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.
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).
How to make gluten free cinnamon rolls
- 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.
- 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.
- Add the remaining ⅓ cup of sugar, yeast proof mixture, melted butter, egg, and vanilla and mix for 3 minutes on medium speed.
- 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.
- 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.
- Using oiled hands, gently spread the dough into a 10X13 rectangle. dough will be about ½ inch thick once spread. Try not to press on the dough too hard or you'll release the air pockets.
- Brush the top of the dough with ¼ cup of melted butter, leaving about ½ inch around the edges butter-free.
- Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the butter.
- 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.
- Using an oiled sharp knife, slice the dough log in half, than quarters, and finally thirds until you have 12 even slices.
- 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.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the cinnamon rolls start to brown and the center is cooked through.
These numbered steps match the numbered photos above and are for illustration purposes. For the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please see the recipe below.
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.
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.
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 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 ½ 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 ½ cups King Arthur Gluten Free Flour
- 2 ½ 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.
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. For another classic breakfast, try my Gluten Free Pop Tarts.
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?
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. 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.Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the yeast proof:
For the dough
For the filling:
For the buttercream icing:
For the cream cheese icing:
Instructions
Notes
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
Cyndi
I am so excited to try this. Your recipes have all been awesome. Thank you so much!
chrystal
Thank you so much Cyndi. Please come back and let me know what you thought!
Best,
Chrystal
Cyndi
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!
chrystal
Hi Cyndi,
I am so, so glad you loved these cinnamon rolls. Thank you for stopping by to let me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Candida Schwartz
Looks great. Wondering if you have ever tried it substituting the egg and/or using coconut sugar?
chrystal
You can definitely use coconut sugar, we use it in a lot of recipes. I haven't personally used an egg sub in this recipe, but some readers have had great results with the Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer.
Best,
Chrystal
Erica
What was the result with the bobs red mill 1 to 1 flour? More cakey? Crumbly?
chrystal
It was really similar, it just wasn't as tender by day 3 as with the flours I mix together. 🙂
Let me know if you try them!
Best,
Chrystal
Beth
What!? Day THREE? They’ll never last that long at my house!! Thanks for the recipe and the tips.
chrystal
Haha, they don't always last that long in my house. I was doing testing on how long they'd last 😉
Best,
Chrystal
Davida
Your recipe is sooo good. The cinnamon rolls were awesome--the best I've made in 11 years of being gluten-free.
chrystal
Awe, I am so very glad that you love them.
Best,
Chrystal
Jen
Have you ever tried freezing the baked rolls?
chrystal
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
Jessica
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!
chrystal
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
Amanda
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.
chrystal
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
Libby
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!
chrystal
Hi Libby,
I am so glad you love these cinnamon rolls! Thank you for taking time to stop by and let me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Margy
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.
chrystal
I'm so glad you both loved them Margy. Thank you for sharing.
Best,
Chrystal
Melonie (@hey_wiggle)
Hey Margy - it's a year later but I wanted to say thank you for the tip about using buckwheat, I tried this because of your comment (I had the same pantry-stock problem!) and I too had a lot of success with the buckwheat in place of millet. I simply substituted the same amount gram-per-gram.
Sandy
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.
chrystal
Hi Sandy,
I'm so glad you liked them. They really are soft/fluffy.
Best,
Chrystal
Judy Bonnaure
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.
chrystal
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
Elizabeth Howlett
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!
chrystal
If it includes the xanthan, then yes, omit the xanthan in the recipe.
Best,
Chrystal
Elizabeth Howlett
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!
Jill
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!
chrystal
Hi Jill,
I am so glad you loved them. Thank you for taking time to stop by and let me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Maggie
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!
chrystal
Hi Maggie,
Yes, you can use half white rice flour and half brown rice flour.
Best,
Chrystal
Maggie
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!
chrystal
Hi Maggie,
I am so glad you liked htem. Thank you for sharing what you used.
Best,
Chrystal
Jacey
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!
chrystal
Yes, if you have instant yeast, you can add it to the dry ingredients with the sugar. You don't have to proof it.
Best,
Chrystal
Francine Singer
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?
chrystal
Hi Francine,
Do you have a gf flour blend, like King Arthur or Bob's 1-to-1? You can sub that in for the millet flour.
