These Gluten-Free Cranberry Rolls are a delectable twist on the classic cinnamon roll, with a soft and fluffy dough infused with a fresh cranberry filling. What sets them apart is the burst of tartness from cranberry sauce nestled within each spiral. With a sweet glaze drizzled over the top, these rolls have the perfect balance of sweetness and tang.
I have been having a lot of fun creating recipes for different flavors of cinnamon rolls. If you love gluten free cinnamon rolls, here are all the recipes for the fun flavors I have made.
These decadent gluten free cranberry rolls make a great breakfast throughout the holiday season. These rolls are full of Thanksgiving holiday flavor. Cranberries are such a tradition for Thanksgiving, so why not incorporate them into breakfast, too?
You can make my cranberry filling recipe or use leftover cranberry sauce to make this easy gluten free cranberry cinnamon rolls recipe.
Allergen Information:
This recipe is gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free. See the Substitutions section below for a dairy-free and gum-free version.
Check out ALL of my yeast recipes using Authentic Foods Steve’s Gluten Free Bread Blend.
Substitutions:
- To make these rolls dairy-free, use plant-based butter and non-dairy milk.
- To make these rolls gum-free, use my DIY Gluten Free Flour Blend.
- If you are yeast-intolerant, you can use the cranberry filling in my Gluten-Free Yeast-Free Cinnamon Roll dough.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten Free Flour Blend – I used Authentic Foods Steve’s Gluten Free Flour Blend to make this recipe. It is the best for fluffy cinnamon rolls and bread. My second favorite is Cup4Cup, but please note you will need to use more of this flour blend. Every blend is different, depending on the starch-to-grain ratio. This greatly affects the moisture level of the dough.
- Xanthan Gum – Add one teaspoon if your flour blend doesn’t contain a binder like xanthan gum or guar gum. To make this recipe gum-free, see the Substitutions section below.
- Yeast – I use active dry yeast. Note: Red Star “Platinum” is not gluten free.
- Sugar – Use cane sugar. Ground cinnamon is optional.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter. See the Substitutions section below for a dairy-free option.
- Eggs – Use size large.
- Fresh Cranberries and Orange
- Powdered Sugar for the icing.
Tips For Success
1. You only get one good rise with gluten free dough, so I recommend shaping the rolls before you rise the dough.
2. Preheat your oven to 200º F, then turn off the oven. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and place them in the oven to rise.
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions:
Add the yeast and one table of sugar to the water. The water should be no hotter than 110º F. Let it sit and bubble while you cook the cranberry mixture. Add the eggs and whisk.
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Step 1: Add the fresh cranberries, sugar, orange zest, and juice to a pot. Cook on medium-low heat and stir frequently. You will hear popping as the cranberries cook. I use my spoon to gently crush the cranberries against the pot’s side as they cook.
Turn off the stove and allow the cranberry mixture to cool.
Step 2: Add the flour, salt, and sugar to a large
Step 3: Pour the yeast mixture into the flour mixture.
Step 4: Mix into a dough. You can also do this in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.
Step 5: Dust a little flour on a silicone mat. Place the dough onto a silicone mat. Roll to 1/4 inch thickness with a rolling pin.
🔑 Sandi says: Note: you can make your dough as thick or thin as you like. Roll the dough into a large rectangular shape.
If you use Authentic Foods flour blend, the dough should be easy to roll, and it should not be very sticky. If you used another flour blend, you may need to add more flour to make it workable. Every flour blend is so different you will need to adjust accordingly.
Step 6: Spread the cranberry mixture over the dough. Please don’t make the cranberry layer too thick; it will squeeze out as you roll it. Do it now if you want to sprinkle some cinnamon over the cranberries.
Step 7: Now, it is time for the messy part. Carefully roll the dough in a long direction to make a big roll. Some cranberry sauce will come out; that is okay.
Step 8: I don’t recommend using a knife to slice your cinnamon rolls. It tends to flatten the rolls and squish the filling out more. To cut your cinnamon rolls so they stay circular, you need to cut them from the outside all the way around the rolls.
To cut the perfect cinnamon rolls, grab a piece of sewing thread or very thin thread. Slide a long piece of string under the roll as shown. Cross the ends of the string across each other and pull. This will evenly cut your rolls out. Place the rolls into a parchment paper-lined 9×13 pan.
Preheat the oven to 200º F. Turn off the oven.
Step 9: This photo shows the rolls before the rise. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and put them in the warm oven to rise for 45 minutes.
Step 10: Your rolls will look like this after the rise. They will double in size.
Step 11: Bake the rolls at 350º F for 25-30 minutes. The actual baking time may vary depending on how thick your rolls are. Remove the rolls when they are finished baking to a cooling rack.
When they are done baking, you can see all of the cranberries and yumminess in each swirl of the roll. You may also love these Gluten Free Nutella Cinnamon Rolls! I put all of my delicious gluten-free cinnamon roll recipes together so you can try them all!
