Sweet Orange Keto Cinnamon Rolls

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I’ve been waiting so long to share this recipe. It was first published in Newsweek last summer, and after a year-long embargo I finally get to publish it here!

Bite into these sweet and pillowy cinnamon rolls that draw in the essence of oranges through zest without splurging on unnecessary sugars. Not only are these sweet and savory cinnamon rolls packed with fats to start your day, but are also drizzled in a sweet orange glaze.

I recommend using a smaller pie or casserole dish where the rolls can touch one another (as seen) because then when you add the glaze, it’ll just soak into all the crevices for total sticky sweet perfection!

Servings: 12

Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

For the rolls:

1 cup extra fine almond flour
1 egg
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
zest of 1 orange
1 pinch salt
2 cups shredded mozzarella
2 tbsp butter
2 oz cream cheese

For the cinnamon filling:

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tbsp cinnamon
4 tbsp granulated erythritol

For the glaze:

1/2 cup Swerve (confectioners)
1/4 cup butter (room temperature)
zest of 1 orange
1/4 tsp orange extract
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp heavy cream

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, combine almond flour, egg, baking powder, vanilla, orange zest, and salt to create the dough base ingredients.
In a second bowl, combine the butter, cinnamon and erythritol filling ingredients and mix until thoroughly blended.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, begin to make the dough by melting 2 tbsp butter, then adding the mozzarella cheese and cream cheese.
After about five minutes of mixing with a strong wooden spatula, the cheeses will bind together into a smooth batter. Remove from heat, and add the almond flour mixture you made earlier. Mix again with a strong wooden spatula until completely blended and can form into a dough ball.
Using your hands, press the batter into a flat, uniform 10×14″ rectangle on a piece of parchment paper, then spread cinnamon mixture evenly across. This will become the swirl in the middle of your cinnamon buns.
Lift the edges of your dough from one side from the parchment, and proceed to roll into a tube. Roll it the short way, instead of the long way. It will make a shorter roll, but you’ll have many more swirls of cinnamon. When finished rolling, use the parchment to wrap the roll tightly to keep its shape while it cools in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Round out the roll if it flattened in the freezer, then unroll the parchment, and use a sharp knife to slice the roll into 8 large or 12 small single rolls, and place in a small greased pie plate or shallow casserole dish. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Meanwhile, combine your glaze ingredients, starting with creaming the butter and erythritol together, then adding the orange zest, orange extract, vanilla extract, and heavy cream one at a time.
When the cinnamon rolls are ready and slightly cooled, drizzle glaze over the rolls, then enjoy!