This recipe for simpler gluten-free cinnamon rolls is adapted from a traditional yeasted dough cinnamon roll recipe and uses gluten-free flour for all-purpose flour without any complicated extras. Soft, buttery, and kissed with spice.
For an easier version of my oat flour cinnamon rolls, make this gluten-free cinnamon rolls recipe that is based on a stellar recipe from Sarah Keiffer's book, The Vanilla Bean Baking Blog. I used my homemade gluten free flour blend as the base for these rolls, adding instant yeast, melted butter, eggs, and honey to create a soft, workable pastry dough that rolls out beautifully. Pack it with a blend of cinnamon and brown sugar, and nestle the proofed rolls in a sticky maple syrup glaze to complete this perfect-for-brunch bake.
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Why I Love These Gluten Free Rolls
Maple syrup topping, check. Soft and sweet gluten-free dough, check. Easier than some other gluten-free cinnamon rolls recipes, check. Still yummy? Yes and yes! The ultimate cozy bake, cinnamon rolls NEEDS to have a gluten-free option so that we can all enjoy them. This is one of my favorite sweet breakfast bakes, and I hope you love it, too!
- A simpler recipe. Flax meal and psyllium husk powder are important in creating gluten-free doughs, BUT let's be real ... sometimes I'm out of these ingredients or just want to my baking project super simple. This recipe is a great stand-in because it's simpler yet still delivers that craveable cinnamon roll vibe.
- Flexible dough. You'll love how easy it is to work with this gluten-free dough thanks to the eggs that work to bind the gluten-free flour into a smooth and flexible dough.
- Easy. While I LOVE my oat flour cinnamon rolls recipe, it does call for a few extra ingredients. When I want to streamline, I make these gluten-free rolls because they don't need anything more than flour, eggs, butter, milk, and yeast.
Ingredient Notes
Here's an overview of all of the ingredients that go into these gluten-free sweet rolls. Scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts!
Rolls
- Eggs - Large eggs at room temperature will easily blend into the dough.
- Milk - I used whole milk, and 2% will also work. Use a thermometer to check that it's about 110℉ before adding it to the dough.
- Honey - You can swap ¼ cup of granulated sugar if needed.
- Gluten-free flour - I use my homemade gluten free flour blend which worked perfectly. You can use your preferred gluten-free flour by weight if you prefer.
- Instant yeast - Make sure to use fresh, INSTANT yeast rather than active yeast which needs proofing.
- Salt - I use fine sea salt and table salt also works.
- Butter - Unsalted butter, brought to soft room temperature, is best.
Filling + Topping
- Brown sugar - Light or dark brown sugar is fine.
- Ground cinnamon
- Butter - Use unsalted butter.
- Maple syrup - Pure maple syrup is essential here!
- Salt
Learn How to Make Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls
I've included step-by-step photos below so that you can get an idea of how to make this gluten-free recipe. The full details are in the recipe card lower down.
- Mix wet ingredients: Whisk together the eggs, milk, and honey.
- Make flour mix: In a large bowl whisk together the flour, yeast, and salt.
- Combine: Mix in the egg mixture on low then add the butter one piece at a time. Use a blender or your hands to mix until smooth.
- Rise: Place dough in a greased bowl, let rise for 30 minutes, fold, then rise again. Complete these steps a total of 4 times. Cover and rest overnight in the fridge.
- Roll out dough: On a piece of parchment, roll the dough into a rectangle.
- Make filling: In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon and brown sugar.
- Add filling: Brush the dough with melted butter, then sprinkle over the cinnamon-sugar mix.
- Roll it up: Starting at a long side, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces.
- Make topping: Bring topping ingredients to a boil over medium and cook for 1 minute. Pour the mixture into a lined 9x13 baking pan and evenly cover the bottom.
- Proof: Place the rolls cut side up in the topping in the pan, then cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled.
- Bake: Bake the rolls for 30-35 minutes at 350℉. Cool slightly and serve warm.
Tip: Rest the Dough Overnight
After the dough has completed its 2-hour rise and folding, let it rest overnight in the fridge (or up to 72 hours). This performs the double duty of allowing the gluten-free flour to hydrate and also brings it together so it's less sticky and is much easier to work with.
More Cinnamon Rolls Tips
- Don't skimp on the rise time. The long (2 hour) rise time may seem like a lot, but it results in a beautifully risen dough that in turn makes fluffy rolls.
- Let the parchment paper help you. When rolling up the dough, use the parchment paper to nudge and roll the dough into a tight log before slicing it.
- Bring ingredients to room temperature. Make sure to bring all the ingredients to room temperature, especially the butter, before you begin. This will make for a smoother dough.
