flour is incorporated, continue to knead the dough for 2-3 more minutes on a lightly greased clean surface.
- Move the dough back to the bowl and add 1/4 cup softened butter. Use your hands to work the butter into the dough until it's completely blended and the dough is cohesive. Then continue to knead for another 2-3 more minutes. Your dough should feel elastic and spring back slowly after you gently press a finger into it.
- Form the dough into a rough ball and place it in a large greased bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap or a towel and set it somewhere warm to rise for 45min -1 hour or until doubled in size. (See my tips for where I find my dough rises best).
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down, remove it from the bowl and place it on a lightly greased flat surface. Roll it out into a large rectangle. (I like to place a piece of lightly greased parchment paper on top of my dough to prevent the rolling pin from sticking while rolling).
- Next, make your filling by mixing together the softened butter, sukrin brown sweetener and cinnamon in a bowl. Spread this evenly over the entire rectangle of dough. You can also use your fingers to help spread the mixture.
- Roll the dough up length-wise (short end to short-end).
- Slice the roll into pieces by using a sawing action with a very sharp knife OR using dental floss for clean slices.
- Place the rolls, cut-side up in a large greased dish. It's okay if they are touching/close together.
- Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and set somewhere warm for another 30-40min. You can also pre-heat your oven to 325*F during this time.
- While we wait for the rolls to rise, we can make the glaze. Beat together the cream cheese, butter, monkfruit sweetener and vanilla extract until smooth. Add 1-2 tbsp almond milk and beat once for to thin the batter slightly. Set aside.
- Once the cinnamon rolls have finished rising, remove the plastic wrap and bake in the pre-heated oven for 22-25min. They will be bubbly and still relatively soft when they are down (they will firm up a little at room temperature so we don't want to over-bake them).
- Place the cinnamon rolls somewhere to cool and spread your frosting over them while still hot.
- Cool until you can't wait anymore, then use a spatula to remove them and serve warm. LOL. Enjoy The Best Keto Cinnamon Rolls!
Nutrition for 1 roll(1/12th of recipe): 250 calories | 17.9g fat | 3.1 NET carbs | 13.3g Protein | 4.7g fiber
Store these cinnamon rolls in an airtight container on the counter if eating that day. I like to cover mine when they actually are still just a tad warm (NOT HOT) as I find this keeps them softer for longer.
OR freeze these rolls in an airtight container with a piece of wax or parchment paper on top of the rolls to prevent freezer burn.
Re-heat these rolls by microwaving one or two at a time for ~40-45s depending on the size of the roll and your microwave OR re-heat in a glass baking dish covered with tinfoil at 325*F until warm.
*New* Get Your Customized Keto Diet Plan For 1$
The Best Keto Cinnamon Rolls (2021)
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup warm almond milk 250g, I like to use Silk's Almond + Cashew Blend
- 1 tbsp active dry yeast 10g
- 2 tbsp inulin or 1 tsp sugar 15g inulin or 5g sugar, necessary for the yeast to activate
- 1 1/4 cup vital wheat gluten 154g
- lupin flour 80g
- 1/3 cup oat fiber 40g
- 1/4 cup tapioca starch 30g OR 2 tbsp coconut flour, 14g
- 6 tbsp powdered monkfruit sweetener 60g
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp if using unsalted butter
- 1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk at room temperature, whisked together
- 1 tsp vanilla extract 5ml
- 1/4 cup salted butter softened, 60g
Filling
- 1/2 cup softened salted butter 120g
- 3/4 cup sukrin brown sweetener 130g
- 1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon 11g
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup softened cream cheese 4oz/112g
- 2 tbsp softened salted butter 30g
- 1/2 cup powdered monkfruit sweetener 100g
- 2 tsp vanilla extract 10ml
- 1-2 tbsp almond milk 15g-30g (as desired to thin batter)
Instructions
- In another large bowl, whisk together the vital wheat gluten, lupin flour, oat fiber, tapioca starch (or coconut flour), powdered monkfruit sweetener, cinnamon, xanthan gum and salt.
- Once your yeast mixture from before is foamy, add it to the dry ingredients along with the eggs and vanilla extract.
- Stir together until a thick dough begins to form. Once it becomes tough to stir with a spoon, use your hands to begin kneading the rest of the flour into the dough. (*See tips for the next few steps if you own a stand mixer*)
- Once all of the flour is incorporated, continue to knead the dough for 2-3 more minutes on a lightly greased clean surface.
- Move the dough back to the bowl and add 1/4 cup softened butter. Use your hands to work the butter into the dough until it's completely blended and the dough is cohesive. Then continue to knead for another 2-3 more minutes. Your dough should feel elastic and spring back slowly after you gently press a finger into it.
- Form the dough into a rough ball and place it in a large greased bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap or a towel and set it somewhere warm to rise for 45min -1 hour or until doubled in size. (See my tips for where I find my dough rises best).
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down, remove it from the bowl and place it on a lightly greased flat surface. Roll it out into a large rectangle. (I like to place a piece of lightly greased parchment paper on top of my dough to prevent the rolling pin from sticking while rolling).
- Next, make your filling by mixing together the softened butter, sukrin brown sweetener and cinnamon in a bowl. Spread this evenly over the entire rectangle of dough. You can also use your fingers to help spread the mixture.
