Best Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 25

Time to Rise:: 2

Total Time: 2 55

Servings:

Calories: 416kcal

Author: Megan Gilmore

These Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls are the best you'll ever make. (Seriously!) If you've been disappointed with other gluten-free recipes, you will love these.

Print Recipe Add to Collection

US Customary - Metric

Equipment

Ingredients

Cinnamon Roll Dough

1 cup very warm water
1 (¼ oz) packet active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons whole psyllium husk (see notes)
3 ½ cups Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 large egg (at room temperature)
½ cup melted butter

Filling

2 tablespoons melted butter
½ cup brown sugar
2 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

Caramelized Bottom of the Pan (Optional)

3 tablespoons melted butter
3 tablespoons sugar

Frosting

2 tablespoons melted butter
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons water

Instructions

Add 1 cup of very warm water to a medium bowl, and sprinkle in the 1 teaspoon of sugar, and the packet of yeast. Set it aside to proof, about 5 minutes. A foam should develop on top, which will let you know that the yeast is good. (If no foam develops on top after 5 to 10 minutes, you might want to try a different batch.)
In another separate bowl, combine the 3 tablespoons of psyllium husk with an additional ¾ cup of very hot water. Stir well, and set it aside. (The husk will thicken up significantly, forming a thick gel.)
In a large mixing bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk well to mix the dry ingredients, then add in the egg, melted butter, and the yeast mixture, after the foam has developed on top. Add in the psyllium husk gel, and mix well, until the dough looks thick and relatively uniform.
Place the bowl of dough in a warm place (like in an oven on a "proof" setting, or on a low-heat heating pad) to rise for 1 hour. The dough will not double in size, but it should expand.
When the dough is finished rising, knead it in the bowl for 2 minutes. The underside of the dough will feel slightly sticky, so don't be surprised if it sticks to your fingers a bit. (Don't add more flour, though. You should be able to wipe the dough off the tips of your fingers and drop it back into the bowl.)
Place a large piece of parchment paper on the counter, and set the dough in the center. Cover the dough with another large piece of parchment paper, so it won't stick to your rolling pin, then roll it out into a large rectangle, about 11 by 16 inches in size. (Roughly ⅛-inch thick.)
Add the filling to the rectangle, leaving about a ½-inch at the top untouched, so it will be easy to seal the roll later. Spread on the melted butter first, then sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over that. Use the parchment paper under the dough to help roll it up into a long log, starting with the bottom (longest side) of the rectangle and moving your way up to the top. The parchment paper will prevent the dough from breaking as you roll. Once you reach the top, pinch the roll closed at the seam. Cut the log into 10 equal pieces.
Prepare a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish by spraying it with oil. Optional: Create a caramelized bottom by spreading 3 tablespoons of melted butter into the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of sugar over the butter, then arrange the cinnamon rolls on top of the sugar, in a single layer in the pan. The butter and sugar on the bottom will caramelize as the cinnamon rolls bake, creating a delicious bottom side to the rolls. Place the pan back in a warm spot to rise for 1 more hour. The cinnamon rolls should grow in size, but not necessarily double.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF for at least 20 minutes in advance, so the oven comes to the proper temperature. When the cinnamon rolls are done with the second rise, place them in the preheated oven to bake for 25 minutes. Gluten-free rolls don't brown the same way gluten flour does, so they won't be golden brown, but they should feel dry to the touch and spread to fill the pan. Remove them from the oven and let them cool for at least 10 minutes while you mix the frosting together.
To prepare the frosting, combine the melted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and water. Stir well, until the frosting looks smooth. You can add an additional teaspoon of water, if needed, to thin out the texture. Spread the frosting over the warm cinnamon rolls, then they are ready to serve. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

• Nutrition information is for 1 of 10 large cinnamon rolls. Feel free to cut the log into several more smaller rolls, if you'd like them to be lower in calories.

• You can find whole psyllium husk in the supplement section at most grocery stores, or you can order it online or find it at a vitamin or health food store. Be sure to look for the word "whole" when purchasing this, as it also comes in a powdered form that is more concentrated. It should look similar to ground flax seed, only lighter in color.

• I used white and brown sugar in this recipe to make them more like the traditional version we make for Christmas morning. If you prefer to use natural sweeteners all year round, feel free to swap them for coconut sugar. (You can even make "powdered" coconut sugar by blitzing it in a high-speed blender!)

• For dairy-free cinnamon rolls: Swap the melted butter for melted coconut oil. I highly recommend using refined, or expeller pressed, coconut oil, so it won't add a coconut flavor to your cinnamon buns.

• For vegan cinnamon rolls: Make the dairy-free swap above, and replace the egg with 1 more tablespoon of psyllium husk + 1/4 cup of warm water as an egg substitute. Look for granulated sugar that is labeled organic, to make sure it is vegan friendly.

• The caramelized base and frosting are inspired by Paula Deen. My family has made her original gluten-filled recipe for years! Also, a big shout out to The Loopy Whisk, who has an awesome post on using pysllium husk in gluten-free baking. I was about to give up on having delicious GF cinnamon rolls before I thought to add in psyllium husk!

Nutrition