These gluten-free cinnamon rolls are big, fluffy, and SOFT! Plus thanks to a secret ingredient, they’re so easy to make!
I have been a gluten-free food blogger for over 10 years and never shared a gluten-free cinnamon roll recipe until now!
I tested and re-tested this recipe to get it just right. I am so proud of this recipe and I hope you love it too!
Are you ready for the BEST gluten free cinnamon rolls of your life?
I haven been eating gluten-free since 2012 and have tried dozens of gluten-free cinnamon rolls over the years. I’ve finally perfected my recipe and I’m so excited to share it!
This gluten-free dough is made with King Arthur gluten-free bread flour, which makes all the difference in creating a soft texture and lightly chewy dough.
Trust me when I say these cinnamon rolls are JUST as incredible as regular cinnamon rolls. They’re big. They’re fluffy. They’re soft and never dry! They really are the real deal.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A tested & perfected recipe! I tested and re-tested this recipe to get these cinnamon rolls just right
- Big, fluffy, and SOFT
- Make-Ahead option – can be made the day before and baked in the morning
- Easy to make with gluten-free bread flour
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Cinnamon Rolls
- Gluten-free bread flour: THIS IS THE SECRET INGREDIENT! I’ve been loving using this gluten-free bread flour, which contains wheat starch that is completely gluten-free. It’s easy to shape and yields a similar texture to traditional bread. It’s great for sweet breads, rolls, and any other gluten-free bread dough! I also use this flour in these gluten-free crescent rolls.
- Water and milk: I prefer whole milk for these cinnamon rolls. It gives the dough a richer flavor!
- Sugar: You need white granulated sugar in the dough, both for flavor and to feed the yeast.
- Baking powder: Any baking powder will work for this recipe! It’s an important ingredient that helps create a light, fluffy gluten-free cinnamon rolls dough.
- Instant yeast: Instant yeast can be added right into the dry ingredients. It doesn’t need to be mixed with warm water to create a yeast mixture. Be sure to get this type rather than active dry yeast!
- Eggs: Eggs create a rich, soft dough. For best results with these gluten-free cinnamon rolls, use large, room temperature eggs.
- Butter: Like the eggs, the butter creates a rich and flavorful dough. I recommend using salted butter for this recipe. It provides the best depth of flavor!
- Salt: I like to use fine sea salt for this gluten-free cinnamon rolls recipe!
- For the filling: I love a classic, easy filling with brown sugar, cinnamon and butter!
For more gluten-free special breakfast recipes, try this gluten-free coffee cake, gluten-free blueberry muffins, gluten-free scones and gluten-free baked donuts.
Dairy-Free?
These cinnamon rolls can easily be made dairy-free. You can use dairy-free milk in place of the milk. I like using Elmhurst Unsweetened Cashew milk in place of whole milk. It has a similar fat content to whole milk, and doesn’t have any added gums or stabilizers that could interfere with the rise/crumb of the rolls. I also use vegan butter in place of the butter.
How to Make Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls
Make the Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the gluten-free flour, granulated sugar, instant yeast, salt, and baking powder. Mix to evenly combine.
- With the mixer running on low, slowly add the water, milk, eggs and melted butter. Turn it up to medium speed and mix for 3 minutes until very smooth. The dough will resemble thick cookie dough. This is normal!
- Use an oiled spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes. (Refrigerating the dough makes it easier to roll out.)
- Turn out the gluten free cinnamon buns dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a ball.
- Sprinkle with a little flour, then roll the dough out into a 15×15-inch square.
You also might like this gluten-free pizza crust, gluten-free cinnamon sticks or gluten-free breadsticks.
Make the Filling/Shape the Rolls
- In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
- Spread the melted butter for the filing over the dough. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar all over the dough. Using a pizza cutter, cut the square into twelve 1.25-inch wide strips of gluten-free cinnamon roll dough. Roll each dough strip up into a cinnamon roll.
- Place in the prepared baking dish.
Rise/Bake the Rolls
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Place in a relatively warm place and allow the rolls to rise for 45-60 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the rolls are slightly golden brown.
- Set the rolls aside to cool for 15 minutes or until just slightly warm to the touch.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Powdered sugar: Any powdered sugar will work for these gluten-free cinnamon rolls!
- Cream cheese: Be sure to set your cream cheese out and allow it to soften to room temperature before making the frosting. This will ensure the frosting is smooth and clump-free.
- Butter: I recommend using salted butter for this recipe. It provides the best depth of flavor!
- Vanilla: I prefer using real vanilla extract for this cinnamon roll frosting.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on high speed until smooth and creamy.
- Add the butter and beat until smooth and combined, then beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla until combined.
- Using a knife or icing spatula, spread the icing over the warm rolls. Serve immediately and enjoy your fluffy cinnamon roll!
Maple Glaze Option
These cinnamon rolls are also delicious with a maple glaze instead of cream cheese frosting! For the glaze mix together 2 cups powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon maple flavoring, 4-6 tablespoons milk, 2 tablespoons melted butter and a pinch of salt until smooth.
