Healthier V & GF Cinnamon Buns?
YES PLEASE!
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I always associate the new year with cinnamon buns (or rolls!). Maybe because it’s really the only time of year I make them. The kids are home from school, nothing is open so in the past (than a typical crazy morning of green pancakes with nut butter and everyone running out the door to school or weekend activities!), I’ve had more time in the morning to make something different. Well, what’s great about THIS recipe is it’s actually pretty fast and as you may know by now, my treats always have healthy benefits.. well, these cinnamon buns have a few healthy secret ingredients!

Also fun story about cinnamon BUNS! When we were living in the east village in NYC and I found out I was pregnant, I had a great idea to share the news with my partner. I was SO nauseous (who ever named it morning sickness was WRONG! They should call it all day sickness!) Anyway, I felt so ill but was determined to buy a vegan cinnamon bun so I walked to Babycakes. (Well, that’s what it was called at the time. Now it’s Erin McKenna’s). I came home and put it in the oven. When my guy came home from work I told him to open it and look in, so I could make him guess why there was a literal ‘bun in the oven.’ Of course, the first words out of his mouth were, “A cinnamon roll? I love cinnamon rolls!”

I was very annoyed that my cute idea did not work but we still laugh about it, and call them BUNS in our house to this day! 🙂

Anyway, these CINNAMON BUNS have two HEALTHIER and maybe unusual ingredients: vegan yogurt and bananas!

They are:

• Naturally sweetened with banana and coconut sugar
• Have good fiber and potassium from banana
• Have healthy fat and protein with vegan coconut yogurt
• Are vegan and gluten free
• Quick, easy…
• And super, super YUM!

My 6 year old asked me to make them again as she was eating it and my 9 year old asked for more (before she finished the one she was eating). They make your house smell incredible and they are a fun treat!

Cinnamon Buns (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Serves: 4

Cinnamon Bun batter

• 1 banana, mashed to a puree ⁣
• 1 cup gluten free flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour)
• ¼ cup vegan plain or vanilla yogurt (I used Culina)
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla⁣
• ¼ tsp pink Himalayan salt

Filling⁣

• 2 tbsp vegan butter, melted⁣ (I used Earth Balance)
• 2 tbsp brown coconut sugar⁣
• 1 tsp cinnamon⁣

⁣Icing (optional):

• ¼ cup powdered sugar⁣
• 1 tsp water ⁣

⁣Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Mash the banana with a fork until it’s the consistency of baby food
3. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, yogurt, and vanilla
4. Mix until it becomes a sticky dough
5. Transfer to a floured piece of parchment paper and roll out until it’s about ¼ inch thick and roughly 5 inches by 12 inches
6. Mix all the filling ingredients together and spread down the middle of the dough
7. Using a pizza cutter or dough knife, cut the dough into two strips, long ways
8. Roll up (gently) into a mini cinnamon roll
9. Transfer to a greased ramekin (cut side down) and bake for 15 minutes
10. When cooled, drizzle with icing (optional)
11. Enjoy!