What’s the secret to sugar free vegan cinnamon rolls that taste AS GOOD as our old sugar-laden favorites of yore?
Erythritol! You can learn more about this sugar alcohol that has zero calories, doesn’t ferment in your gut like some other sugar replacements, and might even have antioxidants here.
Sometimes it’s called “monkfruit sweetener”, and I’ve found it at regular old grocery stores. The Swerve brand is nice, if you can find it, because it comes in a confectioner’s (powdered) version also that I used in the icing here. If not, and you have a Vita-Mix, you can just pulverize the regular kind to powder it! I’ve used erythritol to completely replace all of the sugar in old favorites like this crust-free, fat-free vegan pumpkin pie, and it tastes exactly the same even with significantly less calories. Pretty exciting if you love sweets!
Dough:
- ¾ cup plant milk, warmed
- ½ tbsp melted vegan butter (Earth Balance) melted
- 2 tbsp erythritol (sugar alcohol)
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 package dry yeast
- roughly 1½ cups whole wheat flour
Filling:
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp erythritol
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tbsp melted vegan butter
Icing was confectioners erythritol (Swerve brand) – about 1/3 cup with a dash vanilla and enough plant milk to make it drizzling consistency!
- Use a silicon or nonstick pan or lightly coat a small round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, stir together the plant milk (soy, almond, etc.), vegan butter, erythritol, and salt. Sprinkle the yeast on top, and wait until it froths, around 10 minutes. Mix in the flour, and add more as necessary for it to not be too sticky.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead for a few minutes or until the dough is springy.
- Mix filling ingredients together in a small bowl EXCEPT the vegan butter: melt that in a separate small bowl.
- Roll out the dough out into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Brush with melted vegan butter, leaving a narrow border on the long sides. Sprinkle with the filling. Roll the dough into a log longwise. Pinch the ends to seal
- A trick I learned from a 1950’s Betty Crocker cookbook: use dental floss to slice the log without squishing it (or use a serrated knife). You should get about 12 slices. Put them in the pan, cover with a towel, put in a warm place, and let them rise for 30-45 minutes until doubled.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the cinnamon rolls for around 20 minutes. Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before icing or serving.
