Rustic Banana Cinnamon Rolls

I love how when something doesn't quite look perfect, you can label it "rustic" and it takes on a whole new identity. Like, "Oh, rustic. That must mean these are an old country family recipe" or "these must have been made from scratch with love". At least, that was what I was going for :) These rolls aren't the prettiest, but they taste good, were definitely made with love, and we do somewhat live on a farm-like estate. Therefore, they seem to have met the "rustic" criteria and get the label Rustic Banana Cinnamon Rolls!

Banana? Yep, that's right. I love the gooey banana that caramelizes in the roll as it bakes. And, because you use ripe bananas and dates, you don't have to worry about sugar or extra sweetener. Yes, these are healthier cinnamon rolls :)

Rustic Banana Cinnamon Rolls

Yields 9 rolls

Ingredients
For the Rolls:

• 4.5 oz [or 3/4 cup] blanched almond flour, sifted (not meal, you can buy or grind blanched almonds in a coffee grinder or high powered blender)
• 2 oz [or 3/4 cup] coconut flour, sifted
  
• 3/8 oz [or about 3 Tbsp] arrowroot powder (can sub tapioca flour or corn starch)
  
• 2 Tbsp chia seed meal (chia seeds ground in a coffee grinder or high powered blender)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 8 oz water [or 1 cup]
  
• 1/5 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened apple sauce

For the banana cinnamon filling:

• 7 oz extrememly ripe bananas [about 1 1/2 large bananas]
• 3 dates
• 1/2 oz almond butter [about 1 tbsp]
• 1 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon

Method

• Whisk together dry ingredients (first 6) in a medium bowl.
  
• Blend together the water, apple cider vinegar, and apple sauce.
• Add wet to dry and stir until combined.
• Refrigerate for at least an hour so it will be easier to work with (I usually make the dough the night before hand so it's ready in the morning if I'm making these for breakfast)
• Once the dough has chilled, get out some extra coconut flour for dusting a large work surface, and roll out the dough out (flouring the rolling pin and work surface generously) to a square foot- 12" x 12".
• Then make the filling by pureeing the bananas, dates, almond butter, and cinnamon together (if you don't have a good blender or food processor- coarse chop the dates with a chefs knife and add to pureed banana mixed with almond butter and cinnamon).
• Spread filling out onto the rolled out dough, leaving about 1/2"-1" space on the right side of the dough

• Then (this is different from other recipes that tell you to roll a log and then cut- that doesn't work too well with this dough), cut the dough into 1"-1.5" strips (making sure they are all even, you don't have to be exact these are "rustic" after all :). I usually cut into 9 even pieces.
• Roll each slice from left to right, using a bench scraper if needed- but should not be if you flowered the surface well. Pan in a 8" x 8" glass baking dish.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes. They don't rise a whole lot, just let them get golden brown.
• Top with favorite icing or use the cream cheese icing below:
  

For Cream "cheese" icing, blend the following together in a high powered blender:

• 2 oz [1/2 cup if using small pieces] cashews, soaked at least 2 hrs. then drained and rinsed
  
• 3 dates
• 1 oz [2 Tbsp] water
• 1 oz lemon juice [about the juice of 1 lemon, or 2 tbsp]

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And Also: Sweets for a Saturday @ Sweet as Sugar Cookies