Cinnamon Rolls
(click on image to enlarge)
Serves 4-8
Just in time for the holidays, this cinnamon roll recipe satisfies the sweet tooth and the desire to continue a tradition.
My family always eats traditional cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. Since I am the only one who eats raw, the rest of them will continue to indulge with their usual breakfast treat this year. But, I don’t have to miss out with this tasty solution.
And, it doesn’t have to be reserved for a special occasion. I have them for breakfast frequently, eating two of them with a side of fresh fruit. They also make a great snack or dessert.
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups almond meal
- 1¼ cups ground flaxseed
- 1 dash cayenne pepper
- 1½ tablespoons cinnamon
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 cup soft pitted dates
- ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅛ cup olive oil
- ⅛ cup agave nectar
- ¼ cup raisins, plus a little extra
- ¼ cup chopped nuts
Preparation
Combine the almond meal, ground flaxseed, dash of cayenne pepper, 1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon and pinch sea salt in a bowl and set aside.
In a food processor or blender, process dates, water and vanilla into a paste. Remove half of the date paste and add it to the dry ingredients, along with the olive oil and agave. Mix these ingredients with your hands until it forms a dough. You may need to add a little water and/or agave if it is too dry, but be careful not to add too much.
Spread the dough out on a piece of parchment paper, and flatten/shape it into a 1/4-inch thick square.
Add 1/4 cup raisins and 1 Tbsp. of cinnamon to the rest of the date paste left in your food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Then, spread a thin layer of the paste onto the dough square, making sure to cover the whole surface, and top with a sprinkle of extra raisins and the chopped walnuts.
Using the parchment paper to help hold everything together, carefully/tightly roll the square into a log. Chill in the refrigerator, and then slice into about 1-inch thick rounds. I usually make about 8 cinnamon rolls out of this recipe.
These cinnamon rolls can be eaten right out of the refrigerator or warmed on a dehydrator. I top mine with a generous icing of raw almond butter mixed with agave, vanilla and sea salt (or if I have more time, I make a cashew and coconut whipped cream icing, as seen in the photo). Yum-O!
Comments
kandace writes: (December 31, 2006)
This recipe looks delicious. I looked all over for almond meal and didn’t find it in any of our local foods bulk sections. There’s a discussion on almond meal over in the forums and I am excited to make my own.
shannonmarie writes: (January 01, 2007)
This recipe is delicious. I just ate two cinnamon rolls as my first meal of the year. They are so addicting.
For the almond meal, you can either save the what’s leftover after straining homemade almond milk, or sometimes Whole Foods sells it on an end-cap of raw foods.
You also can find raw nut meal on the Internet. After a quick search, I found this link, http://www.amazon.com/Pecan-Meal-Raw-8-oz/dp/B0001JXE6M. It is for raw pecan meal, which would also be delicious. There is also a link on that page to almond meal, but I am not sure if it is raw.
If you find you don’t have enough almond meal, just increase the amount of flaxmeal. It will still work. Good luck :)
kandace writes: (January 21, 2007)
I finally made my first batch of these and they’re delicious! The almond meal I used was directly from making almond milk, so it was pretty moist. I deyhdrated a few rolls for a little over an hour before eating. The outside was dry and sweet, while the inside was soft and warm. What a delight! I can see these being quite addictive.
shannonmarie writes: (January 27, 2007)
Even if they are sticky, they still taste good. I don’t even bother to dehydrate them. I like their moist texture.
Don’t worry about not being able to see the swirl because you’ll be able to taste it – that’s what really matters. Don’t forget the frosting. It’s the best part :-)
heartcooksbrain writes: (January 27, 2007)
trader joes has the cheapest almond meal! a big bag for only 4 or 5 bucks. another great alternative is hazelnut meal if you cant find the almond
TwoBaggs writes: (March 14, 2007)
I love this recipe! It is now my new favorite dessert.
