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
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.
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.
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.
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. 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.
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 Cereal Recipe22 Minutes
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Recipe
Keto Cinnamon Rolls
Video
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 teaspoon water boiled
- 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 lined with parchment paper.
- 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.
Sascha
I just made these for the first time. They were quite good! I found the directions of how to make the dough really good.
But my rolls did not rise?
Perfect shape and really nice flavor but they did not really look fluffy like yours do.
Katrin
Hm. It could have something do do with how fresh your baking powder is? It's one of those ingredients that we keep in the larder for ages and it can go off and become less effective. Almond flour goods do tend to rise less than wheat flour ones though. My rolls were fairly small, too. I hope this helps.
Catherine
Congratulations on an incredibly tasty recipe. I never comment on websites, and I have never craved cinnamon rolls in my life until 3 days ago, when the urge suddenly struck. I've been doing keto for 18 months, and was worried I'd fall off the wagon big time. So I googled today, found your recipe, read the comments and was scared the dough would collapse on me. But no! My oven produced cinnamon buns just like the picture! (This never happens to me).
I halved the recipe, and am glad I did, because I've just eaten four of them, and the remaining two won't last the night. So thank you, thank you, Kathrin - I am one very happy camper.
Catherine.
Katrin
How wonderful! I'm so glad they were a 100% success. I really think the taste matters so much more than how something looks, but if your rolls tasted great AND looked beautiful... perfect. Thanks for your comment. it made my day!
Michala Jeanne Patenaude
We love this recipe!
Adalie
Hello! Been sifting through cinnamon roll recipes to satisfy a craving and this one looks most promising. One question if you don’t mind; I have stevia drops but they are not vanilla flavored so I will just add it on its own. How much vanilla would that be?
Katrin
Hi Adalie, I'd use 1 tsp of vanilla extract. That's the amount I normally add if I use vanilla extract in baking.
Maryann
Your article has an ‘alas’ at the end of the first paragraph last sentence of the recipe which I think must be the opposite of what you want to say 😉 thanks for your recipes, I’ll be trying one this afternoon
Katrin
Hey Maryann, thanks for your comment and the English lesson - you're absolutely right, I've taken the "alas" out. I thought it meant the opposite!! There you go, after 22 years in England, now I know 🙂 Which recipe did you make? I'd love to hear how it went!
Trish
Yummmm!!!!!!
Katrin
Hi Sarah, how annoying! Can I ask which almond flour you used? If it's not fine enough maybe that's the reason they collapsed. The basic recipe I used for these rolls is not mine and has been popular for making low carb pizza dough for many years, so it's been trie and tested. Let me know and maybe we can get to the bottom of it! I used the Sukrin almond flour the last time I made this recipe, maybe you can get it wherever you are.
Lori
Great tasting, however they came out as cinnamon pancakes! Do you know what I did wrong? I’d like to try them again.
Katrin
Hi Lori, that's an interesting one. It's happened to another reader as well. Can I ask you what the consistency of the dough was like when you made the rolls? Was it easily formable into rolls and did the rolls keep their shape before you put them in the oven? Then I'd say it could have been either that your oven would need to be hotter to firm up the rolls quicker before they had time to collapse. Or that maybe your baking powder was out of date and did not make the rolls rise enough. If the dough was too soft BEFORE you put the rolls in the oven it could be that the almond flour was too coarse so you would need more almond flour to get the dough to a firm consistency. I hope this is helpful and would be really interested to hear what you think and find out the outcome of your next try.
Lori
Thanks so much! I think my dough was too soft so next time i’ll try to use more almond flour. I’ll let you know how they turn out. Thanks again for responding so quickly!
Katja
These are so good. Question - Can you use coconut flour insted of almond flour?
Katrin
Yes, you can, but you'd have to change the amount because coconut flour is more absorbent than almond flout. Try halving it and use 40g of coconut flour.
Marta Szabo
Hi,
I was wondering is there an alternative for Stevia...I don't like the after taste?
Katrin
Sure! You could use powdered erythritol instead.