Anson’s American Treasures: My friend, Hope, makes the most amazing cinnamon rolls. The smell of them, coming out of the oven, stops me in my tracks. Amazingly, Bob and Mona were able to re-create her decadent delight with only 200 calories. Swapping applesauce for butter created a moist texture with a burst of sweet cinnamon flavor. OMG! You are going to love them.
Cinnamon Rolls
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: The Perfect Portion
Recipe type: Breakfast
Makes: 16 Breakfast portions
Ingredients
- 1 (0.25-ounce) packet active dry yeast
- ¼ cup sugar, divided
- ¼ cup warm water
- ¾ cup 2% milk, warmed
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- Nonstick cooking spray
Filling:
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup applesauce
- 2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Glaze:
- ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons milk
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- In a small bowl, stir the yeast and 2 teaspoons of the sugar into the warm water, and let stand 15 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer with the dough hook attached, combine the milk, egg, melted butter, salt, vanilla extract, and the remainder of the ¼ cup of sugar. Add the yeast and water mixture to the mixing bowl, and then slowly mix the flour into the wet ingredients until a dough has formed.
- Spray a large mixing bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Form the dough into a large ball, and place into the prepared bowl. Cover loosely, and place in a warm spot to rise until it has doubled in size, at least 1 hour.
- Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. On a floured surface, roll the dough out into a large ¼-inch-thick rectangle.
- Combine all the filling ingredients, and spread over the entire surface of the rectangle of dough.
- Starting on the shortest end, roll the dough into a pinwheel, and then slice into 16 equal slices that are about ¾ inch thick. Arrange slices so that they are crowded together in the prepared baking dish. Cover, and let rise for 2 additional hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray the tops of the risen cinnamon rolls with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Prepare the glaze by using a fork to whisk together all the glaze ingredients. Let the cinnamon rolls cool for 5 minutes before drizzling with the glaze and serving.
Serving size: ½ roll Calories: 100
