These. Are. Pure. Gold! Actually fluffy, gooey, and ultra delicious… these gluten free, paleo and keto cinnamon rolls (with yeast!) are nothing short of spectacular!
Note: this recipe was first published in June 2018, and has since been updated to provide more deets ‘n tricks!
Paleo & Keto Cinnamon Rolls
Properly Fluffy (‘N Gooey!)
In my humble opinion, these keto cinnamon rolls easily make the top 5 best bread recipes on the site (of all time!). Up along the likes of our famous keto tortillas and soft ‘n fluffy sandwich bread! And if anything, I found these guys are even truer to the original (i.e. gluten version).
They’re actually fluffy with ultra gooey centers, and have that awesome (and incomparable!) yeast kick.
Fact is, they get a beautiful rise with the yeast by actually doubling in size (!!). And they’re surprisingly easy to whip up too, just be sure to watch the recipe video for deets!
Oh, and if looking for a lazy and fairly instant version, do check out our 30 minute cinnamon roll knots!
The Deets
As mentioned, making these paleo and keto cinnamon rolls is incredibly simple really. But, like with any yeast bread, it does require you take care of a few details to ensure the best possible outcome.
And the one thing to keep in mind is that your rolls will likely fall slightly post bake. Blame it on the lack of starch (keto flours are notoriously heavy and moist) and certain missing proteins (think gluten). Just keep in mind that I’m baking at ridiculously high altitude here, so if mine doubled in size- odds are yours will be even better!
You just must ensure your rolls do almost double in size while proofing. And this dough requires a little extra warmth. For instance, I place my tray on top of my oven as I heat it up (so my tray gets slightly warm and they rise beautifully).
But you must ensure you don’t overheat them or you’ll kill the yeast. Think a warm and humid day at the beach, that’s the ideal temperature.
Before ‘n after rise
The Tips ‘N Tricks 🔍
The yeast in this low carb and keto bread ensures a wonderful texture and taste. Now, how much your bread will rise (and fall!) post-bake depends quite a bit on your altitude. But note that you still won’t get that gummy and wet texture here of most low carb breads. Plus, as mentioned, I’m baking at over 7,000 feet (Mexico City here!!), so if we can make them work so can you.*
*Note, I’ve since made them in LA (i.e. at sea level!) and can indeed confirm that the rise is muuuuuch easier (and they brown much less too lol!).
Weigh your ingredients. This will forever be a staple recommendation for any sort of gluten free baking here at gnom-gnom. As aside from leading to less dirty dishes, it will ensure consistent results time and time again. Remember that gluten free (and particularly keto) baking is notoriously finicky, and measuring by cups is anything but accurate. And if you don’t own a baking scale, measure with cups by dropping the ingredients onto them rather than scooping them out (which often leads to overpacking).
Ingredients at room temperature. Self explanatory really, but incredibly important (particularly for the eggs). If you add cold eggs to the mix your bread simply won’t rise much (if at all).
Proof the yeast. This involves mixing dry active yeast with water that’s just warm to touch (between 105-110°F to be precise) and inulin or an actual sugar (think maple syrup) for 7 minutes until foamy. And before you scream sugar (!!) remember that the yeast will feed on such sugar to emit carbon dioxide, so it doesn’t affect the carb count. And yes, this is a scientific fact.
Avoid abrupt temperature changes and air drafts. Like with any yeast bread, you need to cuddle your dough. Make sure it’s able to rest undisturbed in a warm space.
Baking at high altitude? Yup, so am I (Paola here!!). No changes need to be done here!
The Ingredients & Possible Subs
These cinnamon rolls do have quite a few ingredients, but you’ll find that most are staple paleo and keto pantry ingredients. In the list below you’ll find details on several ingredients and possible subs. But if possible, please do try and make this recipe without any subs.
Also do note that a dairy free and paleo version is totally doable with these guys! And while my heart will forever be with butter, I’ve made this dough with ghee and coconut oil and they’re both delicious on their own right.
Almond flour. You truly need a super finely ground almond flour here, as if you use meal your rolls will turn out dense and oily. Super fine almond flour brands include Anthony’s , WellBees and Bob’s.
Now if paleo, or in keto maintenance, you can lighten up the bread even more by substituting part of the almond flour (6 tablespoons) with arrowroot flour.
