Soft, fluffy and delicious, these cinnamon rolls with fresh milled flour are a great dessert to make for guests or family alike. Once you bite into these flavorful rolls, topped with a cream cheese glaze, you won’t be able to eat just one.

Homemade Cinnamon Roll Recipe

Real food been my goal since the beginning of the journey of learning how to grind flour at home.

I wanted every one of our meals and snacks to be packed full of nutrition. Each from scratch meal I made had to nourish the body not just fill the belly. Fresh milled flour played a huge part of that mission.

Today, when I create a baked good, I make sure the recipe is not only delicious but also nutritious. I think as a whole when society thinks about something being healthy or full of nutrition, we think of something green. Maybe a salad. A carrot. Or a smoothie filled with antioxidants. The words baked good and healthy aren’t usually words that go hand-in-hand.

But that doesn’t always have to be the case.

You can make healthy baked goods at home in your kitchen by using real ingredients. Items such as real milk, butter, sucanat and of course, freshly milled flour. Now I won’t go as far to say that this cinnamon roll recipe is calorie free but if you know the benefits of grinding flour at home then you will agree with me that cinnamon rolls made with freshly milled flour is definitely a more nutritious way to go.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• The whole grain cinnamon rolls are made with only wholesome, real food ingredients
• Easy and quick to make for anyone wanting a decadent fresh milled flour dessert
• Delicious and flavorful rolls with a lightly sweetened cream cheese glaze instead of a heavy frosting

Is Freshly Milled Flour Better for You?

Yes! Today a bag of flour from the grocery store does not provide the vital fiber and nutrients that your body needs. When grain is kept whole, it retains all of its nutrients and oils. As soon as the bran (the outer hard shell) is broken, the nutrients deteriorate quickly. Commercially sold flour can turn rancid if the oil-rich germ and other nutrients are left. In order to avoid this, commercial flour must remove these components so that the flour is shelf stable. Even if the flour is organic or labeled as enriched, there is absolutely no comparison to the health benefits of milling your own flour at home. Milling your own flour ensures you get the most nutrients, vitamins and fiber.

Tools You May Need

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. In any case, I only link to products we actually use on our homestead and that I believe can truly benefit to you. See my full disclosure here. 

Grain mill

Stand mixer

Pastry brush

Rolling pin

Measuring cups and spoons

Baking pan or large cast iron skillet

Spice grinder or small blender if you plan to make your own powdered sugar

Easy Cinnamon Rolls with Freshly Milled Flour

Sink your teeth into this soft, plump cinnamon roll recipe! Each and every gooey bite is loaded with flavor. Starting with the dough, made with hard white wheat flour and plenty of real dairy. Then filled with brown sugar, lots of cinnamon spice and a generous portion of butter. Finally the rolls are topped with a liberal amount of cream cheese glaze.

Makes: 15 rolls

Ingredients

Filling

1/2 cup organic brown sugar or sucanat
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, melted

Dough

1 1/2 cups warm milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 teaspoon honey
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon vital wheat gluten, optional
4 1/2 cups freshly milled hard wheat flour
1 tablespoon instant yeast

Glaze

6 tablespoons sugar
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

For the filling: In a bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside until the dough is ready.

For the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm milk, butter, honey, salt, egg and vital wheat gluten, if using. Add 3 cups of flour and mix until a wet batter forms. Add yeast and mix to combine.

Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes. Cover the bowl, place in a warm spot and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Roll into an 18 x 15 inch rectangle. Brush melted butter over the dough, leaving about a 1/2 inch of space around each side. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar filling onto the butter. Rolling from the long side, roll the dough tightly into a cylinder until you reach the other side. Place seam side down. Use a knife to cut the roll into 15 slices.

In a greased 9 x 13 pan, arrange the cinnamon roll slices. Cover pan and allow to rise until the rolls have doubled in size, about 30-40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375° F. Bake the rolls for 25-28 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven.

For the cream cheese glaze: In a spice grinder or small blender, grind the sugar until fine and powdery like powdered sugar. In a bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, milk, melted butter, vanilla extract and salt. Whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Drizzle as much glaze as you’d like over the top of the cinnamon rolls. Cut, serve and enjoy! Any leftovers can be kept in a sealed container for several days.

FAQ

Which Flour is Best for Cinnamon Rolls?

I would recommend using hard white wheat, hard red wheat or a combination of the two when making cinnamon rolls with fresh milled flour. Due to the high amount of protein in these types of wheat berries, it is an ideal grain to use in yeasted baking recipes such as these homemade cinnamon rolls.

What Type of Baking Dish Will Work the Best?

For this whole grain cinnamon roll recipe I used a stoneware dish (Pampered Chef) to bake the rolls in but a non stick baking pan (round or rectangular) or a large cast iron skillet will also work. Baking times may vary depending on which baking dish you choose.

How to Store Cinnamon Rolls

Fresh baked cinnamon rolls can be stored at room temperature for a couple of days. If you are concerned about leaving the cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting out on the counter, you can put them into the fridge. However, I will note than the cold temperature will dry out the rolls more quickly. Any leftovers can be frozen, then reheated in the microwave.

More Fresh Milled Flour Recipes

No Knead Whole Grain Bread

Whole Grain Dinner Rolls

Dutch Baby Pancake

Hamburger Buns Made With Fresh Ground Flour

Pretzels Made With Whole Grain