Growing up we always had a butter braid for special occasions. The taste and smell of butter braids always brings me back to happy and loving holidays with family. I thought I would bring back a variation this year for my family to enjoy. I decided I wanted to health-ify cinnamon rolls since almost everyone in my family tries to eat pretty clean now. While these cinnamon rolls are “healthier” they are still a special treat, and not something I would suggest having too often.

To make them a bit healthier, I used whole wheat flour, as well as vanilla protein powder to form the dough. The protein powder not only adds in a bit of protein to these tasty rolls, but also helps to bring down the glycemic index.

Again, because these are a special treat for me, I splurged and used some grass-fed butter in the dough. However, you can always use coconut oil too. It will still be just as tasty and would make these completely vegan! For the filling, I swapped out brown sugar for coconut sugar, one of my favorite healthy substitutions. This also helps to keep the glycemic index a bit lower, which helps to prevent spikes in blood sugar levels. I also used almond milk and cashew milk in the dough, as well as for the icing, which is great if you’re vegan or dairy intolerant.

Healthy Cinnamon Rolls
Makes 12
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

For the Dough
3 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup vanilla protein powder (or more flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup Almond Breeze Almondmilk Cashewmilk Blend
2 tablespoons melted butter

For the Filling
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/4 cup coconut sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

For the Icing
1/3 cup organic powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons Almond Breeze Almondmilk Cashewmilk Blend

Instructions

Lightly grease a pie dish with coconut oil.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, sift together the whole wheat flour, protein powder, baking powder and salt.
Add in almond milk and melted butter and mix until a smooth, thick batter is formed.
Lightly flour a clean counter top, and with a rolling pin roll the dough into a long rectangle, about 18 inches by 12 inches.
In a small bowl, combine the coconut sugar and cinnamon until combined.
Using a basting brush, brush 1 tablespoon of melted butter over the dough.
Sprinkle the coconut sugar and cinnamon mixture evenly over the dough.
Roll the dough lengthwise, creating a long roll, and carefully cut the roll into 12 equal rolls, about 1 1/2 inches.
Arrange the rolls in the greased pie dish.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from oven and set aside to cool for 10-15 minutes.
While the cinnamon rolls are cooling, prepare your icing.
In a medium bowl, stir together the powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of almond milk, until you have a smooth icing.
If the icing seems too dry, add another tablespoon of milk until it reaches the desired consistency.
Drizzle the icing over the cinnamon rolls and enjoy!

Read More: Mocha Chocolate Protein Muffins
Read More: Delicious Healthy Apple Cider Donuts

*For more from Deanna visit The Live Fit Girls.