Erin’s Recipe Rundown
Texture: Moist, tender cake with a smooth, creamy filling.
Taste: Spiced pumpkin and rich cream cheese are the perfect pairing.
Ease: This recipe requires a few steps but is totally doable! See the step-by-step instructions in this post for mode details.
Top Tips: Generously coat the towel with powdered sugar before rolling up the cake. Make sure the cake cools rolled up in a tea towel to get the perfect structure and prevent cracking!
Recommended GF Flour: For best results, use a high-quality flour blend that contains xanthan gum. King Arthur Flour is my top pick for this recipe.
Would I make these again? Definitely! It’s an understatement to say I love this recipe — it’s one my very favorite treats and perfect for when my family gathers on Thanksgiving!
xoxo erin
This post was originally published in November 2014. It was updated with new photos and instructions in October 2024.
Everyone always goes crazy for a pumpkin roll! It definitely has that wow factor that makes it perfect for holidays, parties, and other celebrations.
This gluten-free pumpkin roll has the perfect texture and balance of fall flavors, all while looking really impressive. It’s a showstopper that all will love — even those who don’t need gluten-free! Plus it earns bonus points for being easy to make dairy-free too!
Check out this full collection of gluten-free thanksgiving recipes!
Featured Comment
From Victoria: “This was my first every pumpkin roll that turned out looking like a pumpkin roll! And it’s gluten free!! The recipe was so simple that I had doubts it would turn out, but it is perfect. My kids absolutely love it. Thank you so much for such an easy and delicious recipe!”
Table of Contents
- Erin’s Recipe Rundown
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How to Make the Perfect Gluten-Free Pumpkin Roll
- Make-Ahead/Storage/Freezing Instruction
- Can this gluten-free pumpkin roll be made dairy-free?
- Can this cake be made sugar-free or reduced sugar?
- Can I add pumpkin pie spice or other spices to this recipe?
- More Gluten-Free Pumpkin Desserts
- Perfect Gluten-Free Pumpkin Roll (Dairy-Free Option) Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make this gluten-free pumpkin roll. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Gluten-free flour: I highly recommend using a high quality gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend that contains xanthan gum. King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Measure-For-Measure Flour is my favorite for this recipe!
- Canned pumpkin: Make sure to use 100% pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling! Besides creating the pumpkin flavor, the canned pumpkin also adds moisture, sweetness, and richness to the cake. This cake needs the right amount of moisture to make it easy to roll!
- Eggs/sugar: Two typical ingredients for a cake, but super important for one that gets rolled up! The eggs and sugar provide the right structure for the cake so that it bakes thin and moist.
- Cream cheese/powdered sugar: The cream cheese adds tangy flavor that balances the sweetness of the powdered sugar. Their combined creaminess makes the filling spreadable too. Use dairy-free cream cheese, like Kite Hill, to make it dairy-free!
- Butter: The butter creates a smooth consistency for the filling. Use vegan butter when making this dessert dairy-free.
How to Make the Perfect Gluten-Free Pumpkin Roll
Here’s an overview of how to make this pumpkin roll. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
- In a medium bowl: Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.
- Make it smooth: Whisk the eggs and canned pumpkin into the dry mix until smooth.
- Pour in prepared pan: Pour the cake batter into the pan. I recommend using a 15×10 jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper and lightly greased. Make sure the parchment paper hangs over the short ends of the pan by at least an inch!
- Bake: With the oven on 350°F, bake the cake for 16-18 minutes. You want the edges to pull away from the sides of the pan and the center to be done.
- On a tea towel: The key is a thin towel without any texture — a tea towel works best! Spread a thick dusting of powdered sugar all over the towel and then turn the cake upside down onto it as soon as the cake comes out of the oven.
- Roll it up: Peel off the parchment paper. Start at the short end and roll the cake up with the tea towel.
- Let it cool: The cake needs to cool completely in the rolled up tea towel.
- Make the filling: I like to use a stand mixer, but a bowl with a hand mixer works too! Whip the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar together. You want to mix it until it’s light and creamy.
- Unroll and fill: Once the cake is cool, unroll it gently. Use an offset spatula to carefully spread the filling evenly all over the cake.
- Roll up and refrigerate: Roll the cake back up. This time without the tea towel. Wrap the roll tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least an hour before serving. Slice and enjoy!
Make-Ahead/Storage/Freezing Instruction
To Make-Ahead: You can definitely make the icing a day or two ahead and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. It’s best to bake the cake the same day you assemble the roll.
To Store: Store the pumpkin roll wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. It will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.
To Freeze: Wrap the pumpkin roll in plastic wrap then foil and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, refrigerate overnight or let sit at room temperature for roughly 30 minutes before serving. You can also freeze slices of pumpkin roll by wrapping them individually before freezing.
Can this gluten-free pumpkin roll be made dairy-free?
Absolutely! Swap the cream cheese for a dairy-free version, like from Kite Hill. Use vegan butter in place of the regular butter. Enjoy!
Can this cake be made sugar-free or reduced sugar?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a great sugar-free option for this recipe. Sugar is key as it gives the cake its needed structure.
Can I add pumpkin pie spice or other spices to this recipe?
You can definitely spice up the cake with pumpkin pie spice, a little nutmeg, or a pinch of cloves. I like to keep it simple with cinnamon, but this cake adapts well to extra spice!
More Gluten-Free Pumpkin Desserts
Perfect Gluten-Free Pumpkin Roll (Dairy-Free Option)
Ingredients
For the Cake Roll:
- 3/4 cup (113g) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 large eggs
- 2/3 cup (151g) canned pumpkin
- powdered sugar for rolling
For the Filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 15×10 jelly roll pan. Cut parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan and leave an inch overhang on each of the short ends of the pan. Lightly grease the parchment paper and sides of the jelly roll pan.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Whisk to combine. Add the eggs and canned pumpkin and whisk until smooth.
- Once mixed, pour the mixture over the parchment paper. Bake for 16-18 minutes, until the edges pull away from the sides of the pan and center is done.
- Lay a large tea towel on the counter top (it is best to use a thin towel without any texture a tea towel or similar towel works best). Starting at one of the short ends, spread a thick dusting of powdered sugar all over the towel.
- When the cake comes out of the oven, turn the pan upside down on the powdered sugar-laden towel so the parchment paper is on the top. It is best to turn it out right on the short edge of the towel. Peel off the parchment paper. Starting at the short end near the edge, roll the pumpkin cake up with the towel to cool.
- While the roll is cooling, make the filling. Using a hand or stand mixer, whip the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar together until it is light and creamy.
- Once the roll is cool, unroll and with an offset spatula, carefully spread the filling in an even layer over the cake. Roll it up without the towel and wrap tightly in plastic. Refrigerate for about an hour before serving. The roll will be good in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Consistency and texture was excellent. Presentation is very nice!
I thought the flavor of the pumpkin cake was a bit bland. What other spices and how much, could be added to “spice it up?”
Also, parchment paper instead of the tea towel, made it very easy to roll up.
You can definitely add a little more spice if you prefer! 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and a pinch of cloves might be nice. Glad the consistency and texture worked out for you.
This was my first every pumpkin roll that turned out looking like a pumpkin roll! And it’s gluten free!! The recipe was so simple that I had doubts it would turn out, but it is perfect. My kids absolutely love it. thank you so much for such an easy and delicious recipe!
Hooray! I’m so glad your first attempt at a pumpkin roll was successful! