These Homemade Keto Cinnamon Rolls are light and fluffy with an irresistible buttery cinnamon filling. Topped with a sugar-free vanilla glaze, this recipe makes the ultimate low carb treat your whole family will love.

❤️ Why You’ll Love this Keto Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

• Light and fluffy texture, just like the traditional version
• Warm and sweet cinnamon flavors
• Classic vanilla icing over the tops
• Family and kid friendly
• Only 2 net carbs each!

Ahhh, the smell of homemade cinnamon rolls baking in the oven? There's just nothing like it...well, except eating them! While this recipe takes a little longer to make than the fathead kind, most of the time is spent proofing the dough.

If you're follow these easy steps, you'll see that they're not hard to make at all and I think you will find they are well worth the wait!

This recipe uses a lot of the same ingredients in my Homemade Keto Bread, which was initially inspired by Diedre’s Kitchen on YouTube, who made a wonderfully creative Keto bread loaf several years ago. 

If you have been searching for a Keto cinnamon roll recipe, you'll find that most of the recipes are made using a fathead dough. While I love some recipes with fathead dough, like this Fathead Pizza, cinnamon rolls just need to have that fluffy dough that bakes up golden brown to really hit the mark.

That's EXACTLY what you are going to love about this bakery-style Keto cinnamon roll recipe! They are tender, pull apart sweet cinnamon rolls that are made with a Keto friendly dough, that gives you everything you're looking for in classic cinnamon rolls but with a fraction of the carbs!

🛒 What’s in Keto Cinnamon Rolls

• Vital wheat gluten
• Oat fiber
• Ground golden flaxseed
• Lupin flour
• Water
• Heavy cream
• Eggs
• Butter
• Active dry yeast
• Baking powder
• Inulin powder
• Vanilla extract
• Cream cheese
• Brown monk fruit/allulose
• Monk fruit/allulose
• Ground cinnamon
• Salt

*Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.

🥣 Recommended Tools

• Stand mixer
• 9 x 13 Baking pan
• Whisk
• Mixing bowl
• Brush
• Rolling pin

🔪 How to Make the Best Keto Cinnamon Rolls

Add the water and heavy cream to a microwave safe mixing cup and heat to 125°F.  Pour in inulin, then sprinkle the yeast over the top. 

Tip: If you don’t have inulin, you can use honey instead. Whether you use inulin or honey, the carbs won't affect you, since the yeast feeds off the sugar to emit carbon dioxide, which makes the bread light and airy.

Mix for just a few seconds, then allow the yeast to bloom while you mix up your dry ingredients.

Tip: You should be able to smell your yeast and if it doesn't foam up, it's likely expired. It's best to use an instant read thermometer to make sure the temperature of your water is 125°F. If it's too cold, the yeast won't activate. If it's too hot, it will kill the yeast.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, add in the vital wheat gluten, oat fiber, lupin flour, golden flaxseed, sweetener, salt and baking powder.  

Whisk briefly to combine, break up any lumps and make it light and fluffy.

Once the yeast has bloomed (should take about 5-7 minutes), with the mixer running, slowly pour it in. Then pour in the eggs, until the dough comes together.  

Tip: You don't want the dough too wet or it won't rise properly. Too dry and your rolls will also be dry.

Add in the butter, then continue mixing, just until combined. Sprinkle in 1-3 tablespoons of golden flaxseed until the dough is barely sticking to the sides of the bowl and isn’t too wet. 

Scrape down the sides, remove the paddle, then replace with a dough hook. Allow the dough to knead for 7 minutes, then let it rest for 10 minutes.  I use this time to clean up and prepare my bowl.

Take a large mixing bowl and spray with nonstick spray, I like to use coconut oil spray. Remove the dough from your mixer.  It should be a little sticky, but not really wet.

Form it into a ball, place it in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. You want to give it plenty of room to expand, so don’t cover it too tightly.

Using the bread proof setting in your oven, allow to proof for 90 minutes.  To help create the perfectly warm moist environment, place a shallow pan with boiling water on the bottom of your oven. 

If your oven doesn’t have a bread proof setting, you can place a microwave safe dish or glass with hot water in the microwave, along with the loaf to proof in there.

Once the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto your board.  I use my Silpat because it doesn’t slide around and I don’t need to use any flour.

Using your hands or a rolling pin (I just used my hands) spread the dough out into a large rectangular shape.  Brush the melted butter all over the surface.

Tip: Be sure not to add too much better, otherwise your dough won't rise properly and your cinnamon rolls will be more dense.

