Apple Butter Buckwheat Cinnamon Rolls
I have been wanting to make cinnamon rolls for awhile now. Not just any cinnamon roll – laden with dairy, gluten, tons of fat, and sugar – anyone can make those! I want a cinnamon roll that won’t make me sick after eating it. A cinnamon roll that won’t give me a glycemic overload and a headache. Is this too much to ask? The answer is a resounding NO!
After making this incredible Apple Butter, I have been dolloping it on my hot cereal, spreading it on toast, slathering it on pancakes and waffles, but mostly just eating it straight out of the jar with a spoon! I had an idea to use this delicious apple butter in a cinnamon roll. The result? Marriage made in heaven!
Don’t be intimidated with gluten-free flour. It is a bit tricky at first, but it really is quite simple. Buckwheat flour is one of my favorite gluten-free flours because it has a delicious, slightly nutty taste. Make sure to keep your dough slightly cool – this makes it easier to work with. I found that flouring my granite counter top worked like a charm in rolling out my dough because the granite keeps the dough cool. These cinnamon rolls are soft with delicious apple butter flavor. The warm spices envelope the palate in a most pleasing way. I had to stop myself from eating more and more of these! This recipe is a canvas for any extra fillings you would like to add. I didn’t add in any extras to my filling, but I encourage you to get creative! Nuts, dates, raisins, or chocolate chips would be super dreamy in these rolls. I hope you love these as much as my family did! (I think you will)
Dry Ingredients:
3 1/4 cups buckwheat flour
1 1/4 cups tapioca flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Wet Ingredients:
2 cups Apple Butter
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup melted virgin coconut oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
Filling:
1/4 cup Earth Balance spread
1/2 cup coconut sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
Frosting:
2 cups organic powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
coconut milk (use enough to achieve a pouring consistency)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil two 8 or 9-inch cake pans. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Pour the wet into the dry ingredients and whisk together. Once it becomes too thick to whisk, use a wooden spoon. The dough should form a ball, but is still a bit sticky. Generously flour a work surface using 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 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 Earth Balance spread. Then sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon or your filling of choice. Begin to roll from the long end down towards you. If your dough is sticking, try coaxing it with a large, thin spatula coated with flour. Once the dough has been rolled together, slice it with a serrated knife, and place the rolls into your oiled pans. (I sliced my large dough roll into 24 small rolls) Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes. Pull rolls out of the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes. Pour frosting over the warm rolls. (Adapted from Recipe Source: Nourishing Meals)
