I love cinnamon rolls. I love big, soft, sweet cinnamon rolls. And these gluten-free cinnamon rolls are just that! They are made from a soft, fluffy gluten-free dough and are filled with a perfectly sweet cinnamon sugar filling. The taste and texture of these rolls is amazing! My whole family loves these cinnamon rolls and we enjoy celebrating special occassions by whipping up a batch of these tasty treats. These gluten-free cinnamon rolls are fun to make and delicious to eat!
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Modern Pioneer Recipe
These gluten-free cinnamon rolls are a modern pioneer recipe made from wholesome, healthy ingredients! I am a huge cinnamon roll fan, and it could be because they are associated with so many fond memories for me. Cinnamon rolls are a Christmas food. Of course, I enjoy them all year round, but they will always be associated with Christmas for me.
One Christmas tradition in our house is to make cinnamon rolls together on Christmas Eve to have as our traditional Christmas morning breakfast. We’ve done this tradition ever since I can remember! After going on a gluten-free and grain-free diet, there was no way I was giving up that Christmas tradition! When we had to be strictly grain-free, I came up with a delicious grain-free cinnamon roll recipe that worked as a substitute. You can find that recipe here!
As our health improved and we were able to incorporate gluten-free foods into our diet on occassion, I set about making the best ever gluten-free cinnamon rolls. My mom and I came up with a pretty good gluten-free cinnamon roll recipe that the whole family ejoyed. However, for me, it was lacking that big, fluffy, monster-size cinnamon roll look. So I continued to do some experimenting and came up with this recipe!
These gluten-free cinnamon rolls are just the size that I like cinnamon rolls to be…. big, soft, fluffy, and bursting with cinnamon sugar flavor! They are the perfect Christmas morning breakfast food that brings back so many cozy, family memories for me!
They are also super easy to make and allergy-friendly. These cinnamon rolls are….
- gluten-free
- nut free
- corn free
- refined sugar free
Choosing a GF Flour Blend
Gluten-free flour blends make gluten-free baking so much easier! When my mom used to bake predominately gluten-free foods she had a homemade gluten-free flour blend that she would use. Since going grain-free, we don’t make that flour blend anymore. Instead, when we want to splurge with a special gluten-free treat (like cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning) we use a gluten-free flour blend from one our favorite brands.
If you are interested in making your own gluten-free flour blend to use, here is our old recipe. It works well in a variety of gluten-free recipes, from cakes to muffins and breads!
Gluten-free Flour Blends
Ingredients
GF Baking Blend
- 4 cups super fine brown rice flour
- 1 1/3 cups potato starch
- 2/3 cups tapioca flour
GF Bread Blend
- 1 1/2 cups millet flour
- 1 1/2 cups sorghum flour
- 1 cup potato starch
- 2 cups tapioca flour
Instructions
- Combine the baking blend and store in an airtight container in the refridgerator.
- Combine the bread blend and store in an airtight container in the refridgerator.
Notes
Now that we only bake with gluten-free flours on special occassions, we have found a few quality brands that make excellent gluten-free flour blends. Our favorites include Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour blend, Pamela’s gluten-free flour blend, and King Arthur gluten-free flour blend.
Keep in mind that each gluten-free flour blend is slightly different and may behave differently in a recipe depending on what flour is predominent in the blend. For these gluten-free cinnamon rolls, I used Pamela’s gluten-free flour blend since that is what I had on hand. We have also made a similar cinnamon roll recipe using the Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour blend, so I’m fairly confindent that blend would work well too.
Serving & Storing Cinnamon Rolls
Gluten-free cinnamon rolls are super easy to serve and store! Our tradition is to make the cinnamon rolls together on Christmas Eve, bake them, and then save them for Christmas morning the next day. Some members of the family like to reheat their cinnamon roll in the toaster oven, and others (read, me and Anna) can’t wait long enough for the cinnamon rolls to heat up so we just enjoy ours straight out of the pan!
These gluten-free cinnamon rolls can be stored covered at room temperature for 2-3 days. If you plan on making them last longer, keep store them in an airtight container in the fridge where they will last for 5-6 days. The cinnamon rolls can also be frozen after they are made too! I recommend not frosting or glazing them if you are going to freeze them.
Which brings us to the topic of serving these amazing breakfast rolls! When it comes to special occassions (especially Christmas) no expenses are spared to make these delicious treats as tasty and sweet as possible, without over-doing it of course. Since cinnamon rolls are classically topped with a sugary glaze, we opt for something similar such as one of these options:
Cinnamon Roll Toppings:
- Simple Mills vanilla frosting (dairy-free)
- homemade frosting
- maple cream
- Daiya cream cheese (check out the cream cheese frosting in this recipe)
- marshmallow fluff (use the marshmallow recipe in my S’more Pie)
I like to use Simple Mills dairy-free vanilla frosting to top my gluten-free cinnamon rolls with! This frosting is not too sweet and makes the perfect topping for the boldly cinnamon flavored rolls. Another favorite topping of ours is maple cream. If we can get our hands on some locally made maple cream, then we slather that amazing stuff all over our cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning! Seriously, if you haven’t tried maple cream yet, you need to!
However you choose to top and serve these cinnamon rolls, they are sure to be a family-favorite on your homestead!
Recipe Questions
Sometimes gluten-free baking gets a bad-rap because it is slightly different than working with traditional gluten-based flours. However, I have only ever baked gluten-free or grain-free, so it seems pretty simple and straightforward to me! These are some of the questions I asked myself when coming up with the perfect gluten-free cinnamon roll recipe.
How can I make big cinnamon rolls?
The key to making big gluten-free cinnamon rolls is to have lots of dough and not to roll the dough too thin. You want thick layers that will make a hefty cinnamon roll when it is rolled up. You also have to pay attention to how you roll the cinnamon roll dough. The shortest edge of dough should be rolled towards you so that you can get the most amount of rolling out of the long edge. Thick layers and many rolls is what make a hefty, big cinnamon roll!
Do I have to let the dough rise two times?
I have only ever made gluten-free, yeast-based cinnamon rolls with two rise times. When doing research for this recipe, I found that most other gluten-free cinnamon rolls also called for two rise times. There were varying times for each rise time, so I decided to stick with what I had done in the past, with a short dough resting period and a longer rise time after the cinnamon rolls are formed.
What’s the best GF flour blend for cinnamon rolls?
I can not honestly tell you the best gluten-free flour blend for this recipe since I have not tested it with multiple different flour blends. However, I can inform you that I have successfully made gluten-free cinnamon rolls using both the Pamela’s gluten-free flour blend and the Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour blend.
I’m pretty sure any other gluten-free flour blend would work just fine in this recipe, you may just want to pay attention to moisture levels of the dough. Add the last 1/2 cup of warm milk gradually if you are trying a different flour blend. You want to achieve a soft dough that is workable and not sticky, but is also not too dry or stiff.
What if my dough is too sticky?
So what happens if your dough is too sticky? That is the biggest problem with making cinnamon. Sticky dough makes rolling the cinnamon rolls super hard and can leave holes where the precious cinnamon sugar filling leaks out. If you feel like your dough is too sticky, add a little more flour. Sprinkle some more gluten-free flour over the dough and gently work it in. Continue to do so until the dough can be handled without sticking to your fingers.
Can I make these dairy-free?
I have not tried making these gluten-free cinnamon rolls dairy-free. While some of the ingredients are dairy-free, but both Anna and I can have organic, pasture-raised butter so that is what I use in this recipe. You could try using coconut oil or a dairy-free butter substitute but just know that I haven’t tested that yet!
Keep in mind that you should use coconut milk beverage in this recipe and not canned coconut milk. Any other dairy-free milk beverage will work too.
These gluten-free cinnamon rolls are the perfect Christmas morning breakfast! I love all the warm, cozy feelings I get while baking these cinnamon rolls. The enjoying them with my family on Christmas morning makes them all the more special!
Gluten-free Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 8 T. organic, grass-fed butter
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 2 large pasture-raised, organic eggs room temp.
- 1 packet active dry yeast approx. 2 1/4 tsp.
- 1 T. pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1/2 cup coconut milk beverage
- 3 3/4 cup Pamela's gluten-free flour blend
- 3/4 tsp. sea salt
- 2 tsp. baking powder
Filling
- 1/2 cup organic, grass-fed butter, softened
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 3 T. ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the warm water and maple syrup. The water should be warm but not exceed 110°F after the maple syrup has been added.
- Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and gently stir it in. Set aside for 5-20 minutes, until the mixture is bubbly and frothy.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the gluten-free flour blend, sea salt, baking powder, and coconut sugar.
- In a small saucepan, heat the butter and the coconut milk until the butter is melted. Let the mixture cool so that it is not boiling. You should be able to touch it without pulling away.
- Add the frothy yeast mixture, eggs, and milk/butter mixture to the flour in the mixing bowl. Stir until a nice dough forms. You should be able to touch the dough without it sticking to your hands.
- Shape the dough into a nice ball and let it set in the mixing bowl, covered with plastic wrap, for 30-40 minutes. Place it in a warm location.
- Lightly flour a sheet of parchment paper. Place the ball of dough onto the parchment paper and begin to press it into a rectangle that is 12"x14". You can use your hands or a rolling pin. I like to use my hands.
- In a small mug, combine the coconut sugar and cinnamon for the filling. Spread the softened butter over the dough rectangle. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the butter.
- Start to roll the dough by rolling one of the short edges towards you. I like to use the parchment paper to pull the dough towards me and create a roll.
- Once the dough has been rolled into a log that is 12" long, slice the log into 8 pieces. Lightly butter a 9.5" glass pie plate. Place each cinnamon roll, swirl side up, into the pie plate.
- Cover the pie plate with plastic wrap and place it in a warm location. Let the rolls rise for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the rolls for 30-40 minutes. They should be golden brown in color.
- Depending on what topping you use, you can top them while they are still warm or wait until they are cool. Enjoy!
Where to Find the Ingredients
- Pamela’s gluten-free flour blend
- Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour blend
- Red Star active dry yeast
- Nutiva coconut sugar
- Pacific coconut milk beverage
- Hain Pure Foods baking powder
- Supplies: wooden rolling pin, 9.5″ glass pie plate, unbleached parchment paper
These gluten-free cinnamon rolls are big, soft, and bursting with holiday cheer! Of course, you can make them any time of the year and they will still be good, but I like to think of them as Christmas cinnamon rolls. We enjoy having these special treats at Christmas time and I know the cinnamon roll Christmas breakfast tradition will be in the family for a long time! Everyone in my family loves the soft texture of these rolls and the sweet, bold flavor of a classic cinnamon roll. Top them off with some frosting or maple cream, and these cinnamon rolls are the perfect Christmas morning breakfast!
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by Alexa
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