Golden flaxseed meal. You’ll want to use golden flaxseed meal (I use Bob’s), and regrind the flakes in your (very dry!) bullet or blender until finely powdered. Great way to avoid slimy bread. You can substitute the flaxseed meal with psyllium husk powder (NOW brand as it doesn’t turn bread purple), but do note you’ll get more whole wheat results (delicious though!).
Whey protein isolate. This one is an absolute must, as it will ensure your bread doesn’t collapse post-bake. Keep in mind that this ingredient varies tremendously from brand to brand, and I’ve only tried (and are super happy!) with Isopure’s Zero Carb Unflavored. Update: I’ve since tried this grass-fed whey protein isolate and it also works the charm (a bit pricier, but undoubtedly higher quality)!
Xanthan gum. Borrowed from molecular cooking, xanthan gum is the binding agent which makes your toothpaste jelly-like (and your cream cheese, well cream cheese-like). And it’s also the most common gluten-replacer in gluten free baking. And while we do prefer the results with it, you can sub it with psyllium husk.
Now, the powdered ginger helps to condition the dough to get an even nicer rise. Though note that you can skip it without too much detriment to the final results.
The Sweetener
These sticky buns work best with allulose (my favorite keto ‘rare sugar’) and erythritol (think Lakanto).
(Important note!) I recently made the connection (while at the dentist!) that xylitol inhibits yeast and bacteria growth (which is why it’s the sweetener of choice for dental products). So don’t use xylitol!!
Oh, and ‘brown sugar’ subs (such as Lakanto’s golden) work great here too. Or you can make your own by adding a hint of blackstrap molasses!
And… the video story!
Paleo & Keto Cinnamon Rolls (with yeast!)
Oh, and if baking with cups rather than grams is your thing, just click on US Cups for an instant conversion. Though for best results we (highly!!) suggest you weight your ingredients here.
Ingredients
For the gluten free & keto cinnamon rolls
- 58 g sour cream or coconut cream + 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons water lukewarm between 105-110°F
- 1 tablespoon inulin or maple sirup (to feed the yeast!)*
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- pinch ground ginger
- 216 g almond flour **
- 45 g golden flaxseed meal or 5 TBSP psyllium husk, finely ground***
- 35 g whey protein isolate
- 4-6 tablespoons allulose or erythritol, to taste
- 2 1/4 teaspoons xanthan gum or 1 TBSP psyllium husk powder
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- 21 g unsalted grass-fed butter or ghee/coconut oil, melted and cooled
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
For the cinnamon filling
- 42 g unsalted grass-fed butter softened
- 4-6 tablespoons allulose or erythritol, to taste
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
For the glaze (not paleo)
- 90 g cream cheese at room temperature
- 42 g unsalted grass-fed butter
- 3-6 tablespoons allulose or erythritol, powdered
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch kosher salt
- heavy cream or almond milk, as needed
Instructions
For the paleo & keto cinnamon rolls
- See recipe video for guidance (VIP!), and check out the post for deets, tips and possible subs!
- Line with parchment paper the bottom of a 9x9 pan. Set aside. Prepare a work station for rolling your cinnamon rolls, by placing a 9x9-inch place of cling film (saran wrap) on the counter. Leave handy a small bowl with water (to wet your fingers) and a touch of oil to spread the dough (avocado works great here).
- Mix sour cream, water and maple syrup (to feed the yeast, see notes) in a small bowl. Heat up over a water bath to 105-110°F. And if you don't have a thermometer it should only feel lightly warm to touch.
- Add yeast and a dash of ginger to a large bowl. Pour lightly warm sour cream mixture over yeast, cover bowl with a kitchen towel and allow to rest for 7 minutes. The mixture should be bubbly, if it isn't start again (too cold water won't activate the yeast and too hot will kill it).
- Mix your flours while the yeast is proofing. Add almond flour, golden flaxseed meal, whey protein powder, sweetener, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt to a medium bowl and whisk until thoroughly mixed. Set aside.
- Once your yeast is proofed, add in the eggs, lightly cooled melted butter (you don't want to scramble the eggs or kill the yeast!) and vinegar. Mix with an electric mixer for a a minute or so until fully mixed. Add the flour mixture in one go, mixing quickly until thoroughly incorporated. The dough will become very sticky, so you want to work quickly to get it mixed properly. Use a wet spatula to gather the dough into a ball.
