Keto Cinnamon Rolls (Sugar Free, Low carb)

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These keto cinnamon rolls are the ultimate comfort food. They taste so good it's hard to believe they are sugar free, grain free, gluten free and come in at only 1.3 net carbs per roll!

These sugar free cinnamon rolls are one of the most popular keto breakfast recipes on my website. Over the years, the recipe has been shared over 200 000 times and it has many 5-star reviews by readers, such as this one:

"These are the best cinnamon rolls I have ever tried! Thank you!" (Merja)

I have just updated the post with more tips, tricks and details to make sure the rolls turn out perfectly every single time. The recipe itself has not changed at all - it was perfect all along!

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Why I Love This Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
Variations
Recipe FAQs
Serving Suggestion
Storage
More Keto Breakfast Recipes
Recipe

Why I Love This Recipe

The aroma. When you bake them, your kitchen fills with gorgeous warm cinnamon scent. To me, it smells like happiness!

The texture & taste. My cinnamon rolls are soft and chewy, just like good cinnamon rolls should be. The sweet cinnamon swirl adds wonderfully gooey goodness.

The genius keto ingredients. This keto cinnamon rolls recipe uses the famous "Holy Grail of Keto dough", which contains mozzarella cheese as a base. It was originally conceived as a pizza base. But, with a few tweaks it makes a brilliant dough for sweet pastry as well. By using mozzarella dough and sweetener instead of wheat and sugar, each cinnamon bun is only 1.3g net carbs.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you'll need for low-carb cinnamon rolls:

Shredded mozzarella - This recipe works best with low moisture pre-shredded mozzarella from the supermarket. Fresh mozzarella contains too much liquid and is too runny. You can also use a (firm) mozzarella block and grate it yourself.
Almond flour - I used extra fine almond flour. If you are using almond meal or ground almonds, add an additional 2 tablespoons. Or, add one additional tablespoon of coconut flour.
Cream cheese - should be full fat.
Egg - large and room temperature
Baking powder

For the filling:

Water (or butter) - I preferred the version with water, but both work well.
Granulated sweetener - I like a golden erythritol monk fruit sweetener blend here, such as Lakanto Gold. It has a taste very similar to brown sugar that works great with cinnamon. You can also use Swerve, xylitol, Bocha Sweet or allulose.
Cinnamon

For the cream cheese frosting:

Cream cheese
Greek yogurt - or use more cream cheese or softened butter
Vanilla stevia - or powdered sweetener

Instructions

This section contains step-by-step instructions and photos that show how to make this recipe. See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities

Step 1: Melt the mozzarella and the cream cheese in a large bowl in the microwave. Or, melt it in a non-stick pot on the stovetop over low heat.

The mixture must be melted but not bubbling hot. We don't want to cook the egg! Add the egg and stir with a spatula until combined.

Mixing almond flour into the mozzarella mixture.

Step 2: Add the dry ingredients - almond flour and baking powder - to the mixture. Continue mixing with the spatula. Then knead with your hands until a smooth dough forms.

Step 3: Form 6 dough balls.

Step 4: Roll each dough ball into a log...

Rolling up the dough with cinnamon filling.

Step 5: ...flatten the log with your hands. Then, spread the cinnamon filling on top and roll up.

Step 6: Cut each roll in half with a sharp knife.

Step 7: Place the cinnamon rolls in a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Make sure you leave space between the rolls so they can expand during baking.

Bake in the preheated oven until golden.

Step 8: While the rolls are baking, prepare the frosting. In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, yoghurt and vanilla stevia with a fork until smooth. Spread the frosting over the warm rolls end enjoy.

Katrin's Top Tips

#1 The cinnamon roll dough can be sticky. I find that lightly oiling my hands prevents the dough from sticking to them. I used walnut oil, but you can use any neutral-tasting oil.

#2 As the dough cools down, it becomes firmer. Warming it back up makes it easier to work with. This makes it soft again. I put it in the microwave for around 10 seconds. Or, gently heat it on the stovetop.

#3 The log method I use to create the cinnamon rolls makes them look pretty, like rosettes. I also think it helps them rise better. But it does take a little longer.

If you are short of time, you can also use the traditional way of making cinnamon rolls. Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper into a large rectangle. Spread the cinnamon filling on top. Then, roll the dough into one large log and cut it into slices.

Variations

DOUGH

If you don't have extra fine almond flour and are using almond meal or ground almonds, add an additional 2 tablespoons of almond meal/ground almonds or 1 tablespoon of coconut flour so the cinnamon rolls keep their shape.

FILLING

You can use salted or unsalted butter instead of the water in the cinnamon filling. This gives the rolls a nice buttery taste. I made a few using butter, then decided to just dissolve the sweetener in water as the rolls are very high in fat already. The choice is yours!

FROSTING

If you do not have vanilla-flavoured stevia for the frosting, use powdered sweetener instead and add a few drops of vanilla extract.

I liked the fresh flavor of the Greek yogurt in the frosting. However, you can use all cream cheese.

Instead of frosting, why not make a simple sugar-free icing to top the cinnamon rolls? Mix three tablespoons of powdered sweetener with two teaspoons of water until smooth. Then, pipe or drizzle the icing over the cooled rolls.

Hand holding a bitten cinnamon roll with frosting.

Recipe FAQs

Can I prep these ahead?

Yes. You can prepare the dough a day or 2 ahead and store it in the fridge. Let it come to room temperature before baking.

How do I make them nut free?

Use ¼ cup or 30 grams of coconut flour in place of the almond flour. Or, use a blend of sesame seed and sunflower seed flour.

Any other fillings?

Try keto caramel! You can also add crushed pecans to the cinnamon filling for keto cinnamon buns.

Can I make keto cinnamon rolls with yeast?

This is a yeast-free recipe. But you can add a sprinkle of instant active yeast to the dough. This will add yeast flavor to the cinnamon rolls.

Serving Suggestion

We love these low-carb cinnamon rolls with a steamy cup of coffee or an almond matcha latte.

Whether you eat them for breakfast, brunch or in the afternoon, the rolls are best enjoyed warm. Then, they are soft inside and have the most tender crunch on the outside. They firm up as they cool.

Storage

Refrigerator: Should you have any leftovers, keep the rolls in an airtight container in the fridge. You can store them for up to 1 week.

Freezer: It is possible to freeze these cinnamon rolls for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight, then reheat them in the microwave.

Reheat individual rolls in the microwave for 10 - 15 seconds. To reheat multiple rolls, warm them in the oven or in the air fryer for 3-5 minutes. I recommend a temperature of 180C or 350F.