Baking around the Holiday’s is my absolute favorite. Cookies, treats, and sweets all seem to be a bit more special when you’re making them for a loved one, holiday party, or special occasion this time of year – and these homemade cinnamon rolls filled with cinnamon, sugar, and Ground Up PDX’s Salted Eggnog nut butter are no exception.

This recipe is the perfect thing to make on Christmas morning, as it comes together simply and quickly. Just make sure to allow some time for the dough to rise – which can be done while you’re siting by the fire and opening gifts!

P.S: this recipe is a bit on the sugary side, so I like to have it alongside of some high quality proteins (like hardboiled eggs or chicken sausage) and some good fats (avocado, nuts) to keep blood sugar levels from going too crazy.

Remember, it’s the Holidays and it’s OK to indulge in treats that make you feel happy this time of year. Your mom’s famous chocolate cake or Grandpa’s secret recipe for gingerbread cookies? Enjoy them! One cinnamon roll (or xyz treat) isn’t going to wreck your entire diet + way of eating, I promise. This time of year, I think it’s more important to be present around the dinner table or at parties, instead of fretting and dreading what you’re going to eat when and where.

But back to the rolls – they’re flaky, sweet, and stuffed with the most perfect nut-butter and salty eggnog filling around. I’m hooked. If you can’t find Ground Up’s nut butter near you, you can swap out with a different nut butter of choice. Although, this nut butter makes an epic Christmas gift or stocking stuffer – just saying!

Sweet cinnamon rolls + salted eggnog nut butter = the best holiday morning breakfast around!

Salted Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water
1 packet Instant dry yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. Ground Up PDX Salted Eggnog nut butter (or another nut butter of choice)
1/4 cup grass-fed butter, melted
4 Tbsp. sugar
1-2 Tbsp cinnamon

Salted Eggnog Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
2-4 Tbsp. almond milk
1 Tbsp. Ground Up PDX Salted Eggnog nut butter (or another nut butter of choice)

Instructions:

1) Add warm water (the temperature of warm bathwater – not too hot, or it will kill the yeast!) to a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast over water and let sit 10 minutes to activate. Add sugar, salt , melted coconut oil, and flour – half cup at a time – to mixing bowl. Mix gently with a wooden spoon to combine. When dough begins to form, use your hands to shape and gently knead in the bowl. Drizzle formed dough ball with a small amount of olive oil or melted coconut oil and roll around in mixing bowl. Cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel and place in a warm space to rise for 45-60 minutes.
2) Once dough has doubled in size, prepare cinnamon roll filling. Melt together butter, sugar, cinnamon, and nut butter in a small saucepan over low heat, or until smooth and combined. Set aside.
3) Roll out dough on a lightly floured workspace into a long rectangle shape – roughly into a 12×15’‘ size.
4) Drizzle melted cinnamon butter mixture onto rolled out dough and use a pastry dish to evenly spread around. Sprinkle on additional cinnamon, if desired.
5) Starting on the long end, roll the dough into a tight roll. Use unflavored floss or a serrated knife to cut 10-12 even sized rolls. Place evenly spaced into a lightly greased baking dish. Cover dish with clean towel and let gently rise while you preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
6) Bake cinnamon rolls for 20 minutes, or until golden. While cinnamon rolls bake, prepare icing drizzle. Whisk together all icing ingredients until creamy. Add in a splash more of almond milk to thin, if necessary.
7) Drizzle cinnamon rolls with icing and eat immediately. Enjoy!

Notes:

-I’ve only tried this recipe with regular unbleached all-purpose flour, but I suspect that a gluten-free flour blend or whole wheat flour would also work well.
-Swap regular sugar with coconut sugar for a more nutrient-packed sweetener.
-You can use the promo code ‘VEGUKATE’ for 15% off your order on Ground Up PDX’s website!