Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls {1 Hour}

Published April 8, 2014. Updated March 9, 2020

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.

It’s official, I am pretty sure I hate taking pictures of cinnamon rolls more than anything. They just aren’t very photogenic for me… but on the other hand I like to eat them almost more than anything :).

Since the gluten-free diet I’ve been on will soon be over, I decided I better get another one of  the baking basics posted in a gluten-free version (I also have gluten-free peanut butter cookies, chocolate chip cookies, banana muffins, and flourless chocolate cookies posted and a number of other naturally gluten-free baked goods like macaroons and macarons).

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls | Cooking Classy

While I have many different gluten-free flours on hand I’m starting to think the white rice, potato starch and tapioca flour is my favorite blend (it’s seems to be the one that is closest to all-purpose white flour) so that’s the one I’m using again in this recipe (I’m pretty new at this gluten-free baking thing, so I could be wrong on what is the closest).

This batch was my second of the day, the first was also good but it needed some tweaking because #1, the dough was so fragile after rising that half of them began to fall apart when cutting into rolls, and #2, well that was about it :).

These cinnamon rolls taste just like the classic gluten-laden cinnamon rolls they just have a slightly different texture than the traditional.

If you’ve ever made the (gluten version) 1 hour cinnamon rolls then these will remind you quite a bit of those. I seriously couldn’t resist these!

I took them out of the oven and starting eating them without frosting – they were just that good. Of course they only got better with frosting.

Each bite just melted away in my mouth. The real test was my husband and kids. They passed with flying colors with my kids and my husband said after one bite “wow! Those are gluten free? Those are one of the best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had!” Success.

Not the fanciest looking cinnamon rolls, but looks don’t matter here. These are amazing!

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls | Cooking Classy

16 Quick & Easy 30 Minute Recipes! (plus weekly recipe updates)

5 from 2 votes

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon rolls without gluten that are perfectly delicious and ready in 1 hour. 
Servings: 12
Prep30 minutes
Cook25 minutes
Ready in: 1 hour

Ingredients

Filling

Cream Cheese Icing

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, whisk together yeast, 1/2 tsp of the granulated sugar (from the 1/2 cup) and the water. Let rest 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whisk together rice flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt for 30 seconds, set aside.
  • To the proofed yeast mixture, add warm milk, the remainder of the 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup butter, the canola oil and eggs and blend mixture with paddle attachment to combine (mixture will be slightly lumpy but will smooth when dry ing. are added).
  • With mixer set on low speed, slowly add in dry ingredients. Once dry ingredients have been incorporated, increase mixer speed to medium-low and mix 2 minutes.
  • Spread two long sheets of plastic wrap onto countertop one slightly overlapping the other.* Dust plastic wrap lightly with rice flour then drop dough mixture onto plastic wrap. Sprinkle top of dough lightly with rice flour then spread two more long sheets of plastic wrap over dough, then roll dough out into a 16 by 13-inch rectangle.
  • For the filling: spread 6 Tbsp partially melted butter over dough, then in a bowl, whisk together brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon and 1/8 tsp salt and sprinkle evenly over melted butter (leaving a small rim uncovered along all edges).
  • Starting on the 16-inch side, roll dough snuggly to opposite side using plastic wrap to lift and roll the dough, and tucking as needed. Press end seam together with fingertips. Cut dough into 12 equal portions (don't saw back and forth with knife, just do one cut downward).
  • Carefully lift rolls to prepared baking dish, aligning them side by side.** Bake in preheated oven 22 - 25 minutes. Cool slightly then frost with cream cheese icing.
  • For the icing: In the bowl of an electric stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), whip together cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, sour cream and vanilla and whip until fluffy, about 2 minutes longer.
  • Best served day prepared. Store in an airtight container and re-warm individually in microwave 10 - 20 seconds (as they are best served warm).

