This is the ultimate gluten-free cinnamon rolls recipe! Made with Caputo Fioreglut gluten-free flour, this recipe creates the best, most delicious cinnamon rolls that are actually soft and fluffy! Topped with tangy cream cheese frosting, these rolls are amazing!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Have you been dreaming of the ultimate homemade gluten-free cinnamon rolls recipe? One that is soft and fluffy, full of gooey filling, topped with luscious cream cheese frosting? How about a recipe that is simple to make from scratch yet amazingly delicious? If all this sounds good to you, it's time to make your dreams a reality!
This recipe is that good! It may just be the last cinnamon roll recipe you'll ever need! And it doesn't stop there! There is even more to love!
- This recipe is yeast-based, just like a traditional cinnamon roll! Which means the rolls are light and fluffy!
- The dough only requires one rise, which makes this the quickest yeasted cinnamon roll you can make!
- This recipe is flexible! Make and bake the rolls all on the same day or refrigerate overnight and bake the next day!
Why This Recipe Works
For years, I loved making cinnamon rolls every Christmas morning but since going gluten-free I've found that yeast breads like pizza and dinner rolls have been much harder to replicate! Cinnamon rolls were no exception! It has taken quite some time and a lot of trial and error to create a cinnamon roll recipe that rivals their regular version and worthy of a spot on this blog!
Creating a delicious gluten free cinnamon roll is not as simple as swapping out any gluten free flour into your old favorite recipe. That may work for some recipes but not this one.
I've been working my way through some other yeast bread recipes, and with each one I feel more confident in my skills. I learn new tricks and techniques to apply to future recipes. As such, the dough for this recipe was adapted from my gluten-free brioche bread recipe. Using that as a starting point, I tweaked this recipe until I made the ultimate gluten-free cinnamon rolls with just the right amount of gooey-ness and that soft and fluffy texture we all crave! If you love these, be sure to check out this sticky bun variation, too!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
The other goal I had in mind for this recipe was a list of ingredients that was within reason. I tested with a few different "special" ingredients but was able to simplify this recipe into the easiest possible version that still produced great results!
- Gluten-free Flour Blend: There is only one flour blend I can recommend for this recipe and it is Caputo Fioreglut.
It is far superior to any other blend on the market for yeast breads. If you have a brand you'd like me to try in my recipes, let me know in the comments, but as of right now this is the only flour that will work in this recipe.
Also please note, the flour does contain gluten-free wheat starch, which is what aids in producing a texture that rivals regular bread. This flour is certified gluten-free and tested to contain <20ppm gluten, which means it is safe for someone with Celiac Disease. Conversely, this flour is not suitable for someone with a wheat allergy.
I urge you to read the article I wrote about gluten-free wheat starch if you are curious to learn more about it or this flour. - Yeast: This recipe calls for rapid rise yeast. It may also be labeled as instant yeast or bread machine yeast.
The benefit to this type of yeast is that it is a bit easier to work with. You don't have to dissolve it in liquid first. Instead you will mix it right in with the dry ingredients. If you only have regular yeast, be sure to dissolve the yeast in the warm milk first before adding it to the recipe.
Always make sure your yeast is fresh! Keep unused yeast tightly sealed and refrigerated. Use it within six months. - Psyllium Husk Powder: A while back I read about psyllium husk in gluten-free baking and gave it a try in one of my recipes. I was impressed! It really does make a world of difference in the structure of the bread and ease of working with the dough, especially in recipes that require shaping. I encourage you to give it a try! It's a relatively inexpensive ingredient and you'll be able to use it for quite some time!
I prefer the powdered version, not the rough husk, and that is what the recipe calls for.
If you are allergic, I found that you can omit it in my brioche recipe but I have not specifically tested that here. Furthermore, the flour blend also contains psyllium so keep that in mind if you don't tolerate it. - Milk and Butter: These ingredients are important to the texture and richness of the dough, you can substitute dairy-free alternatives such as almond milk and earth balance vegan buttery sticks if needed.
- Eggs: I have not tested this recipe without eggs. Proceed at your own risk.
- Cream Cheese: These rolls are topped with cream cheese icing. Cream cheese is gluten-free. If you prefer you can also make a simple powdered sugar icing instead.
