Keto Cinnamon Cream Cheese Roll-Ups – Crispy & Irresistible!
Is it possible to create a snack that makes your tastebuds do the happy-shimmy while keeping your carb count lower than my kitchen ceiling? Well, I stumbled onto these Keto Cinnamon Cream Cheese Roll-Ups last February during a midnight fridge-raid when all I had was cream cheese, some almond flour, and a desperate sweet tooth. The way the outer shell crackle-zips (that’s my term for when something gets perfectly crispy but still has that tender give beneath) against the sweet cinnamon filling makes me question why I ever bothered with regular pastries. I’ve been baking since I was tall enough to reach our countertops—wait, actually I started when I couldn’t reach them and used a wobbly stool that nearly sent me to the hospital twice. Anyway! These roll-ups are totes worth the fifteen minutes they take to whip up.
My Personal Roll-Up Revolution
Y’know how sometimes you’re just standin’ there, watching butter melt, and suddenly you have an existential thought about the meaning of breakfast? That was me before these Keto Cinnamon Cream Cheese Roll-Ups crashed into my life. I tried making them with coconut flour first—complete disaster. The texture was like wet sand attempting to become concrete. I almost hurled the whole batch against the wall, but Mikey (my sourdough starter) was sitting nearby and I didn’t want to traumatize him.
Jenny always said I overcompensate with cinnamon, but what does she know? She puts ketchup on eggs! The evolution of these roll-ups took approximately 7.3 attempts over a weirdly humid weekend in 2022, then another 4 tries last summer when my oven decided to run 30 degrees hotter than whatever temperature I set. The real breakthrough came when I was experimenting in my tiny Denver apartment kitchen, where high-altitude baking makes everything a gamble. I figured out the double-fold technique (parenthetically speaking, I always lick my fingers between folds because the cinnamon mixture is too good to waste) which gives these bad boys their signature pocket of gooey goodness.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- 8 oz cream cheese (room temp, not that cold-block nonsense—seriously, plan ahead unlike me who always forgets and then microwaves it too long)
- 1 ¹/₃ cups almond flour (the superfine kind, not the gritty stuff that feels like beach sand between your teeth)
- 2 tsp + a smidge more cinnamon (I use Ceylon cinnamon because Cassia gives me weird mouth tingles)
- 3 tbsp granulated erythritol (or however much makes your sweet spot sing—I’ve been known to double this when no one’s looking)
- 1 dash of vanilla extract (or what I call a “sleepy pour” when you’re not paying attention and oops too much)
- 2 Wilkinson pinches of salt (named after my grandfather who could pinch precisely the right amount between his massive carpenter fingers)
- ¼ stick melted butter (preferably unsalted, but who am I kidding, I use whatever’s on the counter)
- 1 egg, beaten until it questions its life choices (for brushing the Keto Cinnamon Cream Cheese Roll-Ups before baking)
Let’s Roll These Babies Up!
1️⃣ First things first—heat your oven to 350°F. Or if you’re like me with an ancient oven, set it to 375°F because it always runs cool despite what the repair guy claimed. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, not wax paper for heaven’s sake! I made that mistake during The Great Christmas Smoke-Out of 2021 and still haven’t heard the end of it.
Second Step) Amalgamate (fancy word for “throw together”) your almond flour, a pinch of salt, and about 1 tsp of cinnamon in a bowl. In a separate bowl, battle the cream cheese with a fork until it surrenders to a silky consistency. I find aggressive zigzag motions while thinking about people who don’t use their turn signals works best.
- Now comes the tricky part that I call “dough-wrestling” – combine the almond mixture with the cream cheese. Use your hands! Tools are for wimps here. When it starts sticking to your fingers like a toddler who doesn’t want to be dropped off at daycare, you’re on the right track. Check out my Keto Pizza Crust for similar dough-handling techniques!
Fourth! Roll this mixture between two sheets of parchment paper until it’s about ⅛ inch thick—or what my Great Aunt Trudy would call “a cat’s whisker.” Remove the top parchment and use a pizza cutter to slice it into rectangles. Don’t worry about perfect shapes; we’re going for rustic charm here (code for “I can’t cut straight lines to save my life”).
5: The filling! Mix erythritol with remaining cinnamon and a micro-splash of vanilla. Contrary to what those fancy cooking shows tell you, I found that sprinkling this mixture directly onto the dough rectangles BEFORE adding a small schmear of additional cream cheese works better—wait, actually, do the cream cheese first, then the cinnamon mixture. I always do this backward the first time.
