Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Cinnamon Roll – Low-Sugar Honey (and Foolproof!)

Cinnamon roll is how I roll! …You too? C’mon buns (as in cinnamon buns).

Or cinnamon swirls that are whimsical. 🍥 You can bake and get these anytime you want from your oven!

They’re so swirly whimsical 🌀 and tasty comforting in the mouth (and inner child). 🍥

And hint: if you’re feeling adult anxious, a warm cinnamon roll and cinnamon tea any season of the year can comfort and hug you in a way like no other… ok, maybe a cozy blanket and a warm and fuzzy movie would go great too!

Those you can grab with your foolproof cinnamon roll.

FOOLPROOF because these decadent sweet bread rolls come out soft and airy light every time. 🥮 Or as long as I’ve been baking weekly since 2020.

I sacrificed… and bit into one with to show you the inner workings.😂

The air pocket, rise, and moist difference is in the flour type and yogurt add. Bread flour gives the rise and the yogurt helps the moist.

So often we’re confronted with which flour to use? And sometimes it’s a cake-bread or bready cake (…is that a type of dessert?).

…How I like to set the two apart is between either using yeast OR baking soda and baking powder.

If yeast is used, then bread flour (or in some cases whole wheat flour) is my go-to and that’s for a mostly bread-like consistency… like a cinnamon roll.

And if it’s cake, then some all-purpose or cake flour will give the cake texture.

And if you mix-and-match these flours, then you’ll like get more of a cake bread as the gluten-level is somewhere in the middle. Makes sense… and you don’t have to be good at math.

And to keep the math even more simple, this recipe uses all bread flour. So it’s no-mistake bread. 💯

Bread flour (or a mix with whole wheat flour) does the best for cinnamon buns in my opinion, but you can definitely substitute with crumbly gluten-free “healthy” flours and add natural xantham gum or other natural binders.

The bread prep can be done in 10 minutes by hand mixing 4 ingredients: warm water, flour, instant yeast, and salt.

This is an enriched dough so you can let it rest for a few minutes and start baking if you’re in a hurry… but better if you let it proof for an hour or two.

The moist and healthy vibes come from a healthy fat (light EVOO) and yogurt.

And below are the easy recipe steps.

B-ready?

Which btw, cinnamon rolls are delicious to pair with a cinnamon tea or if that’s too much cinnamon, an Earl Grey tea with raisins in tea (and on top of buns if you like)… a little zhugh I learned along the way that adds to A BUN DANCE (abundance on a plate 🍽️).

…So you can be anticipating your bake with your warm bevy in hand.

Low-Sugar Delicious Cinnamon Roll

This is a low-sugar cinnamon roll and you don’t need refined white sugar for this refined cinn-roll 😊 bread recipe. That’s especially good if low-sugar only is one of your healthy goals. It’s always a plus!

For sweetness: this recipe uses raw honey and cinnamon for sweetness that are anti-inflammatory ingredients. And with many healthy seasons in, I’m usually light-handed with sweet… BUT this sweet duo I douse on heavy-handed as healthy and tasty good.

…This gives the punchy cinnamon ooey-gooey vibes that combined are comforting and anti-inflammatory.

And I recommend adding honey in the dough and as a final glaze ontop. You can use honey directly ontop (of an egg wash if you choose) or make a simple syrup mixed with a little heated water.

Also, add a bunch of cinnamon spice in the dough for the sweet that’ll make your oven smell like an autumn bakery.

Because healthy fat is used, it will be a little different than a flaky butter finish like you’d get in a pastry… but still epic.

C’MON- Cinnamon Roll

Ingredients (for 8 rolls in a rectangular pan) or in the recipe below 👇 you can use a round pan to make a flower 🌼 design:

8”x 4” (or 9”x5”) pan

1-1/2 cups total flour (you can mix bread flour, whole wheat, gluten-free bread)

1 tsp instant yeast

1/2 Tbsp sea salt or pinch of salt

1 Tbsp raw honey (or maple syrup)

1 Tbsp plain yogurt (Greek yogurt recommended)

1 generous Tbsp of cinnamon spice (Cassia or common cinnamon for baking)

¾ cup warm water (+ possibly more)

neutral oil for lining pan

Directions:

Knead flour, yeast, water, and salt ingredients with a dough hook in a mixing bowl on medium-high speed adding just enough warm water until all the flour is incorporated.

Some of the dough will be stringy (shaggy?) dough pieces or crumbs, and not a smooth dough (not like a baby’s bottom 👶)… yet.

Knead until a smooth consistency about 7-9 minutes. Add in the cinnamon, yogurt, and honey and turn on the mixing machine a few more times just to fully combine.

