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    Home » Recipes » Breakfast

    Spelt Flour Cinnamon Buns

    Published: May 15, 2021 · Modified: Jun 24, 2022 by Christy Faber · 6 Comments

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    What is more comforting than a warm cinnamon bun freshly iced right out of the oven?

    You're going to love these wholesome and delicious Spelt Flour Cinnamon Buns with a unique orange-infused cinnamon filling and cream cheese icing. They're lightly sweetened with maple syrup and coconut sugar and will make your kitchen smell amazing as they bake up!

    Finished cinnamon buns with swirled icing on top in a 12", blue enamel, coated cast iron skillet.

    The braiding technique is easier than you think! I will walk you through the process with step-by-step photos below.

    The hint of orange in the filling really compliments the nutty flavor of whole grain spelt flour (just like in my Gingerbread Bundt Cake) These braided cinnamon buns are satisfying but not overly sweet and you still feel great after eating them!

    If you're looking for more recipes to make with spelt flour check out these Spelt Chocolate Chunk Cookies and Spelt Flour Pancakes.

    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love This Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • How To Make Spelt Flour Cinnamon Buns
    • Expert Tips
    • Recipe FAQs
    • More Spelt Flour Recipes You'll Love
    • Recipe
    • Healthy Spelt Flour Cinnamon Buns

    Why You'll Love This Recipe

    • Naturally sweetened!
    • Easy braiding technique that looks beautiful and impressive
    • Delicious hint of orange in the filling and icing
    • Great depth of flavour from the whole grain spelt flour
    • Make ahead option!

    Ingredients

    Ingredients to make spelt cinnamon buns in mixing bowls, plates and pinch bowls.
    • Yeast - I used an 8g packet of active dry yeast.
    • Butter - choose unsalted butter so the buns won't be too salty.
    • Sugar - either coconut sugar or brown sugar will work for the cinnamon filling.
    • Maple syrup - either maple syrup or honey will work for sweetening the dough and the icing.
    • Flour - for this recipe, I use a combination of spelt flour and all-purpose flour. It will also work to swap the whole grain spelt flour in this recipe for whole wheat flour.
    • Orange Juice & Zest - these are optional flavourings. You could swap these for vanilla extract or lemon zest and juice if you prefer!

    See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

    How To Make Spelt Flour Cinnamon Buns

    Here are the step-by-step instructions to make this recipe.

    Step 1 & 2: Scald the milk and add the yeast to the cooled milk, butter and maple syrup.

    Step One: Heat the milk in a small saucepan. Watch the milk carefully and as soon as it starts bubbling around the side of the saucepan take it off the heat. (This is referred to as scalding. This is an important step to ensure the yeast is able to rise properly later.)

    Step Two: Pour the milk into an electric mixer with butter, and maple syrup. Before you add the yeast ensure that the temperature of the milk mixture has come down to room temperature. It's important to be patient at this step because if it's too warm it can kill the yeast. Stir in the yeast and wait until you see it begin to get bubbly and foamy on the surface. This takes about 15 minutes.

    Cooled milk with butter, maple syrup and yeast in a metal mixing bowl, showing the correct bubbly texture.

    Step 3 & 4: Add the rest of the ingredients for the dough and begin mixing.

    Step Three: Add the eggs, spelt flour and all-purpose flour and salt. Place the bread hook on the stand mixer and turn on low.

    Step Four: Initially the dough will have a rough and shaggy appearance but trust the process and keep mixing.

    Step three and four to make spelt cinnamon buns with the dry ingredients as well as the texturing of the mixture in the mixer showing a rough and shaggy appearance.

    Step 5&6: Mix for 15 minutes. Allow the dough to rise until doubled in size.

    Step Five: Run the mixer for 15 minutes and you'll see the dough go from rough and sticky looking to a nice soft homogenous ball of dough.

    Step Six: Turn the mixer off and cover the top of the mixing bowl with a clean kitchen towel and wait for the dough to rise until at least doubled in size. (This can take anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half but it's more important to go by eye than by time.)

    Step five and six to make spelt cinnamon buns showing the mixed down before and after rising.

    Step 7&8: Mix up the cinnamon filling.

    Step Seven and Eight: Cream together the sugar, softened unsalted butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest and orange juice until smooth. Mixture should be room temperature when you are ready to spread it out on the dough.

    Step seven and eight of making spelt cinnamon, showing the raw ingredients for the cinnamon filling in a ceramic mixing bowl and then mixed together.

    Step 9-12: Roll out dough, evenly spread cinnamon filling and fold up the dough.

