There is nothing like biting into a big, fluffy cinnamon roll. If you love making cinnamon rolls, I have collected all of my favorite Gluten-Free Cinnamon Roll Recipes for you to try. There is even a savory pizza pinwheel recipe! If you are looking for an easy recipe, with lots of step-by-step photos and directions, check out these delicious recipes!
We are huge cinnamon roll fanatics here in the Fearless Dining house. I make lots of fun flavors, and I have a huge list of future flavored gluten-free cinnamon roll recipes to create. Cinnamon rolls are not only a decadent addition to breakfast or brunch, but they are so fun to eat. I love unwinding and eating the spirals, bit by bit!
Many of my recipes are based on my classic Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls recipe listed below. Do you have a favorite flavor of cinnamon rolls you love to make?
Be sure to use a flour blend that works with yeast!
One of the most important pieces of advice I can share with you when making cinnamon rolls is the importance of using a gluten-free flour blend that works with yeast. Many 1:1 blends like King Arthur Measure for Measure, and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 do not. I wish brands put this information on the back of the flour bag, but they don’t. You have to go to their websites to find the information.
I talk a lot more about which gluten-free flour blends work in yeast recipes in my article, The Best Gluten Free Flour Blends. I list my three favorites below. If you are gum-free, my DIY Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Blend is a winner for both yeast and no-yeast recipes!
Gluten-Free Flour Blends Tested In My Recipes:
1. Authentic Foods Steve’s Gluten Free Bread Blend – By far my favorite. You need more liquids when using this flour blend, so all of my recipes discuss modifying the amount of liquid if you use a different flour blend than I tested. This blend has the best rise!
2. Cup4Cup (Note this blend has dairy.) – Cup4Cup is another blend I love using to make cinnamon rolls. They rise nicely and the dough is easy to work.
3. DIY Gluten Free All Purpose Blend – If you can’t have xanthan or guar gum, this gum-free blend works very well in these cinnamon roll recipes.
4. Reader Tested Blends: One reader used Namaste and said it worked well. I have not personally tested this blend.
Is yeast gluten free?
Most brands of yeast are gluten-free. I primarily use active dry yeast and rapid yeast by Fleishman’s (available in most grocery stores) and Anthony’s Active Dry Yeast (on Amazon.)
🔑 Sandi says: Note that Red Star “Platinum” is not gluten-free!
How do you cut out cinnamon rolls so they stay round?
When making cinnamon rolls, it is important to cut them properly so that you don’t seal the edges and prevent rising. Don’t use a sharp knife to cut out the individual rolls.
Place the log of cinnamon roll dough on a silicone mat. I like this Amazon Basics mat because it is inexpensive and it has held up to a lot of use. I like to use sewing thread to cut my rolls.
As shown in the photo above, I cut a piece of thread. Carefully slide the thread under the roll. Adjust it to the thickness of the cinnamon roll you want. Pull the string edges up and twist them across the roll. This will cause the thread to cut through the main log of cinnamon roll and cut the roll. This is handy because it cuts from all around the dough at once so they keep the round shape.
Why Water Quality Is Important:
I always use purified water when baking with yeast. Chlorine and chemicals in our tap water can kill your yeast and inhibit the rise. If you want the best rise, you must use purified water that doesn’t contain these chemicals.
What is the best way to rise cinnamon rolls?
It is important to rise your cinnamon rolls in a warm spot so the yeast can activate and expand the dough. During the summer, it is often warm enough in the house to rise your dough. During winter months it is too cold. I warm my oven up to 175-200º F. I then turn off my oven. I cover the rolls loosely in plastic wrap, then place the pan in the oven.
It usually takes 45-60 minutes to fully rise to double in size.
🔑 Sandi says: A bonus tip is to line the 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper. This will make clean up much easier!
How to store cinnamon rolls?
Store your gluten-free cinnamon rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This is especially important during the hot summer months because gluten-free baked goods tend to spoil quicker.
I also recommend freezing the cinnamon rolls. Let the rolls fully cool, then cut them out in individual rolls. Place them gently in a zipper-style freezer bag. Squeeze the extra air out and freeze them. I freeze them is one row, and I do not stack them on top of each other.
Gluten-Free Cinnamon Roll Troubleshooting:
There are many reasons for cinnamon rolls to turn out dense. 1. Check the yeast expiration date. Expired yeast doesn’t rise much. 2. Check the flour blend you used works with yeast. (Check the bag and the website!) 3. Did you use purified water? Chlorine and chemicals in tap water can kill your yeast. 4. How did you rise the rolls? Was it warm enough?
If your cinnamon rolls didn’t rise, check all of the reasons above under why are the cinnamon rolls dense section.
If your rolls didn’t rise much, and that means the dough didn’t expand around the filling to hold it in the spirals of dough, or if you used too much butter, the filling can melt out of the rolls.
The Best Gluten Free Cinnamon Roll Recipes:
My Classic Gluten-Free Cinnamon Roll recipe yields big, fluffy cinnamon rolls. Using a flour blend that works with yeast is the key to success. Top these delicious rolls with icing.
These homemade Gluten Free Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls are full of diced apples and cinnamon sugar flavor. They are even better if you use tart apples like Pink Lady or Granny Smith!
This easy Gluten-Free Lemon Rolls recipe is so good. They have a layer of lemon curd swirled into every spiral and they are topped with lemonade icing!
If you haven’t tried Gluten-Free Orange Rolls, they are worth making. They have orange zest and sugar rolled into the dough. They are full of orange flavor!
My husband is a huge Nutella fan. You can use the brand name, or one of the healthier organic hazelnut spread options. Either will make incredible Gluten-Free Nutella Cinnamon Rolls!
I love this flavorful Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls recipe. They are perfect or Christmas morning, or anytime you are craving fresh gingerbread flavors!
I am a firm believer that pumpkin recipes should be enjoyed all year long. That is even more true for this scrumptious Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls recipe. The pumpkin flavor is in the fluffy dough and then it is all swirled with cinnamon and sugar. You can also use pumpkin pie spice!
Another favorite of Mr. Fearless Dining, he is a true peanut butter fanatic! These Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cinnamon Rolls really hit the spot for him!
When fresh cranberries are in season, you must try these delicious Gluten-Free Cranberry Rolls. Fill them with my cranberry sauce recipe or any leftover cranberry sauce you have on hand!
I have a lot of readers who can’t tolerate yeast products. These Gluten-Free, Yeast-Free Cinnamon Rolls are a great alternative to yeasted cinnamon rolls. You can use any gluten free flour blend to make these, and there is no rise time so you can make a batch quickly!
My kids love these Gluten-Free Pizza Pinwheels! I use my popular gluten-free pizza dough recipe to make these and roll them with all of their favorite pizza fillings!
Have a tip?
Do you have a great gluten-free tip or favorite gluten-free flour blend for making gluten-free cinnamon rolls? Please leave a comment. Thank you!
