The best blood sugar friendly, microbiome boosting, gluten free cinnamon buns
My favourite baked good is an almond croissant - but a cinnamon bun is a close second, and honestly, I go back and forth!
And whilst alas - this is not an almond croissant recipe (I wish), I am bringing you the best gluten free cinnamon bun I have ever tasted, and the fact that it’s really freaking good for you? I mean, that’s like the icing on top (though, there’s no icing here because this is a Swedish bun, not American!).
I take an 80/20 approach to eating for endo and health in general - most of the time, I am eating a whole foods diet rich in antioxidants, healthy proteins, high fibre, healthy fats and slow release carbs. But then the other 20% of the time, I like to indulge a little and normally for me, that means some baked goodies.
When we lived in the UK, if I’m honest, I didn’t use that 20% as much, it was more like 10% or 15%, but whilst we’re travelling, of course I want to try the local bakery at the weekend, or have a pizza at that great pizza place joint we’re never going to eat at again because we’re only in that location for a few short weeks.
So, what I am saying is - I 100% eat bakery-bought cinnamon buns when I can find them. And yes, I do often put support in place - I go for a walk after enjoying it, I try to have a protein/fibre rich breakfast first and or at least something to support my blood sugar. But at the end of the day, if I’m in Europe and a place is selling some seriously good-looking Kanelbullar, you best believe I am going to be enjoying one!
However, sometimes on our travels, we’re no where near any bakeries (pretty much most of the time actually, because we try to stay in remote locations away from busy places) and yet that cinnamon craving kicks in. Sure, we could make a traditional version, but I have seen what my blood sugar does after a cinnamon bun, and it’s pretty scary, so I like having a blood sugar balancing version I can enjoy with a cup of coffee on a Sunday morning, in our Airbnb (wherever we are) without feeling the need to go for a walk or work out shortly after.
So, this recipe is made entirely with whole food ingredients that are packed with fibre, and it includes psyllium husk, which is our star ingredient - not only does it provide the bread-y texture we’re after, it also provides the vicious fibre to slow down the release of carbohydrates from the oats and the sugar in the dates.
The magic of it is, that this recipe literally has the taste and texture of a Swedish cinnamon bun. Sure, it designs have the sticky, sugary outer shell, and it’s not as sweet as your regular cinnamon bun, but my gosh, it’s shockingly close.
So, what are we waiting for? Let’s get to it.
These Gluten Free ‘Swedish’ Cinnamon Buns are…
Made with whole foods, psyllium husk and naturally sweetened to prevent blood sugar spikes, and reduce PMS and menstrual pain.
High sugar foods and processed foods such as baked goods, can potentially contribute to more PMS, menstrual pain and endo pain, so to make this recipe more blood sugar friendly, I have focused on the presence of healthy fats, fibre and protein, which have all been shown to help stabilise blood sugar levels and slow down the uptake of glucose from our food (the only source of sugar in this recipe is dates) to our blood stream, preventing blood sugar spikes.
Most gluten free recipes will use gluten free flours, but here’s the thing - though they are fantastic for baking, flours (gluten free or gluten-based) are more likely to spike blood sugar, because they provide a lot of starch and carbohydrates, with very little fibre, so all that starch can get digested and absorbed quickly, which is what makes a lot of baked products more blood sugar spiking (and any added sugar of course).
To prevent such a significant impact, and to support the microbiome with added fibre, I have used whole oats in this recipe (oat flour tends to have a lot of fibre stripped out).
I’ve also used dates rather than simple sugars like white sugar, maple syrup of coconut sugar. Dates add fibre, and have a low to moderate glycemic index, so they shouldn’t cause a dramatic or quick rise in blood sugar.
However, research has shown that individual blood sugar responses vary from person to person, and if you eat a lot of even a low glycemic index food, it may have a greater impact on your blood sugar levels because you’re eating more in one sitting.
Therefore, I’ve only used only 8 small dates or four medjool dates in this recipe, to try and keep the total natural sugars and overall carbohydrates as low as possible. If you know you’re sensitive to dates blood sugar wise, I’ve added some tips below.
I’ve also included yoghurt which provides the fat and protein, and can help to make this recipe both blood sugar stabilising and satisfying, curbing those luteal phase cravings. Additionally, fermented dairy, like yoghurt, has been associated with lower rates of type 2 diabetes and insulin levels, as well as lower glucose and insulin levels.
