Cinnamon Rolls — THM XO (soaked method)

Who doesn’t love a soft, gooey, warm cinnamon roll? If that’s you, scroll away, because that’s what we’re celebrating here! Best of all, you can make these ahead, freeze them raw, and bake them another day! That’s what ‘m doing today.

In Trim Healthy Mama, we celebrate whole grains that have been sprouted, soured, or soaked. We skip sugar in favor of alternative non-glycemic sweeteners. And usually, we separate fats and carbs into different meals a few hours apart, but you know what? Sometimes a treat that celebrates both is what truly satisfies! It’s hard to make good cinnamon rolls without flour and without butter, so we are just going to totally enjoy putting them together in this recipe. We’re just not going to go crazy and eat a whole platter of them at one sitting!

Psst! Do you enjoy reading fiction? I’m an author of Christian contemporary romance with over 60 titles released on Amazon in ebook and paperback. If you enjoy stories with engaging characters, strong communities, deep faith, and great food (sometimes THM!!!), would you please check out my novels? Click on the Books tab above to see everything. Thanks!

(Also here’s my obligatory disclosure that any product links might be affiliate links. Clicking on them doesn’t cost you a penny more, and I get a small percentage of any sales.)

Ready? Let’s get started!

This is a two-part recipe that you can’t simply whip-up first thing in the morning, so read through and plan accordingly. And, if you want more information about how soaking whole-grain flour makes it “on plan,” you’ll find more information along with my recipe for sunflower oat bread.

Recipe: Cinnamon Rolls— THM XO

Makes about 24-30 cinnamon rolls.

12-24 hours before (or overnight), mix the following in a stand mixer, or mix by hand:
• 5 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all purpose flour*
• 3 cups water (temperature unimportant)
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Mix until all the flour products are wet. Cover and leave on the counter for 12-24 hours. I run the Bosch mixer for a couple of minutes to incorporate the liquids, then put the lid on it and leave it on the counter until morning.

In the morning (or a minimum of 12 hours later), add the following:
• 1 scant tablespoon instant OR active dry yeast
• 1 scant tablespoon salt
• 1-2 tablespoons honey (I actually don’t measure this, just use a decent dollop)

Knead for 8 minutes. If you have a Bosch or a Kitchen Aid, let it do the work. Add oat flour (ground-up oats) as needed (maybe up to one cup? But probably less) to get the correct consistency. You want the dough to hold together and no longer be sticky. You are NOT trying to see how much flour you can make the dough absorb. If you’re unfamiliar with kneading bread, maybe seek out a tutorial elsewhere.

If you don’t have an electric mixer, go ahead by hand. I have done it many times. Have a little oil for your hands. Have oat flour ready to sprinkle in as needed. Set the timer for 8 minutes, and get to work. Don’t skimp on the time LOL. Use the oil on the countertop and on your hands to keep the dough from sticking. Add oat flour if it is too sticky. Again, seek out a tutorial if you’re unfamiliar.

When the dough is of desired consistency and elastic in feel, place it in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Let it rise until double in bulk. Depending on the temperature in your kitchen, this may be anywhere from 1-2 hours. If your kitchen is really cool, place the bowl in your oven with only the oven light on.

When the dough has roughly doubled, you can either divide it in half or, as I did here, handle the entire batch at one time. Roll it out into a rectangle roughly eight inches across and however long it gets. You’re looking for under 1/2 inch in thickness with edges as close to straight as is reasonably possible.

• 1/2 – 2/3 cup soft butter
• 1- 1 1/4 cup brown sugar swerve
• 1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Spread the butter over the dough. This is no place to be frugal. We’re looking for gooey and decadent, remember? Then spread the brown sugar swerve evenly with your fingers. Again, we’re going for decadent. Then sprinkle a good layer of cinnamon over the top as evenly as possible. I didn’t measure, so the 1-2 teaspoons is a guess.

Then… roll the whole thing up. You’ll have a roll 2-3 inches thick and maybe 24 inches long. Roll it until the seam is at the bottom. Grab a long piece of dental floss (twice as long as you think you need, honestly!) and scoot it under one end. When it’s about 1/2″ – 3/4″ from the end, pull the two ends of the floss together and cross them until you’ve cut all the way through. Transfer the raw cinnamon roll to a greased pan. Continue until the long roll has been cut into single rolls.

You’ll have 24-30 of them, including the two “ugly” ends which you get to bake and taste-test right away. For the good of all mankind, am I right??? And that’s why I do it in one LOOONG roll, so I only have two ugly end pieces to deal with instead of four.

Freezing these for future reference? Wrap the pans well and tuck them in the freezer for up to a week or two. Remove them 12-16 hours before you want to bake them. This allows them to thaw and rise. Then bake at 375º for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Or, skip freezing them and simply bake once they’ve risen! I like to make these for Christmas morning, so it’s nice to have all the work out of the way a few days in advance. I’ll pull the two glass pans out of the freezer late in the afternoon of Christmas Eve so I can pop them in the oven by 8am or so, just for reference.

• *Yes, I use a small amount of all-purpose flour in special-occasion treats like these 1-2x a year. You can use all white whole-wheat flour, or even all brown whole-wheat flour. I feel this makes the best texture, but if you are more a purist than I am, go with all whole-grain flour.

Friends, I’m a Christian author of contemporary romance. I write cowboys, farmers, and small-town dwellers in my green, clean romances. My characters farm, garden, and cook from scratch (sometimes even THM!). Readers love my characters and my communities. Maybe you will, too! I have over 60 titles in 10+ series. It would mean a lot to me if you’d check out my books page. You can purchase my fiction in ebook from Amazon or borrow in Kindle Unlimited. Paperbacks are available at many online retailers, and some of my titles are in audio.

My newest release (as of December 2025) is Her Hopeful Heart, the story of an overweight divorcée who struggles to believe in her own worth.

Won’t you give my stories a peek? Thank you!