Step 12: Add the powdered sugar and orange juice to a bowl. Add optional zest. Mix into icing. Drizzle it over the cooled rolls.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Canned cranberry sauce is very gelatinous and will not spread well on the dough. It also doesn’t have the fresh cranberry chunks, which add to the flavor.
Every gluten free flour blend has a different starch-to-grain ratio, and you must adjust your wet and dry ingredients accordingly. If your dough is sticky and hard to work with, it needs more flour.
Store these rolls in an airtight container in your refrigerator. They will last for up to 3 days. I like to freeze my rolls in a freezer-safe zipper bag. They thaw on the counter or in the microwave oven.
More Tasty Gluten Free Cinnamon Roll Recipes:
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls – Flavorful pumpkin dough with cinnamon brown sugar spiraled into every bite.
- Gluten Free Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls – They taste like Christmas!
- Gluten Free Orange Rolls – Full of orange flavor!
- Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cinnamon Rolls – Mr. Fearless Dining’s favorite. If you love peanut butter, this is the recipe for you!
- Gluten Free Lemon Rolls – Full of sweet, tart lemon curd in every bite.
- Gluten Free Apple Cider Cinnamon Rolls – Bite-sized bits of apples are baked into every swirl!
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Please include which flour blend you used. This helps others know that this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Homemade Gluten Free Cranberry Rolls
Ingredients
Yeast Mixture:
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast Or one packet.
- 1 tablespoon sugar or honey
- 1 cup water No warmer than 110º F.
Dough:
- 2 ½ cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Cranberry Mixture:
- 16 ounces fresh cranberries
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup orange juice
Glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
Instructions
Make the Cranberry Filling:
- Add the cranberries, orange juice, zest, and sugar to a saucepan. Cook on medium-low heat. The cranberries will pop as they cook. I use a rubber spatula to press the cranberries to the side of the pot as they cook. This will mash them to make the sauce thicker.
- Cook the cranberries for 15 minutes until it is thickened. Remove from the heat so it can cool.
Make the Dough:
- Pour the yeast and sugar into the warm water. Let it sit until it gets foamy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the flour, sugar, and salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk to blend.
- Melt the butter until it is warm. Add the melted butter and eggs to the foamy yeast mixture. Whisk it.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Note: You can also mix this dough in a stand mixer if you prefer.
- Mix the ingredients into the dough. If you use a different flour blend, you may need to add more flour. Cup4Cup, you will need a lot more flour because it is starchier than Steve's GF Bread Blend. If your dough is sticky and hard to work, you need more flour.
Assembly:
- Dust a little flour on a silicone mat. Place the dough onto a silicone mat. Roll to 1/4 inch thickness with a rolling pin.Â
- If you use Authentic Foods flour blend, the dough should be easy to roll, and it should not be very sticky. If you used another flour blend, you may need to add more flour to make it workable. Every flour blend is so different you will need to adjust accordingly.
- Spread the cranberry mixture over the dough. Please don't make the cranberry layer too thick; it will squeeze out as you roll it. Do it now if you want to sprinkle some cinnamon over the cranberries.
- Now, it is time for the messy part. Carefully roll the dough in a long direction to make a big roll. Some cranberry sauce will come out; that is okay.
- I don't recommend using a knife to slice your cinnamon rolls. It tends to flatten the rolls and squish the filling out more. To cut your cinnamon rolls so they stay circular, you need to cut them from the outside all the way around the rolls.
- To cut the perfect cinnamon rolls, grab a piece of sewing thread or very thin thread. Slide a long piece of string under the roll as shown. Cross the ends of the string across each other and pull. This will evenly cut your rolls out. Place the rolls into a parchment paper-lined 9×13 pan.
- Preheat the oven to 200º F. Turn off the oven.
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap and put them in the warm oven to rise for 45 minutes.
- Bake the rolls at 350º F for 25-30 minutes. The actual baking time may vary depending on how thick your rolls are. Remove the rolls when they are finished baking to a cooling rack.
Glaze:
- Add the powdered sugar and orange juice to a bowl. Add optional zest. Mix into icing. Drizzle it over the cooled rolls.
Notes
- I used Authentic Foods Steve’s Gluten Free Flour Blend to make this recipe. It is the best for fluffy cinnamon rolls and bread. My second favorite is Cup4Cup, but please note you will need to use more of this flour blend. Every blend is different, depending on the starch-to-grain ratio. This greatly affects the moisture level of the dough.
- Xanthan Gum – Add one teaspoon if your flour blend doesn’t contain a binder like xanthan gum or guar gum.
- Yeast – I use active dry yeast. Note: Red Star “Platinum” is not gluten free.
- You only get one good rise with gluten free dough, so I recommend shaping the rolls before you rise the dough.
- To make these rolls dairy-free, use plant-based butter and non-dairy milk.
- To make these rolls gum-free, use my DIY Gluten Free Flour Blend.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Freeze the cooled rolls in a freezer-safe zip bag. They thaw nicely in the microwave.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
