The Easiest Whole-Wheat Cinnamon Rolls (with Maple Greek Yogurt Icing!!)
Thick, fluffy not-too-sweet cinnamon rolls made with locally milled, stone-ground whole wheat flour and a creamy 3-ingredient maple greek yogurt icing. Easy enough for inexperienced bakers!
Ingredients
dough
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar (can sub coconut sugar)
- 3 Tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant dry yeast (1 packet)
- 3 cups One Mighty Mill All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
filling
- 4 Tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (can sub coconut sugar)
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
icing
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2-3 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- To make the dough, stir together the warm water, brown sugar, melted butter, and yeast in a large bowl. Add flour, cinnamon, and salt, and stir again to combine. The dough will be sticky at this point.
- Use your hands to knead the dough in the bowl for 2-3 minutes, or until all flour is absorbed and dough is no longer sticky.
- Cover dough and let rise for 1 hour, ideally in the warmest spot in your house.
- Once dough has risen, sprinkle your countertop with a handful of flour, and transfer dough to the counter (for easier clean-up, you can do this step on a piece of parchment paper). Use your hands (or a rolling pin, if you'd prefer) to press/roll out the dough into a large circle, about 1/4 inch thick.
- Spread the melted butter out over the dough, getting butter all the way to the edges. Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over the butter.
- Use your hands to roll the dough into a tight log, pressing down as you roll to ensure it sticks together well.
- Cut the log into 8 pieces, and transfer them to a large baking dish, leaving an inch or less of space between each roll.
- Cover and let rise for 1 hour, again in a warm spot in your house.
- Once rolls have risen, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until rolls have puffed and are slightly golden.
- While rolls bake, make the icing by placing all icing ingredients into a small bowl and stirring to combine. Taste and add more maple syrup, as needed, to achieve your preferred sweetness level.
- Once rolls are baked, remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes, then cover with icing and serve immediately.
Notes
To make dough in a stand mixer: place all dough ingredients into the bowl of your mixer and mix on low to combine, then increase speed to medium-high and let mix for 2 minutes, until no longer sticky, and dough holds together in a ball.
To make in advance: this recipe can be made up to 3 days in advance. Follow the instructions through step 7 (making the cinnamon rolls and placing in a baking dish), but place directly in the fridge without letting rise a second time. When ready to bake, remove from the fridge and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour before turning on the oven and proceeding with the recipe instructions.
To make dairy-free/vegan: use vegan butter in the dough and filling, and swap a dairy-free cream cheese for the yogurt in the icing.
For a more traditional cinnamon roll icing: mix 1 cup organic powdered sugar with your milk of choice, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until your desired consistency is achieved. A pinch of salt and a small splash of vanilla are always great here, too!