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Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

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A homemade Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls recipe that is simple to make and bakes into the best Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls. These from-scratch gluten free cinnamon rolls are tender and fluffy. I can’t wait for you to have one of these warm cinnamon rolls lathered with buttercream icing or cream cheese frosting.

This cinnamon rolls recipe is based off of the same flours I use in my Best Gluten Free Bread Recipe. If you’re in a pinch for time you might want to make my Gluten Free Cinnamon Roll Cake.

For more recipes, please see my Gluten Free Recipes section.

gluten free cinnamon roll with white icing on a white plate

Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

You guys have been asking me for a Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls recipe. I’ve been testing this recipe for gluten free cinnamon rolls for about two years now but until I made my gluten free bread recipe earlier this year, I wasn’t quite happy with the flour combination.

 

I’m excited to say that this is by far the best gluten free cinnamon roll that I’ve had to date.

The combination of gluten free flours, sugar, butter, cinnamon and yeast created a tender, fluffy cinnamon roll that’s gluten free AND it’s still tender days after (when reheated).

a collage of six numbered photos with steps one through six on how to make gluten free cinnamon rolls

How to make gluten free cinnamon rolls

  1. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and the yeast to your heated milk (or water) and give it a quick stir. Set it aside to proof for 8-10 minutes, but no longer.
  2. In a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer and a large mixing bowl) add the white rice flour, tapioca flour, potato starch (not flour), millet flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt. See below for other flour options. Turn the mixer on low and mix until all the dry ingredients are combined.
  3. Add the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar, yeast proof mixture, melted butter, egg, and vanilla and mix for 3 minutes on medium speed.
  4. Turn the mixer off, scrap the side of the bowl, and cover the dough with a light towel. Let the dough rise for 1 hour in a warm place. If you are in a colder environment, you can use your oven on a low setting or use the “proof” setting.
  5. Once your dough has risen, spray a spoon or spatula with oil and transfer the dough from the bowl to a piece of well oiled parchment paper or wax paper.
  6. Using oiled hands, gently spread the dough into a 10X13 rectangle. dough will be about 1/2 inch thick once spread. Try not to press on the dough too hard or you’ll release the air pockets.
  7. Brush the top of the dough with 1/4 cup of melted butter, leaving about 1/2 inch around the edges butter-free.
  8. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the butter.
  9. Using the edge of the parchment or wax paper, slowly roll the dough towards you. Continue to tuck and roll the dough toward you, until you reach the bottom and you have a log.
  10. Using an oiled sharp knife, slice the dough log in half, than quarters, and finally thirds until you have 12 even slices.
  11. Using your knife or a spatula, transfer the cinnamon roll slices to a well oiled 9X13 pan. Cover the pan with a light towel and let it rise for 30 minutes. Once the cinnamon rolls have risen, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  12. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the cinnamon rolls start to brown and the center is cooked through.

See, that wasn’t so bad. You can honestly have these gluten free cinnamon rolls rising in no time. Cinnamon rolls have never been a quick recipe, but if you follow my tips below and make this recipe as-is, you’ll see that it just takes a little rising time and some patience.

a collage of six numbered photos with steps seven through twelve on how to make gluten free cinnamon rolls

Tips for making Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

  • For best results heat your milk to between 95-110 degrees. Any hotter and you will kill the yeast. If the temperature is too low the yeast won’t grow.
  • Make sure to let your yeast mixture proof for 8-10 minutes, no longer! If your yeast sinks and doesn’t start to rise then either your yeast was expired or bad or you didn’t bring the milk to the correct temperature.
  • You can use a hand mixer but the dough will be thick.
  • Dough will be sticky and soft. Make sure to use oiled hands when spreading the dough, and don’t press to hard on the dough.
  • Allow the dough to rise for the specified time.
  • Use an oiled knife when cutting the dough log into 12 pieces.
  • If you want larger cinnamon rolls, cut the dough log into 9 equal cinnamon rolls instead of 12.

