Cinnabon, who? These Ultimate Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls will put Cinnabon to shame! Warm, gooey, and SOFT, you won't believe they're gluten free.
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There are some recipes floating around on the world wide web for gluten free cinnamon rolls that aren't bad tasting. Believe me, I've tried almost all of them. But what they always lack is not in flavor, but texture! Am I right, fellow gluten free people??? Isn't that usually the case with all gluten free foods, or at least breads? The texture is just beyond intolerable. It's what we've all settled for over the years. "It's good, for gluten free." Blah, blah, blah.
Well, I refuse to settle for rock hard rolls that don't have that feathery-like texture that you can unroll and tear apart, if that's the way you eat your cinnamon rolls (like I do 😋 ). I can't even begin to tell you how many hockey pucks I threw right in the trash over the years. Way too many to count! But I rarely give up when it comes to baking, so I just kept trying. And trying. And trying. Gluten free hockey pucks, 100. Soft and fluffy ones, zero! Until now...
The picture below is not an illusion. It's not a trickery of a gluten-filled cinnamon roll pretending to be gluten free. This is the actual gluten free cinnamon roll in all its glory, and it is UNBELIEVABLE!!
What You'll Need to Make These Cinnamon Rolls
Dough
- Kim's Gluten Free Bread Flour Blend
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Instant yeast
- Psyllium husks, optional--I use these (affiliate link) whole psyllium husks because I like the little bit of a "wheaty" taste they give. You can also use psyllium husk powder and this (affiliate link) is the one I would recommend. You'll need to adjust the amount, which is given in the recipe card below.
- Salt
- Milk
- Butter
- Eggs
Filling
- Butter
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
Frosting
There are two options for frosting your cinnamon rolls, one a cream cheese Cinnabon-style frosting and the other a powdered sugar glaze. Choose what you like best!
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cheese
- Butter
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Powdered Sugar Glaze
- Powdered sugar
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
HOW TO MAKE CINNAMON ROLLS
The Morning Before
- Make the dough--once you have all your ingredients measured out, it takes about 7 minutes to make this dough.
- Bulk ferment--this just means to proof the dough as a whole for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Refrigerate the dough--allow the dough to chill for at least 4 hours, preferably 6.
The Evening/Night Before
- Make filling--beat the filling together with a stand or handheld electric mixer until smooth and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Beating it this long actually helps the filling stay in the rolls and not leak out to the bottom of the rolls when baking.
- Knead and roll out the dough--briefly knead the dough just until smooth and roll it out on a well-floured surface into a rectangle that's roughly ¼ inch thick.
- Spread with filling--spread the filling evenly over the dough and leave a ½-inch at the one border (to seal it).
- Roll--roll up the dough as tightly as possible.
- Cut--using a piece of dental floss is so easy. Just position it underneath the roll of dough, cross it on top and pull. You can also use a serrated knife to cut the rolls.
- Place rolls in baking pan and cover with plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate overnight.
The Morning Of
- Take the rolls out--remove them from the refrigerator at least one hour prior to baking. This will allow them to come to room temperature and also allow for any extra rising that didn't happen overnight in the cold of the fridge.
- Make the frosting--beat together the frosting ingredients until smooth; cover and set aside.
- Bake the rolls at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes. If you made larger rolls, they may require 5 more minutes in the oven.
- Frost--frost the rolls while they're still warm. Enjoy!
Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls FAQs
They can be made dairy free with the use of a dairy free alternative in the bread flour blend as well as for the butter and milk. I've had one reader state that she made them with JUST egg as an egg substitute and they were amazing!
In order to work with most of my gluten free doughs, a lengthy time in the fridge is very helpful in shaping and rolling. Properly chilled dough will be very easy to knead and shape.
Absolutely! I have a recipe for not only the cream cheese frosting, but also a powdered sugar glaze in the recipe card.
These cinnamon rolls can be made without psyllium husks and will still be delicious and whomever eats them won't know the difference. The only person that may know the difference is the one making them. Psyllium husks make the dough a little more extensible and easier to handle and, therefore, roll out.