GoneRaw4Life writes: (April 02, 2007)
I’ve never dehydrated them, they are too good! I just ate them right away.
skyespice writes: (April 03, 2007)
You have got to be kidding me. These are frickin’ raw?? WOW, we made these for Saturday morning lazy breakfast day…and they were all gone by lunch. I will be making these every weekend for the rest of my life!!
Bosmaninsedona writes: (April 09, 2007)
I am so glad I have something soooo yummy to make out of all my frozen almond meal left over from Almond Milk. Thanks for the post Shannon
mango woman writes: (April 09, 2007)
i’m going to make these as soon as i get my almonds and dates from countrylife. YES! i can’t wait.
we definitely need a picture for this recipe!!!!
ambikalee writes: (April 10, 2007)
My husband is/was an awesome baker, and cinnamon rolls was one of his specialities, so last night I harrassed him into making these for me…and OMG they were divine! I agree with all other posts THIS IS A STAPLE! Thanks again!
hungry girl writes: (April 17, 2007)
just devoured some of these with almond milk, so yummy!!
farsi_strada writes: (May 13, 2007)
Has anyone tried to sun dry these or oven dry? I don’t have a dehydrator and since it is summer I can’t think why I should buy one. A glass baking dish and a screen sounds about right. If you’ve tried it or have a good guess I’d love to hear how long it took in the sun or oven and how it compares. Much Thanks!
juusan writes: (June 12, 2007)
I can’t wait to try these.
coconut dream writes: (June 18, 2007)
Wow! Everyone who has tried these loved them. I made my second batch last night and made the icing for the first time this morning… sooo tasty. Can’t wait to share with my mom! Thanks!
RawTruth writes: (June 22, 2007)
It’s my understanding that nut meals that you buy are not raw. You can easily make your own by just whirring up the almonds in a coffee grinder. It’ll just take a few batches, but you’ll know that it’s really raw (well, until September when we won’t be able to buy any more raw almonds—grrrr).
juusan writes: (June 23, 2007)
just made them and they’re lovely. I’d love to upload a picture for the recipe… how would I do that?
Viriditas writes: (June 23, 2007)
These are really fantastic! I don’t have the patience to dehydrate them this time, but they’re great without it. :)
satnam writes: (June 24, 2007)
These are really good – I’ve been using a recipe quite similar to this one, but I found that using the same amount of flaxmeal as almondmeal, made them too “strong” in a flaxmeal kind of way.
alive4sure writes: (June 29, 2007)
OH these are fabulous!! I am eating them out of the dehydrator. Must get icing made ~ Thanks for sharing this recipe.
iamaleigh writes: (July 05, 2007)
I am going to put them in the dehydrator later on when my friend comes over… But I just tried them from the fridge and wow! They’re amazing. So glad I made them. Thank you.
iamaleigh writes: (July 05, 2007)
*Update: So So good… Just like Kandace said: “The outside was dry and sweet, while the inside was soft and warm. What a delight! I can see these being quite addictive.”
coconut dream writes: (July 05, 2007)
My boyfriend and I love these.
bellasera writes: (July 09, 2007)
These were so tasty and even my non raw friends like them. I love them and try and keep some on hand for special treats.
wanna_B_raw writes: (July 20, 2007)
Delicious! My son and I had them for breakfast this morning! Reminiscent of the real thing, but more filling and better tasting! We will have them again tomorrow morning and this time I will try not to stuff myself! lol
Morning_theft writes: (August 01, 2007)
I tried dehydrating these the 4th time I made them… (didn’t have a dehydrator the first few times) and I couldn’t… I put two in the dehydrator, and they didn’t stay in there long enough, heh… I’ll try again tomorrow!
katmondu writes: (August 15, 2007)
These were very tasty, but there is something odd about them that kind of makes them hard to eat. Maybe it’s that they seem a little dry and heavy – I think it might be the ground flax and the fact that I used dehyrated almond meal; the next time I make these, I’m going to cut the flax down a bit and either put more dates or more almond meal, and instead of using dehydrated almond meal, I’ll use fresh stuff I end up with after I make my almond milk. The date paste and the “icing” are so fantastic and unbelievable – and this was a very easy recipe to make!