    Step Nine: Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll into a rectangle approximately 16 inches high by 20 inches wide.

    Step Ten: Spread the sugar and cinnamon filling evenly over the rolled out dough.

    Step Eleven: Fold up the bottom edge to meet the middle of the dough.

    Step Twelve: Now fold down the top edge even with the new bottom edge.

    Steps nine, ten, eleven and twelve showing how to roll, fold and prepare dough with cinnamon mixture on top.

    Step 13-16: Cut and braid the rolls.

    Step Thirteen: Trim off the rough edges with a sharp knife or bench scraper. Cut strips from top to bottom that are approximately 2 ½ inches wide. You should be able to get 10-12 strips.

    Step Fourteen: Take each individual strip and leaving an inch of dough at the top, make two cuts to create three sections of dough for braiding.

    Step Fifteen and Sixteen: Braid the three strands tightly.

    Steps thirteen, fourteen, fifteen and sixteen showing how to cut and fold spelt cinnamon rolls.

    Step 17-20: Roll the braid into a bun.

    Step Seventeen-Twenty: Roll the braid from the top down into a bun shape.

    Steps seventeen, eighteen, nineteen and twenty showing how to roll spelt cinnamon rolls.

    Step 21-22: Place buns in a baking dish and allow the rolls to rise again.

    Step Twenty-One: Place buns in a 9x13 inch baking dish or 12 inch round cast iron pan.

    Step Twenty-Two: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the baking dish on the top of the oven as the oven preheats and allow the rolls to rise for at least 20 minutes.

    You can see in the images below the amount the buns should rise.

    Steps twenty-one and twenty-two to make spelt cinnamon rolls showing rolled and folded cinnamon rolls in a low cast iron pan.

    Step 23: Bake the rolls.

    Step Twenty-Three: Bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes until lightly brown at the top.

    Spelt cinnamon rolls freshly out of the oven in a low cast iron pan showing browned tops and cinnamon filling.

    Step 24&25: Make the icing.

    Step Twenty-Four and Twenty-Five: Beat the softened cream cheese, softened butter, honey and orange zest together until light and fluffy. When the rolls come out of the oven, spoon the icing over the buns. Enjoy!

    Steps twenty-four and twenty-five showing cream cheese and icing ingredients before and after being mixed.

    Expert Tips

    • If you're using salted butter instead of unsalted butter, decrease the amount of added salt to the dough.
    • Ensure that you're using fresh dry active yeast that hasn't expired.
    • Measure the flour carefully and accurately. The best way to do this is to spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife.
    • For recipes that use yeast, it’s more important to go by eye than by time.   If the recipe says it takes one hour for the dough to double in size and an hour has gone by and your dough hasn’t risen much,  just give it more time.  If your house is a bit colder,  you could try setting the bowl in a warmer spot.    A trick I sometimes use is to heat the oven to 200 degrees and then crack the door open slightly.  I set my bowl of dough on the top of the oven so it can catch the rising heat. 
    • I recommend splurging on organic oranges when you’re using the zest for a recipe. 
    • Allow the cinnamon buns to cool slightly before spreading the icing. This prevents the icing from melting and resulting in a messy presentation.
    • Make Ahead Option: If you plan to serve fresh cinnamon buns for breakfast, you can do most of the preparation the evening before.  Just follow all the steps up to when the buns are shaped and placed in a baking dish.  Cover the pan and pop them in the fridge. The next morning,  preheat the oven to 350F.   Place the covered baking dish on top of the oven for half an hour to 45 minutes to allow the cinnamon buns to warm up and rise to double their size.  Bake as instructed in the recipe.

    Recipe FAQs

    Why do some recipes call for scalding milk?

    Milk-based doughs rise more easily if the milk has been scalded first. The whey found in milk can inhibit the yeast’s ability to rise but when the milk is heated to a temperature of 180-185 degrees Fahrenheit, then the whey in the milk is weakened and the yeast can do its job.
    An indicator that the milk is scalded is when small bubbles begin to appear on the perimeter of your pot. Remember to stir frequently and watch the milk carefully because it’s easy to have it get too hot.
    Allow the milk to cool down to room temperature again before adding in your yeast. When the milk is too hot it can kill the yeast. 

    Can I sweeten the icing with powdered sugar?

    Yes! If you prefer icing that contains icing sugar,  just swap out the maple syrup/honey for ½ cup of icing sugar.

    Can I prepare the dough ahead of time?