Common questions (to make this fully foolproof so you can’t mess this up!):

Dough too wet? If your dough seems to wet when you’ve been kneading a few minutes, add a little flour back. You can use any bench (e.g. all purpose or bread flour).

Dough too dry? If your dough seems shaggy dry, add a little more water 1 teaspoon at a time as needed until you get a smooth consistency that naturally slides off the dough hook.

What type of cinnamon? In stores, you’ll often find two types: Cassia and Ceylon cinnamon. Cassia cinnamon is the common kind you see that’s good for these rolls and baking in general with. Leave the Ceylon cinnamon for your tea or warm bevy.

And after you’re confident with your dough, let it rest as a ball for 1-2 hours covered in a pan full lined with neutral oil and covered with a tea towel (or clean T-shirt cover will work).

You can also leave overnight covered in the fridge. If leaving overnight, add enough oil or water to the dough so it doesn’t dry out.

When you’re ready to bring the dough out either same day or from the fridge overnight, lay it on top of a little bench flour (any baking flour will work. I like to stick with the same ones I’m using in the buns or whole wheat flour).

Roll out the dough (not too thin but to about 1/4-1/2″ thick) into a rectangle shape and then cut strips with a pizza wheel cutter or knife, saving the dough scrap ends.

Roll out the remaining dough and combine with the dough scraps, to make 8 total long pieces about the same size.

These strips will be your rolled up buns with spirals up. ꩜

Bake time will vary depending on flour choices, dough thickness, baking pan, and oven. As a guideline, bake until a little darker than golden brown as the outside is browner then the inside that can still be a little moist/unbaked.

Suggested time and temperature: bake at 350 °F/180°C for about 45 minutes or until dark golden brown on the bottoms.

You’ll be tempted to think that they’re done sooner or maybe around the 30-35 minute mark, but inside they will still likely be raw… but you’re almost there! So let your rolls bake a little longer than the outer appearance.

Around the 30 minute mark while you’re checking, you may also want to add a glaze. I recommend 1 egg white with a teaspoon or so of water.

Mix and brush on top. It will leave a milky opaque glaze that will be good on its own OR as a primer for your final shiny (honey) glaze.

These are foolproof.

Best to enjoy the buns while they’re warm out of the oven.. or you can keep out for a day or so, and/or refrigerate covered for a few more days.

OR you can freeze for another occasion and bring out a day or two before you want to re-heat.

For more zhugh pairings, you can also add sweet orange zest. Looks like a pain aux raisins, n’est-ce pas? 🧡

This one is surrounded by a bergamot (Earl Grey) tea bath. 🫖

Easy Low-Sugar Honey Cinnamon Roll Buns

Cinnamon roll with low-sugar and honey glaze.

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American, swedish

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups bread flour
1 tsp instant yeast (if you use active yeast add to warm water to activate first)
1/4 tbsp pinch of salt
1 Tbsp raw honey
1 Tbsp plain flavor yogurt
1 Tbsp heaping spoon of Cassia cinnamon
3/4 cup water

Instructions

Make bread by mixing flour, water, salt, yeast for at least 7 minutes or until it comes together and passes the slapping water stage to build up gluten.
Let proof for at least 1-2 hours at room temperature in a covered bowl lined with oil to keep the dough moist. TIP: use the same pan you will bake in and you'll have one less sticky dough item to clean up. Use a round cake pan for round cinnamon rolls and a square pan for squarish rolls.
Roll dough out then roll up into a log (or that looks like a sleeping bag).
Cut into even slices with cooking thread or dental floss. You can also use a serated knife to not smush down the buns that you want to rise.
Place rolls with swirls up in baking pan and bake on 350°F until deeper or dark golden brown for about 45 minutes so the bottoms and all is baked through. Optional shine: Add egg white wash when almost done baking (and/or glaze after baking and cooling). You can also add honey to tops after baked and cooled.

Notes

Dough too wet? If your dough seems to wet when you've been kneading a few minutes, add a little flour back. You can use any bench (e.g. all purpose or bread flour).

Dough too dry? If your dough seems shaggy dry, add a little more water 1 teaspoon at a time as needed until you get a smooth consistency that slides off th dough hook.

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Kind Smile Costs Nothing (and is everything)

Kind is described in so many ways. At the least, it’s being gentle, caring, and helpful. Those are all conversations that come from the heart (depicted on this wall where we’re like the colorful hearts sending out messages of kindness). 💛🩵♥️💙🤍

Others feel your kind (and your kind kind) in your energy and overflow without you saying a word.

