The Softest Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

 

These are the softest, squishiest, gooiest gluten free cinnamon rolls you’ll ever make – in fact, they’re so ridiculously good that even non-gluten-free folks will love them. The dough handles beautifully: you can knead it and roll it out without any problems whatsoever. And there’s also an overnight, make-ahead option, so you can prepare them the night before and have them for breakfast the next day! 

The Recipe from theloopywhisk.com check out their recipes

 

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I was honestly surprised how well the heavy/double cream hack worked. The cream gets absorbed by the cinnamon rolls and instead of making them stodgy, it actually makes them ridiculously soft and squishy, with just the right amount of gooeyness (which you can tweak by adjusting the baking time).

Now, you could leave it there. Just adding the cream will drastically improve your gluten free cinnamon rolls. But covering them with a sheet of aluminium foil for the first 20 minutes of baking is what really takes these from soft to OUTRAGEOUSLY, RIDICULOUSLY SQUISHY (yes, so squishy that it deserves the all-caps).

The aluminium foil traps the steam from the cinnamon rolls themselves and from the cream, and that prevents a crust from forming on top of the cinnamon rolls. This allows them to expand for longer and by a greater amount. They actually increase in size quite dramatically in the oven, with the help of both the yeast (thanks to oven spring) and also the baking powder that we’ve added to the dough.

All of this results in a more open, softer crumb – and therefore in the fluffiest, squishiest gluten free cinnamon rolls that, importantly, also *stay* soft for ages. And they also reheat really well, so you can store them for several days… if you don’t make them all disappear on the very first day, of course.

A quick side note: these cinnamon rolls go through a bit of an “ugly duckling phase” in that they come out of the oven big and squishy and also kinda… not pretty. That’s because I went all out with the cinnamon filling, so some of it spills out and partially covers the swirls. So, yes, they will come out of the oven looking not their best.

But once you’ve smothered them (while they’re still warm!) with the cream cheese icing and that partially melts into them, they will, once again, look FABULOUS – all gooey and squishy and tempting. 

So, trust the process. Because the end result will be THE ABSOLUTE BEST gluten free cinnamon rolls you have ever or will ever taste.

How to make THE BEST gluten free cinnamon rolls

Making your own homemade gluten free cinnamon rolls is actually incredibly easy – and I’ll take you through the whole process step-by-step.

THE GLUTEN FREE ENRICHED BRIOCHE DOUGH

You can make the dough for these gluten free cinnamon rolls either with a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or by hand. I’ve tested this recipe with both options, and the rolls always turned out amazing.

The final dough will be slightly sticky to the touch, but after a quick knead on a lightly floured surface it should handle beautifully without sticking. So, resist the temptation to add more flour to the dough, as that can make the final rolls too dense and dry.

That said, if you find the dough too sticky to easily handle (even on a floured surface and with floured hands), you can chill it in the fridge for about 1 hour before proceeding to the next step. This will give the flours in the dough time to properly hydrate and also firm up the butter in the dough – both of these factors will make the dough firmer, less sticky, and therefore easier to handle.

The crucial ingredient that makes this recipe (and all my other gluten free bread recipes) work is psyllium husk. It acts as a gluten substitute and it’s what gives the final baked cinnamon rolls their pillowy-soft and slightly chewy texture. Without psyllium husk, you won’t get a dough that you can actually handle and shape, and the rolls won’t proof properly. You can’t substitute the psyllium husk with another ingredient. 

The key to beautiful gluten free cinnamon rolls lies in kneading the dough until it’s completely smooth – in fact, it’s best to knead the dough for an additional 5 minutes with the stand mixer (or about 8-10 minutes if doing it by hand) after all the ingredients have been thoroughly incorporated. 

SIDE NOTE: BAKING POWDER IN CINNAMON ROLLS???

In the recipe below, you’ll notice a slightly unusual ingredient: baking powder. Typically, cinnamon rolls don’t contain baking powder – instead, they rely entirely on yeast for their fluffy, soft texture and open crumb.

However, we’re in the realm of gluten free baking and, sometimes, in order to achieve a texture that’s virtually indistinguishable from that of a “regular” wheat-based equivalent… well, we need to “cheat” a bit. That’s where the baking powder comes in.

