Cinnamon Rolls (grain free)
I never make chili the same way twice.
I always start with the basics like ground beef (we use venison), a can or two of beans, some frozen corn, spices, and a large can of tomatoes. Then I open the fridge and throw in whatever veggies I find there. Here in Nebraska, serving cinnamon rolls alongside your chili is a thing. (NOT on top of the cinnamon rolls, as celebrity chef Alton Brown recently found out. See here.)
Since goopy, sugary cinnamon rolls are not on my current meal plan, I adapted a biscuit recipe I’ve made before to have the same cinnamon flavor with a bit of maple syrup for sweetness. I’d never claim they are as decadent as regular Pioneer Woman cinnamon rolls (my all time favorite recipe is here.) But for a weeknight dinner where I didn’t want to float into a sugar coma, they were delicious with my chili.
So after January 1st, when you’re trying to lose a few lbs, try this version and let me know what you think!
Cinnamon Rolls (grain free)
Ingredients
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon, add nutmeg if you like or pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp safflower oil or avocado oil
- 1/3 cup Plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp real maple syrup or honey or sweetener to taste
- 1 tbsp melted butter for the last step
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Combine the chickpea flour, baking powder, spices, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix the oil into the flour mixture until the oil is completely incorporated. Stir in the vanilla and yogurt to form a thick, sticky dough.
- Heat a cast-iron or oven-proof skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. (I use butter flavored spray.) Remove from the heat once the pan is hot.
- Divide the dough into 4 equal parts, scooping each part into the hot skillet to form a biscuit shape. Space them evenly in the skillet. It's okay if they touch each other or the edges of the pan.
- Place in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. The biscuits will easily slide out of the pan with a spatula.
- Drizzle with melted butter while they cool. You can add extra cinnamon/sugar, or cinnamon/sweetener, or some icing if you like.
Notes
Kelly Brakenhoff is an author of eleven books and an ASL interpreter. She divides her writing energy between two series: cozy mysteries set on a college campus and picture books featuring Duke the Deaf Dog. The mother of four young adults and a hunting dog, and grandma to a growing brood of perfectly behaved grandkids, Kelly and her husband call Nebraska home.