Gluten Free Cruffins

You are going to fall in love with these decadent Gluten Free Cruffins. They are a delicious pastry hybrid, combining the flaky, buttery layers of a croissant or crescent roll with the shape and sweetness of a muffin. They have a distinctive spiral-like appearance, and I share several yummy flavor combinations to try.

I am so excited about this gluten free cruffins recipe. While I am still working on perfecting a gluten free croissant recipe, this hybrid version is similar to my gluten free crescent rolls recipe. There are lots of buttery layers spiraled with cinnamon and sugar.

I have spent a lot of time reading how to make and shape non-gf cruffins and am sharing my simplified gluten free version. As much as I wish gluten free flour performed like real flour, it just doesn't. The results of my shortcuts were almost the same as making a dough laminate with butter.

I break down the recipe into easy-to-follow steps so you can enjoy them anytime! The way you roll these cruffins is similar to cinnamon rolls. If you are crazy for cinnamon rolls, I have seven incredible gluten free cinnamon roll flavors for you to try!

Why This Recipe Is Great:

1. Cruffins have a flaky, buttery texture similar to croissants or crescent rolls. The layers are buttery and delicious.
2. My shortcuts help you save a ton of time in making this recipe.
3. Cruffins are typically baked in a muffin tin, which gives them their distinctive muffin-like shape with a spiral of layers. This unique appearance makes them visually appealing and interesting to eat.
4. Cruffins can be filled with various sweet or savory fillings, making them incredibly versatile. I share lots of flavor ideas below.
5. These cruffins freeze nicely so that you can enjoy them anytime.

Allergen Information:

These gluten free cruffins are gluten-free, nut-free, egg-free, and soy-free. I have not tested a dairy-free alternative. See the Substitution section for a gum-free version.

Our Pick

Cup4Cup Gluten Free Multipurpose Flour, 3 lbs

This is an awesome gluten-free flour blend for pizza crust, biscuits, and pie crust. It is also great for yeast recipes! Note, this blend does have dry milk powder, so it is not suitable for those who avoid dairy.

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Ingredient Notes:

• Gluten Free Flour Blend - As of now, I have only tested this recipe with Cup4Cup. Not all gluten free flour blends work with yeast! Please read which flour blends work in what types of recipes for more gluten free flour blends that work with yeast.
• Sugar - I use cane sugar.
• Xanthan Gum - Add one teaspoon if your gluten-free flour blend doesn't contain a binder like xanthan or guar gum.
• Salt
• Ground Cinnamon
• Butter - Use unsalted butter
• Milk - I tested this recipe with whole milk. Low-fat milk should also work. I have not tested plant-based milk brands yet.
• Vanilla Extract - Use pure vanilla extract.

Substitutions:

To make this recipe gum-free, use my DIY Gluten Free Flour Blend. I haven't tested it in this specific recipe, but my blend works in many of my other yeast recipes.

Tips For Sucess:

• Freeze the butter overnight. It will grate in a large grater much better and help build flaky layers in the dough.
• Use a gluten free flour blend that works with yeast. Many 1:1 blends, including Bob's Red Mill 1:1, King Arthur Measure for Measure, and Pamela's GF Baking Mix, do NOT work in yeast recipes. See the linked article on gluten free flour blends that work in yeast recipes in the Ingredient Notes section.

Tools For Cruffins:

• Mixing Bowls
• Muffin tin
• Silicone Mat

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Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:

Step 1: Warm milk to 110º F in the microwave. Add one tablespoon of sugar and the active dry yeast. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes until it is frothy. Preheat the oven to 200º F and then turn it off.

Step 2: Add the flour, sugar, and salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk to blend.

Step 3: Use a large cheese grater to grate the frozen butter into the flour mixture. Stir as you go so the flour coats the butter shreds.

Step 4: Pour the yeast mixture into the dry ingredients. Mix carefully.

Step 5: This is what your dough will look like. If you need to add extra flour to work the dough, do this 1 tablespoon at a time. Every gluten free flour blend has a different grain-to-starch ratio, which means you may need more or less flour to get a workable dough.

Step 6: Dust a silicone mat with flour. Remove the dough from the bowl onto the mat. Dust the top of the dough with flour if needed.

🔑 Sandi says: You only get one good rise with gluten free dough, so it is important to shape the gluten free cruffins before rising!

Step 7: Use a rolling pin to roll the dough to a rectangular shape with ¼ inch thickness. Mix the sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl.

Step 8: Use a pastry brush to spread melted butter over the dough. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon mixture over the butter. Use a knife to cut the dough into strips.

Step 9: Roll each strip of dough carefully so the sugar mixture doesn't spill out. Place in a greased muffin pan. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and put it in the warm oven to rise for 45 minutes.

Step 10: Remove the cruffins from the oven and remove the plastic. Preheat the oven to 375º F. Your cruffins should be double in size.

Step 11: Brush melted butter over the tops of the cruffins. This will help them get golden and slightly crisp on the outside.

Step 12: Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack.

Step 13: Roll the cruffin in a bowl of cinnamon sugar while it is still warm. If you want more sugar to stick, you can brush the cruffin with melted butter first. I find when the cruffin is warm; the sugar sticks easily.

