I personally love Apples! If apple is included, I just can’t resist. I’d say their definitely my favorite fruit. But I also happen to love cinnamon rolls. I will never forget going to Panera before school with my mom, having just enough time to scarf down a cinnamon roll and make it to school on time. I would leave both incredibly full and happy.
It wasn’t until I worked in a bakery that made delicious fresh baked cinnamon rolls, apple-cardamom rolls, orange rolls, and more daily that I started to wonder if I could somehow make a somewhat healthier version. So… I tried. I won’t say these apple rolls are quite as good as the ones from Panera back in 2015, or the ones baked each morning at Highline Bake Shop, but I do really love them. For someone who really just loves the idea, and thinks they are fun to make, this recipe is absolutely perfect!
What You Will Need:
This recipe is fairly simple when it comes to cinnamon rolls. It requires little time as it needs no time to rest or rise. The key to this is the use of baking powder within the dough!
It has 3 main elements…
Dough:
All-purpose flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, salt, and greek yogurt.
Apples:
One apple, a tiny bit of butter, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg (optional)
Filling:
Unsweetened applesauce, cinnamon, and coconut sugar
Tips On How to Make Them:
Where to Start: I recommend starting with the apples. This way, they can continue to cook on a lower temperature as you work on preparing the dough!
Dough: I always make the dough then place it in the freezer for a few minutes before rolling it out. I’m not exactly sure how long, most likely 5-10 minutes, just while I clean up some things and prepare my space for rolling.
Filling: The filling recipe does not make much, but I find it works for this recipe given that the apple filling also carries some moisture and flavor. However, If you would prefer a heavier layer of cinnamon filling then don’t hesitate to multiply my portions by 1.5 or 2!
Rolling out the dough: The dough may stick to whatever surface you roll it out onto. If you feel your dough after taking it out of the freezer and are concerned that sticking may be an issue, then use a little bit of flour to cover your workspace, dough, and rolling pin.
Shaping: I like to shape them into a variety of roll shapes! To make the ones with a slit on the top, I simply roll it like a cinnamon roll and place it on its side, then use a relatively sharp knife to cut the top dough layer in half. I just think the different shapes make it that much more fun!
How to know when they are done baking: Lastly, it may be challenging to decide if they are done baking. I recommend baking them for 16 minutes, then checking the bottoms of them to see if they are browned to determine their doneness. It’s not too hard to tell though, the outside dough will begin browning too to some degree.
“Healthier” Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Course: dessert9
servings30
minutes18
minutes170
kcal50
minutesIngredients
- Dough
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons coconut sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup vanilla greek yogurt
- Apples
1 large apple, thinly diced
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- Filling
2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
Instructions
- Begin with the apples: Turn on stovetop to medium/low heat and heat a small saucepot with butter inside to melt. Dice the apple (peel if desired, I don’t usually).
- Add apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg and stir often while making dough. Apples should be somewhat soft and “cinnamon-y”.
- While the apples cook, begin making the dough. Mix flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar together in a medium sized bowl. Then add the yogurt and knead for approximately 5 minutes (until slightly sticky/cohesive). Place the dough in the fridge while preparing the cinnamon filling.
- While the dough chills in the fridge, prepare the cinnamon filling. Mix applesauce, cinnamon, and sugar together in a small bowl.
- Take the apples off the heat, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and retrieve the dough from the fridge.
- Roll out the dough as thin as possible on a floured surface (I usually flour parchment paper, though depending on the consistency of the dough extra flour may not be needed).
- Spread the cinnamon filling mixture across the dough as evenly as possible, then cut the dough from long side to long side into strips of your desired thickness. I typically get around 9 smaller rolls.
- Add the apple filling overtop of the cut dough and cinnamon mixture, creating an even layer of apples.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then roll each cut dough strip as tight as possible. At this point, you can shape the rolls however you like; perhaps some normal cinnamon rolls, or some sideways with a slit on top (that’s how the apple and blueberry rolls were done at the bakery I worked at and I just think its so fun).
- Place in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 16-18 minutes, until the dough is slightly browned and seems to have puffed up a little!
