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!
Jump to:
Why I Love This Recipe
First, the smell.
This beautiful warm smell of cinnamon and baked goodness that fills the house and wraps itself around you like a fluffy warm duvet.
Smelling cinnamon rolls releases my happy hormones, just like stroking kittens does, or sleeping in during the week.
Then, the swirl.
Can it be that the swirl in a cinnamon roll has hypnotic properties? Think about it. Remember how Kaa the snake from the Jungle Book did this swirly-eye-thing to Mowgli and he would be at her mercy? That's what a cinnamon roll does to me. Somehow, I feel magically drawn towards it!
Cinnamon rolls lure me in in, like a wonderful psychedelic maelstrom of promising pleasure. This swirl, it shuts off the logical thinking part of my brain. It has secret come-hither-powers that should never be underestimated.
And lastly, the taste.
The taste! Can you picture biting into a freshly baked cinnamon roll right now? Sinking your teeth into that fluffy, gooey goodness? I bite into a cinnamon roll and it's like I have arrived IN THE NOW.
There are people that meditate for years to achieve this state of enlightenment. I am telling you. There's absolutely no need to travel to India and checking into the silent Ashram. No need to grow a beard or stop cutting your nails.
Bake cinnamon rolls.
Eat them.
Experience their certain je ne sais quoi.
Feel complete. Hallelujah!
My dear sugar free and low carb friends, I have tried many versions of healthified (meaning: no-wheat, no-yeast, no-grains, no-sugar) cinnamon rolls using grain free flours such as almond or coconut flour. They all taste great, but their texture is either too cakey or crumbly to truly resemble the original, badass cinnamon rolls of my youth.
Then I tried this recipe.
Just looking at the close-up above is making me salivate again!
The Dough
This keto cinnamon rolls recipe is made using the "Holy Grail of Keto dough", which is a truly genius invention using mozzarella cheese.
It was conceived as a pizza base (I am talking about it in detail in my keto Pretzels post). With a few tweaks it makes a brilliant dough for sweet pastry as well.
I'd go as far as saying this: Holy Grail dough (which has become famous as Fat Head dough) is the cleverest brainwave since the conception of low carb eating.
I want to hug the person who thought of combining an Italian cheese with almond flour to create a dough that actually mimics the taste of wheat dough. How could you possibly come up with an idea like this? Was it a coincidence? Someone accidentally dropping flour into melted mozzarella? It's a bit like that person who banged two stones together and created fire. Boom, and the world is a better place.
The dough is a little tricky to handle - thanks to the inherent gooey-ness of mozzarella - but if you follow the instructions in the recipe section below, you should have no problems.
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.
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...
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.
Expert Tips
I have made this recipe for many years. Here are a few tips that to help you get perfect results.
#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.
Recipe FAQs
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.
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.
Try keto caramel! You can also add crushed pecans to the cinnamon filling for keto cinnamon buns.
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.
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.
More Fathead Dough Recipes
Try my other fathead dough recipes:
More Keto Breakfast Recipes
Here are more sugar free breakfast recipes with cinnamon:
- Keto Cinnamon Bread1 Hours
- Keto Cinnamon Muffins35 Minutes
- Keto Cinnamon Roll Pancakes16 Minutes
- Keto Low Carb Cinnamon Crunch Cereal Recipe22 Minutes
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
★ STAY IN TOUCH on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST and INSTAGRAM for more great food and join my NEWSLETTER for the latest updates and a FREE EBOOK.★
Recipe
Keto Cinnamon Rolls
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.
Ingredients
- 175 g shredded mozzarella (see notes!) (1 ½ cups)
- 80 g almond flour (extra fine) (¾ cup)
- 2 tablespoon cream cheese
- 1 egg room temperature
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
For the filling:
- 2 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoon granulated sweetener
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
For the frosting:
- 2 tablespoon cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon greek/full fat yoghurt
- 2 drops vanilla stevia
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 180 Celsius/360 Fahrenheit.
- Melt the mozzarella and cream cheese in a non-stick pot over a low heat or in a microwave (1 ½ minutes, stirring half way through). Take off the stove and/or make sure the cheese is melted, but not bubbling.
- Stir in the egg.
- Now add the almond flour and baking powder. Start to combine using a fork, then use your hands to make a ball of smooth dough. This can be easier if you lightly oil your hands first.
- Divide the dough into 6 balls of 50g each.