I have not tested this gluten free cinnamon roll recipe using coconut sugar or other sugars, but if I do I will update this post.

close up photo of round gluten free cinnamon rolls with white icing in a glass pan

Working with Gluten-Free Flours

When working with or measuring gluten-free flour, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level. Do not scoop your measuring cup into the gluten-free flour. The best method really is to weigh the gluten-free flour. I’ve included weight measurements for the flours in the gluten free cinnamon roll recipe card below.

Dairy Free Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

To make these gluten free cinnamon rolls dairy free you can use water in place of the milk, and dairy-free butter in place of the butter. If you make the cream cheese frosting instead of the buttercream frosting, use a dairy-free cream cheese.

gluten free cinnamon roll on a white plate with a fork and a bite taken out of it

Gluten Free Flour to use to make Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

This recipe works best with the combination of flours I designed the recipe with. I’ve also tested this recipe with off the shelf gluten free flour blends. The following blends work well with this recipe but yield slightly different results.

  • 2 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour (Not the Gluten Free All Purpose Flour) + omit the xanthan gum from the recipe
  • 2 1/2 cups King Arthur Gluten Free Flour
  • 2 1/2 cups Namaste Gluten Free Flour  + omit the xanthan gum from the recipe

If you brave using a different flour mix you are doing so without me properly testing it. Leave me a comment if you do, and let me how the flour blend worked and I’ll test it.

cinnamon roll on the top of the photo with a bite taken out with a fork, text overlay perfect sweet tender gluten free cinnamon rolls and an image of a round cinnamon roll with white icing on the bottom of the image

Gluten free cinnamon rolls can taste just as good as non-gluten free ones and they can be just as fluffy. You just need a good cinnamon roll recipe, quality ingredients and the patience to let your cinnamon rolls rise.

If you love cinnamon rolls you might want to try Gluten Free Cinnamon Sticky Rolls. For a grain-free option try these Paleo & Keto Cinnamon Rolls.

If you have any questions about these gluten free cinnamon rolls, please let me know.

Did you make these gluten free cinnamon rolls? Please leave a comment below and let me know what you thought. Did you make 12 cinnamon rolls, or 9 big cinnamon rolls?

Yield: 12

Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

gluten free cinnamon roll with white icing on a white plate

A homemade Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls recipe that is simple to make and bakes into the best Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls. These from-scratch gluten free cinnamon rolls are tender and fluffy. Dairy-Free option included.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

For the yeast proof:

  • 1 cup milk between 95-110 degrees F (or water or dairy-free milk for dairy-free)
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons quick rising yeast (1 packet)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar

For the dough

For the filling:

  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

For the buttercream icing:

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon gluten free vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon milk (or water)

For the cream cheese icing:

  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon gluten free vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoon milk (or water)

Instructions

  1. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and the yeast to your heated milk (or water) and give it a quick stir. Set it aside to proof for 8-10 minutes, but no longer.
  2. In a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer) add the white rice flour, tapioca flour, potato starch (not flour), millet flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt. See below for other flour options. Turn the mixer on low and mix until all the dry ingredients are combined.
  3. Add the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar, yeast proof mixture, melted butter, egg, and vanilla and mix for 3 minutes on medium speed.
  4. Turn the mixer off, scrap down the sides of the bowl, and cover the dough with a light towel. Let the dough rise for 1 hour in a warm place. If you are in a colder environment, you can use your oven on a low setting or use the "proof" setting.
  5. Once your dough has risen, spray a spoon or spatula with oil and transfer the dough from the bowl to a piece of well oiled parchment paper or wax paper.
  6. Using oiled hands, gently spread the dough into a 10X13 rectangle. dough will be about 1/2 inch thick once spread. Try not to press on the dough too hard or you'll release the air pockets.
  7. Brush the top of the dough with 1/4 cup of melted butter, leaving about 1/2 inch around the edges butter-free. Mix cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the butter, still leaving 1/2 inch around the edges.
  8. Using the edge of the parchment or wax paper, slowly roll the dough towards you. Continue to tuck and roll the dough toward you, until you reach the bottom and you have a dough log.
  9. Using a knife sprayted with oil, slice the dough log in half, than quarters, and finally thirds until you have 12 even slices.
  10. Using your knife or your oiled spatula, transfer the cinnamon roll slices to a well oiled 9X13 pan. Cover the pan with a light towel and let rise for 30 minutes. Once the cinnamon rolls have risen, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  11. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the cinnamon rolls start to brown and the center is cooked through.
  12. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes.
  13. For the icing, you can choose if you want buttercream icing or cream cheese frosting. Mix the ingredients for the icing in a small mixing bowl until all the ingredients are combined and the icing is smooth. Spoon the icing on the gluten free cinnamon rolls and serve. Double the icing recipe if you like more icing.
  14. Store leftover cinnamon rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 day. Reheat before serving.

