Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Getting into the season with these pumpkin cinnamon rolls. The best part is they're only 98 calories each, but still taste so sinful! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Dough:

1/3 cup warm milk

2 1/4 Tablespoons active yeast (or one package)

2 Tablespoons sugar

3 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 egg

1 Tablespoon honey

2/3 cup pumpkin puree

Filling:

1/3 cup pumpkin puree

2 Tablespoons melted butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 

Frosting:

1/2 cup whipped cream cheese

1 1/5 Tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:

Mix warm milk, yeast and sugar together and set aside.  In a large bowl combine flour and salt.  In a medium bowl combine pumpkin puree, egg and honey.  Add yeast mixture to sweet potato mixture. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.  

First mix with a wooden spoon, then transfer to a flat, floured surface and knead with hands for about 10 minutes.  Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit in a warm area and rise for an hour, or until dough has doubled in size.  

Transfer dough to a flat, floured surface and punch down. Roll out to a rectangle. Spread melted butter over entire surface. Sprinkle brown sugar over the butter. Mix pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spices together, then spread over dough. Roll the dough up and pinch both ends. Slice to desired thickness. The easiest way to slice dough is with string (or dental floss).

Transfer each roll to a lightly greased pan. A 9"x13" works great or 2 pie dishes. Cover with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise for another hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown. Keep in mind, smaller rolls will need less cook time and larger rolls will need a longer cook time. 

While the rolls are baking, mix together cream cheese, cinnamon, honey and vanilla. Add more or less honey depending on you desired sweetness. Spread frosting over cinnamon rolls, serve and enjoy!

*If you plan on freezing the cinnamon rolls, cook until almost done, but not golden. Freeze without frosting. When ready to fully cook them, remove while oven is preheating and bake until golden brown. Top with frosting at the end.

Orange Spice and Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

Dry Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1 cup oats

3 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cloves

Wet Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons butter, softened (I used Brummel & Brown Yogurt Butter Spread)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon molasses

2 Tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

2 eggs

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 Tablespoon fresh orange juice

Zest of one orange

Cream Cheese Layer:

8 ounces light whipped cream cheese

1 egg

1 Tablespoon fresh orange juice

Zest of one orange

2 Tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Topping:

1/4 cup oats

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup sliced almonds (or other chopped nut)

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 Tablespoon butter, softened (I used Brummel & Brown Yogurt Butter Spread)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Whisk all dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. In a large bowl mix butter, brown sugar, molasses and applesauce together until fully combined. Add eggs, one at a time. Add the remaining wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fully combine. Pour into a lightly greased 9" x 13" baking dish. 

Combine all cream cheese layer ingredients together in a small bowl. Pour on top of cake layer.

Combine topping ingredients together in a small bowl. Cut the cold butter into the flour mixture. Crumble on top of the cake.

Bake for 35 minutes or until knife comes out clean and top in golden brown. 

When cut into 20 pieces, each piece contains 134 calories. (This is if you used light whipped cream cheese and the yogurt butter).

Biscuits and Gravy

Ingredients:

1 can pre-made buttermilk biscuit dough 

1/2 package of Jimmy Dean's turkey sausage crumbles

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

2 Tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups milk (I used unsweetened almond milk, cow milk works too)

salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

Bake biscuits according to package instructions. Lightly brown sausage over medium-high heat with oil. Add flour. Add milk and reduce to medium-low. Stir frequently for 10 minutes or until desired thickness is reached. Add salt & pepper to taste. Pour gravy over biscuits and enjoy.

Can refrigerate gravy and re-heat for quick weekday breakfasts.

Baked Apple Steel Cut Oatmeal

Ingredients:

3/4 cup steel cut oats

1/2 cup chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, etc)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups unsweetened almond milk (or other milk of choice)

1 egg

1/4 cup applesauce

3 Tablespoons honey

1 large apple, peeled and chopped

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a small bowl mix together oats, nuts, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a large bowl mix together milk, egg, applesauce and honey. Combine the dry and wet ingredients and mix well. You can bake right away, or let mixture sit overnight. Place peeled and chopped apple at the bottom of a baking dish and pour mixture over top. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Let cool and serve with Greek yogurt. 

*Can use a 8 x 8 inch baking dish, individual ramekins, or a 8 inch round baking dish (what I used).

Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

Rolls:

1/3 cup warm almond milk (regular milk works too)

1 package or 2 1/4 teaspoon yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon wheat gluten

1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 medium sweet potato, mashed (about 2/3 cup)
1 egg
3 tablespoons applesauce

Filling:
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey

Frosting:
1/2 cup light whipped cream cheese
1-2 tablespoons honey (until desired sweetness)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:

Mix warm milk, yeast and sugar together and set aside.  Chop and boil the sweet potato until fork tender. In a large bowl combine flour, wheat gluten and salt.  In a medium bowl combine mashed sweet potato, egg and applesauce.  Add yeast mixture to sweet potato mixture. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.  

First mix with a wooden spoon, then transfer to a flat, floured surface and knead with hands for about 10 minutes.  Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit in a warm area and rise for an hour, or until dough has doubled in size.  

Transfer dough to a flat, floured surface and punch down. Roll out to a rectangle. Spread butter over entire surface. Sprinkle cinnamon over the butter. Sprinkle brown sugar. Lightly drizzle with honey. Roll the dough up and pinch both ends. Slice to desired thickness. The easiest way to slice dough is with string (or dental floss).

Transfer each roll to a lightly greased pan. A 9"x13" works great or 2 pie dishes. Cover with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise for another 45 minutes to an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until golden brown. Keep in mind, smaller rolls will need less cook time and larger rolls will need a longer cook time. 

While the rolls are baking, mix together cream cheese, honey and vanilla. Add more or less honey depending on you desired sweetness. Spread frosting over cinnamon rolls, serve and enjoy!

*If you plan on freezing the cinnamon rolls, cook until almost done, but not golden. Freeze without frosting. When ready to fully cook them, remove while oven is preheating and bake until golden brown. Top with frosting at the end.

Cinnamon Swirl French Toast

Ingredients:
Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Eggs (1 for every 3 slices of bread)

Milk (1 Tablespoon for each egg)

Toppings of choice: powdered sugar, jam, syrup, fresh fruit etc.

Instructions:
Crack open eggs and place in a small, flat dish. Add a tablespoon of milk for each egg used and whisk together. Heat a medium pan to medium-medium high heat and lightly spray with oil. Dip each piece of bread in the egg mixture, flipping over to coat both sides. Cook for a few minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Serve with toppings of choice and enjoy!

Cranberry Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour (wheat, oat, almond, etc)
1 cup old fashioned oats
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup cranberry sauce
1/2 cup milk (almond milk works great as well)
1/3 cup applesauce
1 egg

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  In a large bowl whisk together all dry ingredients: flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  In a separate bowl mix together all wet ingredients: cranberry sauce, milk, applesauce and egg.  Mix wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  Spray or line a muffin pan and fill 3/4 of the way full.  Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cool for a few minutes, the cranberries will be very hot.

Breakfast Burritos

Ingredients:

Package of fresh tortillas (10-12)

10 eggs

1 cup shredded cheese

3 slices turkey bacon

3 slices bacon

1 cup turkey sausage

2 cups frozen sliced potatoes

Instructions:

Prepare your fillings.  Cook bacon to desired crispness. Scramble eggs. Fry potatoes.  Shred cheese.  Cook sausage. Place each ingredient in a plate or bowl.  Heat up tortillas in the microwave for a few seconds. Fill with desired fillings and roll burrito.

If freezing, wrap each burrito in Saran Wrap or aluminum foil.  Label and place in a freezer zip-lock bag. When ready to eat, microwave for a minute and a half to two minutes. 

Pannkakor (Swedish Pancakes)

This recipe is from one of my best friends who lives in Sweden. She sent me her great grandmother's recipe for pannkakor (Swedish pancakes).

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon sugar
pinch of salt

Instructions:
Whisk all ingredients together, adding only 1 cup of milk. After all combined, add the remaining cup of milk. Let batter sit in refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to thicken. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Melt a little bit of butter or spray the pan with cooking oil. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into the pan and quickly turn the pan all around with your hand, coating the pan evenly. Let cook for about 1 minute then flip in the air. Let the other side cook for another minute.

Spread desired topping on inside of pancake then fold in half twice or fold then put toppings on top. You can use lingonberries, applesauce, Nutella, jam, whipped cream, ice cream, or whatever else you prefer.

Recipe makes about 20 pancakes. You can refrigerate batter for a few days.