But the real start here is the psyllium husk powder. Multiple studies have shown that taking psyllium husk daily, normally before a meal, can improve blood sugar levels over time. And adding psyllium husk to meals or immediately before meals has also been shown to improve the postprandial (after meal) glucose response, blunting spikes, and one study found these effects were even better when combined with a meal high in protein.
How does this magic ingredient work? Thanks to its high viscous and soluble fibre content. Psyllium creates a gel-like texture by absorbing water (either added water or liquid in our gut) and slows down digestion and transit time, reducing the uptake and slowing down the uptake of glucose and carbohydrates.
Keeping blood sugar levels stable helps to prevent oxidative stress, which leads to more inflammation in the body and that may trigger further pain and symptoms. In fact, oxidative stress is higher in people with endo, and it’s a key driver of endo growth.
To add to that, constant blood sugar swings can take their toll on hormones, leading to issues like elevated androgens (think testosterone), which can affect ovulation and cycle length. Blood sugar swings may also cause oestrogen excess or dominance and low progesterone if ovulation is interrupted or stopped entirely.
Additionally, these buns can help us out with luteal phase cravings. As we discussed above, when we’re in our luteal phase, we often experience more blood sugar swings because oestrogen, which dominates in our follicular phase, helps us to regulate our blood sugar response, but is lower in the luteal phase. As a result, we tend to get cravings for sweet foods or foods high in starch. The problem is, these foods keep us on a blood sugar rollercoaster, and raise inflammation levels, resulting in more of those inflammatory symptoms and pain that we’re trying to avoid. This ice cream, being low in sugar and rich in fibre, can help us get our fix without the pain triggering spikes.
Finally, blood sugar swings are linked heavily with mood disorders such as depression and anxiety, so if you struggle with low moods in your luteal phase, supporting blood sugar can actually support your mental health!
High protein to help stabilise blood sugar and satisfy luteal cravings.
You might find yourself experiencing more cravings in your luteal phase, especially for high carb or sugary foods.
This is because progesterone can increase hunger and oestrogen, which is lower in the luteal phase, improves insulin sensitivity, therefore in the follicular phase when oestrogen reigns supreme, our blood sugar is more stable and we are less prone to cravings.
As oestrogen declines in the luteal phase, we can become more vulnerable to blood sugar fluctuations, especially if our blood sugar is already not very well balanced people with endometriosis may be prone to blood sugar instability and metabolic issues). Add to the progesterones tendency to increase hunger, and we have a recipe for cravings - especially if we’re also experiencing PMS, PMDD or nutrient deficiencies (all of which can intensify cravings).
Now, satisfying these cravings is not a bad thing - but how we satisfy them can influence our hormones and our periods for better or for worse.
As we chatted about above, high sugar foods and processed foods can potentially contribute to more PMS, menstrual pain and endo pain, but battling off those sweet and carby cravings is not often realistic (or needed!), so I always endeavour to create better-for-you versions of those sugar fix treats we tend to reach for.
These buns do just that with their high protein content. A serving (which is half the recipe) provides a whopping 20g protein, when it comes to luteal phase cravings, protein is your bestie because it improves satiety more than carbohydrates or fats, which means it keeps you fuller for longer. If you opt for a dairy free or vegan version, it may be lower, but I’ve given you some options in the notes on how to push protein up.
Boosts the gut microbiome and can ease IBS symptoms, to improve endo belly.
Psyllium husk is a prebiotic soluble plant fibre, which means it helps to feed our good gut bugs. Research is finding a strong correlation between microbiome disturbances and endometriosis development, such as reduced levels and variety of good gut bugs and higher levels of pathogenic (bad, infectious), opportunistic (in high numbers, can cause problems like inflammation) gut bugs, as well as gut bugs linked to elevated oestrogen levels. These microbiome differences have also been associated with higher IL-8 levels, a type of inflammatory cytokine shown to be involved in the development of endometriosis.
Prebiotics are like gut bug boosters - the more we provide to our good gut bugs, the more they grow and outnumber the bad guys. This helps to bring the gut back into harmony, which can improve gut symptoms and intestinal inflammation.
