Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

Enjoy warm gluten free Cinnamon Rolls just out of the oven. This is a basic biscuit dough recipe that doesn't require yeast. The dough comes together easily and can be used to make many other biscuit recipes. Once you've made this dough a few times you'll be confident enough to try all the variations you can think of.

The first gluten free biscuit recipe I made, buttermilk biscuits, uses individual flours and xanthan gum. Over time I experimented with other recipes and began to try my EGFG flour blend in everything I baked. The original biscuit recipe is as delicious as this one, but it's too soft and sticky to make into cinnamon rolls.

In my online cooking classes we often do a head-to-head comparison of two recipes. If you've got two people cooking this the best way to actually compare all aspects of a recipe and find you absolute favourites.

Ingredients

Binders, also called gums, play an important role is creating structure in baked goods when there is no gluten. Psyllium husk powder, the binder in this recipe, is readily available at health food stores and isn't expensive. It works well in yeast breads and plays an important roll in this biscuit dough.

• EGFG gluten free flour blend (sweet rice flour, potato starch, sorghum flour, millet flour)
• sugar
• baking powder & baking soda
• psyllium husk powder
• butter
• plain yogurt (I use 6% Greek yogurt)
• egg
• cooking oil
• lemon juice
• brown sugar
• cinnamon

See recipe card for exact amounts.

To learn more about binders check out this post, How To Use Binders in Gluten Free Baking.

Variations

This biscuit dough can be made as plain or savoury biscuits like these cheese biscuits. It could also be used as the top for pot pie or turned into a dessert like strawberry shortcake. I have also made some alterations to make a biscuit pizza because you can never have too many variations for one dough recipe.

Once you're making variations you'll want to try different shapes and sizes. Using different size scoops makes for even cooking of round biscuits. The quickest and easiest way is to shape the dough into a circle and cut it in wedges.

Best Gluten Free Flour for Dusting Dough

When you work with dough, for cinnamon rolls or sugar cookies, you need a bit of flour for dusting. I use sweet rice flour but tapioca starch is another option. Using a flour blend can be more expensive but if you want to use it just make sure it doesn't have a binder, like xanthan gum in it.

Equipment

My mom always baked her cinnamon rolls in a metal 9-inch by 13-inch pan with a lid that slides over the top. Although I love that pan I’ve had better luck baking this recipe in a smaller 8-inch square pan. In the smaller pan they don't spread out and are nice and soft.

These biscuits can be made by patting the dough with your hands but I prefer to use a rolling pin. In my cooking classes students often say they like the weight of my heavy marble rolling pin but any kind will do just fine.

A Baking Challenge

Over the years my mom has made and so have I. Now

My son and I, just like my mom, have made countless pans of cinnamon rolls. If you like this recipe keep making it until you have perfected everything about it. Challenge yourself to make it three times in a month and I guarantee it will suddenly become an easy recipe.

Top Tip

Keep a small jar of sprinkling flour in with your baking supplies. My cupboard once had baking powder, baking soda, vanilla and cornstarch. It now has all of those plus psyllium husk powder, xanthan gum and a jar of sweet rice flour.

Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

These biscuit style Cinnamon Rolls are soft, sweet and delicious. They can be frozen raw and cooked all at once or just cook as many as you want so you can enjoy them warm from the oven every time.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Baking

Cuisine: Canadian

Keyword: gluten free cinnamon rolls

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Resting time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 9 rolls

Calories: 367kcal

Author: Cinde Little

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 cups EGFG gluten free flour blend* (265 g)
• ▢ 2 tablespoon sugar
• ▢ 4 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1½ teaspoon psyllium husk powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 3 tablespoon butter chilled and cubed
• ▢ ¾ cup plain yogurt (I use 6% Greek yogurt)
• ▢ 1 egg lightly beaten
• ▢ 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ▢ 2 teaspoon lemon juice

CINNAMON FILLING

• ▢ ½ cup butter room temperature
• ▢ 1 cup brown sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cinnamon

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Instructions

CINNAMON FILLING

• Beat ingredients in stand mixer until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Set aside.

DRY INGREDIENTS

• In a large bowl whisk together flour mix, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, psyllium husk powder and salt.
• Using your fingers rub the butter into the flour mixture until only small pieces of butter remain. Set aside.

WET INGREDIENTS

• In another bowl whisk yogurt, egg, oil and lemon juice. Stir into flour until well combined.
• Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

ROLL AND SHAPE CINNAMON ROLLS

• Preheat oven to 450°F. Line 8-inch square baking pan** with parchment paper.
• Using a spatula, transfer dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Cover with another piece of plastic wrap and using your hands gently press the dough into a rectangle approximately 8-inches by 12-inches. Lift plastic and sprinkle with a bit of flour if dough is too sticky. Press plastic back on the dough, flip the dough using a flexible cutting mat or placemat.
• Remove top plastic, sprinkle with flour if needed. Drop cinnamon filling over biscuit dough and carefully spread right to the edges.
• Using bottom piece of plastic gently roll dough lengthwise, pushing the dough and peeling away the plastic as you create a log.
• Refrigerate at any point if dough is warm and difficult to work with. (Can be prepared to this point in advance and kept overnight in the fridge or frozen.)
• Cut log into 1½-inch thick cinnamon rolls and place cut side up in an 8-inch square baking pan. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.
• Cool slightly on wire racks then use parchment to lift out of pan and place back on the rack to cook completely.***

Notes

*EGFG flour blend: 300g sweet rice flour, 300g potato starch, 200g sorghum flour, 200g millet flour (makes ~8 cups)

**Baking Pan: In an 8-inch square baking pan the rolls are close together which makes the sides nice and soft. If baked in a 9 x 13-inch pan they will spread more making them slightly flatter and bake in slightly less time.

***Cooling: Gluten free baking typically tastes gummy and under done if not allowed to cool properly. Learn to taste baked goods 10-15 minutes after cooling and decide the right time for you. They can still be enjoyed warm!

If frozen let rest at room temperature 60-90 minutes then bake as directed.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

Amount Per Serving (1 roll)

Calories 367 Calories from Fat 171

% Daily Value*

Fat 19g29%

Saturated Fat 10g63%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 3g

Monounsaturated Fat 5g

Cholesterol 58mg19%

Sodium 482mg21%

Potassium 80mg2%

Carbohydrates 49g16%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 28g31%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 481IU10%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 183mg18%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Let me know in the comments below how your cinnamon rolls turned out. If you're adventurous and made some tweaks let me know how it went.