Get ready for soft, pillowy, fresh gluten-free cinnamon rolls!
I have tested and retested this recipe many times, both in 2021 and this year. This gluten-free cinnamon bun recipe is a new, improved version of my original recipe, first published in 2021. That was a good recipe, but this dough is easier to handle, and the whole dish is simpler to make. And this one turns out even better, too!
In keeping with my mission to share gluten-free recipes that turn out beautifully without unnecessary fuss, this version uses my Cathy's Gluten-Free Bread Flour Mix, which helps the dough rise properly and stay soft.
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Ingredients
Assembling your ingredients before you start to bake simplifies everything! You'll want to have your butter and cream cheese at room temperature, for sure.
- Cathy's Gluten-Free Bread Flour Blend - Ingredients in gluten-free flours vary greatly. This is the one I used to test this recipe.
- Tapioca flour (tapioca starch) - Adding a little more tapioca flour to the blend gives these buns extra softness. You might also try arrowroot flour if you don't have tapioca.
- Milk - Use whole milk for richness.
- Instant Yeast - I like instant yeast because you can add it directly to the dry ingredients. If you only have active dry yeast, allow it to "bloom" for 5 minutes on warm milk with honey.
- Raw sugar - I prefer less-refined raw sugar. Regular brown cane sugar or coconut sugar will also work here.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Whisk the dry ingredients, including the instant yeast, together in a large bowl.
Melt the butter for the rolls. Add the milk and warm it to about 115°F (46°C).
Add the butter, milk, honey, vinegar, and egg to the dry mixture and mix it well. Roll out the dough on a floured surface until it is about a 12-by-14-inch rectangle. Spread it with soft butter.
Starting with a long edge, roll up the dough.
Sprinkle sugar over the butter and add the cinnamon, doing your best to distribute it evenly. Try to extend the filling ingredients all the way out to the short ends.
Slice the roll into 12 equal sections with a bench scraper or knife.
Arrange the rolls in a buttered pan. Allow them to rise. Then bake them.
Frost the rolls after they have cooled a little.
Top Tips for Yeast Bread Baking
Here are some tips to help you with successful gluten-free yeast bread baking.
- The temperature of the water should be 105°F (41°C) to 115°F (46°C) when it comes into contact with the yeast.
- Don't allow the liquid to be too hot, or it will destroy the yeast.
- An ideal environment for proofing bread dough is 75°F (24°C)to 85°F (30°C). Bread rises much better in a warm, humid environment.
- Don't allow the dough to get a chill or cold draft during the rising process. Protect it from cold air, such as from an outside door opening in winter or air conditioning vents in summer.
- Gluten-free bread doesn't need to be kneaded like wheat bread because there is no gluten to develop. It does need to be mixed until the batter is smooth and consistent, and the moisture is evenly absorbed. A stand mixer with a dough hook is ideal for this job.
- Weigh your ingredients for accuracy. Volume (cups) measurements can fluctuate wildly and lead to disappointing results.
Meal Prep
To make sure that you're well prepared to make cinnamon rolls, ensure that you have enough of my Gluten-Free Bread Flour Blend mixed up.
Also, set out the butter and cream cheese for the frosting, so they come to room temperature to soften.
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Equipment
You'll need a rolling pin to make cinnamon rolls. If you don't already have one, you might want to get one when you discover all the delicious, gluten-free baking you can use it for!
A stand mixer is an invaluable tool for gluten-free baking. It's much more useful than a bread machine.
Another little thing that's very handy to have is a bench scraper. Use it to scrape and help lift rolled pastry off the counter. It works well for cutting the sections of cinnamon rolls, too.
And of course, if you don't already have one, a kitchen scale is essential for accurate gluten-free baking. If you're not using one and not pleased with your results, this could be the reason!
Storage
Store leftover cinnamon rolls in the refrigerator or freezer in an airtight container. As with all cinnamon buns, they are at their best when fresh.
FAQ's
Yes, you can make gluten-free cinnamon rolls ahead and freeze them. To do that, don't frost them until you're ready to serve them. After thawing cinnamon rolls in their airtight container, warm them in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 10 minutes. Then, add the frosting.
Actually, a combination of two binders, psyllium husk and xanthan gum, works best in gluten-free cinnamon rolls. Both help to provide structure, allowing the dough to rise. Psyllium husk, which is in the bread flour blend, absorbs a lot of moisture and helps to keep the buns soft and spongy. Xanthan gum provides further lift. Both help to prevent crumbling.
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Recipe
Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
Ingredients
Rolls
- 3¾ cups Cathy's Gluten Free Bread Flour Mix
- 7 tablespoons tapioca flour
- 1 tablespoon xanthan gum
- 2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1¾ cups warm milk
- ¼ cup butter melted
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 large egg
Filling
- ¼ cup very soft butter (½ stick)
- ½ cup raw sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Frosting
- ½ cup cream cheese (4 oz) solftened
- 2 tablespoons liquid honey
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Butter or oil a 9- X 12-inch (23 X 33 cm) pan.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.3¾ cups Cathy's Gluten Free Bread Flour Mix7 tablespoons tapioca flour1 tablespoon xanthan gum2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder2 teaspoons instant yeast1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Warm the milk in a microwave oven or in a small saucepan on the stovetop. You might warm it to about 120℉ and then melt the butter in it. However, it should not be above 115℉ by the time it comes into contact with the dry mixture, which contains the yeast.1¾ cups warm milk¼ cup butter
- Add the milk, melted butter, honey, vinegar, and egg into the dry mixture and process until everything is combined. You might need to stop and use a spatula to scrape any flour from the edges of the bowl. Continue to mix the dough for about 5 minutes, until it forms a smooth, moist batter.¼ cup honey2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar1 large egg
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured surface. With gluten-free flour on a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangular shape approximately 12- by 14-inches.
- Spread softened butter over the rectangle. Then, sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over it.¼ cup very soft butter½ cup raw sugar1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Starting on a long side, roll the dough into a log shape. Then, use a bench scraper or sharp knife to cut the roll into 12 separate rolls.
- Cover the pan of cinnamon rolls loosely with plastic wrap. Allow them to rise in a warm place for about 1½ hours.
- When the proofing time is almost up, preheat the oven to 350℉ (232℃).
- Bake the cinnamon rolls for 20 minutes or until a toothpick poked into the dough part of a center one comes out clean.
- Prepare the frosting by creaming the softened cream cheese, honey, and vanilla together. Whip the cream. Gently stir the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until you have a smoothly combined frosting.½ cup cream cheese2 tablespoons liquid honey½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract½ cup heavy whipping cream
- Spread frosting over the cinnamon rolls just before serving.
Catherine Brak says
I’m loving these cinnamon buns! They’re getting easier to make every time I bake them.