greenpolkadot writes: (August 18, 2007)
These are really good! I used almond pulp leftover from almond milk I made the day before. It was still very moist and it made really nice “dough”. I also forgot the olive oil and agave but I don’t think it made one bit of a difference. I tried one with cashew butter (although is not truely raw) was really yummy!
iwasthelion writes: (September 06, 2007)
I love them! I’m afraid they’ll go bad before I’m able to finish them off, due to a horribly picky family, but my mom loved them. I made the icing suggested, plus almond milk for a softer consistency, and that tastes amazing as well. Thanks for this! :)
Marichiesa writes: (October 20, 2007)
I finally made these and Wow! I love ‘em. Just polished off two and they are deelish.
subpolka writes: (November 16, 2007)
Yum! I credit these rolls with helping me survive my first (rather difficult) week of being raw.
mpop writes: (November 20, 2007)
I made these last night, they were ok. I think next time I’ll substitute the flax seeds with some other nuts.
susannabellajane writes: (December 08, 2007)
Wow, I really enjoyed this recipe….didn’t get into making the frosting yet as they were so good without (and since I am so new to raw I don’t need the calories). I will experiment with a more savory roll, perhaps with bits of finely chopped onion, cracked pepper and parsely in the dough, and a sundried tomato/olive oil/pine nut and basil pesto filling.I’ll post the results if it turns out good. :)
Dragonfly writes: (December 09, 2007)
Could anyone write back with the frosting recipe? I am new to raw food and this recipe, so I need a little help! Is it on this website? I am not finding it. Thanks!
shannonmarie writes: (December 16, 2007)
I can’t take credit for the icing in the pic. I used Carmella’s recipe for whipped cream icing on her Sunny Raw Kitchen blog. Here’s the link: http://thesunnyrawkitchen.blogspot.com/2007/10/recipe-of-week-banana-chocolate-cream.html
ItGirl writes: (December 21, 2007)
Can I substitute anything for the almond meal? I’m allergic to nuts… =[
Dragonfly writes: (December 21, 2007)
Thank you Shannon Marie! I’m excited to try it…
Sky Princess writes: (December 22, 2007)
Just tried it and ate one! Ummm, so lovely, Shannonmarie, our family has nearly the same tradition as your family, Christmas bread for breakfast, so just like you, I’ve made those rolls for my Christmas breakfast. BTW, I emjoy reading your blog, keep it up!!!
Lyn-doe writes: (December 29, 2007)
I made these for the christmas breakfast and they were delicious! I still have some, they r so rich and filling! Thanks for the recipe, i’ve missed cinnamon rolls!
Shawnette writes: (December 31, 2007)
Hi ItGirl. Maybe you can try a version with sprouted grains(buckwheat or something like that). New to raw food, but some of the recipes i see have sprouted buckwheat and they sound amazing. I understand it’s pretty easy to do. Good luck :-)
carrie6292 writes: (January 11, 2008)
these are delicious! I think i added a lot of Agave to my frosting, but they were awesome!!!! Thanks for sharing!!!
rawkin_the_veggies writes: (January 12, 2008)
OMG, YUUUUUMMMM!!! My SAD husband and stepdaughter even liked them. Well, maybe that’s an exaggeration…my husband said they didn’t taste horrible…sigh…it’s a start…Thank you!!!
Techelet writes: (January 14, 2008)
Finally!!! my husband ate these and actually liked them. (no exaggeration) anything with flax was a problem since we went raw. These are a huge sucess. I will try and warm a couple tonight. Thank you for a great recipe.
Dragonfly writes: (January 27, 2008)
Oops! Sorry for the blank note…I tried the coconut icing recipe. It tastes great, however, melting the coconut butter negates the rawness. Does anyone else have a RAW recipe?