- Make ahead: You can make the dough and shape the cinnamon rolls, and then keep the tightly covered 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, then bake.
Variation Suggestions and Substitutions
- Make a cream cheese frosting instead. Blend ½ cup full-fat, room temperature cream cheese, 4 tablespoons softened butter, ½ cup of sifted powdered sugar until smooth, then spread the frosting over the warm rolls. Skip the maple syrup topping and frost the rolls after they've baked.
- Other topping options: Keep it simple and drizzle over a little maple syrup when they come out of the oven. Or, sift a little powdered sugar over the top. For a decadent touch, spoon some homemade caramel sauce over their tops.
- Change the spices. These are cinnamon rolls, yes, but go ahead and add a different ground spice if you like! I love to make this recipe with ground ginger or cardamom filling.
- Nuts: Add chopped walnuts or pecans to the filling or sprinkle them across the maple syrup glaze at the bottom of the pan.
- To make dairy-free: Substitute non-dairy milk for the whole milk and non-dairy butter for the butter.
- To make refined sugar-free: Substitute maple sugar or coconut sugar for the sugar and coconut sugar for the brown sugar.
Storage Options
These rolls are best on the day they're made, but they keep well for a few days. Here's how to store them:
- Counter - Keep the rolls in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 days.
- Fridge - Store cinnamon rolls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer - Place oat flour cinnamon rolls in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag and keep them in the freezer for up to 2 months. Defrost in the fridge before eating and reheating.
- To Reheat - The rolls are the ultimate best on the day that they are baked, but you can gently reheat them in the microwave and they will still be warm, fluffy, and delicious. Place them on a microwave-safe plate and heat in the microwave in 30-second increments until warm.
More Sweet Breakfast Recipes
If you try this gluten-free cinnamon rolls recipe, please let me know! And if you have any questions, always feel free to reach out in the comments or by email. I hope you love it! ❤️
Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls
This recipe for gluten-free cinnamon rolls is adapted from a traditional yeasted dough cinnamon roll recipe and is soft, buttery, and kissed with spice.
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 4 eggs
- ¾ cup whole milk, warmed to 110℉
- ¼ cup honey
- 4 ¾ cups gluten free all purpose flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into ½-inch pieces
For the Filling
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
For the Topping
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
Make the Dough
- Grease a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and honey.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, yeast, and salt. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, mix in the egg mixture on low. Then add the butter one piece at a time.
- Increase the speed to medium and mix for about 1 minute. Use your hands to do this if the dough is very sticky. Transfer the dough to the prepared bowl, using a spatula to scrape it in.
- Cover with plastic and let rise for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, use the spatula or your hands to fold the dough over on itself about 6 times. Cover again with plastic, let rise for 30 minutes, and repeat the process. Do this 2 more times for a total of 4 times.
- Tightly cover the bowl with plastic and place in the fridge overnight or for up to 72 hours.
- Remove the dough from the fridge, dust a piece of parchment with gluten-free flour, and knead the dough for about 10-12 times. In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon and brown sugar.
- Line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment. Roll out the dough to a 16x12-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with melted butter, then sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mix over the butter, pressing down lightly.
- Starting at a long side, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Pinch the seam to seal it, then turn it seam side down. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, butter, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium and cook for 1 minute. The mixture will thicken slightly. Pour the mixture into the lined baking pan and tilt the pan to evenly cover the bottom.
- Place the rolls cut side up in the topping in the pan, then cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, 1 ½-2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. When the rolls are doubled, place the pan in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the rolls are lightly golden brown, set, and the topping is bubbling.
- Remove the rolls from the oven, cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then serve warm.
Notes
- Don't skimp on the rise time. The long (2 hour) rise time may seem like a lot, but it results in a beautifully risen dough that in turn makes fluffy rolls.
- Let the parchment paper help you. When rolling up the dough, use the parchment paper to nudge and roll the dough into a tight log before slicing it.
- Bring ingredients to room temperature. Make sure to bring all the ingredients to room temperature, especially the butter, before you begin. This will make for a smoother dough.
- Make ahead: You can make the dough and shape the cinnamon rolls, and then keep the tightly covered 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, then bake.
Nutrition
Calories: 425kcalCarbohydrates: 70gProtein: 8gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 472mgPotassium: 129mgFiber: 6gSugar: 34gVitamin A: 456IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 100mgIron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Let me know in the comments how it went!
Pam says
I wonder if these would hold up in the mail. If so, I'll send you my address!! YUM!
Leslie says
I'm calling my realtor...
Sarah says
I used to date a Swede---their family cinnamon bun recipe was amazing, and also had cardamom. I cannot believe this is vegan! Beautiful photo, too.