In holiday baking, few treats rival the flavor of a traditional German stollen cake. For those who are gluten free, missing out on a family traditional recipe might seem disheartening. I am excited to share this new gluten-free stollen cake recipe; it is as good as its gluten-laden counterpart.
Stollen originates from Germany, and it is a sweet, somewhat dense bread-like fruit and nut cake that is a Christmas staple. It is traditionally topped with powdered sugar and has a delightful mixture of nuts, rum-soaked fruits, and spices baked into it. Stollen is made with a mix of warm spices, including cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom, bringing the unmistakable aroma of the holiday season to your gluten-free Stollen.
Since many of our family members are from Eastern Europe, we have loved to eat Stollen before going gluten free. We have missed it immensely, so I decided it was time to make a gluten free version of Stollen for our family. After just a few tries, I have perfected the recipe.
This cake has all of the same traditional flavors as a regular stollen. This cake will bring back great memories if you or your family are from Germany or Eastern Europe. Dried fruits and roasted nuts can vary the flavor, giving you fun flavor options. You can also soak the fruit in rum (traditional) or orange juice.
If you love to bake for the holidays, check out my incredible Gluten-Free Christmas recipes. You may also enjoy this Gluten Free Panettone Bread.
You may also enjoy this homemade Gluten Free Babka, with chocolate swirled into the bread. After baking this yummy bread, store it the right way! Learn How to Store Gluten Free Bread so you can keep it fresh.
Allergen Information:
This recipe is gluten-free, soy-free and has both dairy-free and gum-free options. To make this recipe dairy-free, use plant-based butter. To make this recipe gum-free, use my DIY Gluten Free Flour Blend, which uses psyllium husk instead of xanthan or guar gum.
Check out ALL of my bread recipes using Authentic Foods Steve’s Gluten Free Bread Blend.
This Authentic Foods Steve's Gluten Free Bread Blend is hands down the best gluten-free flour for yeasted bread recipes. With this flour, you can braid, shape, and roll incredible bread, cinnamon rolls, and pizza crust. (Note, it doesn't work in a bread machine.)
Ingredient Notes:
- Gluten Free Flour Blend – I have only tested this recipe with one flour blend to date. Authentic Foods Steve’s Gluten Free Bread Blend is my go-to flour for making gluten free shaped loaves. Other blends can work; note that you need less Steve’s blend than regular blends, so it is important to know you may need to add a lot more flour if you use Cup4Cup or another gluten free flour. Also, note that many 1:1 blends do not work well with yeast. You can check your flour bag to see if there is a note on the back of the bag. Some brands only put this information on their website.
- Xanthan Gum – This is what holds your stollen and other baked goods together. If your blend doesn’t contain a binder, you will need to add 1 teaspoon.
- Yeast – I used active dry yeast. Double-check that the brand you use is gluten free. Red Star “Platinum” is NOT gluten free!
- Sugar – I used cane sugar.
- Egg – Use size large.
- Butter – I recommend unsalted butter.
- Rum or Orange Juice – I used a combination of dark rum and orange juice, but you can use one or the other if you prefer.
- Dried Fruit – The sky is the limit. I used more non-traditional dried fruits like mango, goji berries, and raisins.
- Roasted Nuts – You can use almonds, traditionally used to make a Stollen or pecans. Optional: Roast the nuts in the oven for a few minutes to give them a roasted flavor.
- Spices include cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom.
- Orange Zest
- Powdered Sugar – For dusting after baking.
Tips For Sucess:
- Choose mix-ins with texture: Include toasted almonds and pecans in your stollen for a satisfying crunch. Dried fruits like apricots, apples, raisins, and candied citrus peels contribute sweetness and a festive touch without overwhelming the texture.
- The gluten free dough can be delicate, especially depending on the blend you use, so handle it gently when moving it to the baking tray.
- Patience is key during the rising process, so give your dough the time it needs to develop its texture and flavor. Also, remember you only get one good rise when making gluten-free yeast recipes.
