Cinnamon Rolls For Christmas • Dairy Free

CINNAMON ROLLS FOR CHRISTMAS?

For many people, Christmas is a time of year when reminiscences of food often come to mind. It might be baking and decorating sugar cookie cut-outs, the smell of roasted ham filling the house before Christmas dinner, or freshly peeled oranges squirting everywhere on the first bite. Maybe it’s waking up to the smell of freshly-baked cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. Food is memory, especially when it accompanies celebrations with friends and family.

CHRONIC ILLNESS MAY LIMIT HOLIDAY TREATS – BUT THERE IS HOPE

Now imagine you’re struggling with a chronic condition that affects your whole life, including the foods you eat – or cannot eat any longer. What was once part of a wonderful memory now makes you feel ill, confines you to bed for days, or worse. It can be hard giving up favorite foods – but there is hope.

First, you are not alone. There are people who have been (and still are) where you are right now. I met my friend Cindee when our daughters played on the same volleyball team. Cindee is a delight to be around and always has a breath of joy around her. Out of her struggles with chronic illness, she co-founded Chronic Joy with Pamela Piquette to help others find joy amid their struggles.

One of the concerns Cindee and Pamela experience in their ministry is people struggling with all kinds of food issues, especially problems with dairy products. That’s how the idea for the recipe below came about. Could I develop a holiday recipe without dairy for their community? I chose cinnamon rolls because it’s one of those food I make for special occasions (like Christmas morning), but could I make it free of dairy products? It was a challenge – especially since I don’t bake a lot. Also, most cinnamon rolls have butter, milk, and cream cheese in either the dough, the filling, the icing, or all three.

DAIRY-FREE CINNAMON ROLLS

Thankfully, there are non-dairy products available to replace the butter, milk, and cream cheese – and still end up with a wonderfully-delicious cinnamon roll. The substitutes I used were coconut oil, Earth Balance Buttery Sticks, almond milk, and Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese. Using these products enabled me to make dairy-free cinnamon rolls.

I also replaced part of the all-purpose flour with white whole-wheat flour to help increase the fiber content a bit. Keep in mind, though, this is not necessarily a low-sugar recipe. I used as little sugar as I could in the dough and filling, and used good, fresh cinnamon to add flavor. (Check your cinnamon before using. If it’s on the old side, dispose of it and buy a new jar for better flavor).

The icing was more difficult, especially in keeping the sugar to a smaller amount. However, you’ll notice in the photos that I covered the rolls completely with icing. If you want to reduce the sugar further, just use less icing by drizzling it onto the rolls instead of spreading it. You’ll use less, and as a result, have a cinnamon roll that’s delectable, but with less sugar and still dairy-free.

As for my family, we keep in mind that it’s Christmas and that these are occasional treats. I don’t often make homemade cinnamon rolls, so we will eat them and enjoy every bite. I hope and pray you enjoy your Christmas – the special foods, the treasured gifts, and the real reason for Christmas: Jesus.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Cinnamon Rolls – Dairy-free

Ingredients:

Dough:
1 pkg. (2 ¼ t.) yeast
¼ c. warm water
¾ c. warmed almond milk (microwave 30 seconds)
½ c. coconut oil
2 beaten eggs
2 T. honey
2 c. white whole-wheat flour
2 to 2½ c. all-purpose flour
1 t. salt

Filling:
½ c. brown sugar (could be reduced to 6 Tbsp., if desired)
3 T. ground cinnamon
6 T. Earth Balance Buttery Sticks, softened

Icing:
2 T. Earth Balance Buttery Sticks, softened
4 T. Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
1 t. vanilla extract
1 ½ c. powdered sugar
2 t. almond milk

Method:

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let sit 5 minutes till a little bubbly.

Add warmed almond milk, coconut oil, beaten eggs, honey, white whole-wheat flour, and 2 c. of all-purpose flour. Do not add the salt yet. Mix together until all ingredients are well incorporated. Let rest 10 minutes. (This is so the whole-wheat flour has time to absorb more moisture).

Mix in the salt and ¼ to ½ c. more of all-purpose flour. Knead by hand until smooth, or for about 4-5 minutes using a stand mixer with a dough hook. The dough should be smooth and soft, but not too sticky.

Spray non-stick cooking spray into a separate bowl. Drop prepared dough into sprayed bowl and turn dough so oiled side is up. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in warm area until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

WHILE DOUGH RISES

While dough is rising, prepare the filling by mixing together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Make sure the 6 T. Earth Balance Buttery Sticks is softened and easy to spread. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray.

After the dough rises, gently press it down and evenly divide it into two portions. On a lightly-floured surface, roll out one portion of the dough into a 13 x 10-inch rectangle. Evenly spread 3 T. of the softened Earth Balance Buttery Sticks over the surface of the rolled out dough. Sprinkle with half of the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture, about 6 T.

Starting along the long side, gently roll the dough into a 10-inch log, sealing the ends and the long edge by pinching the dough. With a sharp knife, cut the log into 8 slices and place into one of the prepared pans. Cover and let rise in a warm area until doubled in size.

Roll out the second portion of dough, spreading filling on the rolled-out dough and rolling into a log as before. Slice into 8 pieces and place in second prepared pan. Cover and let rise in warm area until doubled in size.

After the rolls rise, preheat oven to 375° F. Place both pans in the hot oven and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.

While rolls cool, prepare icing. Use a hand mixer to blend 2 T. softened Earth Balance Buttery Sticks with Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese, vanilla, powdered sugar, and almond milk. Beat until smooth.

After cinnamon rolls have cooled slightly, but are still warm, frost or drizzle with icing. Serve immediately.
Makes 16 rolls