Got thirty mins and craving cinnamon rolls? Whip up these easy and scrumptious gluten free and keto cinnamon roll knots in a jiffy! Think just 2g net carbs a pop.
Gluten Free & Keto Cinnamon Roll Knots
Ready in 30!
While you guys already have some proper keto cinnamon rolls (you know, with yeast and all!), this hack is just so easy and yummy. i.e. Ideal for satisfying those out-of-the-blue cravings!
Also, I’m not sure if any Swedish peeps are reading this (Paola here!). You see, these little cinnamon knots remind me quite a bit of some cinnamon roll packaged cookies you buy in Sweden. Alas, I cannot remember the name (useless I know!)! But they really are good and addictive in the best of ways.
Having said that, I prefer to bake them for just 10 minutes so they stay all nice and dough-y inside. As if you you do 20 mins, you’ll get a more cookie-like texture. Both are well and good, just a taste preference.
The Dairy Free & Keto Dough
You might (or not!) be surprised to hear that I use our grain-free tortilla dough here…! A little bit wetter, and with a tad bit more baking powder.
You can get roughly 10 cinnamon roll knots out of a batch of dough. But feel free to make them a little bigger (they come out even dough-ier).
The Flours
I like a mixture of super fine almond flour and coconut flour best. Add a touch of xanthan gum, baking powder, and we’re golden.
In terms of brands, for the almond either Anthony’s or WellBees work great. Both are super fine grinds. And for the coconut, I always favor Anthony’s (best taste and texture by a mile!).
No substituting flours here and the xanthan gum is absolutely necessary. And, if possible, weigh your ingredients for consistent results.
The Sweetener
You’ve got options! Feel free to use either sugar alcohols (erythritol and xylitol) or allulose. Oh, and Lakanto golden is particularly nice here with its maple tones!
And if using xylitol, make sure to be careful if you have a pup around the house, as it’s highly toxic to the little guys! 🐕
p.s. if just gluten free (or not restricted by sugars), simply sub 1-to-1 with regular or coconut sugar.
Gluten Free, Low Carb & Keto Cinnamon Roll Knots
Oh, and if baking with cups rather than grams is your thing, just click on US Cups for an instant conversion.
Ingredients
For the keto dough:
- 96 g almond flour
- 24 g coconut flour
- 2 teaspoons xanthan gum
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 5 teaspoons water as needed
For the keto cinnamon roll knots filling
- 14 g grass-fed butter or coconut butter/oil, melted
- 3-4 tablespoons golden erythritol or xylitol, to taste
- 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon to taste
For the cream cheese glaze (optional, but highly suggested!)
- 30 g cream cheese softened
- 14 g grass-fed butter softened
- 1-2 tablespoons powdered erythritol
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch kosher salt
- 1-3 teaspoons almond milk as needed (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line a baking tray with a baking mat or parchment paper.
For the keto dough:
- Add almond flour, coconut flour, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt to food processor. Pulse until thoroughly combined.
- Pour in apple cider vinegar with the food processor running. Once it has distributed evenly, pour in the egg. Followed by the water. Stop the food processor once the dough forms into a ball. The dough will be sticky to touch.
- Wrap dough in cling film and knead it through the plastic for a minute or two. Think of it a bit like a stress ball. Allow dough to rest for 10 minutes (and up to 5 days in the fridge).
For the keto cinnamon roll knots
- Roll out the rested dough between two sheets of parchment paper with a rolling pin until roughly 10x10 inches in size. To get a perfect square, simply trim the uneven edges, patch them up and keep rolling until evenly sized.
- Assemble by brushing with melted butter and sprinkling with the cinnamon 'sugar' (to taste- we do 3TBS sweetener with 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon). Fold the dough in half and cut into 8-10 strips with a pastry cutter. Twist and roughly make into knots, pinching the dough together to seal closed (it'll naturally form into rounds as you twist). You can freeze the cinnamon roll knots at this point for a month or two, and bake straight from the freezer (adding a few more minutes in the oven).
