Fluffy vegan cinnamon rolls made with spelt flour for a whole grain treat. Lots of orange flavor in these plus a touch of cardamom spice. They’re perfect for any occasion!
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This post is sponsored by One Degree Organic Foods. All opinions expressed, as always, are my own. I only partner with brands I trust and truly think you’ll enjoy. Thank you for your support and making Fit Mitten Kitchen possible!
Can you believe we are less than one week away from Christmas?! Oh em gee guys. December has officially flown by for me. I can hardly believe it. I will be honest and say I haven’t been able to fully embrace the holiday season as much as I would have liked to. It’s just been a busy month for me this year! Drew and I did finally get out together to do a little Christmas shopping the other day, but I felt so rushed and my mind was all over the place. Of course going to Target does that to me (you too?). I walk in with my gift list and then I see the dollar bins at beginning of the store–distracted stop #1. And then I gradually make my way over to browse by the women’s clothing section only to notice that sweaters are 40% off…
Me: Oh sweaters! I’ve been wanting to get some new ones, actually.
Drew: … (blank stare)
Me: What?!
Drew: This is my one Target trip for the year… That includes 2017.
Ohhh boy you guys. Mr. FMK is definitely NOT the shopper. Anyone else have these experiences? He kindly offers to be my cart pusher though. 😀
Anyways…As crazy as holiday shopping can be I kind of just like to be about the hustle and bustle of the season some times, you know? It gets me in that Christmas, holiday season mood!
As does baking cinnamon rolls
I just love cinnamon rolls this time of year–I mean really, who doesn’t?
There is nothing like a fresh batch of warm cinnamon rolls to share with your loved ones. And this year we’re making cinnamon rolls with One Degree organic sprouted spelt flour.
What is spelt flour?
Spelt flour is another whole grain flour, but wheat-free. It does contain gluten however, so it is not safe for those with Celiac disease.
Its nutritional profile is similar to whole wheat flour, but the gluten in the spelt flour is softer and gets broken down easier, so you really have to handle the dough carefully. And this particular spelt flour from One Degree is also sprouted. So that means the nutrients in the flour are more readily available compared to using grains that are not sprouted. Baking with sprouted flour can also mean it is easier to digest for some. So basically, sprouted spelt flour is an awesome wheat-free baking alternative.
Now if it’s your first time baking cinnamon rolls, I promise they truly aren’t hard! It just takes some practice and patience.
How to make cinnamon rolls from scratch
You’ll combine your ingredients and allow the dough ball to double in size (bottom left picture above) before rolling it out on a floured flat surface to layer on the coconut oil, sugar, spices and orange zest. Then you carefully roll up the dough into a log. I use the heels of my hands and thumbs to move the dough as gently and carefully as possible.
Next use a large sharp knife to slice into the dough, making 9 rolls, and place into your prepared dish. Don’t worry about the spaces, the rolls will rise and bake to fill.
After this step you need to let the rolls rest and rise one more time. This should only take about 20-30 minutes. And because it’s cold this time of year, I set my oven to warm (or 200F) then shut off and allow the rolls to rise in the warm oven.
Then it is finally time to bake these beauties!
See? The spaces are all nicely filled! They should take about 20 minutes or so to bake until lightly browned, before covering them with a sweet orange glaze.
The glaze is obviously necessary… I’m not sure who would argue against that. Cinnamon rolls without a glaze are just kind of naked!
So are you ready to make these vegan Orange Cardamom Cinnamon Rolls ASAP?
Even though we are using spelt flour for these rolls, they’re actually lighter and fluffier compared to most whole wheat roll recipes I’ve made! Just remember to handle the dough carefully 🙂
I have lots of notes in the recipe page, so don’t get overwhelmed–just read through the instructions fully before getting started.
You’ll do GREAT. Happy baking!
Vegan Spelt Flour Orange Cardamom Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
dough
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk* + 2 TBS water
- 2 TBS coconut oil
- 1 packet instant yeast, 2 1/2 tsp
- 1 TBS coconut sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, about 2 large oranges
- 2 1/2-3 cups One Degree organic sprouted spelt flour, plus more for hands and rolling
filling:
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, softened
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1 TBS ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 1/2 TBS orange zest
frosting:
- 1 cup organic powdered sugar
- 2 TBS freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/2 TBS orange zest, from the 2 large oranges
- *zest oranges and save before juicing
Instructions
- In a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup, heat almond milk + 2 TBS water and coconut oil for about 20-30 seconds. Allow temperature of mixture to reach 110F (or lukewarm). If it’s too hot it will kill the yeast.
- Pour mixture into large mixing bowl of stand mixer and sprinkle on yeast. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.
- After the yeast has activated (it should like kind of foamy) stir in the 1 TBS of coconut sugar, salt, and orange juice.
- With the paddle attachment start adding in spelt flour, about 1/2 cup at a time. You will likely need about 2 1/2 cups. Dough should be elastic and start to pull away from edge of bowl when it is ready. At this time, change the attachment to the dough hook, and allow the hook to need the dough for about 2-3 minutes, you may need to add another 1/4 cup flour here.
- Oil large bowl and shape dough into ball, place dough in bowl and cover with towel and let rise in warm environment until dough has doubled in size, about 45 minutes. TIP: set oven to warm or preheated to 200F then turn off and let rise.
- Grease a 9″ pie dish or square baking pan with coconut oil, set aside.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, lightly cover rolling pin and flat surface with flour. Roll out dough into a 15×9 inch rectangle.(Be patient, and roll gently. If you’re new to this it could take some practice! Don’t use too much flour or your dough will be stiff.)
- Using spatula, spread softened coconut oil on dough, sprinkle on sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and orange zest. Roll up dough into a log shape. Putting the seam side down, use a large sharp knife and gently cut into 9 rolls. (You can also use floss to slice through the dough.) Transfer rolls to prepared dish and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free environment. Again, you can use the warm oven tip above.
- Once the rolls have risen again slightly, preheat oven to 350F (take rolls out and wait for oven to get up to 350F). Bake cinnamon rolls for 18-20 minutes, until lightly browned. Then, if necessary, cover top of rolls with foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Covering the rolls for the last 5-10 minutes will prevent them from getting too brown on the top.
- Once rolls have cooled for about 10 minutes, cover with orange glaze and top with more orange zest if desired. Cinnamon rolls are best served fresh and enjoyed warm.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information
Do you enjoy cinnamon rolls this time of year?
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