Healthy Cinnamon Roll Cookies (vegan, gluten-free, oil free, refined sugar free, paleo)
Dec 11, 2019 • Updated Jun 20, 2023
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cozy, cute and healthy cinnamon roll cookies!
These Healthy Cinnamon Roll Cookies are a sweet way to enjoy a cinnamon roll-esque treat. It’s bite size and delicious without all the sticky and gooey but not without the chewy (or crispy, if you prefer). This isn’t your average cookie. Think swirls of vanilla tahini dough filled with cinnamon almond butter filling that create the perfect blend of flavours with just a dollop of coconut butter frosting. Or, you know, a little powdered sugar icing. Whatever you fancy.
This recipe is based off of one of my classic cookie recipe bases (Maple Tahini Cookies), but I’ve finally created a grain free and paleo friendly version. If you prefer an oat flour based cookie, check out some of the recipes listed below! The rest, we’re keeping the same, meaning the cookies are not only vegan and gluten-free, but also oil free, refined sugar free and paleo. Talk about a cinnamon bun that doesn’t give you a sugar crash afterwards! And trust me–your kitchen will smell absolutely incredible when you’re baking up a batch of these.
the details
- These Healthy Cinnamon Roll Cookies are vegan, gluten-free, oil free, refined sugar free and paleo. They can be made in advance and you can double the recipe if you’d like, as well.
- Tahini → is a seed butter, made from sesame seeds. It is similar to a nut butter, but contains more protein than most nuts! It’s a rich source of B and E vitamins.
- Almond Butter → is a wonderful source of healthy fats made from almonds of course. I love using almond butter when baking as it’s a bit more neutral in taste compared to peanut butter. I find that when using peanut butter, it tends to take over the cookie flavour, so unless you want a peanut butter cinnamon bun, I’d stick to using almond butter.
- Date Syrup → one of my absolute favourite sweeteners, as it has a bit of a natural caramel-like flavour to it. Made from purely dates, this syrup is also called silan, and is wonderful for those looking for an unrefined liquid sweetener. Opt to use a prepared syrup, as it is difficult to make date syrup at home yourself.
- Blackstrap Molasses → an alternative liquid sweetener, and one often used in Christmas baking, blackstrap molasses. It’s a wonderful, sweet syrup that’s surprisingly rich in iron, calcium and magnesium.
secrets to success
As mentioned, we’re using almond flour in this recipe to make things grain free and paleo. If you prefer, you can opt to use oat flour instead, making sure to adjust by adding more or less as needed to achieve a workable dough. Also, if you’re looking for oat-based cookies, be sure to check out the list below for recipes that may be more up your alley!
Because the dough can be quite sticky, I highly recommend working with parchment paper, or a silicone baking mat underneath for best results. If your dough feels too soft to work with, try refrigerating the dough for about 10 minutes first. When I bake these cookies on a warmer day, or work with my hands a lot, the dough tends to warm up and can become difficult to work with.
If you’d like to make this recipe nut-free, you can by all means use tahini for both batters. Keep in mind that the almond butter is used primarily also to add dark colour to the inner cinnamon swirl. The same goes for the use of different sweeteners (maple versus date syrup or molasses).
I notice a bit of a textural difference between tahini, which tends to be of a higher fat content and smoother, and almond butter, usually a bit thicker. Add more or less flour to compensate for the difference.
And finally, if you’re not feeling up to creating the swirl, feel free to create one batter by combining all of the listed ingredients. The cookie will taste just as delicious. Trust me!
if you like this recipe, try…
- Almond Butter Gingerbread Cookies
- Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaf
- Chocolate Gingerbread Bliss Balls
- Maple Tahini Cookies
- Matcha Monstera Cookies
- Chocolate Tahini Cutout Cookies
If you try this recipe out, tag me on Instagram @veggiekins so I can see your delicious re-creations and for a chance to be featured! As always, I love when you share your reviews in the comments below, and if you make any fun substitutions, let me know how it worked out below too!
Healthy Cinnamon Roll Cookies (vegan, gluten-free, oil free, refined sugar free, paleo)
Ingredients
- Cinnamon Filling
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup runny tahini
- 1/8 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon you can use up to 1 tsp if you're a cinnamon lover
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- Vanilla Cookie Batter
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/3 cup smooth creamy almond butter
- 1/8 cup date syrup or blackstrap molasses
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- Icing
- coconut butter warmed
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar + water by the tablespoon to stir.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F while you prepare your batters. We'll prepare each dough separately.
- In a large bowl, whisk together liquid ingredients until smooth. Sift in dry ingredients and using a spatula, mix until a dough forms. You can start to use your hands to work the dough as needed. Set your ball of dough to the side and prepare the next batter the same way.
- If the doughs feel really soft, give it some time in the refrigerator to firm up a little bit before working.
- First, roll out your vanilla dough on parchment paper to create a long, rectangular shape. Next, roll out your cinnamon filling dough and lay over top of the vanilla dough. Start to roll up the doughs, using the parchment paper to help lift the dough and roll forward, until one roll is formed. Make sure the roll is quite tight!
- Slice the roll to create cookie shapes, about 1/2 inch thick, or thicker if you prefer a chewy cookie. Flatten out slightly to seal any air pockets and place on baking tray.
- Bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes, or until edges are just browning. Remember the cookies will continue to bake once out of the oven, so don't be tempted to over bake them, especially if you like them soft.
- Let cool before enjoying for at least 10-15 minutes.
- Ice with coconut butter or other icing of choice if desired using a piping bag or spoon while warm.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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