- Place the knots in prepared tray and bake for 8-12 minutes (we do 10), until they just begin to brown. You want to only bake them briefly so they stay moist and doughy, otherwise you'll get cookies (still good, but not ideal!).
- While your cinnamon knots are in the oven. Cream together with an electric mixer the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the powdered sweetener, vanilla extract and salt. If you want it more of a drizzling consistency, add a few teaspoons of almond milk to thin it out.
- These guys are best served warm straight from the oven, with a generous drizzle of cream cheese glaze. But they also do re-warm quite well.
Very good. Definitely agree you should undercook so it’s gooey instead of cookie texture. Also normally I dislike keto frosting but this seemed just right. Thanks for the recipe!
I loved the taste but my dough cracked when I tried twist it so it was a mess….
What did I do wrong ?
Maybe you just needed to add a little more water Carolyn! Mine also cracks a bit (I see you can see in the pictures), that’s just normal because of the lack of gluten. xo!
Oh !!! Ok thank you so much !
OMG!!! These are beyond divine! I miss cinnamon rolls and pastries so much and this has just hit the spot. I can’t wait to try the recipe with the yeast for the fluffy ones. In the meantime this is the best recipe for pastry I have come across yet. Easy, clear instructions and perfect results. I also love that it’s so versatile.
Thank you so much for all you recipes and your guidance. I’m so happy to be baking again, knowing I can eat what I’m cooking and being able to factor in all my macros.
Paola, you’re Ann angel! Xox
I have been keto over 1 1/2 years and these are by far the best dessert I have made. Yummy. I baked for the full 12 minutes and think they could of been cooked a little longer. Don’t skip the frosting.
Hi…I am so tempted to try this recipe. Can I use stevia as the sweetener though since thats all i have now😬
I don’t see why not Savitri! But do keep in mind you’ll get a closer taste profile with sugar alcohols or allulose xo!
These are so delicious!! They’ve become a treat staple in my Keto lifestyle. I’m wanting to try the soft version. New to baking and wanted to try the knots first. They came out perfectly. First time I made them, I did exactly as written. Next time I rolled each square so I ended up with twice as many. I loved them that way. Definitely took care of my ‘cinnabon’ craving which was my fav guilty pleasure. These have replaced them and I can eat them as treats guilt free! Thank you so much for all your great recipes:)))
Please add me to your channel
Can you substitute the almond flour for coconut flour
These look amazing and I plan on making them tonight. The recipe doesn’t say what temperature to bake them at though?
It does… pls read again 😉
My husband and I adored these! Tastes and smells Just like the Cinnabon store, but bettwe ingredients. Thanks!
Once again… WOW! I enjoyed these more than any pastry I ever purchased from Cinnabon. Always thought they were overrated. Just my personal opinion. But these knots… Absolutely delicious in taste and texture without any of the guilt. Thanks Paola 🤗
I feel guilty because the first time I made them I ate the whole batch and didn’t even give my husband a single one😁 Fortunately the first batch wasn’t the last! I love these things!
😂!!
I have made several of your recipes and have enjoyed them greatly. I am looking forward to trying this one! I was wondering if you are familiar with the Orange Rolls from Pillsbury (or other store brands)? Basically a cinnamon roll with an orange glaze/icing. I have been wanting to make a keto friendly version- your recipe above helps with half of it! Just wondering if you have any ideas on how to mimic the orange icing.
Yes! Add some orange zest 😉
Hi Paola!
Here in Sweden we call these little wonders for ”Gifflar” or even ”Kanel Gifflar” 🙂
Kanel is Cinnamon in swedish. I’m super exicited to try your recepie this weekend!
Thanks a lot for all the inspiration you give.
Love these! Would you know how many carbs: I made 7 and with coconut sugar as sweetener, and no glaze? Thanks❤️
Hi, I was wondering if you could tell me what the purpose of adding apple cider vinegar to this dough is? I notice you add it to some of your pastries and breads. Love your recipes by the way. They really stand out among all the other keto recipes bloggers I come across. Very unique and I feel like I can count on your recipes to always be great! Much Love!