Now--go and eat an ultimate gluten free cinnamon roll, the best you will ever have!!!!
The Ultimate Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
DOUGH
- 3½ cups (490 g) Kim's gluten free bread flour blend
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tbsp plus 1½ teaspoon (24 g) instant yeast
- 2 tablespoon whole psyllium husks (or 1½ tablespoon psyllium husk powder), optional (see notes below)*
- 1 tsp salt
- 1½ cups (360 ml) milk (or dairy-free alternative) (see notes below)*
- ¾ cup (1½ sticks or 169 g) butter, very soft or melted (or dairy-free butter alternative)
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
CINNAMON SUGAR FILLING:
- ½ cup (1 stick, 8 tbsp, or 113 g) butter, softened
- 1 cup (220 g) brown sugar
- 4 teaspoon cinnamon
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, softened
- 4 tbsp (½ a stick or 57 g) butter, softened
- 2 cups (250 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
OR GLAZE:
- 2 cups (250 g) powdered sugar
- 3-4 tablespoon milk, or more as needed for desired consistency
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
MIX THE DOUGH AND PROOF
- Blend the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer*** using the paddle or dough hook attachment. With the mixer running on low, slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Once completely combined, turn the mixer up to about medium or medium high and beat for 5 minutes. The dough should be smooth and somewhat stretchy, but still pretty fluid and not at all like bread dough should be.
- Remove the dough hook or paddle attachment. Scrape the dough together into a rough ball or mound using a bowl scraper or spatula. Cover the bowl and place it in a warm, draft-free area for about 2 hours, or until at least doubled in volume (see the pics above). Turning your oven on to the warm function (about 160-170° F) and then turning it off before placing the dough inside is a great area for dough proofing. It should be fluffy looking and almost look like buttercream frosting. Chill for at least 4-6 hours. See within the post for my timeline to make overnight cinnamon rolls.
MAKE THE FILLING
- Mix together the filling ingredients with a stand mixer or handheld mixer until fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Cover and set aside.
KNEAD THE DOUGH, FILL, ROLL, AND CUT
- On baking day (or the night before baking), remove the dough from fridge. On a well-floured surface (using extra gf bread flour blend) knead dough into a smooth ball, adding extra flour as needed until dough is smooth. Roll out to a rectangle that's about ¼-inch thick.
- Spread the filling over the surface of the dough, leaving a ½-inch border at the far edge to seal. Roll up jelly roll style and place seam side down. Using a piece of dental floss, position it underneath the roll and pull it up on both sides. Crisscross it and pull down to cut each roll. You can also use a serrated knife if you don't have dental floss, but first place the entire roll in the freezer for 15 minutes. This will allow you to cut it cleanly.
- Place rolls into a greased baking dish (depending on the size of your rolls, you'll need either a square 8 by 8 inch or a rectangular 9 by 13-inch pan or similar). Cover with plastic wrap and proof again until noticeably larger, but not quite doubled in size. (If baking the rolls the next morning, place them in the refrigerator overnight at this point).
- If rolls have been refrigerated overnight, remove from the fridge about an hour before you plan to bake them (to allow them to come to room temperature and finish their second rise). They should rise until puffed and noticeably larger, but not quite double in size.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. When the rolls have risen sufficiently (they will rise more in the oven), remove the plastic wrap and bake for 20-25 minutes (larger rolls may take 5 minutes longer), or until golden brown. Frost as desired.
MAKE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- Beat together frosting ingredients until smooth.
...OR GLAZE
- Use this glaze instead of the cream cheese frosting for an easy, quick and pourable topping. Whisk all glaze ingredients in a small bowl and drizzle over warm rolls.
Notes
These cinnamon rolls were originally posted on September 11, 2019 and have been updated with new pictures, new tips and tricks, and a new, more detailed video.
Kirsten
Hi there! I looked through all the comments that talk about psyllium husk before typing this so hopefully my question is not a duplicate.
