These Healthy Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls are comforting and incredibly familiar — those are the flavors of fall talking, colorful pumpkin puree, cinnamon and maple syrup. But at the same time, healthier too! Like traditional cinnamon rolls, these are made with bread flour, yeast, sugar and salt, but the addition of pumpkin puree and almond flour give it that extra heartiness that fits perfectly with anyone who wants a healthier treat. Of course, this is a seasonal treat best enjoyed with a pumpkin spice latte in hand, but you’ll be surprised how compatible these rolls are with warm weather as well!
The recipe below yields thick and hearty cinnamon rolls with a moist crumb and the subtlest maple syrup sweetness. If that weren’t enough, I encourage you to top these rolls with my 2-Ingredient Vegan Almond Yogurt Frosting, which is vegan and low fat. Bakes are all about their flavor and texture, but looks matter, too! And these rolls are as pretty as they’re tasty.
Here's why I love this recipe
- vegan - no eggs, milk or butter required
- healthy AND delicious
- easy to prepare if you have a stand mixer or bread machine
- high in nutrients and fiber, thanks to the pumpkin puree and added almond flour
Ingredients Used to Make Healthy Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
**I've linked some of these ingredients to amazon.com to give you an idea of what they are, but you should also be able to find them in your local grocery store (usually, the baking aisle, or the natural & organic food section). They are also affiliate links, which means that I earn a commission as an Amazon Associate if you decide to purchase the items. The price will be the same for you, link or no link 🙂
- Bread Flour - Bread flour is highly recommended for this recipe for the best texture and structure. I used King Arthur Bread Flour. Please read the note on the substitution section below if using other flours.
- Almond Flour - I used blanched almond flour. But you can also make your own by blending raw or blanched, slivered almonds in the food processor and sifting them through a sieve.
- Instant Yeast - you can find instant yeast in the baking section near the flours. My favorite is SAF Instant Premium Yeast, which works quickly and consistently produces great results. I recommend using instant yeast over active yeast for this recipe since active yeast (unlike instant yeast) needs to be activated in water, which we don't add until the very end.
- Maple Syrup - I used maple syrup for this recipe but you can use other liquid sweeteners of choice like honey, agave syrup, or liquid stevia
- Salt - Pink Himalayan salt is what I have at home, so it’s what I use, but you can use any kind for this recipe.
- Pumpkin puree - I used canned pumpkin puree, which you can find in the baking aisle.
- Olive Oil - I like using light olive oil since it has a neutral flavor, but you can also any cooking oil of your choice like coconut oil, or avocado oil instead
Equipment
- I used a KitchenAid Stand Mixer with a dough hook to knead the dough. You're also welcome to use a bread machine, or knead the dough by hand.
More Pumpkin Recipes (HERE)
How to Make
Easy Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
STEP 1
Mix all the dry ingredients (bread flour, almond flour, instant yeast, salt) in the bowl of the stand mixer.
STEP 2
Add the pumpkin puree and maple syrup next
Start to knead the dough at a low setting (speed 2) for about a minute.
STEP 3
Add the olive oil (and additional water or flour, if needed) and continue to knead for about 8 to 10 minutes. The dough will appear sticky, but will be less so when the flours have a chance to absorb the liquid from the puree.
STEP 4
Detatch the bowl from the stand mixer
STEP 5
Cover and let rise until doubled, about 60-90 minutes.
STEP 6
Punch down the dough then remove the dough from bowl. Place on a generously floured surface and use a rolling pin to flatten the dough into a rectangle, about 18 x 10 inches in size.
STEP 7
Spread the sugar-almond flour mixture over the dough
STEP 8
Cut the rectangular dough into 12 strips using a pizza cutter, kitchen shears or a knife. Starting from the end, roll each strip of dough into a tight roll.
STEP 9
Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, swirl side up.
Let the rolls rise again for 30-40 minutes until puffy. Toward the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 350F / 180C
STEP 10
Bake the rolls for 15-20 minutes until golden brown
STEP 11
Drizzle glaze onto the cinnamon rolls one at a time.
STEP 12
Optionally, you can also frost these cinnamon rolls. I used my 2-Ingredient Vegan Almond Yogurt Frosting
Recipe Variations and Optional Add Ins:
I made this cinnamon roll recipe as basic as possible so that people can customize it to fit their own tastes. Here are some awesome ways you can make this bread your own 🙂
- Add more flavor! Instead of cinnamon powder, use pumpkin pie spice to bring out the fall flavors of this recipe. Also, you can add 1 tsp of vanilla extract to enhance the sweet flavor.
- Add more texture! Adding chopped nuts, seeds, or dried fruits or oats is a fantastic way to increase the nutrition and flavor in breads. If you're feeling indulgent, you can also add chocolate chips.