🔑 Sandi says: I recommend making and eating the stollen within a few days. Traditional stollen is aged or cured over a few weeks in a cool place. You can not do this with gluten free…it will mold and go bad quickly.
How To Make Gluten Free Stollen:
Step 1: Add the dried fruit to a small bowl. Add the rum and or orange juice. You can use just rum, orange juice, or a combination, as I did.
Step 2: Add the warm water, one tablespoon of sugar, and the yeast to a small bowl or measuring cup. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it gets frothy. Be sure the temperature of your water is not hotter than 110º F.
Step 3: Add the egg, ¼ cup sugar, partially melted butter, orange zest, soaked fruit, and nuts to a stand mixer bowl. Put a paddle attachment on the mixer. Mix gently to blend them together.
Step 4: Whip the wet ingredients for 30 seconds. This is what your mixture will look like.
Step 5: Gradually add the flour to the stand mixer. I typically do this by adding the flour ½ cup at a time. Mix on low speed until the flour is mixed in, then increase the speed to medium for 15 seconds.
You can use marzipan or almond paste in my recipe gluten free stollen bread recipe. I used this almond paste because it is labeled gluten free. (Our store didn’t have almond marzipan, but most grocery stores should have one or the other in the baking section.)
Step 6: Divide your dough in half. Open the almond paste and cut it in half. Spread the dough out on a silicone mat in an oval shape. Roll half of the almond paste in a rope. Place it in the middle of the dough as shown.
Step 7: Fold the dough over the almond paste. Pinch the ends closed. Stollen has a ridge, so I shaped a ridge in my dough where the end of the dough went over the top of the loaf.
If any raisins or dried fruit is sticking out (not flush with the loaf), pull them out or press them in deeper. This will prevent them from burning.
Preheat the oven to 200º F and then turn the oven off. This is my favorite spot to rise my dough, especially during the cooler months.
Step 8: Place the loaves onto a baking sheet. You can line the baking sheet with gluten free baking spray or use parchment paper to line the baking sheet.
Cover the loaves loosely with plastic wrap and put them into the warm oven to rise for 45-60 minutes.
Step 9: Remove the loaves from the oven. Remove the plastic wrap and preheat the oven to 350º F.
Step 10: Bake the loaves for 30-35 minutes. The actual baking time can vary depending on the size and thickness of your loaves.
Step 11: Melt four tablespoons of butter in a microwave-safe dish. Use a pastry brush to baste the loaves with melted butter while cooling. Dust in powdered sugar.
When the loaves are cool, give them another full dusting of powdered sugar. Traditionally, the entire loaf is coated in powdered sugar. I didn’t do this because we are trying to reduce the amount of sugar we eat.
Recipe FAQ:
Both are German breads. A panettone is a taller, fluffy bread, and stollen is squatter and denser. Both have soaked dried fruit baked in.
Gluten free bread tends to spoil quickly, so I suggest storing the bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If you will not eat the whole loaf within a couple of days, slice and freeze the leftover bread in a zip-style freezer bag.
Unfortunately, stollen in stores is not gluten free unless it is made with gluten free ingredients. Look for a label that says the product is gluten free.
More Gluten Free Bread Recipes:
- Gluten Free Czech Poppy Seed Roll – A delicious Eastern European treat.
- Easy Gluten Free Monkey Bread – Tastes good enough to be a dessert!
- Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread – This bread also makes great French toast!
- Fluffy Gluten Free Brioche
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!
Gluten Free Stollen
Ingredients
Fruits
- 1 ½ cups dried fruits * see note
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 3 tablespoons rum light or dark
Yeast mixture
- 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast * see note
- ¾ cup warm water no hotter than 110º F.
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Bread
- 2 ½ cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- ¼ cup cane sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ cup unsalted butter partially melted
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- ½ cup nuts I used toasted almonds and pecans
- 7 ounces almond paste or marzipan * see note
Topping
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
The night before
- For this recipe, if you use just rum, use ¼ cup of rum. I used dark rum.