When using the whole psyllium husk, does that affect the mouth feel of the dough? Do you feel the small husks when eating it? I ask because when I use ground flax seed (as a replacement for eggs in other recipes) I get a texture that I don’t love. You mention you like the stability the husk brings to the dough better than the powder so I’m inclined to go with the husk but also don’t want to replicate the mouthfeel issue that comes with the flaxseed. Could you please share your experience with the mouthfeel of the dough once baked when you use the whole husk Vs the powder?
Thank you so much.
Kim
Hi, Kirsten! I personally don't find a difference in the mouth feel at all and can't tell they're in there, and no one else in my family has ever said they feel anything different. To me, the whole psyllium husks give bread almost a "wheaty" flavor that makes it taste even more like real bread.
Kirsten
Thank you for the reply! I bought my psyllium husk and am ready to make some cinnamon rolls!
Connie Z
Baked these for my family for Christmas Day and they were fabulous. My stepdaughter was diagnosed with celiac over 10 years ago and she declared them to be the best cinnamon roll she has had since her diagnosis. Many thanks for your recipe! I look forward to trying some of your other baked goodies in the future.
Kim
Awe, that's so awesome, Connie!!!!
Heather
I have made these twice now... the first time the dough was super sticky and tough to work with but I kept adding flour as I kneaded and persevered and the end product was delicious. This time I added a bit more flour (was using your special bread flour blend and used a scale to measure all ingredients) when making the dough and then was very liberal with flouring my counter while kneading and rolling and they turned out perfect! I will probably look again at your linked amazon flours and make sure I didn't make a mistake there when I go to re-order but I have loved your recipes so much!! Thank you for taking the time to perfect and share!!! I fed these rolls to a large group of gluten-eaters on Christmas day and everybody raved!
Kim
Awe, that's great, Heather! So glad they worked for you!! If they're sticky, it's almost always the flour blend that goes wrong. Check the rice flour and make sure it's superfine and not gritty. That makes a difference in the texture of the dough.
Nia
These are miraculous! They are now a huge part of our Christmas morning tradition as we've made these the past four years since my daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease. They are worth the effort - follow the recipe and the steps to the letter and you will be rewarded with fluffy, delicious cinnamon rolls and no one would ever guess they are gluten free. Kim - you are an absolute godsend - thank you for all your hard work in perfecting these recipes.
Kim
Oh my gosh, Nia, thank you so much again for such a kind and thoughtful review 😍😍😍🤗🤗🤗
Katy Springer
These were SO SO GOOD! I used almond and hazelnut flour combo and applesauce in place of butter for the filling and the frosting (used the cream cheese with goat cheve, baby!) I'm going to try your croissant recipe next! do you have a carrot cake recipe?
C. Docous
Kim, I printed out your recipe about 2 years ago and make them every Christmas Morning! I couldn't find it and I knew I shared on FB so I was able to find it...but its changed?! There was dry milk powder in your flour blend before. Do you still have the original recipe to share...that's what I have the ingredients for.
Kim
That's really strange because I don't remember ever using dry milk powder in my bread flour blend. Could you possibly be confusing this recipe with my yeast free cinnamon rolls? My regular (all purpose) flour blend does have dry milk powder in it and I have a recipe for yeast free cinnamon rolls that uses that flour blend. Could this be what you're talking about? I seriously have never used dry milk powder in my BREAD flour blend before.
Danette Collins
I've ordered the ingredients for your bread flour and I'm excited to give this recipe a try! ❤️ Can I use your bread flour recipe as a flour substitute in my regular baking recipes? What might the portions be? Thank you for all these recipes and all the information!
Kim
It's best only for breads, whereas my all purpose blend will work for all other baking recipes (cakes, cookies, etc).
Gyorgyi
Hi Kim,
Thank you for your work.
Can you please, let me know what can I use instead milk and eggs?
Thank you,
Gyorgyi
Kim
I don't think this recipe will work without eggs. As far as milk, you should be able to use a dairy-free alternative.
Alison
Fantastic recipe! I've made many gluten free cinnamon rolls and these have been the best--the most like "normal" . The texture was awesom. Ive never made a gf dough that could be rolled into a ball before. It was awesome 🙂 I used the cup4cup flour but hope to make your blend in the future. Thanks!!
