Growing up, one of my favorite traditions was enjoying weekend breakfasts out with my family. While we often ate unsweetened cereals with milk during the school week, weekends were a special treat when I could order anything I wanted–> donuts with frosting and sprinkles, chewy bagels smothered in butter, and, perhaps my favorite, frosted cinnamon raisin biscuits from Hardee’s.
Nothing like a sugar rush at 8 a.m. to wake you up.
Though I haven’t had a real cinnamon raisin biscuit in years (Hardee’s don’t seem to exist on the west coast!), I suddenly had a craving for them this weekend and decided I must attempt my own version. Not surprisingly, mine are grain-free and naturally sweetened with honey–> making them a much healthier option, without the dreaded sugar rush to follow.
And, I dare say, I like mine better.
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Frosted Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits
makes 8 biscuits
adapted from Elana’s biscuit recipe
Ingredients:
For the biscuits:
2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup coconut oil, softened (or butter)
2 eggs, at room temperature
2 Tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup raisins
For the frosting:
2 Tablespoons coconut oil, softened
2 Tablespoons raw honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, sea salt, cinnamon and baking soda, and whisk well. In a separate bowl, stir together the coconut oil, eggs and honey, then add them to the dry ingredients and mix until a dough forms.
Note: If your eggs are cold, they will solidify the coconut oil, making the wet mixture rather chunky–> but don’t worry, you can still mix it into the dry mixture, then stir very well with a spatula until it creates a uniform dough.
Stir in the raisins, then use a 1/4 cup to scoop out 8 portions of dough. I used my hands to create biscuit-like shapes, because I was too lazy to roll out the dough and use a biscuit cutter. Of course, feel free to use any method you like!
My approach created rather scone-like biscuits… but let’s just go with it.
Place the biscuit dough on a baking sheet, lined with a Silpat, and bake at 350F for about 13-15 minutes.
After 13 minutes, I could smell that mine were done! Your house will reek of cinnamon by the time you’re done with these.
I trust that won’t be a problem.
Allow the biscuits to cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then use a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
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These biscuits are delicious on their own, but, like most things, the frosting takes them over the top.
Simply whip together the coconut oil, honey, vanilla and salt until creamy, then spread generously onto the cooled biscuits!
If you don’t wait for the biscuits to cool completely, your frosting will melt into a glaze…
…which is also delicious.
However you make them, I hope you enjoy!
- Biscuits: 2½ cups blanched almond flour
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup coconut oil, softened (or butter)
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅔ cup raisins
- Frosting: 2 Tablespoons coconut oil, softened
- 2 Tablespoons raw honey
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
- For the biscuits, preheat your oven to 350F.
- In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, sea salt, cinnamon and baking soda, and whisk well.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the coconut oil, eggs and honey, then add them to the dry ingredients and mix until a dough forms. (Note: If your eggs are cold, they will solidify the coconut oil, making the wet mixture rather chunky–> but don’t worry, you can still mix it into the dry mixture, then stir very well with a spatula until it creates a uniform dough.)
- Stir in the raisins, then use a ¼ cup to scoop out 8 portions of dough. I used my hands to create biscuit-like shapes, because I was too lazy to roll out the dough and use a biscuit cutter. Feel free to use any method you like!
- Place the biscuit dough on a baking sheet, lined with a Silpat, and bake at 350F for about 13-15 minutes. (After 13 minutes, I could smell that mine were done!)
- Allow the biscuits to cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then use a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To prepare the frosting, simply whip together the coconut oil, honey, vanilla and salt until creamy, then spread generously onto the cooled biscuits!
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Reader Feedback: Did you have any breakfast traditions growing up? Any special breakfast treats?
Mmmm cinnamon raisin is one of my favourite breakfast flavours. Someone in my office seems to have cinnamon raisin toast every morning for breakfast but I’m not sure who it is because the closest I get to it is when I walk into the kitchen after they’ve toasted it and walked away! My breakfast ‘traditions’ were of the unhealthy sort – Froot Loops, Corn Pops, Eggos, and Pop Tarts. Helloooo cavities. (Strangely I don’t have any cavities – it’s quite a miracle!)
Yum, these sound like a delicious weekend breakfast! Growing up I wasn’t much of a breakfast lover, but now I am, esp on the weekends when I have more time!! Have a great week!
Those sound amazing.
I’m wondering if you could do or were planning on doing an overall update on how you feel since giving up grains. Or, I assume you’ve given up grains because of all the awesome things you’re posting that don’t involve them.