Best,
Chrystal
Beth Howard
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?
chrystal
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
Sally R
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?
chrystal
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
Kat
My dough was so soft after I rolled it up that the rolls basically fell apart as I tried to get them in the pan. Is this normal? They don't look pretty but they sure do taste good!
chrystal
Hi Kat,
I will be a little soft, but it shouldn't fall apart. Did you change any of the ingredients? I'm glad they tasted good.
Best,
Chrystal
Jasper Zachary
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.
chrystal
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
Lisa
I would love to hear more about egg free versions of this recipe.
My son is allergic to wheat, soy, eggs, and many other things so getting feedback on egg free recipes is a huge help
chrystal
Hi Lisa,
Have you tried Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer? A lot of my readers are using it now and loving it. It should work nice in this recipe.
Best,
Chrystal
Nana
Hi Chrystal..Can I substitute xanthan with egg white?
chrystal
I haven't tried subbing xanthan with egg white, so I'm not sure. I'm sorry I can't be more help with that.
Best,
Chrystal
Aina
Hi Chrystal
My dough very soft l, fluffy and sticky , I couldn't even to roll it.
How could it be like that?
I've been rest the dough more than 1 hour cause someone suddenly visited to my house.
Does it matter?
Now it's been in the oven.
Hope for the good taste.
Aina
Hi again Chrystal
My cinnamon roll already came out from the oven..it has so nice cinnamon smell..and guess what?
It's so yummy..it's crunchy outside and soft inside even it's not good shape..we love it
I didn't spread any glaze on the top..cause it's already sweet for us, but still it's so delicious..
Thank you so much..next I've must to learn how to roll it..
chrystal
Hi Aina,
I don't think basil seed or sesame will work. Flaxseed has different properties and reacts differently in recipes. I am glad your cinnamon rolls turned out. They dough is soft. If you look at the step by step photos, you can see how to roll it using parchment or wax paper and rolling it in. Next time you can add 1/4 cup more of rice flour, and it will help the dough stand up better, if needed.
Best,
Chrystal
Alison
This turned out really well! I have had trouble finding a good gf cinnamon roll recipe. These ones were soft and delicious, and the kiddos thought they were the best ever. I used Bob's 1 to 1 flour. The dough was really soft (but this has been my experience with any gf cinnamon roll) and the instruction to use the parchment to roll it was very helpful. I made a double batch, lost a bunch when my stand mixer fell on the floor ♀️ and squeezed them into a 9x13 pan. I refrigerated them overnight and did put them in the oven when they were still cold, but it was nothing a few extra minutes cooking couldn't fix. I would possibly reduce the sugar in the dough as they were very sweet but my kids thought they were perfect, so maybe not. Thanks for this great recipe, its a keeper.
Melonie (@hey_wiggle)
These turned out VERY, very good.
Caveat (or helpful tip for those looking for substitutions): I did substitute more tapioca starch in for the potato (can't eat potatoes) and buckwheat flour in place of millet flour (both substitutions were gram-for-gram) and so the color of the rolls was, of course, darker/flecked (think "whole wheat").
They looked shaggy after baking but icing filled in the crags and made a big difference aesthetically. Most importantly the taste and TEXTURE were right on target, my goodness! "Soft and fluffy and slightly chewy" is not a phrase I've used to describe GF baked goods before but it certainly fits here. I will be adding these to my recipe rotation.
By the way, thank you for writing a recipe that did NOT include use of a 1:1 GF flour mix. I have potato sensitivities but almost all commercially-available flour mixes include potato. So many GF recipes simply say to use this-or-that specific GF flour... I'd much rather use a custom blend for each type of baked good and so I'm grateful that you took the time to make it possible!
Kris
I have made these twice and they have come out beautifully both times, my two celiac family members have been SO happy! I used cup for cup flour for the full 2.5 cups and rice milk since they are also daily intolerant. This is a keeper, thanks for sharing!!
Joy
Hello!!
I used your recipe with King Arthur measure for measure and lactose free 2% milk. Turned out well. My dough looked almost exactly like yours. I added the xanthum gum even though KA has it in the mix. I find recipes turn out better if I follow the recipe as it calls for it. Very good!
chrystal
Hi Joy,
I am so glad you like them. Thank you for sharing what flour blend you used.
Best,
Chrystal
Tiffany
Do you know how far in advance these can be made and refrigerated before baking them?
chrystal
You can make them up to 2 days before. I'd let them come to room temperature before you bake them.
Best,
Chrystal