Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls with Greek Yogurt ‘Icing’

Yum

According to the internet, weekend brunches have been getting more and more creative with all of this time on our hands. Although I don’t bake for myself often, I decided I was going to hop on this cinnamon bun trend that has been taking over my Instagram feed during quarantine.

FYI this recipe is really simple and easy to make, and most of the ingredients you’ll use multiple times in the rolls, filling and topping, so don’t worry about the ingredient list. Most of these things you likely already have in your house if you ever bake.

Also, if you don’t have a rolling pin or exactly a 9×9 inch baking pan, see the “Pro-tips: Rolling and Cutting Your Rolls” section for common household alternatives.

Why you should make these

I don’t know about you, but I’ve definitely been indulging more than I usually would with all this time at home, so I made these as a “healthier” alternative to traditional cinnamon rolls.

This recipe uses half whole wheat flour (or you can use all whole wheat if you want), greek yogurt instead of eggs, and maple syrup instead of sugar in the rolls, which is lower on the glycemic index than regular sugar, according to Google. The only sugar used is in the filling.

The “icing” is just greek yogurt mixed with a little maple syrup and vanilla! At this point, they’re basically a health food (I realize I’m reaching, but please just indulge me). And best of all, there’s no yeast involved AND no extensive resting time needed to roll the dough.

Pro Tips:

Working with Whole Wheat Flour

Whole wheat flour can be a bit drier than white flour, apparently that’s because it contains both the germ of wheat and bran. I like it because the government tells us fiber is an essential nutrient, and whole wheat flour has more of it than white. Also, I just like the texture and nuttier flavor. One thing to note is it can be naturally drier than white flour. Resting the dough for a few minutes after kneading allows helps the flour fully absorb the liquids, and made a softer, more moisturized dough.

If you want to use all whole wheat flour instead of half, I’d recommend increasing the amount of yogurt used in the recipe. I haven’t tested this recipe using all whole wheat flour, so it may be wise to begin with ¼ cup more yogurt, gently knead the dough (but don’t get crazy!), and add more by the tablespoon after that if needed—especially if you are baking at a high altitude.

Yogurt

Depending on the brand of yogurt that you use, you may need a little more based on how liquidy (that’s a word, right?) it is. For reference on moisture level, I thought of the texture of the cinnamon rolls from a can (from the refrigerator section) that I used to make as a kid. I tested this recipe with both non-fat Chobani greek yogurt and 0% Fage greek yogurt, and found the Fage to be slightly drier (though I still didn’t feel the need to add more yogurt than the recipe called for).

Both times, they came out roughly the same as far as size and texture, though unsurprisingly, the batch with the Chobani had more moisture. If you are noticing that your dough is too dry, feel free to add more yogurt by the tablespoon, but ¾ cup should be a good starting point no matter what brand you use. If you are baking at a high altitude, you may want to start with more.

Oils

I did this once with canola oil and once with a mix of sunflower and olive oil. According to my findings, it really doesn’t matter what oil you use, as long as it’s relatively flavorless.

Rolling and Cutting Your Rolls

Flouring your surface: Another benefit to working with whole wheat dough I’ve found is that it’s much easier to work with when rolling out. It didn’t really stick to my table or my rolling pin. I was careful not to flour my surface too much to keep from drying out the dough.

Rolling the dough: Living in an NYC apartment, I know that kitchen storage (or, really any storage) is limited, so totally get it if you don’t have a rolling pin. Good news! You can still make these!! Use any wine bottle (full or empty) to roll out the dough, just make sure you wash it off first!

Cutting the dough: To make relatively even rolls, I started in the middle of the slab and made marks every inch/inch and a half. Also using a pizza cutter instead of a knife was a game-changer.

Baking pans: It’s best to use a 9×9 inch baking pan for this recipe, if you have one (can be square or round), but if your pans are too big, just place the cinnamon rolls so that they are lightly touching (or very close to) in the center of the pan. If your pans are too small, make in smaller batches. Because these may bake faster, check in on them after 10 minutes and every 5 minutes after that.

What baking materials do I need to make these cinnamon rolls?

Luckily, not many!

Mixing bowl

large stirring utensil 

9×9 inch baking pan

Rolling pin (or wine bottle will do)

Knife or pizza cutter

Things I Haven’t Tried but Would Be Interested to See

I would appreciate to hear any insights into the following substitutions:

Using all whole wheat flour: How do you feel about the texture? Fluffiness?

Substituting butter for coconut oil: I’m not sure how much of a difference this would make nutritionally, but I feel like a lot of healthy recipes use it.

Substitutions for the sugar in the filling: I feel like this move would really be removing all the joy from the recipe, but I understand some people have dietary restrictions, so for their sake…