Do you notice better overall energy? Is your skin better? Is your digestion any different? Have you lost weight? Are there any downsides? I’m contemplating going grain free for a while and am wondering what you’ve found to be true for you.
Thanks for the reminder, Jen– I will plan a post on the grain-free issue!
I have been feeling really good without them, so I’ve just kept it up. And YES to all of the benefits you’ve mentioned. I’ll go into more detail in a post, but really, the only downside I can see is that it maybe a challenge to break those deeply-engrained habits, at first. It does get easier, though!
Engrained habits…. Nice! Iverecently given mine up and I have to say it’s actually way easier than I ever expected. Especially having access to all the grain free recipes on the Internet. Ps your website rocks! I’m so mad that I just found it! The food combining world seems lonely until you join forces!
Glad you found me!
Hope you enjoy the recipes!
Those look delicious. I don’t even remember the last time I had a cinnamon roll or something similar.
These look delicious! I love the glaze!
My favorite thing was hot chocolate, my mom served it to me in a giant bowl and it was sooooo good. For many years, my version of that was hot coffee, but now I sort of do a detoxified version with either a teeccino, decaf, a warmed up mug of almond milk, or a chai tea. Once in a while I’ll do chocolate. It’s this habit of a warm drink with breakfast that keeps me from drinking a green juice in the morning…I just do not want something cold. I force myself sometimes, but I’m not satisfied until I get my hot fix…thanks mom!
I like to have my “hot fix” in the morning, too– be it coffee, tea or just hot water. Green juice usually waits until later in the morning, when I’m warmer.
Love love these. How awesome do these look. Saving this recipe pronto! Hm breakfast traditions, I don’t think so I was a swimmer growing up so I usually grabbed toast before practice otherwise I was a bad child and didn’t eat breakfast. Can’t even imagine that now!
Mmmm these look phenomenal! I can’t wait to try them out. Love your blog by the way, I found it through Kilee Johnson. Can’t wait to keep reading!
Glad you found me, Kara! Thanks for stopping by!
Is it possible to replace the eggs by another ingredient ? I do not eat eggs, butter and margarine. Would be very happy about any advice!
I imagine that “flax eggs” would be a fine substitute for the eggs, but of course, the only way to know for sure is by trying it out. Please come back and let us all know how it works!
Thanks a lot – I will try and let you know for sure!!
Megan: I think Hardee’s is called Carl Junior’s on the west coast, but you aren’t missing anything!
I’m a terrible biscuit maker. These might change my luck!
I’d like to try these for my kids, who are gluten intolerant; but my son also has an almond intolerance…do you think coconut flour works as a substitute for almond flour in this and other baking recipes? I’m new to all of this!
Unfortunately, coconut flour cannot be substituted– it’s a very complicated ingredient to work with! If your son can handle a different type of nut, any ground nut meal should work, though!
Good luck, and let us know if you have any success!
I made these this weekend and they were awesome! I know I’ll be making them again. My icing didn’t look like yours, though, mine was very runny. I’m wondering if it was the type of coconut oil, because it is runny to begin with.
It also depends on the temperature! Since it’s the peak of summer, your kitchen will be warmer and your coconut oil will be in a liquid-state. Coconut oil is solid if the temperature is below 76 degrees, which makes it a little thicker for frosting. The biscuits also need to be completely cooled to keep the frosting thick, rather than runny. However, I found it tasty either way!
Btw, I intended to rate it 5 stars above, but it wasn’t working correctly.
Suppose I wanted to add some pumpkin pie spice to these…about how much would you recommend? Love the recipe but I’ve been adding fall flavor to everything lately!
Are you wanting to add it in addition to the cinnamon that’s already in the recipe? If so, I’d say just add maybe a 1/2 teaspoon extra of pumpkin pie spice. Otherwise, you could replace the cinnamon completely with pumpkin pie spice– maybe 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons total?
Please let us know how it goes!
Megan, can I substitute the almond flour with brown rice flour or spelt flour?
Ester, gluten-free flours will not work as an even substitute for almond flour. I’d recommend looking for a grain-based recipe, and working from there for better results.
This recipe is great! I have to leave them in the oven for much longer than the recipe says-up to an hour- but they always turn out brilliantly
So far I have made the recipe straight, a coconut and sultana version, a straight almond version (with almond extract and a whole almond on top) and last night I made the recipe as it is and added a little shredded coconut, dark chocolate chunks and cherry chunks-I’ve just had one for afternoon tea and it was delicious! I love your recipes-they are simple to do, much healthier than shop bought, vegan/easy to veganise and give me the inspiration and confidence to experiment in the kitchen 