Low calorie pumpkin cinnamon rolls
These low calorie pumpkin cinnamon rolls are fall in dessert form. A soft, fluffy roll oozing with gooey pumpkin cinnamon sugar and topped with the dreamiest vanilla cream cheese frosting. They are so comforting, spiced to perfection and just 147 calories a roll – they might just be the best cinnamon roll you’ll ever have!
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This may be a bit of a controversial take but these low calorie pumpkin cinnamon rolls are the best cinnamon rolls I have ever had. Not the best low calorie cinnamon rolls, the best cinnamon rolls ever! They are so soft, fluffy and packed with sweet pumpkin flavor and spiced to perfection. That already sounds heavenly, I know – but then they’re finished off with a vanilla cream cheese frosting. Get ready to be baking these rolls all fall long!
Looking for more low calorie cinnamon rolls? Try these low calorie classic cinnamon rolls or these low calorie banana bread cinnamon rolls!
Whether you’re in the mood for a warm sweet treat or looking for the perfect way to kick off a cozy weekend, these low calorie pumpkin cinnamon rolls have you covered. They are so easy to make and come together surprisingly quickly. You can make these to share with your friends and family too because no one will be able to tell them apart from regular, full fat, high calorie cinnamon rolls – they’re seriously that good!
Ingredients in low calorie pumpkin cinnamon rolls
Exact ingredient quantities can be found at the bottom of this page.
To make these low calorie pumpkin cinnamon rolls you will need:
Whole milk – To make the dough super soft and moist, I went with whole milk instead of water. Since you only need a small amount to bloom the yeast, the calories are almost negligible when divided amongst the 8 cinnamon rolls. You can opt for any milk here, opt for dairy-free milk to make these rolls dairy-free.
Instant yeast – To make the rise time quicker, instant yeast is your best bet.
Granulated sugar – I know I usually recommend 0 calorie sweeteners for any sweet treat to keep calories low, but I found that real sugar gives the best texture to these low calorie pumpkin cinnamon rolls. I wouldn’t recommend using a granulated sweetener here to replace the sugar. Plus, you only need a small amount so it doesn’t add too many extra calories anyway!
Egg – These cinnamon rolls are an enriched dough which just means the dough uses ingredients alongside water, yeast and flour. This results in ultra soft and fluffy rolls! Ensure the egg is at room temperature.
All-purpose or plain flour – This recipe calls for plain/all-purpose flour.
Olive oil – Olive oil adds some healthy fats to make these rolls even softer. A little is added to the dough and a little in the bowl to help the dough rise.
0 calorie brown sugar or granulated sweetener – Now this is where you can reduce a lot of the calories. The filing in these cinnamon rolls requires soft 0 calorie brown sugar for the most delicious melt-in-your-mouth cinnamon rolls. You can also use any 0 calorie granulated sweetener like stevia but it may not give the same melty texture the brown sugar alternative would.
Pumpkin puree – To get the perfect, cozy pumpkin flavor use 100% pumpkin puree – NOT pumpkin pie filling! It’s so low in calories and contains nothing but delicious pumpkin.
Ground cinnamon – For the filling.
Pumpkin spice mix – Also for the filling to get that cozy, fall spice flavor. I made my own pumpkin spice mix but you can use store bought pumpkin spice too.
Single cream – To really elevate these cinnamon rolls, I poured a mixture of single cream and whole milk on the rolls before baking and omg – they came out so moist and fluffy! You can opt for dairy-free cream here or completely omit this part but I would highly recommend adding the cream & milk mixture before baking!
Low-fat cream cheese – To make the classic cream cheese frosting to top these pumpkin cinnamon rolls.
0 calorie powdered sweetener – To sweeten the cream cheese frosting.
Vanilla – I love adding vanilla to the frosting to really elevate this recipe. I used vanilla bean paste and a little goes a long way!
How to make low calorie pumpkin cinnamon rolls
- To make the dough, warm up the milk in the microwave for a few seconds until it has reached 43ºC (110ºF). Transfer the milk to a medium bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. Mix until the yeast has mostly dissolved. Add the egg and sugar and whisk to combine. Add the flour and half the oil and combine to form a dough. It may be a little sticky at first but should come together after kneading. Transfer your dough to a stand mixer or to a flat surface if kneading by hand. Knead until the dough passes the window pane test (you can stretch a piece of dough out between your fingers without it breaking), about 10 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover and allow to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes or until it has doubled in size.
- Whilst the dough is rising, make your filling by combining the 0 calorie brown sugar, pumpkin puree, cinnamon and pumpkin spice and mix well. Set aside.
- Once the dough has risen, flour your surface and roll the dough out into a 9×6 inch rectangle.
- Spread the filling onto the rectangle making sure to cover the entire rectangle. Roll your dough into a tight log, ensuring the filling is secure inside by pressing along the end to seal the dough.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 even rolls. Place the cinnamon rolls into a 9×11 inch baking dish. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for another 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Mix together the single cream and whole milk. Set aside.
- Once the rolls have had their second rise, pour the milk and cream mixture over the rolls. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180ºC (350ºF) for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Make the frosting as the rolls cool by whisking together the cream cheese, 0 calorie powdered sweetener and vanilla until smooth.
