These keto cinnamon rolls are soft, chewy, filled with swirls of cinnamon and topped with low carb cream cheese frosting. They are perfect for your next brunch or breakfast.
I have been determined to create keto-friendly cinnamon rolls. I don’t have as much time to recipe test these days, so I had to split my testing over several days. But I’m really happy with how these turned out, just in time for the long weekend.
What Makes These Keto-Friendly
The base of the cinnamon rolls is the popular fathead dough. Fathead dough is made with melted mozzarella and cream cheese, almond flour, baking powder and eggs. The dough comes together very easily and is very versatile, working for both sweet and savory recipes.
This is a great breakfast recipe that will keep you on track. I love how many ways I can use this fathead dough – it’s so versatile. I’ve used this dough to make bagels, bread rolls, soft pretzels, breadsticks and now these cinnamon rolls.
If you’ve ever made fathead dough, then you know it’s quite sticky, which makes using it for this keto cinnamon rolls recipe a little trickier since cinnamon rolls require you to roll out the dough and re-roll it up. But it’s definitely possible and I provide plenty step-by-step photos and tips below.
Ingredients
- Shredded part-skim low moisture mozzarella cheese
- Cream cheese
- Large eggs
- Superfine almond flour
- Baking powder (aluminum-free)
- Erythritol granular
- Brown sugar alternative
- Ground cinnamon
- Melted unsalted butter
- Cream cheese
- Softened unsalted butter
- Vanilla extract
- Powdered erythritol
- Almond milk
How to Make Keto Cinnamon Rolls
All the dough ingredients can be pulsed together in a food processor until a dough forms. The mixture will be very sticky which is normal.
The dough needs to be rolled out to a large rectangle that is 10 inches by 13 inches. In order to do this, line your pastry or cutting board with plastic wrap and also cover the top of the dough with plastic wrap.
Use a rolling pin, roll out the dough between the sheets of plastic wrap. The plastic wrap should prevent the dough from sticking and should make it easy for you to roll out the dough. It’s okay if your edges are a little rough and not perfectly straight. When you’re done rolling, remove the top layer of plastic wrap.
Next, cover the dough with the cinnamon paste.
Coat your fingers in a little oil and carefully peel one inch of the dough from one end from the plastic wrap. You only need to peel enough dough off of the plastic wrap so that you can make the first roll.
After the initial roll, you can use the plastic wrap to help you roll up your cinnamon roll log. Push the dough up with the help of the plastic wrap and only release the dough from the plastic wrap when needed so that it doesn’t go into the rolled up section. Make sure to keep your rolls tight. You don’t want air pockets between the layers.
Use a sharp knife to slice the roll into 12 pieces. Do not cut the dough with just one knife cut. Doing so will squish the dough too much. Instead, move your knife back and forth (like cutting with a saw) several times as you slowly apply pressure. This will preserve the layers and swirls.
After you cut each roll, make sure to wipe your knife clean as there will be some dough sticking to it. Place the rolls in a baking pan. Bake the rolls until they are golden brown about 25 minutes.
Low Carb Cream Cheese Frosting
Whether you prefer thick frosting or thin icing, I’ve covered both in this recipe. The cream cheese frosting starts off super thick but can easily be thinned out for those who prefer a thinner icing.
To make the frosting, you need cream cheese, butter and powdered sweetener and vanilla. To thin it out, you just need to add some almond milk.
Storage Tip
Fathead cinnamon rolls should be stored in the refrigerator. They will keep for several days.
I’m so happy to have figured out how to make low-carb cinnamon rolls. I can have them more often! I hope you try them soon.
More Keto Breakfast Recipes
Keto Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded part skim low moisture mozzarella cheese
- 2 oz cream cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups superfine almond flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder aluminum free
- 2 tbsp erythritol granular
Cinnamon Filling
- 6 tbsp brown sugar alternative
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 6 tbsp powdered erythritol or more as needed
- almond milk optional, to thin out frosting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Add mozzarella and cream cheese to a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover the cream cheese with mozzarella so that it is not exposed in the microwave. Melt cheeses in the microwave at full power in 30 second intervals. Stir after each 30 seconds and continue cooking until cheeses are completely melted and form a uniform cheese dough. This should take around 2 minutes total. Do not try to microwave the full time at once because some of the cheese will overcook. You can also melt the cheese over the stove in a double boiler.
- Add melted cheese to food processor with dough blade attachment. Add in eggs, almond flour, baking powder, 2 tbsp erythritol. Pulse on high speed until the dough is uniform. The dough will be quite sticky, which is normal.
- Roll out the dough into a 10 inch by 13 inch rectangle. To do this, first line your pastry board with plastic wrap. The plastic wrap should be large enough to cover the dough once it is rolled out. Use a spatula to scoop out the dough from the processor and onto the plastic wrap.