Notes

  • *You will be using it to roll the dough up since it is sticky and rather fragile. You'll need the plastic wrap it to be wide enough so you'll likely have to use two sheets unless you have really wide plastic wrap because it needs to be at least 15 inches wide - for the 13-inch side since you need to leave at least a 1-inch rim on edges for rolling.
  • **You'll have a little extra space on one end which is fine, you can either tuck a rolled up piece of greased foil there or just leave it and the rolls on that end will spread a little more.
  • If on a gluten-free diet, be sure to check all of the packaging labels on ingredients to make sure they are gluten-free.
Nutrition Facts
Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls
Amount Per Serving
Calories 501 Calories from Fat 189
% Daily Value*
Fat 21g32%
Saturated Fat 11g69%
Cholesterol 76mg25%
Sodium 365mg16%
Potassium 311mg9%
Carbohydrates 75g25%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 38g42%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 619IU12%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 103mg10%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.

Categorized:

Leave a Comment

Rate this recipe




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

55 Comments

  • Marge

    Bob’s Red Mill has whole sections for gluten free baking. They sell all sorts of flours/grains that are certified gluten free. I trust their products. I live not far from them and pass their “mills” on my way to their retail store. They have a totally separate mill for gluten free. I really love their muffin mix. So so easy to make the muffins, just add oil and eggs (& maybe a couple other items). On the package is ideas for making blueberry, lemon etc additions. I am not celiac (that I know of), but do experience some issues. I am prediabetic and a lot of what I’ve read, doing gluten free is helpful.

  • Ursula

    Why did you go on a ‘Gluten Free Diet’, for only a ‘few weeks’?

    A lot of us on ‘gluten free diets’, are on it, because we HAVE to, not because we WANT to, (unless you want to include the range of stomach & intestinal pain and discomfort, that most of us on Gluten Free diets, have). I’ve been cooking since I was 5 years old, (not an exaggeration, I’m 63 now) so I’m pretty good at it. I, am/was also a nurse. About 11 years ago, I went back out to Monterey Calif, to help my sister, with some medical issues she was having and the Dietary issues that went with it, so I was perfect for the job.
    I watched her stomach inflate, one morning, after she drank an instant breakfast, (Malted Chocolate packet), like someone stuck a bicycle pump into her abdominal area, and pumped it up like a balloon. I’d been watching everything she ate, couldn’t figure out where she had stashed that ‘instant breakfast’ pack I found in the trash, Anyway…
    I had been cooking all her regular meals, no problems, then she asked me if I could find her a bread, her comfort food, that she could eat. I started hunting. Everything on the market, was either, harder than a rock or tasted like sawdust, or both. Pancakes and waffles, I came up with a recipe for, pretty easy. Bread….That was a different matter, altogether. After trying every recipe I could find, and all the ‘pre-mades’, which is where all the rocks and sawdust came from, I’m not kidding, you could build a house with some of those, “loaves of bread”, you’d NEVER have to fight off termites or other bugs, ever again. I found 1 mix, at Safeway, one night. Developed by a professional chef, who’s son who needed a Gluten free diet. I thought, ok, last chance….. I made it the next morning, toasted a piece, and brought it to her. She actually cried. It was really good.. cold sandwiches, grilled cheese pizza style, and French Toast, were back on the menu.
    Several years later, I’m back home, and am back cooking for just my family, and I start having issues with gluten. So figured, no problem, I’ll just get another box of that good GF Bread mix…It’s Not on the market anymore, I found out that her recipe had been bought out by “Glutino’s” and they had changed the recipe. It’s not ‘BAD’ but it’s not ‘Really Good’ either..
    So, I’ve been looking for another recipe, most I’ve found, thus far, have none to really bad flavor, poor consistency, just not worth the time or energy to even try… So back to my question:
    Why, Gluten Free for a few weeks?

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      An undiagnosed disease and the doctor wanted to see if it was possibly Celiac disease. Not that but still no luck.

  • Maria Henderson

    My husband grew up with homemade cinnamon rolls for special mornings. I had not impressed him with my attempts until I found your recipe. I have added all the flour blend weights together and substituted Cup4Cup in that amount. These cinnamon rolls are now a FAVORITE. I must eat gluten free but he doesn’t care. My neighbors are now hoping for a delivery on Christmas morning IF there are leftovers.
    My question is can I make these the night before and put them in the oven in the morning? Has anyone tried that?

    • Maria Henderson

      I read my comment and it sounds as if my husband doesn’t care that I must eat GF.. What I meant to say is that he doesn’t even know or mind that the rolls are GF. (sorry babe) :-)

    • Audrey

      Do you pop these directly in the oven to bake or do you give them some rise time, not mentioned in the directions?