But that’s not where the benefits of prebiotics end. Psyllium specifically helps to boost short chain fatty acid levels, including acetate and propionate and even butyrate. Research shows that people with endo may be low in short chain fatty acids. Acetate and propionate play an incredible role in reducing systemic inflammation, immune regulation and helping to stabilise blood sugar, but butyrate is the highlight here. Butyrate has a range of benefits for endometriosis and gut health such as reducing intestinal inflammation, improving insulin sensitivity, preventing leaky gut, promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria and inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria. But here’s what I find most interesting. Butyrate inhibits our inflammatory immune response to lipopolysaccharides (LPS) - LPS are toxins that come from certain bacteria, and have been shown to be heavily involved in endo pathogenesis.
Now you might think that without its prebiotic benefits, that psyllium may worsen endo belly by causing gas and bloating. However, psyllium ferments at a slower pace than some other types of fermentable carbohydrates, which means that it’s less likely to trigger a quick and excessive increase in gas, which results in bloating and other IBS symptoms like cramps, or diarrhoea, etc.
Having said that, it is worth noting that everyone has their own unique triggers, especially if small intestine bacterial overgrowth is present, so just because it’s generally deemed as better tolerated, doesn’t mean it will be, and Monash University, the creators of the Low FODMAP diet, acknowledge that psyllium husk may be one of those fibres which can exacerbate symptoms for some people, despite it being recommended for people with IBS.
Despite the word of warning, psyllium also has other benefits for us endo belly gals and folks. Psyllium is classified as a bulking type of fibre, this means that it increases volume and mass of stools, which in turn, improves consistency and form, and the extra bulk can increase the frequency of bowel movements and increase colonic transit time, which is the time it takes for food to pass through the gastrointestinal tract. This makes psyllium husk a great evidenced based option for people with constipation, and in fact, it has been studied for this purpose multiple times, hence why you will find it in prescription and over the counter laxatives. Additionally, thanks to its gel-forming properties (by absorbing water), psyllium can help reduce diarrhoea and loose stools.
Important notes to help you tailor this recipe to your own body and needs (and tastebuds!)
Making these dairy free
Research shows that about half of people with endo may experience improvements in pain and symptoms with the removal of dairy. However, dairy is nuanced so it’s worth reading or listening to this series to help you work out if it’s right for you and how much you can tolerate (you may not need to cut it out entirely!).
If you know you can’t tolerate Greek yoghurt, then we want to replace it with ideally, a high fat and high protein alternative (for structure, as well as benefits). Good brands in the UK are Nush, which have a high protein option, and Coyo, which are high fat.
You could also try canned coconut milk.
I haven’t tried any of these alternative options, but I’d love to hear how you get on.
Making this more blood sugar friendly
Whilst I’ve done everything in my power to create a blood sugar friendlier cinnamon bun recipe, there’s no denying that this recipe is high in carbs. If you’re very sensitive and are currently encountering blood sugar issues, you may do better with dividing the dough into four, and making four smaller buns. To be honest, the two buns are the right size, but they are so very filling, that you may prefer the smaller versions!
Date types and which to use
Where we’re currently staying, we cannot find medjool dates anywhere, so I am using deglect noor dates, which are smaller. As a result, I’ve used 8 dates in the date paste, but I am assuming you’d only need four or maybe six medjool dates, because they are much larger. Experiment and see what works for you! Just remember, medjool dates are naturally higher in carbs and sugar than deglect noor, so you might want to be a bit more mindful of how many you use.
Cream cheese topping?
If you want to go with an American style cinnamon bun, I suggest blending cream cheese and yoghurt (about 50/50), and spooning on top. We did try this the first time, but we’re not used to cream cheese frosting on cinnamon buns and found it a little overwhelming (it sort of masked the bun flavour).
Shaping the buns
Okay, huge disclaimer. Firstly, these are not shaped like classic Swedish buns. To do so, the dough would need much more stretch, so please don’t expect perfection here! We’re aiming for something that looks similar, but not exact.
I don’t actually think I’ve got the bun shaping right yet, but I made this recipe three times, and as these recipes are free and I don’t earn any income from them, my bank balance could only take me testing them so many times!
