Einkorn Cinnamon Rolls – Refined Sugar Free

Einkorn cinnamon rolls made without sugar? Ew they probably taste like a brick! Nope!!! I have been working for months on these delicious, easy to make, from scratch, warm, soft, fluffy einkorn cinnamon rolls that are refined sugar-free and artificial sugar-free! These yummy einkorn cinnamon rolls and cream cheese frosting are sweetened with natural alternatives, like honey, dates, and maple syrup. They taste like they came from a fancy einkorn bakery…does that even exist? Someone should open one up! Well, for now you can make them in your own kitchen and enjoy at your table with friends, if you want to share… So get ready to dig in!

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Besides einkorn chocolate chip cookies, my husband’s favorite dessert is a warm fluffy cinnamon roll. After getting diagnosed with Hashimotos, I have been cleaning out the kitchen and only consuming the ancient einkorn grains and have eliminated cane sugar from my diet! I have made so many delicious desserts substituting honey and maple syrup in my old favorite recipes. However, making cinnamon rolls with einkorn is already hard because einkorn can be a little more dense than modern wheat. So now taking away refined sugar – guys it’s been months of trial and then more trial.

Now I am proud to announce, my husband is not only happy with these einkorn cinnamon rolls, but thinks they are amazing!

Here’s why you’ll love these easy einkorn cinnamon rolls

• All the flavors of modern homemade cinnamon rolls, but with ancient einkorn grains and no cane sugar! Which means that it will be better for your blood sugar and overall health if you decide to indulge in a treat from time to time!
• Despite einkorn’s dense nature, these are stretchy and fluffy
• Gooey, creamy, maple frosting
• Easy for einkorn beginners
• Great make-ahead dessert for holidays or celebrations!

Why should you use einkorn flour?

Einkorn is such a wonderful ancient grain. It is nutrient dense and very filling because it contains more protein. I love the flavor of it and how it doesn’t upset my family’s tummies. The benefits of using einkorn goes into greater detail about why einkorn is so healthy and how it is superior to other grains.

When working with einkorn, it is best to weigh the einkorn flour. This is why all my einkorn recipes show measurements in grams.

This also eliminates more dirty dishes by pouring the ingredients directly into the bowl, instead of using measuring cups and spoons. However, in some of my recipes the ingredients are too small to weigh, so measuring spoons are necessary.

Here are some of my go-to recipes for meals that are quick and easy to make: einkorn biscuits, einkorn flatbread, einkorn pancakes, and einkorn chocolate chip cookies.

Why is my einkorn cinnamon roll dough so sticky?

Einkorn is a very nutrient dense flour. It is unique in its gluten properties and structure, allowing gluten sensitive individuals to partake without indigestion troubles. Due to the gluten structure being different, it is generally much more sticky when mixed with liquids and making doughs than modern wheat. Mixing liquids with the einkorn flour cause it to be more sticky, this is because the liquids are absorbed at a slower rate, when compared to modern wheat.

How do you keep einkorn from sticking to your hands?

My favorite work around this issue is to add a fat to your hands before forming the dough or working with it. This works so well because einkorn flour is slow to absorb fat, making it the perfect barrier to keep it from sticking to your hands like crazy! My favorite options are butter, lard, olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, and tallow.

For this einkorn cinnamon roll recipe, I use butter as my barrier. It works beautifully and complements the dish!

Does einkorn flour bake differently?

Yes. Anyone switching to einkorn flour will notice the difference in a few areas: liquid ratios and fat absorption in the dough. Without the right ratios it can result in sticker dough and more dense cakes and breads. The remedy is to adjust and find the right balance in your liquid, fat, and flour ratios – or find a blogger that has einkorn recipes already working with the right amounts of those ratios!

Why are my einkorn cinnamon rolls so dense?

The best solution to having less dense einkorn cinnamon rolls is – YOGURT. I figured this out when making my very popular einkorn flatbread. It made the dough far more manageable to work with and the outcome was fluffier!

I had been experimenting for months on these einkorn cinnamon rolls with no refined sugar. I tried adding gelatin, eggs, egg whites, more baking powder, and the list of experimenting goes on.

Then it hit me – my einkorn flatbread is amazing and I use yogurt instead of water to make that. So why not try it in my einkorn cinnamon rolls?! Einkorn flour and yogurt has been the perfect marriage in my home, and the fluffy cinnamon rolls are beautiful, especially if you know the struggle of using einkorn!

Yogurt is the key to creating stretchy, fluffy, pull apart einkorn cinnamon rolls.

Another likely culprit to dense einkorn cinnamon rolls is einkorn! When you add too much einkorn flour to the dough to try to control the sticky dough, it will dry up your cinnamon roll dough quickly, resulting in a dense bread.

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Einkorn flour homemade cinnamon roll ingredients

Instead of using brown sugar, powdered sugar, and cane sugar – I used real food to bring you the healthiest version all while not cheating the texture and flavor of these delicious einkorn cinnamon rolls!

Cinnamon roll dough ingredients

• Warm water: You want to be able to touch it comfortably. If it is too hot you could risk killing the yeast, but having it warm will make them mobilize quicker.
• Yeast: I like to buy the bag of yeast, but it comes in small single use envelopes as well. Most einkorn cinnamon rolls recipes call for einkorn sourdough starter, however, this recipe uses yeast for quicker rolls!
• Honey: I like to buy raw, local, honey, but if you don’t have access to that you can usually find raw honey at the grocery store or Costco for a good price.
• Flour: For this recipe, I use all purpose einkorn flour. I have not tested it with whole wheat einkorn flour, however, when I do, I will reduce the flour by weight by 24g/cup.
• Cinnamon: I always opt for organic herbs and spices. Natural Grocers and Costco have affordable organic options.
• Baking Powder: Be sure to use a non-aluminum brand or no added aluminum like this one.
• Yogurt: This is a CRUCIAL ingredient if you want the dough to be “stretchy” as my husband calls it. Using water or milk will result in denser dough. This also make the dough so much easier to handle! Believe me when I say – this is a must and can not be substituted.
• Vanilla: You can use vanilla extract or this luxurious vanilla powder.

