Using my cinnamon roll recipe, it's so easy to make this festive and beautiful gluten free cinnamon roll wreath for Christmas morning.
Every year for Christmas, we gather at my mom and dad's for breakfast and presents. My dad makes his "famous" hash browns, as well as eggs and bacon or sausage. My mom always makes fresh fruit kabobs (or a beautiful fruit platter). And I bring whatever I feel like making.
This year I decided to make gluten free Mickey waffles (and some vegan ones for my daughter). I'll make them the day before and put them in the fridge, then toast them up that morning in the oven. The waffles will be as light and crisp as they were when I made them!
But it's pretty much understood that no matter what else I bring, I'll always make my cinnamon rolls. They're just so good that even my gluten eating family can't get enough of them! This year, though, I thought I'd change it up and make the cinnamon rolls pull-apart style, in the form of a wreath. That way we could just grab a roll to add to our plate before sitting down at the table. Plus, the wreath would look so pretty on the buffet!
The Basis for a Gluten Free Cinnamon Roll Wreath
If you've never made my gluten free cinnamon rolls, I urge you to please give them a shot. You won't be sorry! They are by far the best gluten free cinnamon rolls ever, and I'm not just saying that to toot my own horn. I worked on them for several years, but the true test to success was feeding them to my honest critic of a husband. He would tell me if he thought they were awful (we have an understanding that I need to hear an honest review from him and not just blowing smoke to appease me).
So when he ate 3 in a row one Christmas morning (mind you, he can have Cinnabon or any kind of cinnamon roll he wants), I knew I had a winner. In fact, he went so far as to say that my gluten free cinnamon rolls were better than Cinnabon! He said they were softer and not as dry. How about that?
Needless to say, you need to make a batch of my gluten free cinnamon roll dough and filling to make this cinnamon roll wreath. You'll see just how easy the dough is to work with (a breeze actually) and you'll be making your own wreath in no time!
Shaping and Baking the Wreath
After you've spread the filling on the dough and rolled it up, the first thing to do is to elongate the dough roll a little bit so it will be big enough to bend into a wreath.
Use either a sharp knife or kitchen shears and snip into the wreath to expose the inner cinnamon rolls. Don't cut all the way through to make individual rolls, however. You need to leave the back (or inside) part of the dough still intact and connected.
Twist the cinnamon rolls slightly to open them up. Cover the wreath and let it rise until doubled in size, about one hour (it can take longer depending on the temperature in your area). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake the cinnamon roll wreath for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Glazing the Rolls
I prefer to use a powdered sugar glaze on the wreath instead of cream cheese icing. The glaze still allows the rolls to show through, whereas a cream cheese icing would mask the beautiful swirls underneath.
Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle all over the warm wreath. It's as simple as that!!
Make Ahead Gluten Free Cinnamon Roll Wreath
This cinnamon roll wreath can be made ahead, which is a blessing for anything to be served Christmas morning. The dough of course can, and should, be made the day before. But the entire wreath can be assembled the night before and wrapped well in the fridge.
After assembling the wreath, you can place it directly in the fridge to cold proof overnight. If it hasn't doubled in size by then (sometimes our fridges are just too cold), take it out about an hour before planning to serve it and allow it to proof in a warm, draft-free area until almost doubled in size. Then bake as directed.
Change it up this year and make a gluten free cinnamon roll wreath for your Christmas breakfast. It's just as easy, tastes just as wonderful, and is a festive addition to your table.
Gluten Free Cinnamon Roll Wreath
Ingredients
- ½ recipe gluten free cinnamon roll dough, recipe follows
- filling, recipe follows
- powdered sugar glaze, recipe follows
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 3½ cups (495 g) Kim's gluten free bread flour blend
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1¾ tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp plus 1½ teaspoon (24 g) instant yeast
- 2 tablespoon pysllium husk powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups (360 ml) milk
- ¾ cup (1½ sticks or 169 g) salted butter, very soft or melted
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
Filling
- ½ cup (1 stick or 113 g) salted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar
- 4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon Kim's gluten free bread flour blend
Glaze
- 2 cups (250 g) powdered sugar
- 3-4 tablespoon milk, or more as needed for desired consistency
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the dry ingredients. With the mixer running on low, slowly pour in the milk, followed by the butter and the eggs. Turn the mixer up to medium high and knead for 5 minutes.
- Cover and proof in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in size, 1-2 hours (or more, depending on the warmth of your area). Refrigerate overnight.
Make the Filling
- In a small bowl, mix together all filling ingredients until smooth and well combined. Set aside.
Fill, Shape, and Bake the Wreath
- Knead half the dough (put away the other half of the dough for another use*) on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Roll out to a rectangle about ¼-inch thick.
- Dollop spoonfuls of the filling all over the dough. It will be too thick to spread evenly. Just do your best to spread it with your fingers.
- Roll the dough up as tightly as possible and pinch the edge to seal. Elongate the roll by pressing it with your palms back and forth against the counter. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet and bend it into a wreath shape and pinch the ends to seal as best you can.
- Take kitchen shears or a sharp knife and cut slits almost all the way through the ring (leave about one inch of the inside still attached). Twist each roll to open slightly.
