Buckwheat Cinnamon Rolls
Since Easter is fast-appraoching I thought you might like a recipe for healthy gluten-free cinnamon rolls. I grew up eating homemade cinnamon rolls nearly every Christmas and Easter morning. The yeasty smell of rising rolls filling every nook and cranny of the house is a memory hard-forgotten. This was probably one of my favorite foods growing up. Luckily I watched and learned how to make cinnamon rolls over the years from my mother.
This recipe uses freshly ground buckwheat flour, which has a mild, light buckwheat-y flavor. The two main wet ingredients used are applesauce and cooked sweet potatoes which provide moisture and sweetness. This recipe doesn't require any xanthan gum, nuts, or seeds. Nor does it require any dairy-free milks. I wanted to keep the glycemic index lower and keep the recipe whole foods-based. I have not figured out how to make it without any starch (I use some tapioca flour), but if anyone does, please let me know.
I created a frosting recipe which reminds me of the Cinnabon frosting. Remember those huge rolls laced with a ton of sugar and fat and who knows what else? I can't even begin to imagine eating one now but this frosting does bring me back, with no ill side effects!
My children love these rolls. In fact, when I make them, the whole batch usually disappears before they cool. I just love knowing that they are eating all of this buckwheat-y goodness! Did you know that buckwheat is a fruit seed and not actually a grain? Though we use it much like other grains. I grind raw buckwheat groats into a fine flour in minutes using my Vitamix. You can also use a coffee grinder and do it in batches. 3 cups of buckwheat groats equals 4 cups of flour. You'll need a little extra so be sure to grind enough.
Health Benefits of Buckwheat:
- It is naturally gluten-free.
- Buckwheat maintains blood glucose levels and has been shown to be beneficial for diabetics.
- Research has shown that buckwheat can help to lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
- Buckwheat is high in the flavonoid, rutin, which helps to prevent disease through its antioxidant effect.
- Buckwheat is a rich source for magnesium (so are beans and nuts). Magnesium acts as a cofactor for over 300 enzymes in the human body! All reactions that involve ATP (the energy currency of our cells) depend on magnesium. Got magnesium?
Buckwheat Cinnamon Rolls
Serve these gluten-free, yeast-free, vegan cinnamon rolls for an Easter brunch or on Mother's Day morning. After following the basic recipe for the dough you can get creative for the filling. Pictured here is just the basic cinnamon and sugar filling but you could do more. You can process dates and walnuts in the food processor to spread over the rolled dough. Another favorite is a fig puree made from dried mission figs, boiling water, and orange zest. I would still add a little cinnamon and coconut sugar to some of these variations. Get creative, let your kids help, and enjoy!
Be sure to use freshly ground RAW buckwheat flour in this recipe made from gluten-free raw buckwheat groats. Regular buckwheat flour from the store is made from roasted buckwheat groats and won't work in this recipe.
Dry Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
Filling
Frosting
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil two 8 or 9-inch cake pans.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Place all of the wet ingredients into a blender or Vitamix and blend until very smooth and creamy.
- Pour the wet into the dry ingredients and whisk together. Once it becomes too thick to whisk, use a wooden spoon. Add more flour until the dough forms a ball but is still a little sticky.
- Generously flour a work surface using buckwheat flour or tapioca flour. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour if it is too sticky. The trick here is to add just enough flour to be able to roll out the dough but not too much otherwise the cinnamon rolls become too dense.
- Roll out dough using a floured rolling pin into a large rectangle. Spread with softened coconut oil. Don't use melted coconut oil or another oil. This will cause oil to leak out of the dough from all sides which will make it impossible to roll and hold shape. Then sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon or your filling of choice. Add extra cinnamon if desired.
- Begin to roll from the long end down towards you. If your dough is sticking then try coaxing it with a large, thin spatula coated with flour. Once the dough has been rolled out, slice it with a serrated knife, and place the rolls into your oiled pans.
- Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes.
- To make the frosting, place all ingredients into the Vitamix and blend until super smooth and creamy. Keep scraping the sides down and turn the blender on again to get this smooth consistency. Pour over the rolls as they come out of the oven. Enjoy with a hot cup of herbal tea.
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About the Author
Ali Segersten
Alissa Segersten holds a Bachelor's of Science in Nutrition from Bastyr University and a Master’s of Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine from the University of Western States. She is a Functional Nutritionist, the mother of five children, a whole foods cooking instructor, professional recipe developer, and cookbook author. She is passionate about helping others find a diet that will truly nourish them. Alissa is the author of two very popular gluten-free, whole foods cookbooks and guidebooks: The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook and Nourishing Meals. She is also the co-author of The Elimination Diet book. Alissa is the founder and owner of Nourishing Meals®.Nourishing Meals Newsletter
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Comments
Do you think canned pumpkin would work for the sweet potatoes? These look delicious!
Do you think one could use canned pumpkin in place of the sweet potatoes? Thanks!
Does your site have an easy way to print the recipes?
Oh ali, these look wonderful! Thank you, yeast free, xanthan free, everything free, and still AMAZING looking! Wow, you are incredible.
Wow, they look amazing! Thanks for the tip about grinding flour in the wet container. I had both containers, but gave away my dry one after we went gluten-free.
Thanks gals! Metta - I use the dry container of the vita-mix for grinding grains into flour, and nuts & seeds into a fine meal. You can use the wet container but you will need to grind the buckwheat in small batches. Otherwise the flour overheats and can stick in one big lump on the bottom of the container. When I visit my mom this is how we do it - she doesn't own the dry container. :)
These look really delicious!
Do you use the Dry Blade container for the Vita Mix or the regular container the basic model comes with (the Wet Blade container)?
Ali, those memories of yeast rolls are imprinted in my mind, too. Your recipe looks wonderful. Happy Easter to you!
Oooh, yum! Thanks so much for sharing this (and for making it vegan, too!). I am definitely going to have to try this out this weekend :)
Oh my gosh these look amazing!