All you need is a sincere outward expression to show your non-verbal kindness.

A smile does this to make a warm first impression. 🙂 😀

Because when you’re an ambassador of sorts, represent an office, or have been in position longer than another newcomer, the newbie feels judged if they smile and you don’t smile back…

It doesn’t matter if the other has more years or experience than you if he/she just sat down after you in a shared new space…

And it doesn’t matter your mind was elsewhere or absent-minded when you looked at them once and again…

Your gift for the day could be a smile or a smile back.

If the other person feels unloved or unwelcomed in a place unfamiliar, that easily trips insecurities and an ego mind when meeting eye-to-eye.

The unwelcomed feeling other wonders:

“Am I not good enough?”

“Did I do something wrong?”

“Do they not like me?”

“Does this person have a chip on their shoulder?”

“Do I avoid this person and keep my distance?”

They doubt themselves in some subconscious way… and then they also doubt you.

We live in a world of doubt already.

In their moments of doubt, the other person could remember you later for the wrong reasons even if it’s just a chance one-time meeting.

None are the loving and kind impressions or neutral interactions that were intended (where we need more love in this world). 💞

And when you smile greet to a newbie or stranger someone, they don’t remember you badly… or at all.

That’s the kind impression and peace we want to leave for most we encounter.

Be kind. 💕

…Going out of your way to be the smiling kind when you’re going out in the big wide world surroundings.

Going out is a leveling field.

We’re all just people with feelings inside.

Even those who don’t appear to care or are acting a bit nuts… and those on magazine covers or big platforms.

We only see snippets of people’s lives.

And we want to plant good karma in our travels.

Annddd a smile is a good way.

But most people don’t do it often.

And if it’s something you’re interested in trying more of…

It’s easy to build into your habits.

Practice by warming up your smile after your coffee and breakfast. As you’re getting dressed, exercise your face muscles as you look in the mirror. If putting lip balm on is a habit, you can do it again then.

And plant another smile before you exit your door. Leave your previous part of the day (and disappointing parts of the season you’re in) at the door.

If you’re a veteran to the places you’re entering or where you’re going on a certain day, be the one to smile first.

When eyes meet with others, turn the frown upside down to everyone who has done no immediate wrong.

This is your chance to show the world your kind side and a reminder that you’re sharing space with others.

You’ll feel better when you go back to your home realities… that you contributed to the world that day without even having to say a word.

…And even if you recently lost your job, have an ongoing health battle, and are dealing with financial or family problems.

Everyone has something or some thingsss in life they’re dealing with.

Not smiling when given opportunities doesn’t make those (in your life) better.

You free yourself when you enter the world smiling and those around you know none of this.

Play a little game with yourself, take your work-errand task list less seriously, and see how often you can offer your kind smile gesture first.

…For no other reason than so that others have no reason to doubt themselves and can feel good someone thought they were worth smiling at.

…and you gain more confidence (and feel less shy) if that’s what you need.

If a stranger beats us to the friendly smile first, be open to what the world is offering up in this encounter…

And kindly mirroring back…

That we matter.

And that we’re in this thing (Life) together.

Isn’t that the deepest connection and way to make impact in our fragile world?

Just by stepping outside.

…Of our comfort zones sometimes.

Where a kind smile requires little… and offers a lot not having to go far on our planet to give and make positive impact.

You and I can be the kind kind. And the world we cherish will be just fine.

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Fika Happy Break Today

Fika is a concept in Sweden for a coffee break. And that in America has gotten smaller as coffee is all-day brewing.

This was a cappuccino Fika moment ☕️ I enjoyed in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Fika has grown to mean so much more about life.

Especially post-2020.

Those humbling, bittersweet years wherever you were on the planet grew you no matter what age you were.

We can now all look back…

To then when you got more you-experiences discovering more about yourself with change of routines… and as you interrupted your usual patterns.

And in more recent years, you found your groove back and learned tips for healthy balanced living.

You and I can appreciate what we have better, today.

You can now live the 80/20 real life vs. digital world that we dreamed of and no longer in Zoom fatigue settlement.

But those growing years gave us new insight. You don’t wanna lose all the good you developed from 2020.

And you can lean into a couple Fika points reminders:

-still slow down and make time to take a daily break (you can use you won’t get this day back as a self-reminder). Slowing down allows for new ideas to break through from the space break opportunity you carve out.

-appreciate daily simple joys and small happy pleasures (…maybe sweets 🍥?), healthy snacks and beverages.