- Place another large sheet of plastic wrap (enough to cover 10 x 13 inches of dough) on top of the dough. Roll out the dough evenly in between the sheets of plastic wrap using a rolling pin until it is 10 x 13 inches. Then remove the top sheet of plastic wrap from the dough.
- Make the cinnamon filling. Combine all ingredients into a medium bowl. Mix until evenly combined and thick paste forms.
- Using a spatula, spread the cinnamon filling evenly across the surface of the dough.
- Roll your dough into a log. To do this, start with one of the long (13 inch) ends. Coat your fingers lightly with oil. Very carefully, lift about 1 inch of the end of the dough from the plastic wrap. You only need to lift just enough dough to make the initial roll. See photo for reference.
- After the first swirl/roll, use the plastic wrap to help you continue to roll up the dough. Push/roll the dough up with the help of the plastic wrap and only release the dough from the plastic wrap when needed so that it doesn’t go into the rolled up section. Make sure to roll tightly. You don’t want air pockets between the layers.
- Using a sharp knife, slice off the uneven ends of the log. Then slice the log into 12 same-sized rolls (each one should be about 1 inch thick). When slicing, don't make the slice in one knife cut. Instead, move your blade back and forth (like when using a saw) and slowly apply pressure. This will preserve the layers of the cinnamon swirl. Place each roll into prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly apart.
- Bake for about 25 minutes or until rolls are golden brown and dough is finished cooking.
- While rolls are baking, make your frosting. Add all frosting ingredients except almond milk into a mixing bowl. Beat on high speed until creamy. If desired, beat in almond milk (1 tbsp at a time) to thin out frosting to desired consistency. Frost cinnamon rolls before serving.
Notes
- Make sure to use pre-shredded mozzarella. Regular mozzarella blocks or balls have too much moisture and will make the dough too sticky to work with.
- If you don't own a food processor, you can try mixing the dough by hand.
- For the cinnamon filling, I used sukrin gold brown sugar alternative* which works a lot like regular brown sugar. You can substitute with other brown sugar alternatives. You can also use erythritol granular.
- For the cream cheese frosting, make sure to use powdered sweetener. I used So Nourished powdered erythritol*
- *This product link is an affiliate link. This means I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases (at no extra charge to you).
- The estimated nutrition is only for a roll without any frosting since it is difficult to determine how much frosting is on each roll. The estimated carbohydrates count excludes sugar alcohols. The net carbs exclude both fiber and sugar alcohols.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Hi, this is a question about the Keto Cinnamon Rolls recipe.
Is it alright to use Stevia sweetener instead of erythritol powdered or granular?
If not, where can I purchase erythritol? If in a grocery store would it be sold under some other name?
Many thanks in advance for your answer.
Thanks too for your generosity with your time and the recipes you create/share with us.
(signed) Rita
If you’re in the US, you can find powdered erythritol at many grocery stores, including Walmart. You can also order it online at Amazon. We haven’t tried this recipe with stevia.
Amazing recipe!! ?
Thanks!
Can you freeze these. I figured I could put them in baggies unfrosted and keep them for one month if that. I’m the only one in my home who’d eat them and I just want to make sure I have enough time to eat them.
We have not tried freezing them, but it should work. Tightly wrap each roll and store them in a freezer container. They should freeze well for up to two months. Thaw them in the refrigerator and warm them up in the microwave.
Sucralose is not a keto friendly food. I use Whole Earth Erythritol. Swerve brown sugar which is also a natural plant based sweetened
there is no sucralose in the recipe
One of my favorites, my wife loves them. We sometimes use orange extract and the taste like to one’s mom would make, you know the dough boy lol
I’m so glad you like them!
I can not that you enough for this recipe! Did not taste any different than the real deal.
I’m so glad you liked them!
I just want to say thank you VERY MUCH for your recipes…
I’m looking forward to trying them when I finish my 40 day fast…
I hope you enjoy!
Use a serrated knife and it will not squish as much. You had me until the Sucralose. I think these days, people are looking for more natural ingredients and not chemicals that have possible known and unknown side effects. Monkfruit is a good alternative and the Brown Monkfruit is a perfect sub for Brown Sugar in the Cinnamon Roll filling.
I personally found a regular sharp knife was better than using serrated because of how sticky the dough is, but whatever works best for you!
What happens if you forgot the baking powder? ?
the rolls will not rise
I like this recipe…i normally use the “non-fathead” one, but I thought that the cheesy tint of a Danish would play well with cinnamon tools…. and, for once, I was right!!!??
One trick i learned (in my kitchen OCD) was to put on latex gloves and spray them with olive oil while managing the finished dough.
Also, if you can get your hands on some, use 3 drops of concentrated sucralose (NOT SPLENDA) in your filling and topping…but only 3 DROPS!! You won’t even know they are not regular rolls…
Bon Appétit!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed! Thanks for sharing your tips