Recipe: Keto Cinnamon Rolls

So, cinnamon rolls have been a tradition in my family forever. As far back as I can remember, I looked forward to having them every year on Thanksgiving and Christmas morning. When I got married and started having kids, we continued the tradition, but my kids liked it so much, we eventually turned it into a Christmas, Thanksgiving, Mothers/Fathers day, birthday tradition :) We always just used the canned cinnamon rolls that come with the little bucket of frosting. They're delicious, but needless to say, LOADED with sugar and carbs. As I have gotten older, and less tolerant of sugar, this tradition has left me feeling like garbage about an hour after breakfast. Not only did my blood sugar crash, but they seemed to just evaporate and leave me starving not long after. We got in the habit of also making bacon to go with them, so we'd have some protein, but it didn't help much.

When I started Keto, I knew that I would need to say goodbye to the canned rolls, but I was kind of bummed out about it since it was the tradition. I browsed a few recipes online, but was kind of weirded out by the idea of using fathead dough for something sweet. I thought it would be bizarre, that there's no way mozzarella could ever turn into something sweet, instead of savory. The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized that mozzarella is pretty neutral. One recipe I saw made rolls that were tiny and crunchy, and I wasn't into that idea so much. The main draw of cinnamon rolls is that they are soft, hot and gooey. The second draw is that they are super easy to pop out of a can the morning-of and stick in the oven (I never want to spend a bunch of time creating a complicated recipe in the kitchen in the morning). So, I knew what I wanted to create was something that was soft and gooey, and something I could prep the night before and save in the fridge for the next day. I'm happy to say that these stored GREAT overnight and, I think, the fact that the dough was completely chilled helped them cook nice and slow and not get crispy or flattened out. So, if you're thinking ahead, I'd strongly recommend making them the night before, covering them, and storing in the fridge overnight.

Lastly, I have finally figured out that the perfect method for "smooshing out" fathead dough is by using two sheets of parchment paper, one to lay the dough on, and the other to place over top of it while you smash down the dough with your hands. If you have a rolling pin, even better. You can roll it out and prevent it from sticking to everything by using two sheets of parchment paper.

I will say, this recipe looks a little more complicated than it actually is. I usually try to create recipes that only require getting one or two bowls dirty, but that wasn't the case for this one. However - it's worth it.

Sweet Fathead Dough:
- 3 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2 tbs stevia

Cinnamon-"Sugar" Filling:
- 1/2 cup stevia
- 1 generous tbs cinnamon

Cinnamon Glaze:
- 3 tbs melted butter
- 2 tbs stevia
-1/2 tbs cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 2 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup stevia
- 1/8 cup heavy whipping cream

First, create your fathead dough. Place your mozzarella and cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave in 30 second increments, mixing together in between. Soften in microwave until it is smooth and "gummy." Work in your almond flour and stevia until thoroughly combined.

Lay out your first sheet of parchment paper. Place your ball of fathead dough on the sheet, and use a second sheet to smash it down and smooth it out until it is completely flat.

Once you get your dough flattened, to about 1/3 of an inch thick, spread your cinnamon "sugar" filling all over your flat dough, all the way out to the edges.

 Roll your dough tightly, like a taco.

Once your dough is rolled, use a sharp knife to cut your dough into discs about one inch thick.

Place your discs in a greased or nonstick cake pan. I like to place them close together, not spaced out like cookies, so the sides end up touching in the oven and keeps them soft.

Then, make your glaze. Melt butter, and mix in stevia and cinnamon. Brush this glaze on top of your rolls.

If you are storing these for the next day, cover them as is, and stick in the fridge (recommended). If not, I would still recommend sticking in the freezer for a few minutes to cool down the dough.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 18-22 minutes, until they are just golden brown.

While they are baking, whip up your cream cheese frosting. Place all of your ingredients in a bowl and beat together with a hand mixer until thoroughly combined. Spread on top of your rolls after they have had a few minutes to cool.

And that's it! What you end up with is a delicious, warm, comfort-foody breakfast. And, check out that texture!

Enjoy!

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