Astara writes: (February 01, 2008)
Dragonfly, I found livingtreecommunity.com and they have a coconut butter that is spreadable!! Try that. I also use my own almond meal and I like the meal I get from the orange almond milk. You just use fresh orange juice instead of water. Smells great when in the dehydrator too.
Raw Ju Ju writes: (February 10, 2008)
I just made these tonight. I am going to have them for breakfast tomorrow. I can’t wait to taste them!! They smell awesome!
Astara writes: (February 16, 2008)
I just made these and we are having one now! WOW!!! Wonderful! Thanks so much!
k8ee writes: (March 05, 2008)
Tried these for my first raw recipe! They are just as good as everyone said! I coudn’t believe it! I’ve made two more rolls! Awesome!
Can you share the recipe for the cashew and coconut whipped cream icing? It looks so enticing!
ambiguous writes: (March 06, 2008)
I made this with slight variations, and it’s incredible. This is great to make for a really special occasion. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
kuridaisuki88 writes: (March 16, 2008)
This looks AMAZING!!! I am definitely making this for my boyfriend & me!! :) btw, I adore your blog~
gitana writes: (March 20, 2008)
Thank you for posting! I made them with my leftovers from making almond milk and they are really good – I used this icing [http://goneraw.com/recipes/203-Creamy-Cashew-Icing] to top them off.
Shari Smith writes: (April 02, 2008)
Thank you for this recipe. I have made them multiple times different ways and they are wonderful!:o)
natnode writes: (April 08, 2008)
I made these using the pulp from a batch of almond milk, so they are quite moist but oh-so-yummy! I haven’t taken the time to dehydrate since there are delicious as is. Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
Sedona writes: (April 09, 2008)
I just made these. I love that you included cayenne in the recipe! You can barely notice it, but makes it unique. I think I will warm one up in my dehydrator now. YUM!!!
VeganMomma writes: (April 15, 2008)
I also made these with leftover almond pulp from my milk. I put in hemp oil instead of olive oil and dehydrated them for a couple of hours, to warm them up. I put sweet cashew cream on them and sprinkled walnuts and raisins on top. They were delicious.
txinchin writes: (April 18, 2008)
Wow… what an incredible recipe. I made an icing with almond butter, agave, cinnamon and vanilla and slathered it on. After turning my back for a few minutes, my non-raw family had gobbled up half the batch! I’ll definitely double the recipe next time. Thanks!
bitt writes: (April 21, 2008)
I just made these. Unfortuneatly, I put in too much cinnamon but they are still good. They have a little “bite” too them. My non-raw husband was so impressed but wants to know a good substitute for flaxmeal since he is allergic to flax. any ideas?
jsorensens2 writes: (April 22, 2008)
These were very good. I just ground up some soaked almonds instead of using the meal and it was good. I’ve been bringing a “roll” to work with me to have with my tea and I don’t need the dressing or dehydrating. Quite satisfying and filling for a mid morning snack. These will probably be a staple since once they’re made, it’s a real quick thing to grab when you’re hungry and you don’t want to prepare anything.
k8ee writes: (April 29, 2008)
I make these every Saturday! They’re like an energy bar!!
angie writes: (April 29, 2008)
Not dehydrated, no icing – AMAZING! I made the date paste a little runnier, so it’s gooey & yum :) I have the rest (I think I ate 3) in the dehydrator & I’m going to attempt an icing before I eat them all! Orange icing is making my mouth water; maybe I’ll try that…
angie writes: (April 29, 2008)
Holy cow! I just finished off the batch (2 hours later)! I think I liked them better pre-dehydrator, cuz the cinnamon taste was stronger & so it covered up the flax taste better. Obviously still good either way – I kept eating :) Good stuff!
lynzeymarie writes: (May 01, 2008)
Lovely! These taste wonderful with a bit of softened coconut butter as the icing.
Log in to discuss this recipe. No account yet? Sign up here.