Equipment
- A sturdy stand mixer is definitely helpful for this recipe. While I think you could mix it by hand, I would recommend using a stand mixer if possible. Do not use a hand mixer! The dough is too thick and you'll blow out the motor.
- A digital kitchen scale is also a must for this recipe. It is the only way to accurately measure this flour. A scale comes in handy quite often for gluten-free baking and you can usually find one for around $10. It is well worth the investment.
- Rolling pin
- Parchment paper
- 9-inch square or round cake pan or pie plate
- Dental floss
How to Make Gluten-free Cinnamon Rolls
This recipe is somewhat more involved than a typical baking recipe. While I worked to make this recipe as easy as possible to make, you may still be nervous about it if you're new to making yeast breads or making cinnamon rolls. Here you can see the entire process from start to finish! Other than taking some time, the process is actually fairly easy.
Step 1: In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the dry ingredients. Then pour in the milk that is warmed between 120-130°F.
Step 2: Blend that together until well combined. Then add in the eggs. Mix this on medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until the eggs are combined.
Step 3: Add in the softened butter. Blend again for 2 more minutes.
Step 4: The mixture should appear smooth and thick!
Step 5: Find a good spot in your kitchen to roll out the dough. Place a piece of parchment paper down and sprinkle it with gluten-free flour. (This does not have to be Caputo Fioreglut. Feel free to use any gluten-free flour blend you have on hand, preferably your most inexpensive one!) Then place your dough on top.
Step 6: Sprinkle the surface of the dough and your rolling pin with more flour. Gently roll out the dough, adding more flour if needed.
Step 7: Roll the dough out into a rectangle roughly a little more than ¼-inch thick and about 11-inches by 13-inches. You can use a bench scraper or spatula to square up the edges if you'd like.
Step 8: Spread a thin layer of softened butter over the surface of the dough. Then sprinkle with the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture. Leave about one inch exposed so you can seal the end.
Step 9: Now roll the dough up into a log. Use a pastry brush to brush away any excess flour as you go. Try to keep this tight, but be gentle. You can lift the parchment to aid in the rolling process.
Step 10: Carefully slice the log into 1 ½-inch slices.* This is the hardest part of the entire recipe because the dough is a little soft! The dough needs to be this way though in order to get the most rise out of the rolls later.
*To make slicing easier you can try either of these methods. I found the dental floss trick to be the easiest and made the cleanest cuts!
- Dental floss: Use this dental floss hack to slice the rolls. To do this, slide dental floss under the log of dough, criss-cross the floss over the top, and pull it in opposite directions to make a slice.
- Serrated knife: Use a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to cut each slice. Wipe the knife clean after each slice. If the dough pulls a little, that's ok. You can gently reshape them a bit when you place them in the pan. As long as they are still rolled up, they will rise into shape.
Step 11: In a greased pan or a pan lined with parchment paper, place the rolls about 1 inch apart. The rolls should not be touching but be close enough end up touching after they have risen. You also don't want them so crowded that they can't rise properly. Nine rolls fit perfectly in a 9-inch square pan. Use more than one pan if needed for the rolls to fit properly.
Step 12: Cover with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 ½ hours.
Step 13: After the rolls have risen, it's time to bake until golden brown. Make the frosting while the rolls bake and frost the rolls while they are still warm.
Make Ahead Instructions
This recipe is actually quite flexible! Make and bake the rolls all in the same day or refrigerate them overnight. You can also freeze, if needed.
To Refrigerate Overnight: Make the rolls and allow them to rise. After they have risen, keep them covered and refrigerate. When you're ready to bake, allow the rolls to come to room temperature for at least 1 hour before baking for the best results.
You can also make the icing one day ahead and refrigerate. Pull it out of the refrigerator while the rolls bake to allow it to soften a bit before spreading onto the warm rolls.
To Freeze: Line your pan with parchment paper or use disposable foil pans. Allow the rolls to rise. After the rolls have risen, place them in the freezer. Once the rolls have frozen solid, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and foil. If you didn't use a disposable pan, you can remove the rolls from the pan before wrapping.