The baking powder helps to make the gluten free cinnamon rolls even fluffier and softer, and therefore closer in texture to their “regular” equivalents made with wheat flour. It’s a small trick – but it makes a huge difference.

ROLLING & SHAPING THE GLUTEN FREE CINNAMON ROLLS

I use the cut-then-roll method to shape cinnamon rolls, which is slightly different from the norm, but it works perfectly. It’s my go-to method when shaping cinnamon rolls made from gluten free dough, which tends to be somewhat more delicate than its gluten-containing equivalent. I find this much easier and more convenient than rolling up the dough into a long log and then cutting the rolls with a knife or even with baker’s thread (or floss).

Here’s how to get gluten free cinnamon rolls with the perfect swirl (this recipe makes 7 cinnamon rolls):

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough
2. into a roughly 11×15-inch (28x38cm) rectangle.
3. Dollop on the cinnamon-sugar filling (made by mixing together light brown sugar, ground cinnamon and very soft butter).
4. Spread it out into an even layer across the rolled-out dough.
5. Make sure that the filling goes all the way to the edges.
6. Cut the rectangle lengthways into seven 1½-inch (4cm) wide strips, so that they’re 15 inches (38cm) long.
7. Roll up each individual strip into a roll – this will give you the perfect swirl.
8. Then, transfer them into a buttered 10-inch (25cm) skillet or round baking pan. (Here’s the skillet I used – it’s a real beauty, it bakes super evenly and, importantly, it’s a total breeze to clean.)

PROOF UNTIL DOUBLED IN SIZE

You need to proof the cinnamon rolls in a warm place for about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until about doubled in volume. Lightly cover them with a sheet of plastic wrap/cling film to prevent them from drying out. If your kitchen is on the cold side, you can proof them in a lukewarm oven – the ideal proofing temperature is around 79ºF/26ºC. I usually place a cup of hot water on the bottom of the oven to maintain a fairly humid proofing environment.

As you can see below, the rolls initially only just touch each other. However, after proofing (as they double in volume), they will sit snuggled quite closely together.

POUR OVER HEAVY/DOUBLE CREAM

Once your rolls have doubled in size, pour warm heavy/double cream evenly all over the cinnamon rolls. The recipe uses quite a lot of cream (100g or about ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons) but it will all get absorbed by the cinnamon rolls to make them extra rich and perfectly gooey – and a part of it also contributes to the slightly “sticky” caramel-y sauce on the bottom of the pan, which makes the whole thing even more delicious. 

It’s important that you use warm cream (not cold straight from the fridge). This will ensure that the cinnamon rolls stay nicely warm and cosy as they enter the oven, so they’ll continue to rise and expand – which is the key to getting them beautifully soft and squishy.

This idea of pouring cream over cinnamon rolls was around before TikTok, but it was definitely popularised through the platform.

BAKING THE GLUTEN FREE CINNAMON ROLLS

You need to bake the cinnamon rolls at 350ºF/180ºC for a total of about 35 minutes.

For the first 20 minutes, keep the cinnamon rolls loosely covered with a sheet of aluminium foil. You don’t need to cover them super tightly, just enough so that most of the steam gets trapped by the foil. But arrange it so that it’s fairly easy to remove later on, without having to necessarily remove the skillet or pan from the oven, if at all possible.

As mentioned above, the aluminium foil traps the steam generated by the cinnamon rolls themselves and by the cream. This prevents a crust from forming on top of the cinnamon rolls, which means that they can expand much more during this first part of baking, so they’ll end up even softer and squishier.

After the 20 minutes, remove the aluminium foil and continue baking until the cinnamon rolls get golden on top – about 15 minutes more.

Now, if you’re at all familiar with the viral TikTok cinnamon rolls hack, then you’ll know that when baking regular cinnamon rolls made with wheat flour, many people keep the rolls covered with aluminium foil throughout the baking and uncover them only when they’re completely done. I don’t really recommend this with gluten free cinnamon rolls, as they do need to lose some moisture during baking, otherwise they could end up a bit too moist and/or stodgy. Plus, that little bit of caramelisation and browning on top also adds flavour.