Sixth Stage: Roll these rectangles up like tiny burritos with attitude. Place them seam-side down on your baking sheet. Brush with beaten egg (though honestly, sometimes I use melted butter instead because I forgot to buy eggs… again). For another great keto snack option, try my Avocado Fries.
⑦ Bake those Keto Cinnamon Cream Cheese Roll-Ups until they’re golden brown and making your kitchen smell better than any candle you’ve ever bought—about 15-18 minutes, or until they make that specific tsss-click sound when you tap them with a fingernail.
Notes & Tips From My Kitchen Chaos
• NEVER refrigerate the dough before rolling! Everyone says to chill dough, but I’ve tested this recipe 16 times and refrigeration makes it crack like my aunt’s commentary at Thanksgiving dinner.
★ For extra crispiness, try the double-bake technique I invented during a power outage (don’t ask): bake for 10 minutes, remove and let cool for EXACTLY 4 minutes, then return to oven for final 8 minutes. Changes the entire texture profile!
• Careful with substituting coconut flour! My neighbor Grace tried this and created what we now call “The Sahara Incident.” If you must use coconut flour, reduce to ⅓ cup and add two extra eggs.
♦ When forming the rolls, I use the “Hoffman cross-fold” technique (learned from my imaginary pastry mentor, Chef Hoffman): fold opposite corners first, then roll from the flat edge for optimal filling distribution.
• Store these in an unsealed container—I’m serious! This goes against everything you’ll read about storing keto baked goods, but the slight air exposure maintains the crispy exterior better than an airtight container, which creates condensation and soggy roll-ups.
Kitchen Tools That Make Life Better
SILICONE BENCH SCRAPER ★★★★★
This flexible buddy saved my countertop from almond flour Armageddon.
I’ve had the same one since 2016 and it’s stained with the ghosts of recipes past.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H18LJ9B
THE “DOUGH WHISPERER” SPATULA ★★★★★
Technically it’s just a regular silicone spatula, but mine has special powers.
If you bang it three times against the side of the bowl, your dough will cooperate better (psychology works on food too).
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000CFN8Y
Variations That’ll Make You Question Reality
• The Savory Flip – Delete the cinnamon and erythritol, add garlic powder and herbs instead. Sounds bizarre with cream cheese, but it creates this weirdly addictive cheesy-herb roll-up that I ate seven of while standing over my sink at 2 AM.
• The “Why Not?” Version – Add finely chopped pecans and a pinch of cayenne to the cinnamon mixture. The heat hits about three seconds after the sweetness, and your brain won’t know whether to be confused or delighted.
• Seasonal Adaptation: During fall, I add a sprinkle of ground cloves because it reminds me of the time I thought I was in Vermont but was actually just in a Bath & Body Works. The aroma combination with the Keto Cinnamon Cream Cheese Roll-Ups is transcendent.
The Burning Question
Can I make Keto Cinnamon Cream Cheese Roll-Ups ahead of time and reheat them?
Contrary to every food blog answer ever, I say NO. Don’t do it. I’ve experimented with this extensively using my “Morning After Method,” and fresh is the ONLY way. If you absolutely must (like if you’re proving a point to your skeptical brother-in-law about keto baking), then store at room temperature for no more than 16 hours and reheat by giving them exactly 3 minutes in a 275°F oven, followed by 45 seconds under a broiler. The flavor molecules reconfigure better this way according to my completely made-up but somehow accurate Thermal Reclamation Principle.
Final Thoughts on These Life-Changing Roll-Ups
I never thought Keto Cinnamon Cream Cheese Roll-Ups would become my signature potluck contribution, but here we are. The way people’s eyes widen when they take that first bite—then immediately ask if they’re “allowed” to eat these on their diet—brings me ridiculous joy. What is it about cinnamon that makes everything taste like comfort? Does almond flour actually taste better when you’re wearing fuzzy socks? Will I ever perfect the art of not getting cinnamon on my phone while following my own recipe?
Next month, I’m experimenting with a chocolate version of these that might just break my previously established rules about keto desserts. I’m EXTREMELY excited about it—possibly too excited, according to my therapist. But until then, enjoy these crispy, irresistible little packages of joy!
Happy roll-upping!
Chef Maggie “Crispy-Corners” Wilson
First place, Amateur Division, Tucson Alternative Flour Bake-Off (which may or may not have happened only in my dreams)
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