Sprouted Grain Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

The best part of Valentine’s Day is absolutely the treats. But, you don’t want to rely on someone else to get you what you want. Who wants to be disappointed that their favorite treat is X and they got Y instead? Advocate for yourself and make your fave dessert, whether that’s amazing sprouted grain vegan cinnamon rolls made in under an hour, or anything else.

Let’s be honest, this is a made up holiday. Sure, it’s great to have a day that forces you to carve time out for your significant other when you may not regularly make that time. We can also use the holiday to love ourselves and practice some self-care though… in the form of delicious treats or whatever else you want or need! It’s a bonus if your loved ones happen to love the same treats as you, like these amazing 50 minute cinnamon rolls, that also happen to be vegan and made with sprouted grains.

Why Sprouted Grains?

Listen, I am all for a cinnamon roll made entirely with all-purpose flour from your favorite local bakery. But, if it’s not going to impact the flavor and texture, why not add a punch of nutrients? I covered this in my pizza and calzone dough post, too, but I want to take the time to reiterate it. I like One Degree Organics brand, and find it at Sprouts, Whole Foods and our local health food store, but there are others out there, too! Keep it in your pantry and you can easily whip up sprouted grain vegan cinnamon rolls whenever you’d like.

• The sprouting process in grains can slightly enhance nutrient density bioavailability – or the ability for your digestive tract to process and absorb the nutrients.
• Some individuals who are susceptible to IBS may see that consuming sprouted grains more regularly, in place of standard grains, results in some digestive improvements.
• Mixing sprouted grain flour with some 00 or all purpose allows this dough to provide the right texture, plus a bit more protein and fiber for satiety as well as flavor.

Why Honey and Coconut Sugar?

Again, I’m not here to make you fear white sugar in your diet from time to time (or even daily, like in my favorite chocolate bars). Still:

• If a type of sugar can enhance flavor while having a small decrease in blood sugar reactions, I’m in. To me, honey and coconut sugar provide much more depth of flavor than white sugar and I really enjoy them.
• While sugar in general is still low in vitamins and minerals, coconut sugar does have a bit more of these.
• Coconut sugar and honey also having a slightly lower glycemic effect compared to white sugar.
• Honey also contains some fructose and oligosaccharides, carbohydrates that are absorbed more slowly and may benefit gut health.

How are these made in under an hour?!

The secret is fast acting yeast! Now that I’ve used it successfully in this recipe, I’m absolutely going to try it out in other baked goods, including bread.

Tell me, what’s your favorite way to treat yourself or a loved on with food?

Recipe notes:

• You can absolutely use whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour in place of sprouted grain if that is what you have on hand.
• If you use brown sugar instead of coconut sugar for the filling, eliminate the honey or maple.
• Store bought frosting works, too. If you make this recipe, though, and have a little left over (we like heavy frosting in our house), you can feel free to freeze until you need it for another recipe.
• If you tend to have blood sugar fluctuate more than the average person, I suggest pairing a cinnamon roll with some eggs or scrambled tofu at breakfast, right after a protein rich meal as dessert, or paired with some nuts as a snack.

Sprouted Grain Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

Prep time: 35
Cook time: 15 min

Ingredients

Dough

• 2.5 tsp (1 packet) rapid rise yeast
• 1 cup warm water (110-120°)
• 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
• 2 tbsp melted coconut oil or vegan butter
• 3 tbsp honey or maple syrup
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups sprouted grain flour
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour + more for prepping on surface

Filling

• 1 tbsp melted coconut oil
• 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

Frosting

• 1/4 cup vegan butter
• 1 tbsp non-dairy milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• Approximately 2 cups powdered sugar

Directions

• Warm up water until it’s warm to touch; if you have a liquid or food thermometer, it will be between 100°-120° F. Stir in honey before pouring over yeast in a medium to large mixing bowl. Let sit for roughly 5-10 minutes, or until bubbles are present. If no bubbles form or you don’t notice a frothy texture, the yeast is dead and you’ll need to restart with fresh yeast.
• Whisk in the honey, vegan butter or coconut oil, and salt. Then, stir in the sprouted grain flour with a firm rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
• Once incorporated, cover with 1/2 cup of all purpose flour and stir until the dough pulls away from the sides, but is still sticky and soft. Form into a ball and let sit, covered, in the bowl while you prep the filling, preferably in a warm area. You can heat the oven to 200° and then turn it off before letting the dough sit in there for 5 minutes as an option.
• Melt the butter and add the honey, vanilla, cinnamon and coconut sugar before mixing well. 
• Lightly cover your counter or surface with all purpose flour and then add the dough to the surface. With a rolling pin, roll out to a 12-14 x 14-16” rectangle.
• Spread the filling over the dough, leaving about 1/2 inch on all sides free of the filling. I use a frosting spatula that I dip in warm water to allow it to spread more easily and evenly.
• Gently, but tightly, begin to roll the dough up into a log, starting with the end closest to you and moving further away.
• Using a sharp knife, slice off the two uneven ends where there is no filling. Slice rolls off about 1 1/2 inch thick and place them in a greased 9×9 inch pan. You should get around 12 rolls. Cover with a damp towel and place back in the warm oven for about 20 minutes.
• To make the frosting while the rolls are rising, mix together the butter, vanilla and milk before whisking in the powdered sugar.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Once rolls have doubled in size, bake for about 14-16 minutes. Let them cool for a few minutes before pouring frosting over.