Notes

  • For best results heat your milk to between 95-110 degrees F. Any hotter and you will kill the yeast. If the temperature is too low the yeast won't grow.
  • Make sure to let your yeast mixture proof for 8-10 minutes, no longer! If your yeast sinks and doesn't start to rise then either your yeast was expired or bad or you didn't bring the milk to the correct temperature.
  • You can use a hand mixer but the dough will be thick.
  • Dough will be sticky and soft. Make sure to use oiled hands when spreading the dough, and don't press to hard on the dough.
  • Allow the dough to rise for the specified time.
  • Use an oiled knife when cutting the dough log into 12 pieces.
  • If you want larger cinnamon rolls, cut the dough log into 9 equal cinnamon rolls instead of 12.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 377Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 293mgCarbohydrates: 60gFiber: 2gSugar: 31gProtein: 5g

This nutrition info is based on the exact ingredients and brands that I used a the time. It may not be 100% accurate. Please check your ingredients nutrition labels.

© Chrystal
Cuisine: American / Category: Breakfast
round cinnamon roll with white icing on a white plate with the words perfect sweet tender gluten free cinnamon rolls on the top of the image

PHOTO

Reader Interactions

Comments

      • Delicious!!! I haven’t enjoyed a cinnamon roll in years and these were amazing! So soft!!:I used king Arthur’s flour. These were the only adaptionsi made: to spread out the dough I did use a piece of wax paper that was sprayed with oil to push the dough down and i didn’t use as much cinnamon sugar mixture as it called for. Thank you!

        Reply

    • Hi Jen,
      Yes. I have half a batch in the freezer now. When I want to enjoy them I pull them out and let them come to room temperature, then heat them up. My girls stick the frozen cinnamon roll into the microwave. The icing melts off a bit, but they don’t mind.

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

  5. Hi, I made these today using king Arthur’s gf all purpose flour…. they taste good but fell apart when I tried to roll them…. they were very crumbly… any thoughts on what happened? Thanks for your time!

    Reply

    • Hi Jessica,
      I’m sorry to hear they fell apart. Can I ask how you measured your flour? The dough should be sticky, but airy and it should roll easily.

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

  6. Do you think I could make the rolls, refrigerate them overnight, and bake them in the morning? I want my celiac son to be able to have them on Christmas morning, but don’t want to do all the work on the holiday.

    Reply

    • Hi Amanda,
      Yes, I would let them rise for about 30 minutes. Place them in the refrigerator and then remove them about 2 hours before you plan to bake them.

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

  7. These were incredible. I made a test batch before Christmas and they were so good we made 3 dozen for my celiac and normal family members. I used to make a family recipe yeast roll every year and it was so disappointing once I was celiac. I tried a few GF recipes but they were dense and dry. My son who can eat gluten said he thinks these are actually better than the original!

    Reply

  8. I made 9 of them, gad to substitute Buckwheat Flour for the Millet Flour and they turned out great. First time baking Gluten Free, hubby loves them! Thank you for the recipe.

    Reply

  9. Okay so, I am happy I tried this. I almost didn’t because the picture to me didnt depict the fluffy cinnamon rolls I wanted.

    My aP GF flour is the same ingredient in different ratio and still worked wonderfully I bake mine in a muffin tin to help form the height.