One day before baking, remove the rolls from the freezer. Place the rolls back into the pan if needed. Allow them to thaw completely overnight in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature for at least 1 hr before baking.
Storage
The rolls are best enjoyed fresh and warm from the oven! If you have leftovers, store the rolls at room temperature. Eat within 2 days for the best freshness. Warm for 15 seconds in the microwave if needed to soften.
Important Tips to Remember
- Measure the flour by weight. This flour is very starchy so the most accurate measurement will be by weight instead of cups.
- Make sure the milk is warm to 120-130°F and the eggs and butter are at room temperature. Proper temperature of ingredients is necessary for proper activation of the yeast.
- Make sure you are using instant yeast and make sure it's fresh.
- The dough is should be somewhat soft. You'll notice this mostly when you go to slice the rolls. Use the dental floss hack or a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to slice them. If they do not have the perfect shape, it's ok, just keep them rolled and place them in the pan. Gently push the dough to reshape if needed.
- You must use parchment paper and extra flour when rolling out the cinnamon rolls. You do not want this dough stuck to your counter. Use any inexpensive gluten-free flour blend that you have on hand.
- If you make any substitutions to the dough recipe, I cannot guarantee the results! Follow the recipe as written. See trusted substitutions in the recipe card below.
- Check out this article all about cinnamon so you know the best gluten-free brands to buy!
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More Gluten-Free Recipes
Recipe
Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls with Caputo Fioreglut
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 280 grams Caputo Fioreglut Gluten-free Flour Blend, about 2 ⅓ cups but please measure by weight
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons psyllium husk powder
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast, also known as rapid rise or bread machine yeast
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ¾ cup milk, warmed to 120-130°F
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup butter, room temperature and soft
Filling
- 6-8 Tablespoons butter, very soft
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
Frosting
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 Tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Make the Cinnamon Rolls
- Grease a 9-inch baking dish and set aside.
- In the stand mixer bowl, whisk the flour, brown sugar, psyllium husk powder, yeast, and salt together.
- Attach the bowl to the stand mixer and turn to level 2. Slowly pour in the warmed milk and blend until combined.
- Continue mixing and add in the eggs. Increase the speed to medium if needed and blend until the mixture is well combined, about 1 minute.
- Add in the softened butter and blend on medium speed for 2 minutes. The mixture should be thick and smooth.
- Place a piece of parchment paper down and sprinkle with gluten-free flour (any blend is fine here, preferably an inexpensive one.)
- Place the dough on top of the parchment paper. Sprinkle with a little more flour.
- Flour your rolling pin and roll out the dough into a rectangle about 11x13 inches. The dough should be roughly ¼-inch thick. Use a bench scraper or spatula to square up the sides if needed.
- Gently spread very soft butter over the dough in a thin even layer. Spread to the edges of the dough leaving one inch along one long edge exposed.
- Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the buttered dough.
- Starting with the long edge roll the dough up into a log ending with the unbuttered end. Brush away any excess flour as you go. You can use the parchment paper to help you lift and roll if needed. Once rolled, gently pinch the end together with the dough to seal the seam.
- Use dental floss or a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to slice the log into 1 ½ inch slices. Wipe the knife clean after each slice.*
- Place nine slices cut side down in a greased 9-inch square pan or pie plate. There may be a few slices left, in which case place them in another small pan.
- Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and place in a warm spot. Allow the rolls to rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 ½ hours.
- Once risen, remove the covering. Bake the rolls at 375°F for 20-25 minutes. The rolls should be golden brown on top. Prepare the frosting while the rolls bake.
Make the Frosting
- Cream together the softened cream cheese and butter.
- Then mix in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Blend until smooth.
- Spread frosting on the rolls while they are still warm.
Kathy
These look great! Can’t wait to try them.
LJSJ
At this point I’ve learned that most of these recipes are going to be winners, this one no exception. Go heavier than you think you should on the butter when you’re coating the dough (use coarse to all 8T) for moister rolls. This was a fun family activity on Christmas!
