Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls with Almond Flour (Healthy, Vegan Recipe)
Equipment
Ingredients
Bread Dough
- 3 ½ cups bread flour (420 g)*
- 1 cup almond flour (120 g), can also use ½ cup bread flour
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups finely shredded carrots, packed (240 g), from about 2 ½ medium carrots**
- ⅓ cup water , or milk of choice such as almond milk
Filling
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
- ¼ cup raisins (optional)
Frosting
- 6 oz vegan cream cheese , can also use regular cream cheese (full fat or low fat)
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar of choice , can use sugar free substitute for lower calories
Instructions
- Mix all the dry ingredients (bread flour, almond flour, instant yeast, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt) in the bowl of the stand mixer.
- Add the finely shredded carrots
- Start to knead the dough at a low setting (speed 2) for about a minute, adding the water gradually until all the dry ingredients are just combined. Note: More water or flour may be needed depending on the protein content of the flour, the water content in the carrots, as well as the humidity and temperature of the kitchen. If adding additional water or flour, be sure to add one tablespoon at a time, just until the dry ingredients are no longer visible.
- 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 water
- After kneading, let the dough rest in the bowl for 10 minutes to give time for the flour to fully hydrate.
- Remove the 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 filling ingredients. Set aside.
- After the initial rise, 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.
- Spray, brush or sprinkle water or almond milk onto the surface of the dough. Note: the surface just needs to be wet enough for the sugar mixture to stick.
- Spread the filling mixture over the dough
- Starting from the short end, shape the dough into a roll. Pinch the seams to seal.
- Use a string or dental floss to cut the rolled up dough into individual rolls. Note: For wider, dome-shaped rolls like the ones in the photos, cut log into 16 rolls and arrange them 1 inch apart on a half-sized (8"x13") sheet pan. For regular tall cinnamon rolls with straight sides, divide into 12 rolls and use a 9" x 12" rectangular pan or a quarter sheet pan, and space them half-inch apart so that they're almost touching.
- Line the baking pan with parchment paper.
- Place the individual rolls on a parchment-lined baking pan, swirl side up.
- Let the rolls rise again for about 30 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
- In another bowl, mix cream cheese and powdered sugar to make the frosting. For best results, use cream cheese that's room temperature, and beat the mixture thoroughly until light and fluffy.
- Let the rolls cool to room temperature before topping the rolls with frosting. I used an Ateco 869 tip to pipe the frosting onto the rolls.
- Enjoy!
Notes
*Weigh your flour for the best results. 1 cup of bread flour = 120 grams / 4.23 oz.
**You can also use finely grated carrots.
***It's best if the bowl is put in a warm place, for example, inside a microwave oven with a bowl of hot water set next to the bowl.
Nutrition
Calories: 202kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 6gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 0.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.3gSodium: 160mgPotassium: 130mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 2676IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 1mgZinc: 0.5mg***Net Carbs: 29g
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