    Reply

  10. Hi Chrystal,
    I would love to try these but I’m allergic to xanthan & guar gums. I’ve read that you can substitute psyllium husk powder or corn starch for xanthan gum. Just wondered if you have any experience baking with them. There are quite a few gluten free recipes that require xanthan gum and it would be great to have advice from an experienced baker like yourself. I’ve tried some of your dessert recipes that don’t require xg and they were delicious! Even my non-gf family members loved them. Thanks so much! Stay safe. Happy Easter.

    Reply

    • Hi Judy,
      You can use 2 teaspoons of psyllium husk powder for every cup of flour or starch. I’d use 3 teaspoons for recipes that have more fat in them, like pie crusts or sugar cookies.

      I hope that helps,
      Chrystal

      Reply

  11. We are really excited to try this recipe! Just to clarify: if I use King Arthur gluten free flour, which seems to include xanthan gum, do I omit the 2 teaspoons of xanthan gum from the recipe (as directed for Bob’s Red Mill and Namaste)? Thanks so much!

    Reply

  12. Thanks so much for the reply! I was actually mistaken: I’d pulled out the KF Measure for Measure, not the All Purpose (which says no xanthan gum). My apologies. . . I should have read more carefully. Can’t wait to make these!

    Reply

  13. These were amazing! My daughter is also allergic to eggs so used Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer to sub out the egg. I used almond milk when the recipe called for milk. We also followed your advice for what to do if we want to refrigerate overnight and bake in the morning. These were so good. No one even knew they were gluten free and vegan. These are a keeper! Thank you so much!

    Reply

  14. Do you think I could substitute brown rice flour for white rice flour? Or do half and half? I don’t have enough white rice flour in my cupboard. Thanks, Chrystal!

    Reply

      • I made these to morning and they were great! I only had active dry yeast, but it worked fine. I let the dough rise for a little longer because it seemed like it needed more time to rise. I used about half white rice flour and half brown rice flour, with a little more white than brown. I also made the buttercream frosting instead of cream cheese frosting, which I thought would be weird, but it was great. Thank you, Chrystal!

        Reply

  15. Wondering if I only have instant yeast, would I add the milk and sugar right into the bowl with all other ingredients along with my yeast as it doesn’t need to proof? I’ve never baked before with instant yeast but it’s all the grocery store had.

    Thanks!

    Reply

  16. I don’t have any millet flour , can I leave it out? Will it still work? Do you have a suggestion of what I can substitute for it?

    Reply

  17. Hi,
    I have the King’s Arthur’s gf all purpose flour instead of the normal Kings Arthur’s gf flour. Can I still use it?

    Reply

    • I just looked at the ingredients. You should be able to use it. Use 2 1/2 cups in place of the other flours and starches. You’ll still need to add xanthan gum. Please let me know how it turns out.

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

  18. I don’t have one to one flour or millet flour. I do have potato starch, tapioca flour, almond flour, brown rice flour, and coconut flour. Can any of these sub for millet flour?

    Reply

    • I’ve had some readers have luck using almond flour in place of the millet flour. I haven’t tried it myself. Brown rice flour might also work in place of the millet. If you do try it, please let me know how they turn out.

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

  19. I am plan to try this recipe and I want to confirm somethings beforehand. I have the Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 flour. Does that substitute for the 1 C of Rice Flour, 1/2 C Tapioca Start, 1/2 C Potato Starch, 2 Teaspoon Xanthan Gum? Not sure if the 2 Teaspoon Baking Powder still needs to be included? Also I have Active Dry Yeast but not Quick Rising Yeast, can I use that instead and if so is there a conversion table for this substitute? I hope to hear from you soon regarding these questions.

    Reply

    • Hi Jasper,
      Yes, you can sub the flours and starches with the same amount of bob’s red mill 1-to-1 (so 2 1/2 cups). You can leave out the xanthan, but you’ll still want to add the baking powder. Active dry yeast is fine, just note that it might take a little longer to rise then instant yeast.

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

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