Katie | Wheat by the Wayside
I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe! It seems as if you could just pile even more butter in and make the rolls even gooier but I found during my many tests of this recipe that there is a fine line with it. If you add too much (beyond 8T), it kind of just melts and seeps out the bottom. Then the rolls kind of just simmer in the melted butter when they bake. For me the 6-8T was a good amount. I find I do go with the full 8T most of the time. Thanks for the feedback!
Kat
Hi, I'm just wondering if you could make this into a cinnamon swirl loaf if you left the roll whole without cutting into buns...
Katie | Wheat by the Wayside
I haven't tried this but it's a great idea! If you're not into experimenting, I'll give it a try and update!
Hira
Hello! I was wondering if sugar can be substituted in this recipe with sweetener or coconut sugar? Thank you!
Katie | Wheat by the Wayside
I haven’t tried this so I can’t say for sure.
Maggie
Crazy as it seems, I made these yesterday in Arizona at 105 degrees! Had a bag of the Caputo GF flour and it expires this month. The rolls rose beautifully outside in the heat/shade, covered with Syrian wrap and a towel. They are amazing! Didn’t have cream cheese, so made the frosting with Trader Joe’s Soft Goat Cheese, vanilla and powdered sugar. This is definitely a “keeper” recipe!!!!
Katie | Wheat by the Wayside
So glad you enjoyed them!! Thanks for the kind review!
MEG MAYO
Most sweet dough recipes call for an initial rise before shaping, but this recipe goes right to rolling out the dough. Why?
Katie | Wheat by the Wayside
Making gluten-free yeasted doughs is much different than working with regular flour. If you let this dough rise first, when you go to roll and shape, you'll squish out all of the gasses you trapped. They will not rise as much the second time and your rolls will not be as fluffy. Trust the process!
Jennifer Craig-Norton
These were pillowy cinnamon-y deliciousness! Great recipe. I did change up the method a bit based on non-GF cinnamon buns I make for others: Roll the dough into a rectangle on parchment and then stick into the freezer on a cutting board or baking pan for 10-15 min just to firm up a bit. Combine all the filling ingredients (I used a combination of white and brown sugar equal in weight to the amount of butter and also added a teaspoon of GF flour-*not Fioreglut*- just to ensure the filling doesn't leak out in baking). Beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture is spreadable -kind of like grainy frosting- and spread evenly on the chilled dough. Then, with the long side facing you, cut the dough into 1 inch strips and roll each one up individually, flattening the outside edge a bit to mould onto the roll. This method is easier, especially when using a soft dough like this, and results in a neater looking cinnamon roll. Sooo good!
Katie | Wheat by the Wayside
Great tips, thanks for sharing them!
Tehara
I made this recipe last night, I was disappointed with the texture, they are to light and not bread like, I think cinnamon rolls should have a denser feel. I'll try again see if I get any different texture on my second try. Thank you for coming up with this recipe, I wanted to try with this flour, now I know!
Katie | Wheat by the Wayside
I guess we all have different preferences as I prefer a fluffy roll! If you want them to be more dense, you can add it bit less liquid.
Phoebe
These are amazing! Perfect rise, texture, color & TASTE. I was worried because the dough was VERY sticky. I weighed the flour, brought everything to room temp, etc., so I pushed on. There was little form to any of the "rolls" & had I used a pastry cloth instead of parchment I would have lost half the recipe. Any idea what I should do differently? This was only my second recipe using the Caputo Fioreglut. Thank you for this recipe!
Katie | Wheat by the Wayside
Hi Phoebe, it actually sounds like you did everything right! The dough is sticky but that is just how gluten-free yeast dough is, plus it allows them to get a fluffy rise. It takes a little practice and a gentle hand, but to me it sounds like you did just fine! In the future be sure to use parchment and you can always sprinkle a little extra gf flour to help you roll them. If you have any more questions feel free to reach out!
Bethany
This recipe looks amazing! Just curious if you've ever seen or made up your own version of the Caputo Fioreglut flour--it is so expensive!
Katie | Wheat by the Wayside
I agree, it is pricey. I haven't come up with a good substitute yet. I will definitely update the post(s) if I do!
Meghan
These are super easy and delicious. By far the best gluten free bake I have tried. Was able to make dairy free as well and still turned out excellent, though it did require a little extra flour to get the right dough consistency.
Olivia
These are incredible!!