Low calorie cinnamon rolls (super fluffy and easy)

These low calorie cinnamon rolls are probably the best low calorie dessert you will ever have! They are super soft, fluffy and moist bursting with sweet cinnamon flavor and topped with velvety smooth cream cheese frosting.

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My no yeast 150 calorie cinnamon roll is one of the most popular recipes of all time on this blog, and for good reason. It is super easy to make, tastes just like a regular cinnamon roll and comes together in under 30 minutes. As much as I love that recipe, I wanted to make a more authentic cinnamon roll with the classic ultra fluffy rolls from the yeast. And don’t think just because this recipe contains yeast and requires some kneading that it is difficult because it is far from. It doest require hours of rise time and can be kneaded by hand in under 10 minutes!

This is also a small batch recipe because realistically, if you’re on a weight loss journey you’re most likely making food for just yourself. And if you’re anything like me, a batch of 12 cinnamon rolls will not be making it to the end of the week! This recipe makes 8 delicious cinnamon rolls that can be stored as a ready to go sweet treat for any dessert emergency! Plus, these rolls can be frozen so you can have a snack to fall back on at anytime when a craving hits!

Ingredients for low calorie cinnamon rolls

Exact ingredient quantities can be found at the bottom of this page.

To make these low calorie 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, I found that real sugar gives the best texture to these low calorie 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!

All-purpose or plain flour – This recipe calls for all-purpose flour (plain flour in the UK).

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 0 calorie granulated sweetener like stevia but it may not give the same melty texture the brown sugar alternative would.

Ground cinnamon – You’ll need cinnamon to make the filling!

Unsweetened applesauce – Unsweetened applesauce is a perfect low calorie alternative to butter. It is slightly runny like melted butter resulting in soft delicate rolls oozing with cinnamon sugar goodness! I have also made this recipe with low fat butter and it came out great but the calories are slightly higher.

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 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 cinnamon rolls

These cinnamon rolls require a little more time and patience than most of my other low calorie recipes but the end result is so worth the wait!

1. 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 large 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.
2. 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.
3. Whilst the dough is rising, make your filling by combining the 0 calorie brown sugar, cinnamon and applesauce and mix well. Set aside.
4. Once the dough has risen, flour your surface and roll the dough out into a 9×6 inch rectangle.
5. Spread the filling onto the rectangle making sure to cover the entire rectangle. Use a pizza slicer or a sharp knife to cut the rectangle dough into 8 separate, smaller rectangles.
6. Roll each line of dough into a tight roll. Place the cinnamon rolls into a 9×11 inch pan lined with parchment paper. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for another 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
7. Mix together the single cream and whole milk. Set aside.
8. 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.
9. Make the frosting as the rolls cool by whisking together the cream cheese, 0 calorie powdered sweetener and vanilla until smooth.
10. 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 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!

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.

Applesauce – You can use low fat butter or margarine in place of applesauce to make the filling but the calories will be different depending on what you use.

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.

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