Flavor Variations:

• Orange - To make orange-flavored cruffins, use ¾ cup of milk, ¼ cup of orange juice, and add 2 tablespoon orange zest to the sugar that is spread over the flat dough. It is a variation on these Gluten Free Orange Rolls.
• Nutella - Instead of sugar in the spiral, spread Nutella over the flat dough.
• Pumpkin Spice - Add 2 tsp. of pumpkin spice to the sugar mix you spread over the flat dough.
• Cinnamon Apple - Add finely diced apples (peeled) on top of the sugar and cinnamon that is spread over the dough. It is a variation of my Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Rolls.

How To Store Gluten Free Cruffins:

Store your gluten free cruffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Gluten free tends to spoil quickly, so freeze any cruffins you don't finish in the next 3 days. I freeze them in a freezer-safe zip-style bag.

Recipe FAQ:

More Gluten Free Yeasted Recipes:

• Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread
• Fluffy Gluten Free Brioche
• Easy Gluten Free Bread Machine Bread
• Gluten Free Garlic Knots

📖 Recipe

Easy Gluten Free Cruffins

Sandi Gaertner

A buttery, flaky, gluten free version of popular cruffins. It is a cross between a croissant, crescent roll, and muffin!

4.60 from 10 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Rise Time 42 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 27 minutes mins

Course Gluten Free Bread Recipe

Cuisine American

Servings 10 cruffins

Calories 331 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Yeast Mix

• ▢ 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast Or one packet. See note.
• ▢ 1 tablespoon sugar
• ▢ 1 cup milk * See notes

Rolls

• ▢ 3 cups gluten free flour blend * See note!
• ▢ ½ cup sugar
• ▢ 6 tablespoons unsalted butter frozen
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Cinnamon Sugar layer

• ▢ ½ cup cane sugar * See note.
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ▢ 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

Sugar Mix for Rolling Baked Cruffis In

• ▢ ¼ cup sugar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

 

Yeast Mixture

• Warm milk to 110º F in the microwave. Add one tablespoon of sugar and the active dry yeast. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes until it is frothy. Preheat the oven to 200º F and then turn it off.

Cruffins

• Add the flour, sugar, and salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk to blend.
• Use a large cheese grater to grate the frozen butter into the flour mixture. Stir as you go so the flour coats the butter shreds.
• Pour the yeast mixture and vanilla extract into the dry ingredients. Mix carefully.
• If you need to add extra flour to work the dough, do this 1 tablespoon at a time. Every gluten free flour blend has a different grain-to-starch ratio, which means you may need more or less flour to get a workable dough.
• Dust a silicone mat with flour. Remove the dough from the bowl onto the mat. Dust the top of the dough with flour if needed.
• NOTE: You only get one good rise with gluten free dough, so it is important to shape the gluten free cruffins before rising!
• Use a rolling pin to roll the dough to a rectangular shape with ¼ inch thickness. Melt the butter in one bowl for 20 seconds in the microwave. Mix the sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl.
• Use a pastry brush to spread melted butter over the dough. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon mixture over the butter. Use a knife to cut the dough into strips.
• Roll each strip of dough carefully so the sugar mixture doesn't spill out. Place in a greased muffin pan. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and put it in the warm oven to rise for 45 minutes.
• Remove the cruffins from the oven and remove the plastic. Preheat the oven to 375º F. Your cruffins should be double in size.
• Brush melted butter over the tops of the cruffins. This will help them get golden and slightly crisp on the outside.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack.
• Roll the cruffin in a bowl of cinnamon sugar while it is still warm. If you want more sugar to stick, you can brush the cruffin with melted butter first. I find when the cruffin is warm; the sugar sticks easily.

Notes

1. I have only tested this recipe with Cup4Cup so far. Other blends should work, BUT it is critical to use a blend that works with yeast. Many 1:1 blends don't, so you need to check the back of the 1:1 bag and the website to ensure it is an okay flour. I talk more about this in my article about gluten free flour blends.
2. Note: every gluten free flour blend has a different grain-to-starch ratio. You may need to add more flour, milk, etc., to make the dough workable. This is normal, so be prepared to adjust your amounts if needed.
3. Add one teaspoon if your blend doesn't contain xanthan or guar gum.
4. Yeast - I used Fleischman's Active Dry Yeast. Double-check that the brand you use is gluten free. Red Star "Platinum" is NOT gluten free!
5. I have not tested this recipe with any dairy-free ingredients. If you try this, please leave a comment or message me and let me know how it worked out.
6. You can also use brown sugar in the "swirl" instead of sugar if you prefer.
7. Store leftover gluten free cruffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep fresh for up to 3 days. Freeze room-temperature cruffins in a freezer bag.

Flavor Variations:

• Orange - To make orange-flavored cruffins, use ¾ cup of milk, ¼ cup of orange juice, and add 2 tablespoon orange zest to the sugar that is spread over the flat dough. It is a variation on these Gluten Free Orange Rolls.
• Nutella - Instead of sugar in the spiral, spread Nutella over the flat dough.
• Pumpkin Spice - Add 2 tsp. of pumpkin spice to the sugar mix you spread over the flat dough.
• Cinnamon Apple - Add finely diced apples (peeled) on top of the sugar and cinnamon that is spread over the dough. It is a variation of my Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Rolls.

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

Serving: 1cruffinCalories: 331kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 5gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 11mgPotassium: 50mgFiber: 4gSugar: 29gVitamin A: 356IUVitamin C: 0.02mgCalcium: 63mgIron: 1mg

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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.