Whole-Wheat Cinnamon Rolls
Description
Tender and fluffy whole-wheat cinnamon rolls with an ooey-gooey cinnamon-coconut filling. A must-make!
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Ingredients
Dough
- ¾ cup (185g) whole milk, warmed (110ºF) + 3 tablespoons for brushing
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast (one ¼-ounce package)
- 4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 egg + 1 yolk, beaten
- 1 ½ cups (187g) unbleached all-purpose
- 1 ½ cups (164g) whole-wheat pastry flour
- ¼ cup (36g) cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
Filling
- 3 tablespoons melted butter, divided
- ¾ cup (115g) coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch kosher salt
Frosting
- ½ cup (80g) coconut sugar
- 8 ounces cream cheese , at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch kosher salt
Instructions
Dough
- Add ¾ cup milk to bowl of a stand mixer fitted with dough hook attachment; sprinkle yeast over top. Whisk together 4 tablespoons melted butter, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 egg, and 1 egg yolk; add to bowl with milk and yeast and mix with a wooden spoon to combine.
- Whisk together 1½ cups all-purpose flour, 1½ cup whole-wheat pastry flour, ¼ cup cornstarch and ¾ teaspoon salt; add to bowl with wet ingredients and mix on low until a dough comes together, 1–2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-low and knead until a smooth, sticky dough comes together, about 8 minutes.
- Transfer dough ball to an oiled bowl, cover bowl loosely with a kitchen towel and let rise for 1½–2 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Meanwhile, grease a 9-inch round or square cake pan and line with parchment paper; grease parchment paper.
- Transfer dough to a floured surface and roll out into a 14x9-inch rectangle; long side parallel to counter’s edge.
- Brush 1 tablespoon melted butter over dough, leaving ¼-inch border on farthest edge.
Filling
- Combine remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter with ¾ cup coconut sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and pinch of salt. Evenly sprinkle filling over dough, leaving a ¼-inch border on farthest edge.
- Using a bench scraper, loosen dough from counter and roll away from you into a tight log; pinch seam to seal. Roll log seam side down and cut into 9 equal; pieces using a serrated knife or floss.
- Reshape rolls as needed. Place one roll in center of prepared cake pan, then place remaining rolls around perimeter of center roll, seam side facing in. (For a square cake pan, arrange rolls in rows.) Cover pan loosely with a kitchen towel and let rise until dough springs back when gently pressed, 45–60 minutes
- Heat oven to 350ºF (177ºC) with rack set in middle position.
- Brush rolls with 3 tablespoons milk and bake until buns are golden brown on edges, 23–25 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool 5 minutes.
Frosting
- Using a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip together 8 ounces cream cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla and pinch salt until smooth. Meanwhile, grind ½ cup coconut sugar into a powder using a spice grinder. Add ground sugar to cream cheese and continue to beat until light and smooth.
- Spread frosting over buns and serve.
Notes
If you don't have an electric mixer, knead by hand on a lightly-floured surface for 8–10 minutes.
Rolls made with 100% whole-wheat pastry flour will still be nice and fluffy, but they will be a bit more dense compared to the recipe as-written.
Storage: wrap leftovers in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat cinnamon rolls in the microwave in 30 second increments until warmed through and soft.
Nutrition
Serving: 1rollCalories: 400kcalCarbohydrates: 59gProtein: 7gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 312mgFiber: 3gSugar: 26g
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