I have made two videos below so you could see how I (messily) rolled them. You can see there is a rough process, but you can tell by my hesitation that I have it far from perfect! However, the end result looked pretty good enough. I have tweaked my instructions below so the method is simpler, but the video gives you a rough idea should you need a visual aid. But honestly, just experiment to see what works easiest/best for you.
I think the easiest option would be to cut the rectangle in half vertically, while the date paste is still exposed, then fold each half over from the long side, so you have two thin, long strips with the date paste inside. Then you can wind them into the standard American bun spiral, or add a little Swedish bun twist by taking the end, pulling it over the top and then under, like this classic design (last method).
Honestly, there’s no perfect science here, just play around until you find a shape you like! If you find a good method and shape, please send me a pic via email (hello@thisendolife.com) or on IG (@theendobellycoach).
Are oats gluten free?
Oats do not contain any gluten, but most factories that handle oats, also handle gluten, which means there are often trace amounts of gluten on the oats. If you have coeliac disease or an allergy, you need to avoid all traces of gluten, so go for gluten free oats. The same may be said if you have a very reactive intolerance. However, if you just generally avoid or minimise gluten, regular rolled oats should be fine.
Making the wash egg free
I haven’t tried this method but if you want to avoid the egg, blend one date with 50ml of plant-based milk. If it’s too thick, add another 30ml-50ml.
Further resources
If you’re struggling with your endo nutrition or gut health, you might find my courses and one to one coaching helpful. You can find out more here. I’ve also got endless podcast episodes on gut health and blood sugar.
gluten free cinnamon buns
Ingredients:
For the dough
200g 10% fat Greek yoghurt
160g rolled oats (gluten free if you’re coeliac or very sensitive)
1 tbsp psyllium husk powder (I have not tried with the husks)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
For the cinnamon paste
8 deglect noor dates or 4-6 medjool dates
50ml water
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the egg wash
1 egg
1 tsp water
1 date (deglect or medjool)
serves: 2
prep time: 15-20 minutes
bake time: 20-25 mins
cool time: 10 mins
Method:
Preheat your oven to 175c (fan assisted). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Remove the stones from all 9 dates, soak in at least 100ml of hot water (ensuring the dates are fully covered) and set aside to soften (do not throw the water away at any point, we will use throughout the recipe).
In a food processor, pulse and blitz the oats until there are no whole oats left intact. You won’t have a smooth flour etc the end of it, you’re more so aiming for a course flour, a bit like oat bran.
Next, add the yoghurt and vanilla extract and blitz until the dough resembles a thick oatmeal.
Then, add your psyllium husk and baking powder, and blitz once more until a dough forms - this won’t take long.
Remove from the food processor and roll around/knead in your hands for 30 seconds to a minute, just to bring all the dough together and to ensure the psyllium is well distributed. Leave to the side for five minutes.
Whilst the dough binds and thickens, add eight of the dates to a blender, with 50ml of the date water, cinnamon powder and vanilla extract. Blend until you get a thick, smooth paste (don’t worry if there are tiny flecks of dates in it, we just don’t want chunks). Set aside.
Roll the dough out into a rectangle that roughly measures 12/13 inches in length and 10 inches across. The thickness should be just under 1/2cm (around 1/4 inch).
Spread the date paste evenly across the rectangle.
Next, please first read my notes on shaping the bun before proceeding. If you decide to try my original method, then, fold in half from the top, as if you’re closing an envelope, and cut it in half vertically. If you’re going with the American swirl shape, follow the instructions in the notes above.
You should now have two pieces that are folded over with the date paste inside. Read the next steps carefully before you begin: Cut each piece in half from the bottom, leaving about 1cm intact at the top, so each piece has a split down the middle but is still connected at the top (see video).
Fold the two strands over each other as best you can (like a two strand plait), then roll the resulting twist into a ball, placing the intact end underneath the bun. Place the buns down onto the baking paper.
Next, blend the final date, a tbsp of date water and egg in the blender until frothy. Lightly brush your buns with the egg wash.
Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
Remove and place on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then enjoy warm!
These can be eaten cool, but are so enjoyable when still warm. I also imagine they can be frozen, defrosted and warmed back up, but I haven’t tried this method. I suggest if not freezing, you store in an airtight container and consume within one day, to prevent drying out.