If I had to guess, the acid in the vinegar helps to activate the baking powder. You could probably substitute another acid, like lemon juice.
I love all of your recipes. I am so glad I found you and Keto!
🙂
Never use xylitol if you have dogs if they get hold of any of it they will get very very sick and possibly die.
Yup, it’s explaoned in the post (but thanks for the extra warning) xo!
This takes me back to my childhood, when my mother would give me the leftover pie dough to spread with butter and cinnamon/sugar. I would roll the dough up into pinwheels and bake until they were golden brown on the outside and tender/chewy on the inside. Since I just put the last two shortbread cookies in my husband’s lunch, this is the new lunchbox (and lunch maker) treat of the week!
Just wondering can I use better batter?
New to gluten free cooking and it seems like a lazier alternative for me?
Quick and easy to make! I couldn’t make the knots but we ate them up in a hurry without frosting and my 21 year old son let me know I could make them again! Thank you for your recipes! What a treat! Looking forward to trying more of your recipes. They look amazing!
Hi Paola, This is exactly what I was looking for, however, I wish this recipe was in cups instead of grams! Help!
Just click on US cups below the ingredients 😉
Paola I was so incredibly excited when I saw this recipe featured on the High Falutin Low Carb cinnamon roll battle on YouTube. Congratulations 🎉 Not sure why he didn’t use your actual cinnamon roll recipe for that battle.
I don’t usually leave comments under recipes I have made, I had to make an exception for this. Literally, this is one of the greatest recipes I have tried on my keto journey. It took one try and it was perfect, this prevented me from going out and buying real cinnabons lol. You have a fan for life!!!! Thank you!!!
I just found your website and I’m excited to try these recipes. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and going through the “test kitchen” phase for the rest of us. I have soooooo missed cinnamon rolls and these cinnamon knots look amazing. Would they bake OK if I add chopped, toasted pecans? Or should I save that for the topping? My childhood favorite cinnamon rolls had pecans rolled in the dough.
Egg replacement? I can have these delicious looking cinnamon roll knots if they didn’t have egg.
Thank you, this is seriously good recipe, easy to make and very tasty. I made it as cinnamon rolls, I just had to keep the rolled dough in the freezer for 2 hours before cutting it – it’s too hot here so the dough was too soft.
I didn’t have xanthan gum, so I used 3 teaspoons of psyllium husk powder and a bit more water, and it worked perfectly well. I’ll make double dose next time and freeze half of the dough.
This is the third recipe of yours I’ve tried so far and I continue to be astonished at how good they are. These are unbelievable. Thank you so much for taking the time to create your website and share your hard work. I’m glad I halved the recipe because I’ve just eaten the lot in one sitting 😂.
Same here! Incredible website and recipes!
Awwww thank you guys!!
Paola! These were amazing! Not getring any sleep so may as well bake something kind of a morning. My only issue was the knots broke apart when I was trying to “roll/food” them into knots. I just rolled them like a regular cinamon roll & they were amazing. Any suggestion on getting the knotted dough right? Will be trippling & freezing the next batch by the way! Love you blog! b
Awesome to hear Belinda! Regarding the dough, I’m pretty sure it sounds like it just needed a little extra water (maybe a tsp or two). Hope this fixes it!! 🙂 xo!
Third shot & I finally got it… Thinner dough when rolling out & narrower strips to get them to fold.
Thanks for a new family favorite!
Yaaay! Happy it worked now!!
Thank you for creating a recipe without mozzarella! I have looked through so many! I was about ready to try creating my own based off of my chocolate chip cookie dough. Yours is similar (sans butter), so I’m looking forward to trying it!
Lol yeah I can’t eat that much dairy! Enjoy!
Piper — would love the chocolate chip cookie dough recipe!
Hi! Is the apple cider vinegar necessary? I can’t get passed the taste!
You can’t taste it Angela, just improves texture etc 😉