Make-Ahead/Storage Instructions
MAKE-AHEAD/OVERNIGHT RISE: These cinnamon rolls can be assembled the day before and baked the following morning. Make the gluten-free cinnamon rolls as you normally would, following the steps through the “Make the Filling/Shape the Rolls” section. Cover the rolls tightly and refrigerate for 8–12 hours. (16 hours max. 8–12 hours is best, but 16 hours is okay if absolutely needed. Do not exceed 16 hours.) The next morning, remove from the refrigerator and allow to rise on the counter for 30-45 minutes before baking. Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes.
STORAGE: Store these homemade gluten free cinnamon rolls in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap for up to three days. If the cinnamon rolls have cream cheese frosting, I store them in the refrigerator.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- GLUTEN-FREE BREAD FLOUR: This gluten-free bread flour is key for these gluten-free cinnamon rolls to turn out correctly. Other gluten-free flour blends will not work in it’s place.
- DAIRY-FREE: For dairy-free, gluten-free cinnamon rolls, I like to use Elmhurst Unsweetened Cashew milk. It has a similar fat content to whole milk and doesn’t have any added gums or stabilizers that might interfere with the rise/crumb of the rolls. You can also use vegan butter in place of the butter, and make the frosting with dairy-free cream cheese. My favorite brand is Kite Hill.
- I prefer the paddle attachment instead of the dough hook attachment for gluten-free bread. It tends to knead gluten-free dough more evenly!
I also use this same flour/dough recipe in this amazing, gluten-free monkey bread!
Easy, Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls
Video
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 4 ½ cups (680g) King Arthur Gluten-Free Bread Flour
- ⅓ cup (65g) granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast (1 packet)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ¼ cup (295ml) water warm
- 1 cup (236ml) whole milk warm
- 2 large eggs
- 6 tablespoons (85g) butter melted
For the Filling:
- 1 cup (200g) brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 8 tablespoons (113g) butter melted
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 ounces (226g) cream cheese softened
- 4 Tablespoons (56g) butter softened
- 1 ⅓ cup (160g) powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Or Simple Glaze:
- 3 cups (340g) powdered sugar
- 1/3 -1/2 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Make the Dough:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the gluten-free flour, granulated sugar, instant yeast, salt and baking powder. Mix to evenly combine.
- With the mixer running on low, slowly add the water, milk, eggs and melted butter. Turn the speed up to medium and mix for 3 minutes until very smooth. The dough will resemble thick cookie dough. This is normal!
- Use an oiled spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes. (Refrigerating the dough makes it easier to roll out.)
Make the Filling/Shape the Rolls
- In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
- Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a ball.
- Sprinkle with a little flour, then roll the dough out into a 15×15-inch square.
- Spread the melted butter for the filing over the dough. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar all over the dough.
- Using a pizza cutter, cut the square into twelve 1.25-inch wide strips.
- Roll each dough strip up into a cinnamon roll. Place in the prepared baking dish.
Rise/Bake the Rolls
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Place in a relatively warm place and allow the rolls to rise for 45-60 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the rolls are slightly golden brown.
- Set the rolls aside to cool for 15 minutes or until just slightly warm to the touch.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on high speed until smooth and creamy.
- Add the butter and beat until smooth and combined, then beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla until combined.
- Using a knife or icing spatula, spread the icing over the warm rolls. Serve immediately and enjoy!
For the Simple Glaze
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the glaze ingredients until well combined.
- Spread over the slightly warm rolls. Serve immediately and enjoy!
I did a trial run on these pre-Christmas get together since I’ve never made cinnamon rolls from scratch before. They turned out good. But on my second try for our official early get together, they were a hit. People couldn’t tell they were GF. I did the one day ahead prep method. It worked out well. Great recipe – and so easy to roll out. I also made the icing the day before (not cream cheese), and just took it out of the fridge to get to room temp, added a little more milk.
I can’t use the King Arthur flour as instructed ( wheat allergy NOT celiac) so tried a different type.
The poster was not lying when she said it wouldn’t work! The dough was much too wet to form, even with added flour. I ended up putting the whole thing in a baking dish and letting it rise for an hour or so.
I combined the butter and cinnamon sugar, and swirled it over the top instead, then baked as instructed. Ended up with a lovely cinnamon pull apart, which I topped with the vanilla glaze.
Great recipe, thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi Kath, glad you found a way to make it work for you despite things turning out a little differently! Thanks so much for the great review!
Wondering if you have ever tried making them as caramel rolls. If not do you think they would turn out that way too or no? Thanks! Hoping to make them for Christmas morning, just got the King Arthur bread flour in the mail today!
Hi Deanna, good question! Caramel rolls sound delicious, but we haven’t tried that with this recipe. You can use the same dough to make our monkey bread recipe—that might be a safer bet!
I did end up trying them as caramel rolls and they turned out wonderful!! I wish I could share a picture here with you.