- Divide the dough in 3 so you work in batches, important if you've never worked with this dough (you can roll it all in one go after you get some practice!). Lightly oil the piece of cling film and place dough on top, spreading it with your wet fingertips onto a roughly 7.5x9-inch rectangle. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar to taste, leaving a 1 inch at the top untouched. Using the cling film as an aid, roll the dough as tightly as you can and sealing the edge with your wet fingertips. Carefully wet the blade of a sharp knife and cut into three if you divided the dough in thirds. Turn the rolls and lightly press them down with your palm.
- Transfer cinnamon rolls to prepared pan. Cover with a kitchen towel and place in a warm draft-free space for 50-60 minutes until the dough has almost doubled in size. How long it takes depends on your altitude, temperature and humidity- so keep an eye out for it every 15 minutes or so.
- Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C while the dough is proofing.
- Make the glaze while the rolls are proofing by creaming together with your mixer the cream cheese, butter and powdered sweetener until light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla extract, salt, and adjust texture to taste with a teaspoon of milk at a time. Set aside.
- Place the pan over a baking tray and transfer gently into the oven. Bake for 17-25 minutes until deep golden, covering with a lose foil dome at minute 8 (they brown very quickly!). Just be sure that the foil isn't resting directly on them. You can do less baking time for gooey-er rolls and longer for more bready ones.
- Spread glaze on top right out of the oven (though skip the glaze for the ones you're not planning on eating on the same day!). Also keep in mind that some slight deflating is normal, don't sweat it!
- Keep stored in an airtight container (or tightly wrapped in cling film) at room temperature for 2-3 days, warming them up before serving.
Leaving 4 because I think it was my mistake but my bread did rise a little, but are still mostly dense.
Do you think whey protien with xantham was my problem and not whey isolate or I accidently skipped the vinegar part, any feedback would be helpful I want to try it again.
Is there a different flour that can be substituted for the Almond for a person allergic to Almond?
Hi Paola. Love these rolls. Just wondering – have you tried making marzipan stollen? Wondering if this recipe could be adapted…??? Any tips / things to avoid would be most gratefully received!
Thanks so much.
I made it last evening… it has I little bit different structure than I expected, but still tasty!
It was my first time with gluten free yest dough and it was so sticky, that I had to confirm on video that you have simillar texture… =)
Tip: if you own the bamboo mat to make sushi – use it for rolling (place under saran wrap). Works like a charm =)
I am in the U.S. and wondering where I would find cellulose an lakanto? I have never heard of nor seen these sweetners offered in stores in my area (Dallas/Ft.Worth TX.).
Thanks!
Sharon
Amazon has Lankanto. Also available at Whole Foods and Sprouts Markets. Check out local health food stores.
Walmart in rural KY and WV have Swerve, Lakanto, allulose, etc. so stores in Dallas must have it.
Omg these are A-MAY-ZING! Even my kids who generally stay away from my keto desserts liked them. I did sub 6 tablespoons of cassava flour for the arrow root sub and it turned out great! I used regular ground flax as I didn’t have a golden and it worked fine. Thanks so much – this was the keto Cinnabon sub I’ve been dreaming about!
Made this and super loving it! At first the ingredients seem intimidating but I have all except flaxseed (so I sub with psyllium husk) and I had plenty of time to kill. The dough is just right for the weather here in Singapore. I was able to roll it out nicely between parchment papers. Thanks heaps for the many tips! ♥️
Do you think using whey protein instead of whey protein isolate will make a very big difference in fluffiness? That is what I have.
can i skip the whey protein isolate
Please see the possible subs Anna, just expect less fluffy texture (there’s always a tradeoff when subbing ingredients) xo!
This is a fabulous recipe! I made these for easter weekend and substituted the whey protein for pea protein and they turned out great (and didn’t last long). Can’t wait to make these again
Hi. My mix was way too wet to handle. The yeast mix bubbled well do that’s not it.
What might I have done wrong?
I’m going to make these today! But, how do you store them and how long do they last?
Well, I had to use the psyllium husk option as I didn’t have flax meal on hand.
I crossed my fingers and said a little prayer but you were absolutely spot on that the finished product would be “whole wheat-ish”. It was more like cinnamon toast on whole wheat bread than the gooey and decadent cinnamon rolls that we were craving. Oh well, live and learn! Also, I left them in the oven for the whole 27 minute baking time and that was a mistake. I should have pulled them out of the oven at about 20 minutes.