Ok, one more…

– maintain some quiet time that can include reading, journaling, yoga, meditation, or enjoying sitting still with a cup of coffee and your soul. And if you dare, listen to your spirit.

This gets us away from love and into the noisy gong and clanging cymbal of the world that’s full of fear.

Silence is where you can hear the love whispers that’s inside each of us.

And then breaking out of silence or Fika moments, you want to immerse yourself in life to appreciate life.

You may have remembered not too long ago when an employee usually older than you said they were going on a coffee break and then disappeared.

That idea disappeared…

And so did the idea of driving out of your way to find a pot of coffee in America. It was helpful not to be a coffee drinker as you’d be in a diner or a 7-11. Coffee was more a morning ritual only.

These days coffee counters are everywhere in any metro suburban area, so people have re-appeared and coffee culture is running all day.

…Sometimes we even spend all day at a coffee shop balancing real life and our devices that we’re on. The digital nomad is not a new concept and finding fika is a way of living.

Years before I took on this lifestyle, I was getting inspired sitting and people watching where some of the famous writers like Ernest Hemingway and Jean-Paul Satre sat in a famous cafe.

That was doing fika compared to people hovering over a coffee machine that has replaced the office water cooler.

These days in America, everyone is armed with their own water-filled water bottles.

And then back at home…

Making coffee is a Fika opportunity to slow down and feel joy breaks.

Since modern research shows coffee as anti-inflammatory, it’s aligned with mind-body connection happy and healthy… that’s naturally in the coffee caffeine.

Coffee caffeine is especially a healthy energy alternative to caffeinated sodas that have too much unhealthy sugar.

But I think it’s good to get the sugar hype out of the system when you’re younger when your body isn’t so critical about what you consume…

Sodas was my breakfast starting out journey… that was later replaced with morning coffee and writing that aligned hand-in-hand with blogging. 📝

…And I’m sure you have your own beverage journey that aligned with your growing ways.

My daily routine is cold brew as less harsh/lower acidity and less bitter if that matters to you and your body. Cold brew vs. iced coffee are not the same thing.

It takes about as much effort to make a. cup of cold brew (as using a coffee machine), so maybe that’s something to consider. 💭

You can easily learn how to make a perfect cold brew coffee you’ll enjoy!… that’s even your younger inner child could have made years ago (but maybe stayed away from bitter). 😀

…Or maybe that could have been a similar story line in your green tea journey where you didn’t start off liking the bitter leaves.

…and now can tolerate (or prefer with your 180 degree changes as you change… or since your tea was better prepared in the lower 180 degree water temp 😀).

Which btw if tea is your jam, a tea break or afternoon tea is another Fika way to slow down. It’s not all about coffee anymore.

And maybe it’s plain water or healthy water drinks or you’re looking for new inspo for a few anti-inflammatory, healthy dry January drink, or tea ideas.

These can all be part of the Fika in the afternoon.

In America, we call this an afternoon snack break where America is home of the snacks. 🇺🇸 You can go into any size grocery store and see aisles full.

And you can healthy challenge yourself to make home healthy snacks to also slow down and relax.

Relaxed, you get to change your rhythm and feel the happy effects that lead to an overall productive day or Part 2 of your day.

Some light sweet or savory snacks for your Fika could be all you need to keep going in the right direction for your day:

Some ideas: try a one-bowl low-sugar chocolate chip oatmeal cookie that’ll do the sweet satiating trick over cravings. Or a healthier cinnamon roll or a buckwheat ginger snap cookie. Buckwheat is gluten-free, btw.

And maybe Fika tea party?… with the best way to make chai that you can pair with no-bake chai balls. Leave the cooking and baking for another time.

You can add Swedish-inspired savory Fika smorgas (open faced sandwiches).

You can make a healthy microgreen einkorn sandwich bread platter version mixing the growing microgreen culture (that I barely remember grew outta the alfalfa sprouts craze 🌱).

In catering, we called these finger sandwiches on a platter that always were a hit. The crusts were cut off.

And for similar effects, you can also leave the sandwiches open (smorgas) for less bread ratio.

Smorgas is different than a smorgasboard. That means sandwich table.

…Which wich is not just one sandwich!

Smorgasbord today as we know is a buffet (table) in American culture.

That’s the more-is-more approach.

With Fika, you can master the art of enjoyment that leads to contentment, and appreciate less-is-more with a light and balanced table.

Blend this with coffee culture and tea blends, and you have a daily reason to celebrate… and be grateful for the simple things that happened (and the bad ones that didn’t).

