Video Recipes – DIY's – Island Life – Travel – Natural Living – Minimalism

Healthy Cinnamon Rolls

Healthy cinnamon rolls that are also paleo, vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free {and raw, if you aim for them to be} are seemingly everything but in actuality, came to fruition by accident.

One of the many perks of being friends with farmers on our little rock is the wonderful gift of tropical fruit.  However, when it hits peak season, the abundant flow can be a wee bit overflowing but hey, I’m not complaining.  If you know me, you know that I’m a complete FRUIT FREAK.

I love fruit.  Biased as I may be, tropical fruits, particularly those of the local variety have a sweet spot in my heart.  A delicious variety of bananas are just one of those year round perks to be enjoyed.  So when that overabundance begins to flow again, I’m quickly filling gallon bags to stuff into the freezer for green smoothies or going into a baking frenzy but otherwise, I thoroughly enjoy dehydrating some to enjoy myself or send to my other less fruit-forunate friends.  Drying fruits somehow intensifies its flavors and deepens its natural sweetness.  Case in point, bananas.  Not only do they develop an underlying toffee-like flavor, they take on a sweet and tender chewiness and perks up other recipes…chopped into salads, studded onto sweet breads or, rolled into these cute little cinnamon rolls.

healthy cinnamon rolls

I call these cinnamon rolls since they mimic the aesthetic with their cinnamon scented swirls.  I highly recommend ceylon cinnamon for these.  Actually, I highly recommend ceylon for everything.  When they talk about the benefits of cinnamon, it’s the true ceylon variety they’re talking about.  It’s more expensive but a little bit goes a long way and it not only carries a cleaner taste, it’s chock full of health benefits.  Saigon/cassia/Chinese cinnamon contains a natural plant chemical called coumarin that acts as a blood thinner.  Before you freak out, it’s only an issue if you use cinnamon regularly {me!} or if it should adversely react with any medications you may be taking.  The cinnamon paired with the date caramel based icing is what really makes these sing.

However, the best part?  When bananas are dried low and slow like this, they release a sweet juice that eventually turns into a type of fruit leather.  I’ve sometimes made these just to nosh on the “candy.”  I use the oven method for this and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat for easy release.  A couple of hours in, the bananas will begin to release their liquid but fast forward a few more hours later, that juice begins to caramelize.  2-3 hours will produce fluffier rolls while 4-5 will create rolls that are sweeter and chewier.  It’s completely up to you.

Healthy Cinnamon Rolls
 
Cook time

Total time

 

Author:
Serves: TBD

Ingredients
  • –As many bananas as you’d like
  • –Generous sprinkle of ceylon cinnamon
  • –1 tb young coconut meat {optional}
  • –1/2 tb tahini
  • –2-3 tb date caramel

Instructions
  1. Slice your bananas lengthwise into halves for thicker rolls or in thirds for ones that develop a toffee-like flavor.
  2. Lay them on a silicone mat and sprinkle with ceylon cinnamon.
  3. Bake at your lowest oven heat setting or dehydrate low and slow.
  4. -3 hours in my oven produced thicker rolls while 4-5 created “fruit leather” like rolls.
  5. Cool and roll.
  6. For the icing to be drizzled on, blend coconut meat, tahini and date caramel into the desired consistency.

 

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

, , , , , ,

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate this recipe: