Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls - the BEST & Fluffiest recipe! Life After Wheat (2024)

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These soft and fluffy gluten free cinnamon rolls are the real deal thanks to a secret ingredient! Complete with flour recommendations and easy step by step instructions.

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Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls. This is a recipe that has been requested dozens, if not hundreds, of times from our readers. Our family loves cinnamon rolls, and we wanted the gluten free version to be just as good as the regular recipe we used to enjoy.

As you might already know, gluten free yeast breads tend to be tricky. This is because gluten is a protein that is also a binding agent – it is what gives elasticity to baked goods holding them together and allowing them to rise.

Even when using xanthan gum as a binding agent, gluten free yeast breads can be dense and have a gritty texture. No one wants a dense and gritty cinnamon roll, and we don’t think that should be your only option!

This really is the BEST gluten free cinnamon roll recipe, here’s why:

Here in the Life After Wheat kitchen, we have been baking yeast breads and rolls for over 6 years. We know a lot of tricks to make those taste super good, and wanted to make a gluten free cinnamon roll that also didn’t disappoint. And we did it thanks to a secret ingredient that we are soooo excited to share with you!

This recipe is a combination of many different recipes, ingredients, and techniques. There really isn’t a single recipe that inspired this, and the secret ingredient? That’s completely original.

After trying a few versions of these gluten free cinnamon rolls, I had one of those AHA! moments. A couple of years ago, we cracked the code on a soft and fluffy gluten free sugar cookie recipe by adding prepared pudding and I thought, Hey! Why not try addingprepared pudding to the cinnamon roll dough???

And it worked.

Prepared vanilla pudding gives these gluten free cinnamon rolls a sweet vanilla flavor and theperfect soft and fluffy texture– with no gritty texture or funky aftertaste.

To clarify, you’re not using puddingpowder straight out of the box. You’ll buy a package of your favorite gluten free pudding and make it according to the package directions, then measure 1 cup of that prepared pudding and add it to the dough.

Jell-O Instant pudding is generally considered safe by the gluten free community because Kraft is pretty strict with their labeling. We also like Vivian’s Live Again, which is a dairy free and gluten free pudding option. It is harder to find in stores but easy to order online.

If this is your first time making gluten free cinnamon rolls…

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with easy to follow, step-by-step instructions PLUS a video so you can see exactly how to make them. We know gluten free baking can be intimidating, so we’ve tried to make this as easy as possible and set you up for success.

Please read through the recipe and recipe notes, and comment below if you have any questions. We work hard to answer every question that comes through.

Keep in mind that the brand of gluten free flour you use absolutely matters. We don’t know how all the different flours will perform in this recipe, but we can guess because we regular test many of them. We have only used Better Batter for this recipe because it always performs well in yeast breads, so we knew it would work for gluten free cinnamon rolls, too 🙂

More information on flour can be found in the recipe notes below.

Looking for more breakfast inspiration?

Try these!

  • Gluten Free Blueberry Biscuits
  • Easy Gluten Free Chocolate Crepes
  • Gluten Free Muffins

MAKING THIS RECIPE?? Snap a photo and tag @LifeAfterWheat on Social, then come back and leave a comment and/or rate the recipe!

Thanks for stopping by, ENJOY!

XOXO Celeste and the Life After Wheat team

Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls - the BEST & Fluffiest recipe! Life After Wheat (6)

Yield: 1 dozen cinnamon rolls

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Additional Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

The BEST Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls you'll ever eat! Soft and fluffy thanks to a *secret* ingredient.

Ingredients

FOR THE DOUGH

FOR THE CINNAMON SUGAR FILLING

  • 1/3 cup butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons cinnamon

FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

  • 6 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • dash salt

Instructions

  1. In bowl of stand mixer, measure gluten free flour by stirring the flour, scooping into measuring cup, and leveling off with a knife.
  2. Add yeast, then salt on the opposite side of the bowl.
  3. Add prepared pudding, butter, eggs, and milk and mix on low-medium speed until dough is smooth. This should take 1-2 minutes. Don't mix on high.
  4. At this point, your dough should be quite sticky - see the attached video. If it is too think and not sticky enough, add milk a tablespoon at a time until it's the right consistency. If it is too wet and sticky, add flour a tablespoon at a time. Keep in mind that your dough needs to be quite sticky - much too sticky to handle. In the next step, you will coat the outside of your dough with flour so you can roll it out, but you want the dough itself to be nice and wet so that it will rise.
  5. Prepare cinnamon sugar filling by combining the butter, sugars, and cinnamon. Mix with a fork or pastry blender until combined and crumbly.
  6. Now it's time to roll out the dough. If you have a silpat or baking mat, that will make nice, non-stick surface to roll out your dough. A counter-top will work fine too.
  7. Sprinkle a tablespoon or two of gluten free flour or starch on your surface, put your dough on top, then sprinkle another tablespoon of flour or starch over it.
  8. You want your dough to remain nice and wet/sticky because gluten free dough soaks up a lot of moisture when it's baking. So try not to work the flour/starch into your dough, just coat it so you can roll it out.
  9. Once you have dusted your surface and dough, roll it out to about 16" by 11". If the rolling pin sticks to the dough, sprinkle a little more flour on.
  10. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar filling over your dough and press it down gently.
  11. Starting at the longer end, roll the dough, trying to keep your roll as tight as possible. Once it is in a nice log, press down on the edges to seal them.
  12. Now it's time to slice. There are many methods, feel free to use your favorite. I have a dough scraper that I LOVE and use all the time (there's a link to it below). It does a great job and slicing the cinnamon rolls and is quick and easy. Some use floss, and that works well too.
  13. You're going to make a slice right in the middle, then cut each of those halves in half so you have 4 pieces. Next, cut each of those pieces into 3 slices. Now you'll have 12 cinnamon rolls of equal sizes 🙂
  14. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking pan and arrange your cinnamon rolls in 4 rows of 3.
  15. Cover your pan with plastic wrap or a light towel.
  16. Allow the cinnamon rolls to rise in a warm location. I heat my oven to 120 degrees F, turn off the oven, put the pan in, and close the door.
  17. Let the rolls double in size. check them after about 20 minutes, sometimes that's all it takes.
  18. Once the dough has risen to double its size, or almost double, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the pan from the oven before preheating.
  19. Once the oven is preheated, put the rolls in and bake for 25-30 minutes. Mine take the full 30 minutes. Your rolls should start to brown on top and be done in the middle. Once they're done, remove from the oven to cool in the pan.
  20. Prepare the frosting by creaming together the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until creamy.
  21. Frost the cinnamon rolls and serve! They are great warm, and best served the day you make them. If you have leftovers, store in an airtight container and warm them briefly in the microwave before serving.

Notes

FLOUR MATTERS

All gluten free flour mixes behave differently and will yield different results. I have only used Better Batter for this recipe because it performs very well for yeast breads. It's fairly inexpensive (especially when you catch one of their sales-follow them on FB to catch the sales) and works well for just about every recipe. They in no way sponsor this post, I just like the flour 🙂 You can find an Amazon affiliate link below.

GF Jules should also work well with this recipe, and Cup4Cup or Namaste might work as well.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12Serving Size: 1 cinnamon roll
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 456Total Fat: 22gCarbohydrates: 59gSugar: 28gProtein: 6g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls - the BEST & Fluffiest recipe! Life After Wheat (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient in Cinnabon? ›

Cinnabon's Secret Ingredient

This special Indonesian cinnamon, called Makara, is trademarked by Cinnabon. And because of that trademark, you won't find this product in your local grocery store spice aisle.

Why are my cinnamon rolls not fluffy? ›

There are a lot of variables that go into the consistency of dough, even down to the weather and humidity. But the most common reason cinnamon rolls don't turn out fluffy is because the dough didn't have enough time to rise.

What happens if you add too much flour to cinnamon rolls? ›

You want to add only the amount of flour that it takes so your dough is not sticky. Adding too much flour will make your rolls very dry. Once you have added the appropriate amount of flour, turn your mixer to a low speed and let the machine do all the kneading for you.

Is heavy cream and heavy whipping cream the same thing? ›

Is Heavy Cream the Same as Heavy Whipping Cream? Yes, heavy cream and heavy whipping cream are the exact same thing. The confusion lies in the fact that they're sold by different brands under two different names.

Is heavy cream the same as whipped cream? ›

The main difference between the two is their fat content. Heavy cream has slightly more fat than whipping cream. Otherwise, they are nutritionally very similar. You can use them interchangeably in recipes without affecting the taste, although they may lead to different consistencies.

What is the most unhealthy Cinnabon? ›

Worst: Caramel Pecanbon

The Caramel Pecanbon, while a delicious treat from Cinnabon, is considered an unhealthy choice due to its high calorie, sugar, and fat content. A single serving packs a hefty caloric punch, often exceeding the daily recommended sugar intake in just one pastry.

Why are cinnabons so unhealthy? ›

A Quick Peek at the Health Side

A classic Cinnabon roll packs quite a punch in terms of calories and sugar. A single Cinnabon classic roll contains around 880 calories and about 58 grams of sugar. That's a hefty sum, especially when you consider that the recommended daily sugar intake for adults is less than 50 grams.

What makes Cinnabon so good? ›

2. They use the best cinnamon in the world. Cinnabon's creators set out to find the most flavorful and aromatic cinnamon possible, and settled on "Korintje" or "Makara," a variety that can only be harvested from cassia trees in the mountains of Indonesia. It's considered the gold standard of the spice.

What happens if you let cinnamon rolls rise too long? ›

Can cinnamon rolls rise for too long? Yes definitely! If you let your cinnamon rolls rise for too long you can over-proof them. This can lead to dense rolls or rolls that collapse after baking.

What happens if you leave dough to rise for too long? ›

“If the dough has risen too long, it's going to feel fragile and might even collapse as you poke it,” says Maggie. If this is the case, there's a chance you can save your dough by giving it a quick re-shape. Learn more about this fix in our blog on saving overproofed dough.

Which of the following are common mistakes made when preparing cinnamon rolls? ›

We spoke to some baking pros about common mistakes to avoid if you want the ultimate tray of cinnamon rolls.
  • You didn't use quality cinnamon for the cinnamon rolls. ...
  • You killed the yeast. ...
  • Not kneading the cinnamon roll dough enough. ...
  • Overmixing is as bad as undermixing. ...
  • Your cinnamon roll dough was under proofed.
Mar 10, 2023

Why are my homemade cinnamon rolls not rising? ›

Add more yeast, blend in the starter, or knead in more flour to help initiate rising. Dough that has expired yeast, too much salt, all-purpose or cake flour, or antifungal spices like cinnamon might have trouble rising.

Can I use bread flour instead of all-purpose for cinnamon rolls? ›

Most people recommend baking cinnamon rolls with bread flour, as this creates a fluffier and softer cinnamon roll. Though all-purpose flour will also work to create tasty cinnamon rolls. All-purpose flour is exactly like bread flour, but its lack of protein will not result in as much structure.

What does heavy cream do in baking? ›

Heavy cream is almost magical. You can whip it into a semi-solid form that will hold its shape for piping or give a mousse a lift for lightness. You can freeze it in an ice cream machine and you can frost a cake with it.

Why do you use heavy cream in baking? ›

It whips better and holds its shape longer than its whipping cream counterpart, which is why it's used for everything from pastry fillings to pipings. It has a long shelf life in the fridge and can even be frozen and used in a heavy cream recipe later on.

Why do you brush cinnamon rolls with milk before baking? ›

Roll the dough into a rectangle, and brush it with milk. This will help keep the cinnamon-sugar filling in place.

How much heavy cream on cinnamon rolls reddit? ›

Pour approximately 1/4 cup of heavy cream (also known as whipping cream) on top of and in between the rolls. Bake as usual. Ill never skip this step again, they come out twice the size and fluffy.

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