Callie Vucci
I have made these rolls many times and they are perfection!
I have substituted the potato starch with cassava flour for a friend who has a potato allergy and I couldn’t tell a difference! I have also used a combination of the 2 flours if I ran out of potato starch.
Also could you freeze the dough while it’s still in a log? I don’t have much freezer space and wanted to know if that would work?
Kim
Yes, you certainly could! I'm intrigued with the cassava flour sub and will need to try that myself. Thanks for sharing!!
Jessica
Thank you thank you thank you! Now I can give these a shot. Although I discovered, before I had a chance to try these, that I can't have psyllium either so that's going to be fun.
Kim
It's okay. I actually had this recipe on the site for a good 2 years without the psyllium husks and it was still fabulous and the dough rolled out like a dream! The psyllium husks adds a little more stability in the dough and makes it a little easier to roll out, but you can still achieve great cinnamon rolls without it!!
Alise Grant
Hi there! I just tried to make your cinnamon rolls yesterday and my dough was a complete sticky mess! After reading all the amazing comments I figured this must have been user error rather than the recipe, so I've been trying to figure out where I went awry. I think the problem is that I used whey protein but not whey protein isolate in the flour blend. I figured they were the same thing, but the internet (and my dough) informs me I am wrong! Isolate has more protein in it than just whey protein, and I bet that extra bit takes the dough from utterly sticky to manageable. I'm going to order the isolate and try again, and I'll report back what happens. 🙂
I did manage to make some weird biscuits in a muffin tin and some very misshapen cinnamon rolls out of my sticky mess, so it's not a complete loss!
Kael
I had the same problem using King Arthur brand gf flour. I put it in the freezer to chill for a bit longer and it was a night and day difference. I also had to add flour constantly at first before putting in the freezer.
STANTON EELLS
in your ultimate cinnamon rolls for substitution of yeast it says add 1 tsp of sugar along with the same amount of yeast. does this mean 1 tsp of active dry yeast or does it mean the same omount you would use for instant (2tbls +1 1/2 tsp) ?
Jessica
Is there any way to substitute out the potato starch in your bread flour blend? I'm good with white rice, and whey, and everything else in this recipe except for the potato starch. (Autoimmune and can't have nightshades.) I can't have corn either though. But I miss cinnamon rolls and apple fritters sooooo much.
I have Erawan rice flour (suuuuuper fine, feels like cornstarch), Erawan glutinous rice flour, cassava flour, arrowroot flour, tapioca flour, heck I even have cauliflower flour. (Although I don't think it's at all applicable here, just amuses me LOL) But I have never dealt with potato starch, so I don't know which of these would be closest.
Kim
Oh gosh, I'm not sure. Potato starch has such a unique texture to it that I'm not sure if any of those can replicate. I would maybe start with the arrowroot or maybe the glutinous rice flour? It's really hard to say without experimenting myself.
Laura Martin
My friend, you have done it. This recipe is simple, easy to follow, and the result is unbelievably delicious. They have made their way into the traditions in my family and I am SO thankful for you! I’ve followed your recipe to the best of my ability two times now (Christmas and birthday) and even tried freezing some of them and baking them later— all of the results are out-of-this-world good. I’ve had to eat gluten free for 14 years now and there are very few breads I have ever had that taste this good and certainly NO cinnamon rolls that compare. Thank you, Kim.
Kim
Awe, thank you so much, Laura!!! I'm absolutely thrilled you're enjoying the cinnamon rolls. They were a labor of love for me because I refused to not have a good cinnamon roll again in my lifetime, haha! I appreciate your support and your kind words 😍😍😍
Laurel
Kim, I printed the “old” recipe a while back. I still have some of that mix left from my last batch. Can I mix the “new” mix with the old?
This is THE BEST cinnamon roll I think I’ve ever made, even prior to having change to gluten free due to Celiac. Also, your biscuits are to die for. My husband loves them and he doesn’t have to eat gluten free.
Thanks for sharing your amazing recipes!!!
Lou
Best cinnamon roll recipe I have found and I have tried at least 15! Are there any other uses for the dough aside from making cinnamon rolls?