- Cover the wreath lightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise until almost doubled in size in a warm, draft-free area, about 30 minutes to an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Bake the wreath for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Any filling that has oozed out can be spooned back into the slits of the rolls, especially if you let it cool for a few minutes.
Glaze the Wreath
- Whisk all the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl and drizzle over the wreath. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Suzanne Scheib
Hi Kim! Do you suppose I could make a pepperoni bread wreath this way? I need an appetizer for Christmas eve, and I thought your pepperoni bread would be great, but then I saw this recipe and wondered if the bread could be done in the same wreath shape. Thoughts?
Kim
Yes! That's a great idea!!
Linda Wright
I am so excited to try this recipe! All my life, this has been Christmas breakfast, and, now that I am gluten-free, I was really sad to think that I would never be able to have it again!! I am wondering about the overnight refrigeration. I'm assuming that's to help make the dough less sticky, and easier to work with. Is that right? What would you say is the minimum amount of time the dough should be refrigerated? Thank you! I will be trying this this Christmas, for sure!!!
Kim
I would say no less than 6 hours. When I'm making this for Christmas morning, I make the dough in the morning of Christmas Eve, shape it in the evening, and place it in the fridge overnight, where it will slowly rise. Then all I have to do is bake it on Christmas morning 🥰
Donald Robbins
What does the psyllium husk do?
Is it essential for the recipe?
Substitute?
Kim
No, it's not absolutely essential, but does provide a better stretch than the xanthan gum in my original cinnamon rolls. However, the original cinnamon rolls are just as wonderful without psyllium husk and have an amazing texture. Here is the link for those if you can't do psyllium: https://www.letthemeatgfcake.com/ultimate-gluten-free-cinnamon-rolls/
elizabeth Keatley
this recipe says it uses your cinnamon roll recipe, as follows, but this is not the same as the Ultimate cinnamon roll recipe. This one calls for 1/4 cup more milk plus 2 T of psyllium husk, which are not listed on the cinnamon roll page.
Kim
You are right. I basically was stating that it began with the cinnamon roll recipe and was altered slightly to make it a little more stretchy and able to be curved into a wreath. That's why I specifically put the recipe in the post and didn't just put a link to the original cinnamon roll recipe.
Darcy Finley
I didn't have psyllium husk and didn't substitute anything. They were great! I too enjoy all your recipes as does my glutens in the house. Thank you for making GF enjoyable!!
Kim
Thanks so much, Darcy! So glad you and your family enjoyed them 🙂
Marietta AF Greene
HI! first just want to say EVERY RECIPE I HAVE MADE OF YOURS IS PERFECT!! seriously - your pictures and videos and clear directions are wonderful. I am started with your pastry doughs and cookies and now moving on to your breads. I have 2 questions before i begin -1 - is the Bob's red mill WHEY PROTEIN the same as the whey protein isolate that you call for in your bread blend? and 2 - is there a sub for psyllium husk - i am sadly allergic (crazy i know - i found out when i started eating and baking GF/wheat free)
thanks again for your blog and recipes! - Marietta
Kim
Hi, Marietta! Thank you SO much for your kind words!!
The BRM whey protein isn't quite the same, but can be used as a substitute (although I think their protein is processed with wheat, but I'm not sure). When looking at my flour blends page, all the items listed in the blend are also links to the brands I use and where to buy them.
You can sub the psyllium husk powder with the xanthan gum already in the flour blend recipe 🙂
Sharon
I have no patience… Called the grocery store to make sure they still had yeast and ran out to get more.… Hard to believe 2 g could make that much difference, but I am going to try it. I know you know what you’re doing!!! I substituted 75 g of coconut sugar for the brown sugar in the filling. And, I substituted half a cup however many grams that was of Lakanto in the dough… my body just can’t tolerate that much sugar although I have been salivating over these since I first found the recipe!! I’ll keep you posted as to how those changes work.
ROSALIND RYAN
CAN I USE THIS RCIPE FOR SAVORY PURPOSE RATHER THAN SWEET?
Kim
You probably could, although the dough is more of a sweet dough 🙂
Sharon
I just realized I wrote on the wreath recipe not the cinnamon rolls. At any rate, A M A Z I N G!!!
Kim
I bet 2 grams wouldn't have made much difference, but I have no patience either so I'm the same way, haha!!
I'm anxious to find out how the coconut sugar will work, so definitely let me know!
Merry Christmas🎄🎅
Sharon
Kim,, I was literally mixing the dry ingredients when this wreath recipe came! The only reason I had stoped mixing was because I didn’t have enough yeast! It would have been helpful to know that the recipe requires MORE than the 3 pkgs of yeast they sell in the stores. I have the other kind you indicated NOT TO USE😖! I guess it is off to the grocery and. Hoping they have any yeast left!
Kim
Hey, Sharon, you can use the active dry yeast if that's all you have. You'll just to need to activate it first in the milk (warm milk not more than 110 degrees F) before adding it to the dry ingredients.
Tania
I used warm milk, is the dough suppose to be sticky wet or like regular smooth supple??
Kim
Sticky at first, but once it's in the fridge overnight it and you knead it, it'll become smooth and supple. The video shows the texture pretty well 🙂