These whole wheat cinnamon rolls are soft, buttery and swirled with cinnamon sugar, baked in a pie pan so they pull apart in warm, sticky pieces. Break them apart and enjoy them while they’re still warm!

The dough is made with whole wheat pastry flour, whole wheat flour, honey and brown sugar, and the same dough can be baked as a loaf of whole wheat bread. Real butter only. Read those ingredients!

The Best Healthy Cinnamon Rolls (Whole Wheat, Honey and Real Butter)

Most cinnamon rolls start with white flour and a pile of sugar. These start with whole grains. The secret to keeping them soft is splitting the flour between whole wheat pastry flour and regular whole wheat flour. The pastry flour is finer and lower in protein, so it keeps the rolls tender, while the regular whole wheat flour gives the dough enough strength to rise tall and hold its swirl.

Honey and brown sugar sweeten the dough just enough and feed the yeast, so the dough rises well and bakes up golden. Kneading for a full 10 to 15 minutes develops the gluten, which is what turns heavy whole wheat flour into a smooth, elastic dough that stays fluffy.

The filling is simple: softened real butter spread thin and a generous layer of cinnamon sugar. The pie pan gets the same treatment, buttered and coated with cinnamon sugar, so the bottoms of the rolls turn lightly caramelized and fragrant as they bake.

The finished rolls are warm and tender with a gentle nutty flavor from the whole wheat. Serve them for a weekend breakfast, a holiday brunch or an afternoon treat with coffee. They are best eaten the day they’re baked, ideally straight from the oven.

Why You’ll Love These Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

100% whole wheat. Two whole wheat flours make them hearty yet soft.
Lightly sweetened. Honey and brown sugar in the dough, cinnamon sugar in the swirl.
Pull apart style. Baked together in a pie pan for soft sides and caramelized bottoms.
Two recipes in one. The same dough makes a loaf of whole wheat bread.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here is what goes into these healthy homemade cinnamon rolls and what each ingredient does. Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.

For the Dough

Warm water: Should be 110 to 115°F, about the temperature of a warm bath. Too cool and the yeast stays sleepy; too hot and it dies. An instant read thermometer takes out the guesswork.
Milk: Adds a little richness and helps the crust brown. Any milk you have on hand works here.
Oil: Keeps the dough soft and the crumb tender. A neutral oil works best, since it lets the honey and cinnamon flavors shine.
Honey and brown sugar: Sweeten the dough and give the yeast food to grow on, which helps the rolls rise and brown. Honey also keeps the rolls moist, so they stay soft longer.
Salt: Balances the sweetness and keeps the yeast from rising too fast.
Whole wheat pastry flour: I usually use the Bob’s Red Mill brand. It is finer and softer than regular whole wheat flour, which keeps the rolls tender instead of dense.
Whole wheat flour: Gives the dough strength and structure so it can rise and hold its swirl. It has a heartier, nuttier flavor than the pastry flour, and together the two give you the best of both.
Yeast: Instant yeast is called for, but active dry yeast will work too. Active dry may take a little longer to rise. Check the expiration date, since old yeast is the most common reason dough won’t rise.

For the Filling and Pan

Butter: Softened real butter. Read those ingredients! One tablespoon greases the pan and the rest is spread over the dough.
Sugar and cinnamon: Stirred together for the classic cinnamon sugar swirl, with a spoonful used to coat the pan. The coating melts with the butter in the oven and gives the bottoms of the rolls a lightly caramelized crust.

How to Make Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

Mix the wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm water, milk, oil, honey, brown sugar and salt and stir.
Make the dough. Add both flours and the yeast and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 to 15 minutes. It should feel soft and slightly tacky and spring back when poked.
First rise. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 40 minutes.
Prep the pan. Stir together 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Grease a 9 inch pie pan with 1 tablespoon of butter. Add 1 tablespoon of the cinnamon sugar and tilt and pat the pan to coat the sides and bottom. Reserve the rest.
Roll and fill. Punch the dough down and knead for a few minutes until smooth. On a lightly floured surface, roll it into a large rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Spread the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter thinly over the surface and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar.
Roll and cut. Starting with the longest side, roll the dough up tightly. Using floss or a serrated knife, cut 2 inch thick slices.
Second rise. Place the slices in the prepared pan, starting with one in the center. Cover and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 30 minutes.
Bake. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden. If the rolls brown too soon, lightly lay a piece of foil on top. Rest in the pan a few minutes, then move to a wire rack. Break apart and enjoy while still warm!

Kami’s tip: Use floss or a serrated knife to cut the rolls. Floss slices cleanly through the soft dough without squishing the swirl.

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls FAQs

Can I make whole wheat bread with this dough? Yes. After the first rise, punch the dough down, knead for a few minutes until smooth and form it into a loaf. Place it in a greased loaf pan, cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 30 minutes, then bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes.
Can I use active dry yeast? Yes. Active dry yeast works too, though the dough may take a little longer to double.
Why is my dough not rising? The water may have been too hot or too cold, or the room is chilly. Keep the water at 110 to 115°F and let the dough rise somewhere warm.
How do I keep the tops from getting too dark? Lightly lay a piece of foil over the pan if they start browning too soon.
How do I know when they are done? The tops should be golden brown and the rolls should sound slightly hollow when tapped. An instant read thermometer in the center of a roll should read about 190°F.
Can I add icing? These are made without icing, but a simple glaze or cream cheese frosting would be a sweet addition.
How do I store leftovers? Cover them and keep at room temperature for a day or two, or refrigerate for longer. Warm briefly before serving.
Can I freeze cinnamon rolls? Yes. Wrap baked, cooled rolls tightly and freeze. Thaw at room temperature and warm in the oven.

Homemade Pull Apart Cinnamon Rolls

Whole wheat cinnamon rolls made with whole wheat pastry flour, honey and brown sugar, swirled with real butter and cinnamon sugar. They bake soft and pull apart in a pie pan, and the dough doubles as whole wheat bread.

Print Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup warm water 110-115 degrees F
1 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups pastry whole wheat flour I usually use the brand Red Mill
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons instant active dry yeast active dry yeast will work also
3 tablespoons butter softened (real butter! Read those ingredients!)
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large mixing bowl; stir.
Add flours and yeast, and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10-15 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover with a clean towel and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a separate small bowl, combine and stir together 3 Tbs sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon. In a 9" pie pan, grease all sides with 1 Tbs of butter. Add 1 Tbs of cinnamon mixture in the center of the pie pan. While tilting the pan, carefully pat the edges while rotating in order to coat all sides and bottom with a thin layer of cinnamon sugar. Reserve remaining cinnamon sugar, if any remaining.
Once dough has doubled, punch dough down; knead for a few minutes until smooth. Then on a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll dough flat in a large rectangle shape (about 1/2 inch thick). Spread the remaining 2 Tbs of butter thinly covering the whole surface of the dough. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar evenly covering the layer of butter. Beginning with the longest side, begin rolling the dough from one end to the other. Using floss or a serrated knife, cut 2 inch thick slices. Place slices, beginning with one in the center, in greased and cinnamon sugared pie pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. If rolls start browning too soon, lightly lay a piece of foil on top of the loaf to prevent too much darkening.
Remove cinnamon rolls from oven and allow to rest in the pan for a few minutes. Remove to a wire rack. Break apart and enjoy while still warm!
*TO MAKE BREAD: After step 2, Punch dough down; knead for a few minutes until smooth and then form into a loaf. Place in greased loaf pan and cover. Let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Made these cinnamon rolls? Leave a star rating in the recipe card and tell me in the comments below how they turned out.