In a small mixing bowl, add in the brown and regular sweetener, along with the cinnamon and mix until well combined.

Sprinkle the mixture over the buttered dough, leaving a small border around the edges. Take the side furthest from you and roll the dough jelly roll style towards you.  Roll it tightly, a little at a time and when you come to the end, lightly wet the edge with some water on your fingertips and end with the seam side down.

Using a sharp knife, cut the ends off ( I bake them separately as a cook’s treat) because they don’t have as much of the filling inside.  Then cut the log down the middle, then cut the two pieces into 2, then cut them pieces into 3 each, giving you 12 even pieces.

Tip: Alternatively, you can use a thread to cut through the dough without crushing them.

Place each cinnamon roll in a 9 x 13 baking pan that’s been sprayed with nonstick spray, evenly spread apart.  Cover with the same plastic wrap and place back into your proofing spot and allow to rise for another 90 minutes. They won’t quite double in size, but they should be substantially puffed up.

Tip: For this second rising, do not use the boiling water in the oven or microwave because it will create an environment that is too moist that the butter and sweetener might ooze out onto the baking pan.

Preheat oven to 350°F and bake 20-25 minutes.  If they start to get too browned, lightly tent them with aluminum foil and continue cooking until they are cooked through.

While the cinnamon rolls are baking, mix the cream cheese and butter together using a hand mixer. Add in the vanilla extra and a little heavy cream. Continue to add more heavy cream until you get the consistency of icing. It should be thinner than a frosting and thicker than a glaze.

When you take your cinnamon rolls out of the oven, allow them to cool for 5 minutes, then spread your icing over the tops and serve while warm.

How to Store Cinnamon Rolls

Once you have made a batch of these cinnamon rolls, you will want to keep them as fresh as possibly for as long as you can. Here's how:

Fridge: Once the rolls have baked and cooled, store any (unlikely) leftovers in an airtight container for up to a few days.

Freezer: If you want to bake them in advance and freeze them for later, just make sure that you place them in a container that is freezer safe. Double wrap with plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil. Label the outside of the container with the date. Place them in the freezer for up to about 4 months.

Reheating cinnamon rolls: If you're reheating frozen rolls, you will want to thaw them overnight in the fridge first. Then just stick them in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds or until they are warmed through.

What to Serve with Cinnamon Rolls?

Cinnamon rolls with a hot cup of coffee is the perfect combination, but if you are looking for some ideas of other choices to add to a brunch table, you could serve these cinnamon rolls with something savory to help balance out the sweetness.

To help you keep things low carb, serve them along with this Italian Sausage and Pepper Frittata, this Mexican Breakfast Casserole, Shakshuka with Italian Sausage, or this delicious Keto Quiche Lorraine.

FAQs about Making Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

What is the Best Flour to Use for Cinnamon Rolls?

Traditional wheat flour is not considered a good option for Keto. This recipe uses lupin flour instead. Lupin flour is a keto-friendly ingredient that is the perfect baking replacement in Keto recipes. And because it is made from the Lupin bean, you can use it instead of nut flours in the case you have a nut sensitivity.

Why are My Cinnamon Rolls Tough and Dry?

Nothing is worse than biting into a freshly baked cinnamon roll, glistening with vanilla glaze, only for it to be dry and tough! Here are some great tips to make sure yours never turn out that way:

• Always be patient and allow the dough to rise. Dough that has not proofed well will be super dense and tough.

• Baking requires using precise measurements. Make sure you aren't packing the ingredients into the measuring cup. They should be even, loosely packed level cups.

• Never start them out in the cold oven, always preheat it first. The dough will dry out and toughen as the oven heats up.

• The most common cause for tough and dry cinnamon rolls is that you over baked them. If the centers seem like they need to few more minutes to bake, make sure to tent the rolls with foil to prevent over browning them.

How Do I Get My Cinnamon Rolls to Rise?

The best way to get your cinnamon rolls to rise is to activate the yeast properly. Make sure that the water temp is just right, the yeast is not old and that the yeast mixture has not come in contact with salt.

Another way to ensure the rolls rise is to place them in the right environment. Yeast thrives in warm, moist places. Find a place in your kitchen, like the inside of your oven on the proof setting with a pan of boiling hot water on the very bottom.

Lastly, make sure you do not have too high a ratio of water to flour. This is another reason measuring properly is so important.