- The night before you make this recipe, chop the dried fruits into small pieces. Add the dried fruit to a small bowl. Add the rum and or orange juice. You can use just rum, orange juice, or a combination, as I did. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight to soak up the juice.
Yeast mixture
- Add the warm water, one tablespoon of sugar, and the yeast to a small bowl or measuring cup. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it gets frothy. Be sure the temperature of your water is not hotter than 110º F.
Make the dough
- Add the egg, ¼ cup sugar, partially melted butter, orange zest, soaked fruit, and nuts to a stand mixer bowl. Put a paddle attachment on the mixer. Mix gently to blend them. Add the yeast mixture and whip the wet ingredients for 30 seconds.
- Gradually add the flour to the stand mixer. I typically do this by adding the flour ½ cup at a time. Mix on low speed until the flour is mixed in, then increase the speed to medium for 15 seconds.
- Note that you only get one good rise in gluten free baking. You need to shape your loaves before you rise the dough.
- Divide your dough in half. Open the almond paste and cut it in half. Spread the dough out on a silicone mat in an oval shape. Roll half of the almond paste in a rope. Place the almond paste rope in the middle of the dough as shown.
- Fold the dough over the almond paste. Pinch the ends closed. Stollen has a ridge, so I shaped a ridge in my dough where the end of the dough went over the top of the loaf.
- If any raisins or dried fruit is sticking out (not flush with the loaf), pull them out or press them in deeper. This will prevent them from burning.
- Preheat the oven to 200º F and then turn the oven off. This is my favorite spot to rise my dough, especially during the cooler months.
- Place the loaves onto a baking sheet. You can line the baking sheet with gluten free baking spray or use parchment paper to line the baking sheet.
- Cover the loaves loosely with plastic wrap and put them into the warm oven to rise for 45-60 minutes.
- Remove the loaves from the oven. Remove the plastic wrap and preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Bake the loaves for 30-35 minutes. The actual baking time can vary depending on the size and thickness of your loaves.
- Move the baked loaves to a cooling rack.
Topping
- Melt four tablespoons of butter in a microwave-safe dish. Use a pastry brush to baste the loaves with melted butter while cooling. Dust in powdered sugar.
- When the loaves are cool, give them another full dusting of powdered sugar. Traditionally, the entire loaf is coated in powdered sugar. (Note I didn't coat the bottom of my loaves.)
Notes
- You can use any type of dried fruit. I used mango, raisins, and goji berries.Â
- I tested this recipe with Authentic Foods Steve’s Gluten Free Bread Blend. It is by far the best for making bread that is shaped. You need less of this flour in recipes than in other brands. If you use a different brand, ensure the blend you have works with yeast recipes. Note you will need a lot more flour potentially than what I list. Go by the dough texture and read my step-by-step directions to see the photos of my dough.
- If your blend doesn’t contain a binder, add one teaspoon of xanthan gum.
- The rum is optional. You can use all orange juice, all rum, or a combo, as I did. I used dark rum, but light rum is okay.
- Yeast – double that the brand you use is gluten-free. Red Star Platinum is NOT gluten free!
- I used the Odense brand of almond paste. It should be in most grocery stores. It is labeled gluten free.
- I recommend making and eating the stollen within a couple of days. Traditional stollen is aged or cured over a few weeks in a cool place. You can not do this with gluten free…it will mold and go bad quickly. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Slice and freeze leftover bread if you will not eat it in 2-3 days.
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.
When I was growing up, my family had a tradition of making homemade stollen every Christmas. A couple of years ago I was diagnosed with celiac disease and have been on a strict gluten free diet ever since. I didnt think I would ever enjoy stollen again until I found this recipe. I made it this past weekend for my family and what a wonderful recipe! It was just perfect and I’m so happy to be able to contine to have this delicious treat every year thanks to you.
You absolutely made my day, Sarah. I am so glad you can enjoy an old family favorite again!