- Form long rolls (40cm), then flatten out with your hands. Make the dough as thin as you can.
- Prepare your cinnamon filling: boil water, then stir in the sweetener and cinnamon. Spread the cinnamon paste over the flattened dough rolls.
- Roll each into a bun and cut sideways in half. Now you have 12 buns which you place on a non-stick baking sheet or in a pie dish.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- While the rolls are in the oven, prepare the frosting: Mix cream cheese, yoghurt and stevia. Spread over the warm rolls and serve.
Meghan
OMG absolutely fabulous! I just made this recipe and it turned out amazing. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. This is going to be a regular!
Katrin
Hi Kim, provided you measured the right amount of each ingredient using either a scale or the US cups AND you used the pre-shredded mozzarella, nothing really can go wrong (unless maybe your egg was CRAZY GINORMOUS and made the dough too liquid?). So the one thing I could imagine is that the dough was simply too hot? The main ingredient in this recipe is mozzarella and it gets very soft when hot, but firm when at room temperature. Once the dough is not hot anymore, there really is no way it can retain the texture of mashed potato. The recipe for fat head dough has been about since 2012 and it's not my invention, like I said in the text - it's been made loads. I really hope my thoughts on what could have gone wrong help you and that you will give it another go. Fat Head dough has so may cool uses, I've made pretzels with it, flatbreads and, of course, pizza 🙂 I'm glad your result DID taste good though, even if it was not the look you were aiming for 🙂
Kim
Yes, I believe that you have a point there....that my melted cheese was too hot....I must give it another try as it does taste good! I am having it for breakfast everyday. 😉
Leah
I'm excited to make these rolls but just curious, did your egg stick to the cheese? My egg kept sliding off the heated cheese mixture when I made the Fathead dough. Thanks for sharing!
Katrin
It's not the easiest dough to make, that's true. You just have to persevere with the egg and keep on mixing until it gets incorporated into the dough. I will happen eventually!
Eva
These look yummy! I am thinking of making these for my son for snacks at school. I send batches of things into school for him for the term ahead. So they would be frozen and the cook would take one out of freezer for him in morning for his snack tht day. I've seen you say they freeze well which is great but I'm assuming that you would freeze them without the glaze on them?? Will they be just as good if he just has them reheated with just the filling and without the glaze?
Katrin
I wouldn't freeze them with the glaze, just like you said. I like them without glaze just as much, but I guess we're all different :). I'd try with a batch at home and see how it works best for you and your son. Maybe you can send in a pot with the glaze that they keep in the fridge for a week?
Chris
I made these before Christmas and used the full log method. They were sticky to cut and collapsed into a cinnamon blob in the oven. But what delightful delicious cinnamon blobs they were!!!
Katrin
It's all about the taste!!!!
Daniel Dehner
When I use this dough for pizza I roll it out between two sheets of parchment paper. First I lightly oil the sheets with a small amount of olive oil, then I put the lump of dough between and use the rolling pin to roll it out to the desired thickness. For pizza, I bake the crust with both sheets of paper (makes it easy to flip over for even baking). I will be trying this recipe!
Katrin
That would be a good way to do it too! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Kim Nowlin
I would love to make these for Christmas morning, but not ON Christmas morning. Any tips on making the day before? Should I let the dough sit overnight in the fridge? Thanks from California!
Katrin
Hi Kim, so sorry I'm answering this question so late. I think you should have no problem preparing the dough a day before and keeping the unbaked rolls in the fridge. I'd bring them to room temperature before baking. I hope it all went ok for you and that you are enjoying your holidays. 🙂
Sydney
Will granulated erythritol work in place of the Sukrin gold? Will it still have a brown sugar flavoring? Or is that unique to sukrin gold? Thank you!
Katrin
Hi Sydney, granulated erythritol also works. Sukrin gold has a brown sugar taste, so it works well in this recipe. But if you use regular erythritol with cinnamon, you'll still get a nice flavour - it's the cinnamon that's essential
Eileen
These are so good. I want to come over to England just to hug you. Finally a low carb treat I really like
Katrin
Eileen! You made my day. A big virtual hug from me right now!
diana
The guys on the Fathead site actually do attribute this recipe to Cooky at Cooky's Creations when they promote the mozzarella dough. I think most folks discovered the recipe at the Fathead site and therefore think it comes from there. Glad you've caught who the actual originator is!