Different Icing and Frosting Options for Cinnamon Rolls
If you want to enjoy cinnamon rolls with a variety of glazes, icings and frostings, there are many fun and delicious options to choose from. For starters, try drizzling cinnamon rolls with chocolate, topping them with whipped cream, or adding some coffee to the glaze. For more ideas, check out this post for 10+ Easy Homemade Cinnamon Roll Icing & Frosting Recipes
How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Healthier
- Make this Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls even healthier by adding a handful of nuts, seeds and old-fashioned oats to add texture and nutrition. Here are some ideas
- Nuts - chopped walnuts, pecans, cashews
- Seeds - poppy seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flaxseeds or chiaseeds
- Dried Fruit - chopped apricot, raisins, cranberries, dried cherries, candied ginger, citrus zests, etc.
- Want to add more fiber? Substitute white whole wheat flour for up to half of the bread flour called for in this recipe. You'll need to add a few more tablespoons of water to adjust the hydration since whole wheat flour absorbs more water than white flour.
Note on Substitutions
- Unfortunately, gluten-free flours cannot be substituted for bread flour in this recipe.
- For softer rolls with less bite, you can use all purpose flour instead of bread flour.
- The almond flour can be subbed with other nut flour like pecan, cashew and walnut flour.
How to Store
- WITHOUT FROSTING, you can store these Cinnamon Rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
- WITH FROSTING, these rolls can be out at room temperature for a maximum of 2 days.
- For longer storage, you can place them in a plastic freezer bag or airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 7 days, or freeze up to 3 months. To reheat, cover with foil and warm them up in the oven or air fryer
Final Tips for Healthy Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Weigh your flour for the best results. 1 cup of bread flour = 120 grams / 4.23 oz. This is recommended since scooping the flour directly from the bag can can pack the flour into the measuring cup, and this means you'll end up with more flour than what's called for in the recipe. If you don't have a kitchen scale, you can measure the flour by spooning pre-sifted flour into the measuring cup, then using the straight end of the spoon to level the flour across the top to sweep off the excess.
- Baking time (as well as serving size) will vary based on the size of your baking pan, the material (silicone vs metal) of the pan. If you're not sure whether the bread is ready, you can insert a quick read thermometer into the bread - a finished bread will register 190 F (or 88 C).
- To make this recipe in the bread machine: add all the dry ingredients into the machine, stir briefly before adding the wet ingredients. The machine can be set for basic. Check the dough for consistency and adjust by adding additional water (or flour) before the end of the first kneading cycle. If you want to add additional nuts or dried fruits, leave them aside, and only them 3 minutes before the end of the second kneading cycle.
Watch the Video Version, below!
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Almond Flour (Healthy, Vegan Recipe)
Equipment
Ingredients
Bread Dough
- 3 cups bread flour (360 g), sifted and leveled*
- 1 cup almond flour (120 g), can also use ½ cup bread flour
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups pure pumpkin puree, from can ** (338 g)
- ¼ cup maple syrup, agave syrup or honey
- 1 Tbsp light olive oil melted coconut oil or avocado oil
Filling
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup almond flour , can also use more brown sugar
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice powder
Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar of choice*
- 1 Tbsp almond milk or water
- 1 tsp almond butter , or any nut butter of choice
Frosting (Optional)
- 1 recipe vegan almond yogurt frosting , click link to go to recipe
Instructions
- Mix all the dry ingredients (bread flour, almond flour, instant yeast, salt) in the bowl of the stand mixer.
- Add the pumpkin puree and maple syrup next
- Start to knead the dough at a low setting (speed 2) for about a minute, until all the ingredients are combined.
- Add the olive oil and continue to knead for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until the dough pulls away from the bowl and forms a slightly bumpy, but a stretchy -supple ball. Note: Additional 1-2 Tablespoons of bread flour (or additional water) may be necessary depending on the protein content of the bread flour, the water content in the pumpkin, as well as the humidity and temperature of the kitchen.
- Remove the finished dough from the mixer bowl and place in a lightly greased bowl.
- Let rise until doubled, about 60-90 minutes***
- While the dough rises, prepare the filling by mixing the almond flour, sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Add almond milk. Set aside.
- If the dough is ready, punch down the dough then remove from bowl. Place on a generously floured surface and use a rolling pin to flatten the dough into a rectangle, about 18 x 10 inches in size.
- Spread the sugar-almond flour mixture over the dough
- Cut the rectangular dough into 12 strips using a pizza cutter, kitchen shears or a knife.
- Starting from the end, roll each strip of dough into a tight roll.
- Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, swirl side up.
- Let the rolls rise again for 30-40 minutes until puffy. Toward the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 350F / 180C
- Bake the rolls for 15-20 minutes until golden brown
- While the rolls are baking, prepare glaze by mixing powdered sugar, milk and almond butter.
- Drizzle glaze onto the cinnamon rolls one at a time.
- Optionally, you can also frost these cinnamon rolls
- Enjoy!
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