When your cinnamon rolls come out of the oven, they probably won’t look super neat and pretty. Mine never do – the cinnamon filling bubbles out and partially covers the swirls, so they look a bit all over the place. But trust me when I say that they’ll end up looking absolutely STUNNING… and tasting even better.

The cream cheese icing

The cream cheese icing is a simple combination of room temperature cream cheese, softened butter, powdered/icing sugar, vanilla bean paste and a pinch of salt. Just whisk it all together until smooth, and it’s ready. It’s important to use room temperature cream cheese, otherwise the butter will seize up and you’ll end with lumpy icing.

You can use vanilla extract if you don’t have vanilla bean paste – but the paste will give you a more intense flavour, as well as all those lovely specks of vanilla.

It’s best to put the icing on the cinnamon rolls while they’re still VERY warm (almost hot). I usually allow the cinnamon rolls to cool for only about 5-10 minutes before putting on the icing. The warmth/heat from the cinnamon rolls will cause the icing to partially melt into all the nooks and crannies, and it will make the cinnamon rolls even more decadent and luxurious.

You can be as generous with the icing as you want. You can absolutely smother the rolls in icing by using all of it, or you can use about three quarters of it and save the rest for anyone who wants an extra dollop of icing on top of their cinnamon roll as you’re serving them.

There’s no rules here – just very, very delicious cinnamon rolls.

Overnight option: preparing the gluten free cinnamon rolls ahead of time

You can easily prepare these gluten free cinnamon rolls ahead of time. You have two options, and both work really well:

• Prepare the dough and then keep it in the fridge overnight (in a closed container or in a covered bowl). You can then roll, shape, proof and bake the cinnamon rolls the next day.
• Alternatively, you can make the dough and shape the cinnamon rolls, and then keep the tightly covered skillet or baking pan in the fridge overnight. The next day, bring the rolls to room temperature. If they haven’t doubled in size by the time they’ve reached room temperature, proof them for a while longer – and then, pour over the heavy/double cream and bake according to the recipe.

Note that I don’t recommend keeping the dough in the fridge for longer than one day.

How to store & reheat homemade gluten free cinnamon rolls

Now, because these are gluten free, you might think that they would be rock-hard and dry about an hour or two after baking – but that’s not the case AT ALL!!! They actually stay soft and fluffy even after they’ve cooled down complately, although I definitely recommend enjoying them while they’re warm.

They’re definitely at their very best on the day of baking, but you can keep them in a closed air-tight container for 2-3 days. Then, just before serving, re-heat them briefly in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. This will return them to their original pillowy softness.

Possible substitutions

Although all the ingredients in the recipe should be easily accessible either in your local grocery store or online, I still wanted to include a list of substitutions you can make. (NOTE: all substitutions should be made by weight and not by volume.)

• Instant yeast: You can use active dry yeast instead, in which case you’ll have to activate it first. Use the warm milk and 1-2 tablespoons of the sugar listed in the recipe to activate it – just mix them all together and allow the mixture to sit for 5-10 minutes or until it starts frothing and bubbling. Then, add it to the dry ingredients along with the psyllium gel, egg and melted butter.
• Psyllium husk: YOU CAN’T SUBSTITUTE IT WITH A DIFFERENT INGREDIENT. But if you use psyllium husk powder as opposed to the whole psyllium husk, use only 85% of the weight listed in the recipe.
• Tapioca starch: You can use an equal weight of cornstarch (US)/cornflour (UK), potato starch or arrowroot starch instead.
• Millet flour: You can use an equal weight of finely ground/milled brown rice flour instead, but your cinnamon rolls might be slightly less fluffy.
• Sorghum flour: You can use an equal weight of white teff flour, light buckwheat flour or oat flour instead (the latter only if you’re not sensitive to oats).

A note on measurements (tl;dr: if possible, use a scale)

While I’ve included the volume measurements (cups and spoons) in the recipe card below, if at all possible (and I really cannot overemphasise this): USE METRIC GRAM MEASUREMENTS IF YOU CAN.

They’re much more precise and produce more reliably delicious results. This is true for pretty much all of baking – a kitchen scale will invariably give better results than cups and tablespoons.

And there you have it: this covers just about everything you need to know in order to make truly THE BEST gluten free cinnamon rolls. I’ve actually tested this recipe more times than was *strictly* necessary because these are soooo good and I just can’t get enough of them.

