Fast-ish Cinnamon Rolls- Paleo/Gluten Free

It finally happened! I finally got to stand in first place on a podium! Matt and I started my summer vacation by traveling to Holland, MI for the CrossFit competition, Duel of the Decades. This puts 20s against 20s and people in their 30s against people in their 30s, etc. Matt and I were partners for the third time- we have taken 4th twice before- once because of a scoring error and once because I suck at thrusters. :) Apparently we just needed to compete with people our own age to win. I am semi-joking. It was a hard competition- they are usually high in cardio and not in skill so almost everyone can participate. 

Matt crushed the 3 RM bench at 335lbs and I did hand-stand push-ups like it was my job- you know what got us? Goblet squats- I need to work on those! Either way it was a great day and now I can officially retire happy. 

I am not at all claiming these are healthy, but they are delicious- here's the back story-

A few weeks ago Charlie and I made a recipe from Pinterest for fast cinnamon rolls... it only made 4 so it was perfect for our family (1 for each Charlie and me and 2 for Matt.) My mom makes my Grandma's recipe every year for Thanksgiving and they are heaven- just incredibly time consuming so they are only made once a year. Afterwards I got to thinking that I could come up for my own yeast-free, version. I read a lot online about how to make a dough that was paleo that could be rolled out and after a lot of trial and error this is what I came up with- no one was sad tasting the "mistakes" so it was a win going through all the butter in the house. That being said, I was excited to make a version of that recipe that didn't involve my whole day so hence the name- "fast-ish" because they are not "fast" per se but they are faster than my Grandma's. 

 Fast-ish Cinnamon Rolls

- 3/4 Cup Arrowroot Powder (PLUS more for dusting)
- 8 Tbsp (1/2 Cup) Ghee, or Grass-Fed Butter, or Coconut Oil (I'll be honest, butter is better)
- 2 Cups Milk
- 1 1/2 Cups Almond Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 2 Tbsp Raw Honey (omit if you want... dough just won't be sweet)
- Pinch of Salt
- 1 tsp Vanilla
Filling-
- 1/2 Cup Coconut Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon
- 3 Tbsp Ghee/Butter/Oil (whatever you used above)

1. In a small sauce pan over medium heat, melt the 1/2 cup of fat (ghee/butter/oil.) In a separate bowl, mix the arrowroot and milk until smooth- pour this slowly into the butter as you whisk (like making a roux.) Keep whisking- the mixture should thicken pretty fast and start to clump up. As soon as it does take it off the heat. If it is clumpy and separated that's fine! It will come together in the next step.
2. In a mixing bowl, add the almond flour, vanilla, salt, baking soda, and honey. Pour the roux into the almond flour and mix until a sticky dough forms. Using your hands is probably the easiest.
3. Dust a non-stick silicon baking sheet, or a piece of plastic wrap with arrowroot powder- make sure it covers the surface so the dough won't stick when you roll it out at the end. 

Pour the dough onto this and spread it out about 1/2 inch thick in the shape of a rectangle as best you can- dusting your hands helps. 

Sprinkle with more arrowroot and cover with another sheet of plastic wrap. At this point I use a rolling pin to smooth it out. Place the dough in the freezer for 10-15 minutes while you make the filling.

*PREHEAT* Oven to 375 degrees.

4. Melt the 3 Tbsp of fat for the filling, set aside. In a small bowl mix the sugar and cinnamon.
5. When the dough is chilled pull it out and take off the top layer of plastic. Brush it with the butter all the way to the edges. Sprinkle it with the cinnamon/sugar. 

6. Starting at one of the short ends, begin carefully rolling, pinching anything shut that "breaks". If it sticks, use more arrowroot (it will still taste ok even as a mess.) Once you have a log, cut it in 8 equal segments. 

Place each chunk in a greased, or non-stick muffin pan. Bake 18-20 minutes until the centers are slightly firm to the touch. Let them cool 5ish minutes before taking them out. 

They are honestly better the longer they sit... the ones I ate in the afternoon after they baked in the morning were the best. 

 Big family hit!

 Don't read this until after you eat one!

Nutrition Facts
Servings 8.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 371
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 26 g	40 %
Saturated Fat 10 g	52 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 41 mg	14 %
Sodium 228 mg	9 %
Potassium 18 mg	1 %
Total Carbohydrate 31 g	10 %
Dietary Fiber 3 g	11 %
Sugars 17 g
Protein 5 g	9 %
Vitamin A	14 %
Vitamin C	0 %
Calcium	7 %
Iron	5 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.