On the upside, the dough rolled out like a dream and proofed nicely; I got a nice rise. The cream cheese frosting was really good. I added a few drops of orange extract and a little lemon zest for a little citrus kick. I have plenty of that left over for a second go at this recipe with the flax 😁
Do you recommend mixing half allulose and half Lakanto? Or would all allulose be better? How do you suggest adjusting baking time or temperature depending on amount of allulose?
Paola! Hola soy mexicana vivo en Italia, a nivel del mar, segundo intento, fallido, me queda una masa aguada, imposible de dar forma, pasos fieles, sugerencia?
Mil gracias por responder, tienes recetas increíbles
You are a genius. These absolutely fill the bill for my favorite baked keto treat. The topping is absolutely fantastic too. Thank you so much. I also purchased both books and direct people to your site all the time. Thank you so much! The details you give in all your recipes have really helped me in my keto cooking ventures.
Made this and was amazed with the soft and yeast taste and smell. I realized I forgot to put the vinegar when it was in the oven, yet it turned out to be good 🙂 thanks for sharing the recipe! The frosting was the best part! 😋
Wonderful to hear Jelaine!! Thanks for reporting back 🙂
Can it be made the night before and put in the fridge or my cold ,in winter, garage then brought to room temp and baked in the morning?
Can I use rapid rise yeast in place of active dry yeast and modifications would there be?
Oh my, oh my!!! I am not sure how you did it, but you deserve a crown. These were amazing. I have been craving Cinnabon rolls for ever and thought I would try a low carb version before I crack and dive into the chain display case. My expectations were very low, despite the reviews. I just didn’t think a low carb cinnamon roll could even compare to the carb loaded cousin. Man was I wrong. The flavor of these little heavenly morsels are spot on, if not better. They were a tad bit gummy, but I messed up a few steps, however they still turned out delicious. This will be my go to cinnamon roll recipe. Thank you so much for sharing, I will definitely be checking out your other recipes.
These are AWESOME!!! Made for Christmas morning and my husband and Ioved them. I realized *as* I was making the recipe that we were out of cream cheese, so I ended up doing a simple confectioner’s glaze with powdered Lakanto, vanilla extract, and almond milk. It was perfect! Will definitely be making these again. Genius!
I’ve made these twice. I’m not much of a baker, so proofing the yeast was a challenge for me but these came out so great that it was totally worth the learning curve! The second time, they came out even better than the first time. I’m soooo glad I have these, especially at Xmas time, with my kids and husband eating treats! This way, I don’t get jealous and I don’t feel deprived. THANK YOU, THANK YOU for sharing this recipe!!!
Is there a video on this? I clicked on the “RECIPE VIDEO” but there is no link to any video. Thanks.
I also see no link for a video!
Turn off your ad blocker guys, it also blocks the video plugin!
I was wondering if I could make and freeze these rolls before they are baked?
For Instance, like make several batches a couple weeks before Christmas, and taking them out of the freezer the night before to proof before baking Christmas morning.
Love your recipes! Can these be made like a keto bread, using some vital wheat gluten with the yeast? And if so, how much gluten would sub in for the flours?
Thanks!
I would like to know the answer to this question too.
Loved these! What a treat for the while family, keto or not. Well worth the effort xx
Brilliant. My keto sceptic family loved the texture and taste. Definitely a bit of work but soo worth it (might pre mix some of the flours in future to make it easier). Nb I think that sieving tge flours helps…
Absolutely FABULOUS ! Thank you sooo much for such a realistic ‘bread / roll’ recipe. I subbed the 6 Tbs arrow root flour and used the higher amounts of allulose. My husband and I shared the ‘extra’ one (so we’d have an even number left 😂) and found it delicious even cold and unfrosted!
Hi I was wondering if I could use Lupin four instead almond Flour?
There were sooo many complaints about the wet dough, I hesitate to try them. Isn’t it possible for you to reply tp comments?
Paola
Have you tried this by any chance with oat fiber instead of flaxseed. Mine did rise but not much in a warmed oven. I was wondered if you would know what the exchange wt for wt on the fox vs oat fiber. Love your ice cream. I make the vanilla and add maple extract to it for my hubby he loves it!