I really hope you’ll love them as much as I do.

Happy baking!

More gluten free bread recipes

If you’re looking for more amazing gluten free bread recipes (that are nearly indistinguishable from their “regular” equivalents made from wheat flour), you’re definitely in the right place!

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• Ingredients

  Gluten free enriched dough:

  • 15 g (3 tbsp) whole/rough psyllium husk (If using psyllium husk powder, use only 13g.)
  • 180 g (¾ cup) warm water
  • 160 g (1⅓ cups + 1 tbsp) tapioca starch (You can use an equal weight of arrowroot starch, cornstarch (US)/cornflour (UK) or potato starch instead.)
  • 135 g (1 cup) millet flour, plus extra for flouring the surface (You can use an equal weight of finely milled/ground brown rice flour instead, but your rolls might be slightly less fluffy.)
  • 25 g (3 tbsp) sorghum flour (You can use an equal weight of light buckwheat flour, white teff flour or oat flour instead. Use the latter only if you're not sensitive to oats.)
  • 50 g (¼ cup) caster/superfine or granulated sugar
  • 6 g (2 tsp) instant yeast (If using active dry yeast, use 8g.)
  • 6 g (1½ tsp) baking powder
  • 5 g (2 tsp) xanthan gum
  • 5 g (1 tsp) salt
  • 100 g (⅓ cup + 1½ tbsp) whole milk, warm
  • 1 US large/UK medium egg, room temperature
  • 35 g (2½ tbsp) unsalted butter, melted

  Cinnamon filling:

  • 85 g (¾ stick) very soft unsalted butter (The ideal butter texture is somewhere in between softened and melted butter – it should be quite soft and easily spreadable, but not completely liquid.)
  • 100 g (½ cup) light brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

  For baking the cinnamon rolls:

  • ½ tbsp unsalted butter, softened, for buttering the skillet or baking pan
  • 100 g (⅓ cup + 2 tbsp) heavy/double cream, warm

  Cream cheese icing:

  • 115 g (½ cup) full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
  • 55 g (½ stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 90 g (¾ cup) powdered/icing sugar
  • ½-1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or 1-2 tsp vanilla extract)
  • pinch of salt

  Instructions

  Gluten free enriched dough:

  • To make the dough, I recommend using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. You can also make the dough by hand, but the mixer makes it much easier and results in a smoother dough.
  • Make the psyllium gel: In a bowl, mix together the psyllium husk and warm water. After about 30-45 seconds, a gel will form.
  • In the bowl of the stand mixer, whisk together the tapioca starch, millet flour, sorghum flour, sugar, instant yeast, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt.

    Tip: If using active dry yeast instead, you need to activate it first. Mix together the active dry yeast, 1-2 tbsp of the sugar and the warm milk. Set aside for 10-15 minutes, or until the mixture starts frothing. Then, add it to the dry ingredients along with the psyllium gel, egg and melted butter.
  • Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the psyllium gel, warm milk, egg and melted butter.
  • Knead the dough until smooth and all the ingredients are evenly incorporated, then knead for a further 5 minutes (if using a stand mixer) or 8-10 minutes (if kneading it by hand). Use a rubber spatula to occasionally scrape along the sides and bottom of the bowl to prevent any dry patches of unmixed flour.

    Tip: This extra kneading time will make the dough EXTRA smooth, which is the key to beautiful gluten free cinnamon rolls.
  • The final dough will be slightly sticky to the touch – that’s okay, you’ll be working on a lightly floured surface so it shouldn’t be a problem. Resist the temptation to add more flour to the dough, as that can make the final rolls too dense and dry.

    Tip: If you find the dough too sticky to easily handle (even on a floured surface and with floured hands), you can chill it in the fridge for about 1 hour before proceeding to the next step. This will give the flours in the dough time to properly hydrate and also firm up the butter in the dough – both of these factors will make the dough firmer, less sticky, and therefore easier to handle.

  Cinnamon filling:

  • In a bowl, mix together the very soft butter, light brown sugar and ground cinnamon until you get a soft, spreadable paste.