I have made these so many times and they always turn out perfectly!! I have recently had to go dairy free but also have a tree nut allergy – would oat or coconut milk work by chance?
Thank you!!
Hi Sarah, we haven’t tried that, so we can’t advise. I would use something with no stabilizers and a high fat content. Hope that helps!
I made these for the first time and they were great! The recipe was easy to follow, especially as a baking novice! I can’t recommend this recipe enough! It was better than other gluten free cinnamon rolls that I’ve gotten from bakeries!
Hi Morgan, yay! Glad this was a hit for you!
Would Caputo flour work the same as King Arthur?
Hi Mary, This recipe is specifically made for King Arthur gluten-free bread flour. We don’t recommend veering from that!
These were delicious. My dough was really sticky and required probably more flour and kneading than it should have. Also, the dough seemed to just adhere to the paddle on the mixer.
Any suggestions how to fix this with the next batch? There will definitely be a next batch.
Hi Scott, the amount of flour needed can vary depending on altitude, humidity, inside temperature, etc. It sounds like you’re on the right track adding more flour! Glad you’re up for trying again!
This recipe is so delicious and easy to follow- and meaningful! When I was able to make these for my daughter, it was more than a sweet treat. It was a family tradition we’re all able to enjoy together again. Thank you!
These sound incredible! Do I need a stand mixer or could I use a hand mixer? I’ve seen other recipes that state the specific need for a stand mixer. Just wanted to check!
Hi Kaela, good question! I don’t think a hand mixer could stand up to this dough. If you don’t have a stand mixer, I would knead it with your hands instead!
These are the first gluten free cinnamon rolls that I’ve made that have actually turned out! The texture and flavor was amazing! They did seem to take forever to rise, and didn’t ever double in size. Should I try putting the yeast in the warm water ahead of time, or what would you recommend? Thanks for an amazing recipe!
Hi Melanie, glad you enjoyed them! Good question on the rise—it really depends on the temperature, altitude, etc. I would make sure you’re using fresh yeast first. If the room is cooler, you can place the pan of shaped rolls next to the preheated oven, on top of the dryer as it’s running, or somewhere similarly warm to encourage rising.
Hi! I’m so glad I came across your recipe and can’t wait to try it! I plan to make these for Christmas morning. Question though…. we recently discovered that our oldest daughter needs to be gluten-free and dairy-free. Any chance you have tried these using a plant-based butter, applesauce or coconut oil in place of the butter?
Hi Eileen, good question! Erin shares her favorite dairy-free swap in the notes of the recipe card: “For dairy-free, gluten-free cinnamon rolls, I like to use Elmhurst Unsweetened Cashew milk. It has a similar fat content to whole milk and doesn’t have any added gums or stabilizers that might interfere with the rise/crumb of the rolls. You can also use vegan butter in place of the butter, and make the frosting with dairy-free cream cheese. My favorite brand is Kite Hill.”
These are wonderful and please our family and friends. They are so easy to make. Every recipe I make of yours comes out perfect.
Hi Susan, thank you so much for the kind words! We’re very glad you enjoyed this recipe and others!
Is it possible to make the recipe to a certain point, i.e. after shaping, then freeze to bake another day?
If so, at what point? Subsequent baking instructions?
Thanks so much!
Hi Maxine, we recommend an overnight rise for these if you want to prepare ahead of time—we haven’t tried freezing them! You’ll find instructions for that at the bottom of the recipe card. If you do try freezing them, this is what we would recommend: prepare and shape them completely, then set them on a parchment-lined pan and let them firm up in the freezer for an hour or two. Once they’re solid, move them to an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze up to 2 months. When you’re ready to bake, thaw them in the fridge overnight. Then let them come to room temperature and rise, and bake as usual.
Can the baked rolls be frozen?
Hi Kathy, we haven’t tried baking from frozen, but you could try it. When you’re ready to bake, thaw them in the fridge overnight. Then let them come to room temperature and rise, and bake as usual.
Hello, We are going to make your GF Cinnamon Rolls for Christmas morning. I just read your comment regarding making them ahead and freezing them. Do you think it would also work to make them ahead, let them rise and then freeze them?? Would I take them out the night before and bake in the morning or take them out in the morning and bake? I’m trying to make Christmas morning as easy as possible. Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes.
Hi Kristin, we haven’t tried that method, so we really can’t say for sure! We recommend an overnight rise in the fridge as listed at the bottom of our recipe. Anything else will be an experiment. Hope that helps! 🙂
I am excited to try this recipe! Looking at the comments have been super helpful. Thank you for your quick replies! Merry Christmas!
Hi Jessica, you’re so welcome! Merry Christmas to you too and hope you enjoy it!
These are soooo good. The cream cheese frosting was to die for. Huge hit with my family that can/does eat gluten. I’m not a huge baker and this didn’t feel too difficult especially compared to other GF recipes. Thank you for saving my cinnamon roll cravings ♥️
Hi Kami, that’s wonderful news! Thanks so much for the review, it means a lot.