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!
These are the best AND the easiest gluten free cinnamon rolls we’ve ever made or eaten! Over the years most recipes are too sweet or don’t roll well. These are the perfect sweetness, you can actually pick it up in your hand and eat it without it falling apart, but also it’s not dry or tough, and the dough was super easy to bake and even easier to work with!
Hi Amy, hooray! This is high praise, thanks so much!
Oh. My. Goodness. These cinnamon rolls are indiscernible from gluten ones!!! I’ve tried making several different recipes for gluten free cinnamon rolls and they all turned out rock hard with no rising. Thank you thank you thank you!
Hi Hannah, that’s the best compliment! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review, it means a lot to hear from you! So glad you enjoyed them!
These are the best gluten free cinnamon rolls. They’re soft and have a great texture. For my first attempt, they didn’t roll up pretty but that’s because I need more practice rolling out the dough into an even rectangle. They’re nothing like the gluten free cinnamon rolls that I’ve had in the past. The King Arthur bread flour truly makes a huge difference. I will be making these again.
Hi Katie, thanks so much for sharing! Glad you enjoyed them and really appreciate the 5-star review!
WOW! These cinnamon rolls turned out amazing! Like I’m not kidding! Best I have ever had! Super easy recipe to follow! With wonderful results! These are a new Christmas tradition! So thankful for great recipes like these that I can rely on to make wonderful food to share with family! Thank you & Merry Christmas! I will be back to order your cookbook soon!
Hi Gabrielle, yay! Great to hear! Thanks so much for the thoughtful review, it means a lot!
I’ve made gf cinnamon rolls before and have always been disappointed. Dry, dense, tasteless. This was my first time making this recipe. I subbed 1 cup of the King Arthur bread flour for Caputo Fioreglut. I mixed by hand, but a stand mixer would have absolutely made a huge difference. I put down plastic wrap and dusted with King Arthur measure for measure flour. Also dusted my hands. Rolled out just fine. I did the overnight method. My husband asked if I used his grandmother’s gluten recipe, these are that good. Soft, fluffy, bready. These are the holy grail.
I make GF cinnamon rolls every Christmas–this is the best recipe I’ve found so far! Thank you!
(Note: I didn’t have bread flour, but regular King Arthur worked just fine if you pour out the dough (after 20 min in fridge) onto a floured surface, knead briefly, then roll the whole thing and cut with floss)
Hi Kimberly, glad to hear that worked for you! Thanks so much for the review—happy holidays!
We made these on Christmas for the second year in a row and they are so yummy.
The overnight method rises a little less (which worried me a little) but the result is still the same !! Delicious and fluffy.
I only have 3 cups of this specific flour and can’t get any for a few days. Is there a way to make the recipe work with only 3 Cups of the King Arthur flour?
Thank you!
Hi Daisy, unfortunately we haven’t tried that, and highly recommend waiting to get more—the King Arthur gluten-free bread flour really makes all the difference in this recipe!
So glad that I found this recipe and the King Arthur GF Bread Flour! We just enjoyed the cinnamon rolls! Although my dough was sticky and I had trouble rolling some of the strips, the end result is delicious! My husband is GF and hasn’t eaten cinnamon rolls in 20 years! It was a real treat for him this morning!
I will definitely use this recipe again, and maybe add more flour and less milk? And can’t wait to try other recipes using this flour!
Thanks!
Hi there, that’s wonderful to hear! The exact amounts can really depend on the altitude, humidity, etc, so that sounds like a good call to experiment a bit! Thanks for the review and happy holidays!
Hello, when I calculate the 4.5 cups using the grams per 1/4 cup on the bag of flour, I get 540 grams. This is much different than the 680 grams listed on the recipe. Do you know why there’s such a difference? Thanks!
Hi Jenny, yes, this is a common question! I think the amount on the bag is a generalization for all-purpose flour. We find that gluten-free bread flour is more dense and weights closer to 150g per cup. We try to give the most accurate grams and cup options possible, so this is our way of doing that!
Made these for the second year in a row for Christmas Day. They are absolutely amazing. So easy to roll, so delicious.
Hi Lorna, so glad you enjoyed them and they could be part of your Christmas tradition! Thanks so much for the review!
Mine was super wet. I didn’t read the instructions about the paddle vs dough hook. I’m wondering if that was my problem.
I will try again. I think mine will be more like a cinnamon cake bread. Oh well. I’ll try again. I’m super determined to master these for my son who is celiac.
Hi Kerstin, sorry these didn’t turn out as expected! The dough may just need a bit more flour—it really depends on the humidity, altitude, etc! But yes, the paddle can definitely help evenly mix the dough. Hope that helps!
The dough was so wet and sticky and unworkable. I probably added another cup of flour and it was still impossible, so I just switched it up and made monkey bread because I didn’t know what else to do.
Hi Kortni, sorry these didn’t turn out as expected! The amount of flour needed can vary a lot depending on the humidity, altitude, temperature indoors, and temperature of the ingredients. It sounds like adding even more flour would be the best call. Hope you enjoyed the monkey bread, though!
I have tried making these twice now, and both times, they turn into a sticky mess when trying to roll. I weigh my ingredients accordingly, I keep it in the fridge the right amount of time (today I kept it in longer), and floured my surface a lot. It rolls out lovely, but then trying to roll them up, they become a sticky mess. I don’t have rolls, I have blobs. It’s really sad.
Hi Hilary, so sorry these aren’t turning out as expected! These can really be dependent on the humidity and temperature in the environment—it sounds like it may be overly warm+humid either in the room or the dough itself. To remedy, you could try using soft butter (not melted), chill dough after filling, and roll as a log using parchment rather than individual strips. You could also hold back ¼ cup of milk next time to limit the moisture. Hope this helps!
Truly the best cinnamon rolls (you won’t even know they are GF). My celiac husband appreciated these very much and my kids loved them too!! Will definitely make these on repeat every Christmas Eve as this is our family tradition. Highly recommend!
Hi Alexis, yay! That’s the best compliment! Merry Christmas!