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.
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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
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
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
Nutrition
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.
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Sheryl
Fabulous flavour! And easy to make. Really! Remember that they are biscuit style and not yeast dough so the texture is different.
Cinde Little
I'm glad the recipe turned out for you Sheryl! I always thought Cinnamon Rolls were yeast free and Cinnamon Buns were yeasted but I see these names are used interchangeably. My mom always made the biscuit style Cinnamon Rolls so I learned to make them gluten free and also make savoury variations of this recipe. I think it's time to post my recipe for yeasted Cinnamon Buns too so I'll add that to my list. Happy Baking!