    If you plan to serve fresh cinnamon buns for breakfast, you can do most of the preparation the evening before.  Just follow all the steps up to when the buns are shaped and placed in a baking dish.  Cover the pan and pop them in the fridge. The next morning,  preheat the oven to 350F.   Place the covered baking dish on top of the oven for half an hour to 45 minutes to allow the cinnamon buns to warm up and rise to double their size.  Bake as instructed in the recipe.

    How should I store these cinnamon buns?

    Store these cinnamon buns in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To rewarm the buns you can place them in a 300 degree oven for 5-10 minutes.

    Final spelt cinnamon roll on a small dessert plate on a staged table top with cream cheese icing on top.

    More Spelt Flour Recipes You'll Love

    • Close up spelt cookie with melted chocolate chips and finishing salt on top.
      24 Delicious Spelt Flour Recipes
    • Spelt Flour Pie Crust
    • Healthy Spelt Flour Pancakes
    • Close up spelt cookie with melted chocolate chips and finishing salt on top, broken in two.
      Spelt Chocolate Chunk Cookies

    If you tried these Spelt Flour Cinnamon Buns or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!

    Recipe

    Healthy Spelt Flour Cinnamon Buns

    Christy Faber
    What is more comforting than a warm cinnamon bun freshly iced right out of the oven? You're going to love these wholesome and delicious Spelt Flour Cinnamon Buns with a unique orange-infused cinnamon filling and cream cheese icing. They're lightly sweetened with maple syrup and coconut sugar and will make your kitchen smell amazing as they bake up!
    4.50 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe SaveSaved!
    Prep Time 45 minutes mins
    Cook Time 25 minutes mins
    Dough Rising 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins
    Course Breakfast, Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 Rolls
    Calories 485 kcal

    Equipment

    • Stand Mixer

    Ingredients
      

    For the Dough

    • 1 cup scalded milk
    • ½ cup unsalted butter
    • ¼ cup maple syrup
    • 1 packet dry active yeast (8g)
    • 2 cups whole grain spelt flour
    • 2 cups all purpose flour
    • 2 large eggs
    • 2 teaspoon unrefined sea salt

    For the Filling

    • ¾ cup coconut sugar
    • ½ cup softened unsalted butter 
    • 2 tablespoon ground cinnamon 
    • ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg 
    • zest from one small orange 
    • 1 tablespoon orange juice 

    For the Icing:

    • ½ cup unsalted butter softened
    • 4 oz cream cheese softened
    • 2 or 3 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
    • 1 orange zest from one small orange

    Instructions
     

    For the Dough:

    • Heat the milk in a small saucepan. Watch the milk carefully and as soon as it starts bubbling around the side of the saucepan take it off the heat. (This is referred to as scalding. This is an important step to ensure the yeast is able to rise properly later.)
      1 cup scalded milk
    • Pour the milk into an electric mixer with butter, and maple syrup. Before you add the yeast ensure that the temperature of the milk mixture has come down to room temperature. It's important to be patient at this step because if it's too warm it can kill the yeast.
      ½ cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup maple syrup
    • Stir in the yeast and wait until you see it begin to get bubbly and foamy on the surface. This takes about 15 minutes. (see photos above of this step.)
      1 packet dry active yeast (8g)
    • Add the eggs, spelt flour and all-purpose flour and salt. Place the bread hook on the stand mixer and turn on low. Run the mixer for 15 minutes and you'll see the dough go from rough and sticky looking to a nice soft homogenous ball of dough. Turn the mixer off and cover the top of the mixing bowl with a towel and wait for the dough to rise until doubled in size. (This can take anywhere from an hour to a hour and a half but it's more important to go by eye than by time.)
      2 cups whole grain spelt flour, 2 cups all purpose flour, 2 teaspoon unrefined sea salt, 2 large eggs

    For the Filling:

    • Cream together the sugar, softened unsalted butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest and orange juice until smooth. Mixture should be room temperature when you are ready to spread it out on the dough.
      ¾ cup coconut sugar, ½ cup softened unsalted butter , 2 tablespoon ground cinnamon , ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg , zest from one small orange , 1 tablespoon orange juice 
    • Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll into a rectangle approximately 16 inches high by 20 inches wide.
    • Spread the sugar and cinnamon filling evenly over the rolled out dough.
    • To create cinnamon buns in the traditional shape: Roll up your rectangular sheet of dough from the long edge into a tight log. Cut into approximately 12 evenly sized rolls.
    • To create cinnamon buns in the braided style (as seen in the photos): Begin with your 16 inch high by 20 inch wide rectangle of dough. Fold up the bottom edge to meet the middle of the dough. Now fold down the top edge even with the new bottom edge. Trim off the rough edges with a sharp knife or bench scraper. Cut strips from top to bottom that are approximately 2 ½ inches wide. You should be able to get 10-12 strips. Take each individual strip and leaving an inch of dough at the top, make two cuts to create three sections of dough for braiding. Braid the three strands and then roll from the top down into a bun shape.
    • Place buns in a 9x13 inch baking dish or 12 inch round cast iron pan.
    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the baking dish on the top of the oven as the oven preheats and allow the rolls to rise for at least 20 minutes.
    • Bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes.

