Healthier Cinnamon Buns have been on my to-do list forever. I love a warm, gooey cinnamon bun, but they take a lot of work. You have to let your dough rise multiple times, load them up with butter and sugar, etc etc etc. Don’t get me wrong – I’m all for it, but I’ve been looking for a way to scratch that itch while cutting out some fat/calories. Enter 2 ingredient dough and these Healthier Oreo Nutella Cinnamon Buns.
What is 2 Ingredient Dough?
In short, it’s nonfat Greek Yogurt + self-rising flour (and in this case, some crushed Oreo cookies). I use it all the time, like in my Healthy Everything Bagel Dogs recipe or my Funfetti Monkey Bread. It’s also great because I don’t typically add sugar to the dough itself, just the toppings, so it ends up having much less sugar while still being sweet. In this case, the crushed Oreo cookies add both flavor and sweetness to the dough.
Depending on the ratio of flour to yogurt you use, you can use this recipe to make bagels, biscuits, and just about any carb you love, but with way less fat/calories and more protein. If you follow WW, you know that this dough is an absolute goldmine.
The dough itself can be sticky and tough to work with, so I recommend using a stand mixer with a dough hook to get a smooth dough. You can totally do it by hand too, just prepare for it to take a bit longer for the dough to be fully incorporated. I also work this dough on a floured surface as well to make sure it doesn’t stick to my hands, rolling pin, etc.
Making the dough
Once you’ve combined the flour, crushed Oreos, and yogurt and gotten a uniform dough ball, you want to lightly flour your surface and rolling pin and roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thickness. I like to cut it into a rectangle for smoother edges as well.
The filling
Only the best stuff – Oreos and Nutella. But here’s the catch – in addition to using a lighter dough, I also made these minis, so that I could enjoy a few without clocking a ton of calories from the fillings/toppings.
Once you have your dough rolled out, slather the Nutella on, which will act as the ‘butter’ in a traditional cinnamon bun. To make the Nutella more spreadable, you can microwave it for ~20 sec. Then, if you want a cinnamon flavor, this is your chance to sprinkle some on.
Making the bun
Starting at the long edge, carefully roll your dough, keeping it super tight so you have a nice spiral. Now, it’s time to cut these.
If you want to make life easier, pop the dough log into the fridge for 30 in prior to cutting. This just makes the dough a bit firmer and easier to cut, but is totally optional.
If you get right to cutting, the best thing to use is actually unflavored dental floss, scooping it under the dough log and pulling it together to cut even spirals. When you cut downward with a knife, you tend to flatten your dough.
Arrange your buns in your pan of choice – I made a half batch aka. buns for one, so I did mine in a 9×5 loaf pan and halved the recipe below!
Toppings!
Once your buns are out of the oven, let them cool off a bit. Then, top them with whatever your heart desires! More Nutella (heat it in the microwave for about 20 sec to make it runnier), a basic glaze (powdered sugar + milk), and crushed Oreos are all great options. You could also use chocolate chips, peanut butter (microwave it for 20 sec as well), etc.
Healthier Oreo Nutella Cinnamon Buns
Jacklin Altman
Recipe yields 8 buns (9×5 loaf pan) at 5 WW SP each, which you can make smaller and arrange in an 8×8 pan as well. With glaze, 7 SP.
1/2cuppowdered sugar mixed with 1/2 tbsp milk for a basic confectioners glazeoptional, for topping
Instructions
Preheat oven to 365F
Combine yogurt, crushed Oreos, and self rising flour in a bowl and stir/knead until you have a uniform dough ball
Lightly flour a clean surface and roll your dough ball out to 1/4 inch thickness with a rolling pin
Cut the dough into a rectangle for smoother edges
Microwave Nutella for 20 seconds to make it easier to spread, and then spread on the dough, leaving about 1/4 inch on each side so it doesn’t ooze out
Roll the dough tightly and (optional) pop into the fridge for 30 minutes to firm the dough up a bit before cutting
To cut, I recommend using unflavored dental floss and cutting from under the dough. You can also carefully cut with a knife, but you'll likely need to re-shape your buns a bit.
Arrange buns in a greased pan (9×5 loaf pan for a half batch, 8×8 pan or 8 inch skillet for a full batch of minis) so that they're touching
Bake for 17-20 minutes (keep an eye on them), until they’re just golden brown
Allow to cool for 5 minutes while you prepare your toppings.
If using confectioners glaze, combine powdered sugar and milk (or you can use a creamer, heavy cream, dairy free milk, etc) until you have a runny glaze and drizzle it over the buns. Top with extra crushed Oreos and ENJOY!
Notes
*Don’t have self rising flour? You can make your own by combining 1 cup of all purpose flour with 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp of salt.*When divided into 8, each bun is 5 WW SP, not including additional glaze topping.*7 SP with glaze topping.
These frozen PB&J Banana Bites combine childhood nostalgia with grown-up sophistication – the perfect sweet treat that’s both healthy and indulgent with just the right amount of chocolate.
3 thoughts on “Healthier Oreo Nutella Cinnamon Buns”
Pingback: Healthier Funfetti Nutella Cinnamon Buns - Food By The Gram
Absolutely delicious, highly recommend!
Pingback: Lighter Chocolate Cake with Greek Yogurt Frosting - Food By The Gram