- Spread the frosting onto the slightly cooled rolls, serve warm and enjoy!
Storage
There are a few ways to go about storing these low calorie pumpkin cinnamon rolls. Firstly, it depends on how long you want to keep them. If it is just for a couple of days, you can store frosted rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also store the frosting separately in the refrigerator and store the unfrosted rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Just heat and frost the rolls you want to eat the day of.
If you want to keep them for longer, you can store both frosted and unfrosted cinnamon rolls in the freezer. To freeze these rolls, follow the recipe and then allow the cinnamon rolls to cool completely before wrapping in plastic wrap or placing in a ziplock bag. Store these frosted rolls in the freezer for up-to 3 weeks. You can reheat the frozen rolls in the microwave until they have defrosted and are warm again. You can also defrost them in the fridge overnight and just warm them up in the microwave!
Substitutions
There are certain ingredients like the egg that can not be substituted in this recipe. However, the ingredients that can be substituted are listed below.
Milk – This recipe uses whole milk as it is relatively low in calories but has a higher fat content so the rolls will be softer and fluffier. You can substitute for any milk here but the fat content will likely be lower and therefore your rolls may not be as soft as desired.
0 calorie brown sugar – You can use regular sugar here but the calories per roll will increase quite a bit. You can also use any 0 calorie sweetener but the texture may be different.
0 calorie powdered sweetener – You can make your own 0 calorie powdered sweetener by blitzing granulated sweetener in a food processor, blender or coffee grinder. You can also use regular powdered sugar but the calories will be higher.
more low calorie pumpkin desserts…
Low calorie pumpkin cinnamon rolls
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 60 ml (¼ cup) whole milk * warmed to 43ºC (110ºF)
- 1 ¼ tsp instant yeast
- 25 g (⅛ cup) granulated white sugar
- 1 egg
- 170 g (1 ½ cup) plain or all-purpose flour + 5g (1 tsp) for rolling out
- 5 g (1 tsp) olive oil half for the dough, half to the bowl
For the filling:
- 90 g (½ cup) 0 calorie brown sugar*
- 50 g pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp pumpkin spice mix
Before baking:
- 65 ml (¼ cup) single cream
- 65 ml (¼ cup) whole milk *
For the frosting:
- 60 g (¼ cup) low fat cream cheese
- 50 g 0 calorie powdered sweetener *
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- To make the dough, warm up the milk in the microwave for a few seconds until it has reached 43ºC (110ºF). Transfer the milk to a medium bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. Mix until the yeast has mostly dissolved. Add the egg and sugar and whisk to combine.
- Add the flour and half the oil (½ tsp) and combine to form a dough. It may be a little sticky at first but should come together after kneading. Transfer your dough to a stand mixer or to a flat surface if kneading by hand. Knead until the dough passes the window pane test (you can stretch a piece of dough out between your fingers without it breaking), about 10 minutes.
- To a medium bowl, add the remaining oil (½ tsp) and place the dough in the oiled bowl. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes or until it has doubled in size.
- Whilst the dough is rising, make your filling by combining the 0 calorie brown sugar, pumpkin puree, ground cinnamon and pumpkin spice and mix well. Set aside.
- Once the dough has risen, flour your surface and roll the dough out into a 9×6 inch rectangle. Spread the filling onto the rectangle making sure to cover the entire rectangle.
- Roll your dough into a tight log, ensuring the filling is secure inside by pressing along the end to seal the dough.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 even rolls. Place the cinnamon rolls into a 9×11 inch baking dish. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for another 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Mix together the single cream and whole milk. Set aside.
- Once the rolls have had their second rise, pour the milk and cream mixture over the rolls and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180ºC (350ºF) for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Make the frosting as the rolls cool by whisking together the cream cheese, 0 calorie powdered sweetener and vanilla until smooth.
- Spread the frosting onto the slightly cooled rolls, serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
Storage
There are a few ways to go about storing these low calorie pumpkin cinnamon rolls. Firstly, it depends on how long you want to keep them. If it is just for a couple of days, you can store frosted rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also store the frosting separately in the refrigerator and store the unfrosted rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Just heat and frost the rolls you want to eat the day of. If you want to keep them for longer, you can store both frosted and unfrosted cinnamon rolls in the freezer. To freeze these rolls, follow the recipe and then allow the cinnamon rolls to cool completely before wrapping in plastic wrap or placing in a ziplock bag. You can then store these frosted rolls in the freezer for up-to 3 weeks. You can reheat the frozen rolls in the microwave until they have defrosted and are warm again. You can also defrost them in the fridge overnight and just warm them up in the microwave!Substituions
* Milk – This recipe uses whole milk as it is relatively low in calories but has a higher fat content so the rolls will be softer and fluffier. You can substitute for any milk here but the fat content will likely be lower and therefore your rolls may not be as soft as desired. * 0 calorie brown sugar – You can use regular sugar here but the calories per roll will increase quite a bit. You can also use any 0 calorie sweetener but the texture may be different. * 0 calorie powdered sweetener – You can make your own 0 calorie powdered sweetener by blitzing granulated sweetener in a food processor, blender or coffee grinder. You can also use regular powdered sugar but the calories will be higher.Nutrition