    Tip: If it's too thick to spread easily, you can soften it slightly in the microwave (in 2-3 second bursts, mix in between). If it's too runny, you can chill it briefly in the fridge until it thickens to the right consistency.
  • Set aside until needed.

  Assembling the cinnamon rolls:

  • Lightly butter a 10-inch (25cm) skillet or round baking pan, and set aside until needed.
  • Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a ball.
  • Roll it out into a roughly 11×15-inch (28x38cm) rectangle.
  • Dollop on the cinnamon filling and spread it out into an even layer across the rolled-out dough, all the way to the edges.
  • Cut the rectangle lengthways into seven 1½-inch (4cm) wide strips, so that they’re 15 inches (38cm) long. I like to use a pizza cutter for this, but a sharp knife will also work well.
  • Roll up each individual strip into a roll – this will give you the perfect swirl.
  • Arrange the cinnamon rolls in the buttered skillet or baking pan, they should only just touch each other.

  Proofing the cinnamon rolls:

  • Proof the cinnamon rolls in a warm place for about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until about doubled in volume. Lightly cover them with a sheet of plastic wrap/cling film to prevent them from drying out during proofing.

    Tip: If your kitchen is on the cold side, you can proof them in a lukewarm oven (the ideal proofing temperature is around 79ºF/26ºC). I usually place a cup of hot water inside the oven, to maintain a fairly humid environment.

  Baking the cinnamon rolls:

  • While the rolls are proofing, adjust the oven rack to the middle position and pre-heat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
  • Once the cinnamon rolls have doubled in volume, pour warm heavy/double cream evenly all over them.

    Tip: The addition of cream makes these gluten free cinnamon rolls extra rich and soft. It’s important that you use warm cream (not cold from the fridge).
  • Cover the skillet or baking pan with a sheet of aluminium foil.

    Tip: You don’t need to cover it super tightly, just enough so that most of the steam generated during baking will get trapped by the foil. But arrange it so that it’s fairly easy to remove later on, without having to necessarily remove the skillet or pan from the oven, if at all possible.
  • Bake the cinnamon rolls at 350ºF (180ºC) covered with the aluminium foil for 20 minutes.

    Tip: The aluminium foil traps the steam generated during baking, which prevents a crust from forming on top of the cinnamon rolls. This allows them to expand much more during this first part of baking, so they’ll end up even softer and squishier.
  • After the 20 minutes, remove the aluminium foil and continue baking until the cinnamon rolls get golden on top – about 15 minutes more.
  • Allow the baked cinnamon rolls to cool for 5-10 minutes while you prepare the cream cheese icing.

  Cream cheese icing:

  • In a bowl, whisk together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. (You can do this by hand with a balloon whisk, with a hand mixer fitted with the double beaters, or with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.)
  • Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt, and whisk well until evenly combined, smooth and creamy.
  • Spread the cream cheese icing over the cinnamon rolls while they're still hot or very warm. You can use all of the icing, or spread just ¾ of it over the rolls and set the rest aside for anyone who wants extra with their cinnamon roll.

    Tip: The warmth/heat from the cinnamon rolls will cause the icing to partially melt into all the nooks and crannies, and it will make the cinnamon rolls even more decadent and luxurious.
  • Enjoy the cinnamon rolls while they're still warm.

  Serving and storage:

  • These gluten free cinnamon rolls are best served while they’re warm.
  • They're at their best on the day of baking, but you can keep them in a closed container for about 2-3 days. Just before serving, re-heat them briefly in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. This will return them to their original pillowy softness.

  Overnight, make-ahead options:

  • Option 1: You can prepare the dough and then keep it in the fridge overnight (in a closed container or in a covered bowl). You can then roll, shape, proof and bake the cinnamon rolls the next day.
  • Option 2: You can make the dough and shape the cinnamon rolls, and then keep the tightly covered skillet or baking pan in the fridge overnight. The next day, bring the rolls to room temperature. If they haven’t doubled in size by the time they’ve reached room temperature, proof them for a while longer – and then, pour over the heavy/double cream and bake according to the recipe.

  Author:

  

  Hi there! I'm Kat,

  and I’m so excited to welcome you to The Loopy Whisk, where we’re all about feel good recipes that make living with food allergies and dietary requirements easy as cake! (And there’s a lot of cake round these parts.)

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