Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls: Just as Ooey, Gooey, and Satisfying as Wheat Flour
Cinnamon rolls are so divine that heaven must be filled with them. When I wasn’t eating gluten for a while, I created a gluten-free yeast roll recipe, mainly with the hopes of turning it into an incredibly tasty cinnamon roll. Mission accomplished! Truth be told, how can you go wrong with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a powdered sugar icing? I hope you enjoy these cinnamon rolls.
Servings: 8 rolls
Ingredients
Roll Dough
- 295 ml (1¼ cup) whole milk, divided heated to 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C)
- 50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 12 g (1 tbsp) active dry yeast
- 57 g (4 tbsp) butter, diced + 29 g (2 tbsp) to brush over baked rolls
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 276 g (2 cups) gluten-free all-purpose flour mix like Namaste
- 92 g (¾ cup) tapioca flour/starch
- 8 g (2 tsp) xanthan gum or 12 g (3 tsp) guar gum
- 8 g (2 tsp) baking powder
- 6 g (1 tsp) salt
Cinnamon & Brown Sugar Filling
- 43 g (3 tbsp) butter, softened
- 35 g (¼ cup) gluten-free all-purpose flour mix
- 8 g (1 tbsp) ground cinnamon
- 166 g (¾ cup packed) brown sugar
Icing
- 180 g (1½ cups or so) powdered sugar
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- 1-3 tbsp milk to reach desired consistency (less milk for a thicker glaze)
Instructions
Roll Dough
- Grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish with butter or cooking spray.
- In a measuring cup, heat the milk in the microwave for 30 seconds. Add another 10 second increments to reach at least 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C). Measure out the sugar.
- In a small bowl, add yeast and 1 tbsp from the 50 g (¼ cup) sugar. Pour in ~59 ml (¼ cup) of the warm milk taken from the 295 ml (1¼ cup) measured out. Stir and set aside ~10 minutes or until bubbly and frothy.
- Dice 57 g butter and put it in the measuring cup with the milk. Heat for 30 seconds in the microwave and an additional 10 seconds or so until the butter is just melted. Once the mixture is below 115˚F (45˚C), add beaten egg, vanilla, and whisk.
- In a large bowl, whisk together sifted flour (if needed), tapioca flour/starch, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, and remaining sugar.TIP: If flour is clumpy, sift it before adding the other dry ingredients.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in milk mixture and yeast mixture. Stir well until all the ingredients are combined.
- After mixing all ingredients, scoop out dough onto well-floured (using gluten-free flour or tapioca starch/flour) parchment paper. The dough will be sticky and needs flour to keep from pulling apart as you roll.
- Press or roll out the dough into a 17x12-inch rectangle.
- Brush softened butter over the dough from end to end and edge to edge.
Cinnamon & Brown Sugar Filling
- In a small bowl, combine gluten-free flour and cinnamon. Mix well. Add brown sugar and combine. Scatter the filling over the butter until the dough is covered. Press the filling gently into the dough.TIP: Since gluten-free flour doesn't expand as much as regular flour in the oven, the gluten-free flour mixed with the cinnamon and brown sugar helps to keep the mixture within the dough layers.
- Start at one short end and roll up the dough keeping the filling inside and patching up any dough that might stick. Use the parchment paper to help roll up the dough with the seam at the bottom.
- Cut the log evenly into 8 rolls. Place each roll in the pan touching. The rolls should touch on the seam side to prevent them from opening up as they rise and bake.TIP: To divide the log evenly, cut the log in half. Then, cut each half in half followed by cutting each quarter in half. That will give you 8 rolls.
- Cover the pan with a towel or plastic wrap and set in a warm area to rise and puff up for 30-60 minutes. During the last 30 minutes of the rise, preheat the oven to 350˚F (177˚C).
- Remove the plastic wrap or towel and bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
- Once the rolls are out of the oven, prepare the icing by mixing all the ingredients together. Use a spoon and drizzle the icing over the rolls. Serve and enjoy.
Video
Notes
Dairy-Free Substitutions:
These rolls are gluten free and can easily be made dairy free by using a plant-based milk like coconut milk and a plant-based butter. In place of milk, use ⅔ cup stirred canned unsweetened coconut milk mixed with remaining water to equal 1¼ cups of liquid. Or use 1¼ cups of any plant-based milk product of your choice. For butter, simply sub 1 for 1 with a plant-based butter (salted is fine).
Storage Suggestions:
Store the rolls at room temperature up to 5 days. Bread tends to begin drying out immediately, so I prefer to freeze the rolls as soon as they cool and eat them whenever I want. You can separate them, place in a freezer bag, and store in the freezer for up to several months. Remove from frozen and heat in the microwave until heated through.