NANCY CHEN

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vanilla chai pumpkin cinnamon rolls

Hey fam. It’s been an insane fall (in the best way) and my life has been going in a thousand (great) directions (more on that in a later blog post)… but one that left me with a little less time to recipe test.

To be very honest, I did some sporadic meal prepping but have found myself eating a bar for at least one meal a day to stay full on-the-go.

BUT. Thanksgiving is here (wowowow) and while I don’t have the day off off like most people do (that e-commerce marketing life), it seems like some other obligations have finally slowed down.

It’s rainy and cold af (for SoCal, anyway), so I spent part of the morning baking while playing Christmas music (never too early; some would disagree).

I created a variation of Paleo cinnamon rolls that are a little denser than your typical rolls (just the way I like them), but are wonderfully golden on the outside, rich on the inside, and not too sweet — so you can 10/10 eat them for breakfast.

Enjoy!


Vanilla Chai Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

serves: 8 | Paleo, grain-free, gluten free, dairy free | prep time: 20 minutes | cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

Dough:

  • 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted

  • 1 organic, free-range egg (I used Pete & Gerry’s)

  • 2 tbsp golden flaxseed meal

  • 1 tbsp agave syrup or raw honey

  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

  • ½ cup almond flour

  • 1½ cup cassava flour

  • 1 tsp baking soda

  • 1 tsp organic cinnamon

  • 2 scoops vanilla chai CBD + collagen mix (alternatively, can use 2 scoops collagen + 2 tbsp chai concentrate)

  • Pinch of organic sea salt

Filling:

  • 1 tbsp organic cinnamon

  • 4 pitted Medjool dates, soaked and finely chopped

  • 3 tbsp organic pumpkin puree

  • ¼ cup organic walnuts or pecans, finely chopped

  • 1 tbsp raw honey

Optional:

  • Raw almond butter or honey to drizzle on top before serving

Directions:

  1. Mix the wet ingredients (egg, vanilla, coconut oil, agave/honey) and whisk lightly until combined.

  2. Combine the dry ingredients (flours, collagen, baking soda, cinnamon, flaxseed meal, salt) in a separate bowl.

  3. Slowly fold the dry ingredients into the wet.

  4. Use your hands to combine. If not sticking together properly, add more melted coconut oil and a bit of warm water.

  5. Place dough on a piece of wax paper. Place another piece of wax paper on top and roll it out into a thin, flat sheet.

  6. Remove the top piece of wax paper.

  7. Spread the dough with organic pumpkin puree first, then cinnamon, walnuts/pecans, dates, and top with a generous drizzle of honey.

  8. Roll the dough into a log and place in the freezer for 15 minutes to harden.

  9. Preheat the oven to 355F.

  10. Take the dough out of the freezer, cut into rounds, and place on a greased baking pan.

  11. Bake at 355F for about 15 minutes, or until golden.

  12. Top with a drizzle of nut butter or honey, or create your own paleo-friendly cinnamon roll glaze with coconut cream and honey!

Recipe adapted from Paleo Grubs.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Pete & Gerry’s Organic Eggs.

I’m honored to work with brands I know and trust, and thank YOU for supporting this blog!

You can find Pete & Gerry’s on Instagram here.