    For the Icing:

    • Beat the softened cream cheese, softened butter, honey and orange zest together until light and fluffy. When the rolls come out of the oven, spoon the icing over the buns. Enjoy!
      ½ cup unsalted butter, 4 oz cream cheese, 2 or 3 tablespoon honey, 1 orange zest from one small orange

    Video

    https://lifearoundthetable.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Healthy-Cinnamon-Buns-Go-Widescreen-on-em-V2.2.mp4

    Notes

    • If you're using salted butter instead of unsalted butter, decrease the amount of added salt to the dough.
    • Ensure that you're using fresh dry active yeast that hasn't expired.
    • Measure the flour carefully and accurately. The best way to do this is to spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife.
    • For recipes that use yeast, it’s more important to go by eye than by time.   If the recipe says it takes one hour for the dough to double in size and an hour has gone by and your dough hasn’t risen much,  just give it more time.  If your house is a bit colder,  you could try setting the bowl in a warmer spot.    A trick I sometimes use is to heat the oven to 200 degrees and then crack the door open slightly.  I set my bowl of dough on the top of the oven so it can catch the rising heat. 
    • I recommend splurging on organic oranges when you’re using the zest for a recipe. 
    • Allow the cinnamon buns to cool slightly before spreading the icing. This prevents the icing from melting and resulting in a messy presentation.
    • Make Ahead Option: If you plan to serve fresh cinnamon buns for breakfast, you can do most of the preparation the evening before.  Just follow all the steps up to when the buns are shaped and placed in a baking dish.  Cover the pan and pop them in the fridge. The next morning,  preheat the oven to 350F.   Place the covered baking dish on top of the oven for half an hour to 45 minutes to allow the cinnamon buns to warm up and rise to double their size.  Bake as instructed in the recipe.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 62.85gCalories: 485kcalCarbohydrates: 64.9gProtein: 8.1gFat: 24.9gSaturated Fat: 15.6gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 6681mgPotassium: 256mgFiber: 12.7gSugar: 24.6gCalcium: 229mgIron: 4mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    If you make this recipe please leave a comment and give this recipe a rating! I aim to respond to every single comment. I am so grateful when you trust me and try one of my recipe creations in your own kitchen. I love to hear how it went!  Let’s connect on Instagram and tag me in your food pics!

    ‘Til next time,

    Christy

    More Breakfast Recipes You'll Love to Eat

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ashleigh Clayton says

      May 19, 2021 at 12:59 pm

      4 stars
      Love it! Such a great idea and I adore spelt! Can't wait to try it out 🙂

      Reply
      • Christy Faber says

        June 07, 2021 at 5:49 pm

        Me too! Spelt flour has such a great flavour! Hope you enjoy!

        Reply
    2. Julie says

      May 19, 2021 at 12:13 am

      5 stars
      These cinnamon buns are delicious!
      The video is so helpful. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Christy Faber says

        June 07, 2021 at 5:49 pm

        Glad the video helped! I definitely needed a video to help me learn how to braid them this way, totally takes the guess work out of it.

        Reply
    3. Allison Welch says

      May 16, 2021 at 3:04 pm

      I honestly LOVE the idea of braiding them! I think it's so unique and a really special touch. What a great way to show someone you value them by making these cinnamon buns extra special. Can't wait to make these for family and friends!!

      Reply
      • Christy Faber says

        June 07, 2021 at 5:51 pm

        It just makes them feel extra special with the cool braid and it's so easy to do!

        Reply
    4.50 from 2 votes

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    Welcome,

    I’m Christy

    a happy wife and mother to three boys, a nutritionist, a food lover and a Canadian. Creating and experimenting in the kitchen is my idea of an afternoon well spent. To me, a clean kitchen is an empty canvas of possibility and that means my kitchen never stays clean for long. My dream is that one or more of the recipes I share here will inspire you, perhaps even becoming a cherished family favourite.

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