And simply appreciate this moment. ⏳

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Black Bean Smoothie with Coffee

Black bean smoothie from coffee beans is a 2X bean plant-based healthy beverage… and something to get excited about for your day! 🌅

You naturally get a powerhouse of fiber PLUS plant-based protein to start your morning on the right foot… and those steps 👣 keep you on a happy high for the rest of the day. 😊

ICYMI, beans are the rage in new food vitamins to take.

…PLUS A can of bean costs almost nothing when you compare to other high protein sources. AND the cans last for-ever (as food goes).

A can of beans usually has an expiration date that’s a few years out. That’s longer than what you and I know with what the future holds… but you can count on your beans! 🫘

If you get the organic black bean cans, those are still pennies compared to other protein sources, and you’ll have less sodium.

And then instead of rinsing your open canned beans with running water, you can dump the beans, liquid, and all into your blender (…maybe all while your eyes are still opening).

…This is great too for when you’ve woken up on the wrong side of the morning and want your positive energy boost to bounce back.

…Or when you feel like your gut needs a detox from processed foods and need to add some plant-based food love to your gut.

…And to add balance from a weekend of eating and drinking enjoyment.

You can also soothe those bloating gut discomfort feelings or uncomfortable jabs in the gut that you’ve normalized from what you consume.

Those don’t need to be your new normal and weigh you down!

…You’d know, because you have a less than a satisfactory healthy bathroom life.

And if off kilter….

You can get back on smooth track with a smoothie cold beverage like this.

…Where you get gut unhindered and be ready to conquer the world after a little daily energy boost!

This is a love language your gut understands…

And a coffee black bean smoothie like this can healthy balance restore. It’s even smoother than an avocado smoothie with coffee great for fasts

…Or you can try both and alternate the blend in your life. 💭

For any coffee smoothie, you can add the brewed coffee you like… but I like to add cold brew coffee for less acidity.

AND it’s already room temp coldish so you can drink and enjoy your finished smoothie sooner without adding ice cubes (that’s an option too). Btw, there’s a difference between cold brew and iced coffee.

And whatever coffee you choose, I recommend using an organic coffee (less toxins).

So, to make the coffee black bean smoothie:

Add your can of black beans and brewed coffee. And let the blender grind (blend). 😀 Let your smoothie start out thicker.

Add more or less liquid depending on how thick you like your smoothie. And you can always thin out with a ‘lil water later.

So after blending the beans (the coffee and black kind), work on the flavoring that matters…

You can make this a sweet beverage option.

Sooo with healthy notes, you don’t want to blanket douse all the good you just did with table sugar…

You can keep it sweet, tasty and plant-based healthy with cacao (powder).

Both cocoa and cacao powder come from cocoa beans but cacao is not as processed like cocoa is. It’s not just an “a” and “o” spelling play in the words. They are different but the same.

Common cocoa powder also often has sugar hidden within so the consuming product is different in the end.

And to compliment your powder sweetness, you can add another sweet source that’ll make it smooth: raw honey that’s another healthy Vitamin B (as in bee -add 🐝).

I also like to add banana and cinnamon spice that are other B and C adds… but those are optional and if you have on-hand.

And an option is to add Greek yogurt (for thickness), but you can get this coffee smoothie doing the minimum with black beans, brewed coffee, and cacao powder (or cocoa if cacao is not available).

…And in case you’re not a coffee drinker, you can substitute the coffee for milk or a plant-based milk like almond milk or yogurt whey. Think of it more like a protein chocolate drink, so it’s good for all growing ages.

…Especially those 30 and up!

And if you prefer a thicker smoothie, the yogurt solids will help you get that consistency too! Oh, and you add a dollop of yogurt to the top as your whipped 😉

(We’re now heading into parfait territory now.)

And to keep this a refreshing smoothie, I haven’t even gotten to the fun part yet (that would be the zhugh in desserts)…

Add mini chocolate chips to the smoothie drink and let some sink to the bottom.

You may have had cold java drinks like this that had the chips swirling around at the bottom and every now and again you get a nice pause in a chocolatey morsel bite.🧋

You can add 70% or more dark cacao chocolate morsels to your home smoothie that’s healthy delicious (and FUN to add).

You can also sweeten the vitamin-ness with wild blueberries too. How fun!

This is looking less and less like a beans drink and more like a delicious one!

…Wait ’til you get a taste! 😋

And this is what your Monday and any early morning gut and mouth are calling for. 📣

I’ve added this to the Magic Bullet recipes and this could be a low-sugar summer dessert too.

For more smoothie inspo and ideas, check out this healthy smoothie guide challenge I put together for you with all kinds of fiber-delicious blends (to give you your better than regular healthy LIFE back!) 🎉