Filling ingredients

• Dates: Medjool dates are sweeter than other dates. However, any variety of dates you use will work in this recipe.
• Honey
• Cinnamon
• Butter: I used softened butter.

Frosting ingredients

• Cream cheese: This will need to be softened and room temperature.
• Butter: This too should be softened butter and room temperature.
• Maple syrup: The real stuff!
• Vanilla extract: or vanilla powder like mentioned above
• Salt: Redmond’s Real salt – the only salt I use!

How to make homemade einkorn cinnamon rolls

1. Set out your butter and cream cheese on the countertop so that they will be room temperature when your einkorn cinnamon rolls finish baking.
2. In a small bowl combine the warm water, yeast, and honey. Let this sit for at least 5 minutes.
3. In a standing mixer (or large bowl with a hand mixer) combine the all purpose einkorn flour, cinnamon, and baking powder.
4. Add the yeast mixture, yogurt, vanilla, and additional honey to the dry ingredients and mix until the dough is combined. You may need to stop and knead to finish combining the dough.
5. Roll it into a loose ball and then cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
6. Set the bowl in a warm, dark place for 45 minutes, depending on how cold your place is- I like to set it outside with a towel over top or near a heater in the winter. You are looking for it to at least double, or get close to doubling in size.

Part 2

1. For the filling you will combine the dates, honey, cinnamon, and butter in a blender or food processer. You want the consistency to be smooth and liquid-like when it is done blending together – no chunks of dates please!
2. When the dough has expanded, roll it out on to a buttered surface (butter your hands too). You will want to use a rolling pin to evenly spread it out to about 16×11 inches.
3. Once evenly rolled out, sprinkle cinnamon over the dough.
4. Then evenly spread out the filling over the dough.
5. Then sprinkle more cinnamon over the filling. At this point you can sprinkle raisins – if you are my husband you will protest greatly at the thought – so I do this to one half because I love them in cinnamon rolls!
6. Next you will start on the long side of the rectangle and begin to roll the dough very carefully to the top of the rectangle. I like to lift the dough slightly as I roll it up so that all the filling doesn’t get pushed to the end but instead stays between it.
7. Once you get about 6 inches from the top, lift the opposite side up and over the dough and pinch the dough into itself to seal the ends.
8. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the einkorn cinnamon rolls into 1.5 inch thickness discs.
9. Place them into your buttered 9×13 dish or large cast iron pan.
10. Cover and set them aside for 30-45 minutes in a warm dark place.

Part 3

1. Preheat the oven to 350 ℉.
2. After the hour is over and the einkorn cinnamon rolls have grown, pour heavy cream around the edges and between the cinnamon rolls.
3. Bake for 25 minutes or until the tops are slightly golden brown.
4. While they bake, prepare the frosting by whipping together the cream cheese, butter, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt.
5. Once the einkorn cinnamon rolls are finished baking, allow them to cool for about 10 minutes then slather that frosting over top and serve!

Troubleshooting: My home is too cold for the einkorn cinnamon roll dough to rise

My home is too cold for the dough to rise… Not to worry, this happens in our home too. If the weather is warm outside, set them covered in plastic wrap and with a dark towel so that they are protected from the light (sunlight can kill the yeast growing).

If it’s cold outside too, then try this trick I use! Preheat your oven to it’s lowest setting (mine is 175 ℉, if 150 ℉ that would be better). Once it’s to temp, turn it off and place your rolls in and close the door for 45 minutes or one hour. When you come to check it you should have a doubled dough!

I do the same for the second rise when all the environments around me are not ideal!

Troubleshooting: When I am rolling up the einkorn cinnamon roll dough it’s breaking apart.

During the first rise of the dough, once it has doubled in size you want to roll it out relatively soon. This is because if the dough over proofs, it will not be as elastic and when you begin to roll the dough up the rectangle shape, it can break apart. If you have allowed the dough to over proof and not used it quick enough (this has happened to me), then, the dough will be less firm and more flimsy and likely to break as you are rolling it. Just go slow and next time check the dough every 30 minutes after the first hour to see if it has doubled and is ready to roll out on your buttered surface.

Success tips for making these amazing einkorn cinnamon rolls

• Don’t add too much flour. Einkorn is a dense flour so only use what my recipe calls for and resist the urge to flour your surfaces. Instead, butter a silicone mat or cutting board, and your hands.
• Don’t kill the yeast. Using warm water is recommended because it will help the yeast mobilize quicker. However, be careful not to use hot water! This will kill the yeast and you will not have fluffy rolls… The water should be warm to the touch, if you have a thermometer it should be around 100°F.
• Use a very sharp or serrated knife to cut the rolls.

Saving for later

Ok, if they last longer than the day you make them here is what you can do:

• 4 days: if you are leaving them out on the countertop for the next day without the frosting, you can cover with plastic wrap and do so. If they have the frosting on, place them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• 1 month: store the finished product in a freezer friendly container in your freezer and move them to the refrigerator to thaw overnight when you are ready to reheat and eat them.

…Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

Isaiah 55:2

Share if you make this einkorn cinnamon roll recipe with or without the raisins!