Homemade Cinnamon Roll Add-ins

• Citrus zest: Add a little tangy twist with some fresh lemon or orange zest. You can add some directly into the dough, or just add some to the vanilla frosting.

• Dried fruit: If you're on Keto, you will want to choose which fruit you add to the dough that suits your macros. Dried cranberries are a great low carb option. You could also add some raisins, golden raisins or finely chopped apricots, but you will want to adjust your macros accordingly.

• Extracts: This recipe uses pure vanilla extract, but you can add other tasty flavors by using almond extract, lemon extract and orange extract would all be amazing. Add a little bit to the frosting for even more flavor.

• Chocolate: If you have chocolate lovers in your life, you can add some chocolate chips to the top of the dough before rolling it up. Just be careful, you only want to sprinkle in a few as to not alter the texture of the rolls.

Is Cinnamon Allowed on Keto?

Cinnamon is a great way to add flavor, with few carbs, to Keto recipes. Because it has a strong flavor, a little goes a long way. For one tablespoon of ground cinnamon there are only 2 grams of carbohydrates, but no one eats an entire whole tablespoon of cinnamon at one time.

Are Cinnamon Rolls OK on Keto? Are Cinnamon Rolls High in Carbs?

Traditional cinnamon rolls are very high in carbs and inflammatory ingredients. For that reason, they are not a good choice for Keto. For one of those classic cinnamon rolls that you get at the mall, there are around 100-127 grams of carbs per roll. WOWZA, right?

No worries...you can get all those same delicious flavors and that light, fluffy and chewy texture with this recipe. And there are only 2 net carbs per roll!

What are the Keto Ingredients in Keto Cinnamon Rolls?

Some of the ingredients I’ve used might be a little unfamiliar, while others you’ve likely seen me bake with before.  They're all Keto friendly and I’ve personally tested my ketones a number of times, just to be absolutely sure and it has never once kicked me out of ketosis or even stalled my weight loss. 

As with any new product you have never tried using before, you should test it for yourself using a keto blood meter, if you're at all concerned. The best way to test is to check your ketone level 2-3 hours after eating.

These are the exact ingredients and brands that I use, and yes brands matter in most of these ingredients. I opt for ones that give me the beat texture and mildest flavor:

Vital Wheat Gluten

This is ingredient seems to cause some confusion, so maybe this will explain things. Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat but with Vital Wheat Gluten, water is added to the wheat to hydrate it.

This activates the gluten. Once the gluten has been activated, all other parts of the wheat are removed so just the protein is left behind which is what makes it suitable for Keto diets.

Note: If you are sensitive to gluten, please know that even though this product is Keto friendly, it does contain gluten.

Oat Fiber

Oat Fiber is made from grinding the outer husks of oats. How healthy is oat fiber? It's pure insoluble fiber, which doesn't dissolve in water and isn't broken down in the digestive tract, so it has zero net carbs and is perfect for a Keto Diet. It helps give a more traditional texture and that's why I use it so often. Check out all the Keto Oat Fiber Recipes you can make!

Lupin Flour

You may have never heard of lupin flour before. Just don't let the word "flour" scare you. Lupin flour is made from the lupin beans which are closely related to peanuts.

Even though lupin beans are indeed legumes, they are devoid of starch and high in protein and fiber, which makes it a great low carb baking ingredient. Aviate Foods makes the best Lupin Flour I've found, you can order it on Amazon with code: KETOCC20 to save 20%!

Ground Golden Flaxseed

Flaxseeds are derived from the flax plant, also called Linum usitatissimum. Sound a little too scientific? The most important thing to remember about golden flaxseed is, it consists of 29% of carbohydrates with 95% of that coming from fiber.

Their high soluble fiber content is perfect for Keto baking when maintaining a state of ketosis is important to you.

Active Dry Yeast

Dry active yeast is what gives these buns a lift and makes texture most like traditional bread. The great news is, for an entire tablespoon, there are only 5 grams of carbs with 3 of those coming from fiber which makes the carb impact for an entire recipe very minimal.

Inulin

Inulin powder is made from the chicory root fiber and contains no net carbohydrates. It's the perfect ingredient to enhance the flavor and texture of Keto, low-carb or gluten-free bread recipes.

More Keto Breakfast Treats

• Keto Blueberry Muffins
• Chocolate Zucchini Bread
• Ricotta Almond Pancakes
• Keto Coffee Cake
• Fluffy Keto Pancakes
• Homemade Keto Waffles
• Strawberry Lemonade Muffins
• Keto Banana Bread
• Snickerdoodle Muffins