- Roll the dough up length-wise (short end to short-end).
- Slice the roll into pieces by using a sawing action with a very sharp knife OR using dental floss for clean slices.
- Place the rolls, cut-side up in a large greased dish. It's okay if they are touching/close together.
- Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and set somewhere warm for another 30-40min. You can also pre-heat your oven to 325*F during this time.
- While we wait for the rolls to rise, we can make the glaze. Beat together the cream cheese, butter, monkfruit sweetener and vanilla extract until smooth. Add 1-2 tbsp almond milk and beat once for to thin the batter slightly. Set aside.
- Once the cinnamon rolls have finished rising, remove the plastic wrap and bake in the pre-heated oven for 22-25min. They will be bubbly and still relatively soft when they are down (they will firm up a little at room temperature so we don't want to over-bake them).
- Place the cinnamon rolls somewhere to cool and spread your frosting over them while still hot.
- Cool until you can't wait anymore, then use a spatula to remove them and serve warm. LOL. Enjoy The Best Keto Cinnamon Rolls!
Video
Notes
Ingredients Links
- Vanilla Extract
- Vital Wheat Gluten
- Lupin Flour
- Oat Fiber
- Tapioca Starch OR Coconut Flour
- Powdered Monkfruit Sweetener
- Active Dry Yeast
- Inulin
- Xanthan Gum
- Sukrin Brown Sweetener
Tips For Making The Best Keto Cinnamon Rolls
- If you have a stand mixer, follow the steps below but cut the kneading time in half (knead on medium speed with a dough hook). Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to bring the dough together and just as written, add the softened butter AFTER you initially form and knead your dough the first time. Work it in and then knead again.
- If you don't have xanthan gum, I suggest you still try this recipe, it's not essential, just helps a little with texture but I'd highly recommend it for future recipe-making.
- Almond milk, boxed (not canned) coconut milk or even 2 tbsp heavy cream + 14 tbsp water can all work for the "milk" portion of the dough. Personally I use Silk's Protein Almond + Cashew Milk because it has almost identical nutritional info to whole cow's milk which is often used in traditional cinnamon rolls.
- If you are unsure your dough is needed enough after working in the butter, lightly press a finger into it. Does it slowly spring back? It's likely ready to go! If you are still unsure, knead for another minute.
- When it's time to let the dough rise, my favourite place to put them is in the microwave! First, grab a large cup of water and microwave it for 1-2minutes. Then if you have space, put the bowl of dough into the microwave beside the cup of hot water and close the door. If you don't have space, simply remove the cup of water and place your bowl of dough inside and again, close the door. If you don't have a microwave you can also turn your oven on to it's lowest setting for a little, shut it off then place your dough in there. (Just make sure it's warm but NOT HOT).
- This dough doesn't rise as much the second time you cover it and let it sit so don't be afraid if your rolls don't double in size!
Pam
Tuesday 3rd of January 2023
Made these and followed the recipe exactly (thank you for having metric measurements so I could weigh them)! I baked at 325 F for 25 mins and decided to pull them since the recipe said they will be a little gooey and to not overtake. Unfortunately, they were raw (especially the ones in the middle). I had to throw most of them out!
Made a second batch and made sure they were cooked through, using a toothpick. Total cook time for me was 30 mins. I let then cool for 10 mins and then frosted.
These are heavenly and my non-Keto household members couldn't believe they were low carb! One actually said they are "sinfully delicious"!!
Thank you for this amazing recipe!!
Sai Kumar Ramadugu
Thursday 27th of January 2022
These are heavenly. We tried substituting the eggs with JustEgg and it turned out very good. Thank you, Sammy, you are a God-Send!
Karen
Thursday 25th of November 2021
The texture on these is very good. What I can't get past is the strong taste/aftertaste from the Lupin flour. These would be fantastic if the lupin flour was subbed with something that didn't have as strong of flavor. Maybe psyllium husk or just additional vital gluten/oat fiber would work?
Stephanie
Sunday 7th of November 2021
Followed the written directions exactly. I've read and reread both the recipe and the long version on this page....even purchased the specific ingredients listed JUST to make this recipe.
The dough did not rise at all. I am certain my yeast is good as I made pizza dough for my kiddos the other night with that same yeast and it rose beautifully.
As I went back and tried to figure out what I did wrong (I always I assume I messed up....as opposed to the recipe being wrong), I re-read the directions 2 more times and finally watched the video.
The video tells you to HEAT the almond milk, which is not noted in ANY of the written directions on this page. That is a key point to be missing and ruins the entire recipe if omitted....somehow my yeast did get a tiny bit frothy without heating, but clearly not enough to activate it.
I'm a seasoned baker and should have known better/caught that in the written directions.....but it is still super frustrating to feel like I wasted all of those ingredients, particularly given that there are two sets of written ingredients on this page, neither of which notes to heat the almond milk before adding the yeast.
I would like to kindly suggest that this be noted in the written directions specifically to heat the almond milk before adding the yeast.
Keto 1 Minute Cinnamon Rolls - Mouthwatering Motivation
Sunday 10th of October 2021
[…] love my original Keto Cinnamon Rolls recipe but sometimes you want a dessert that's just enough for one serving, to kick a craving […]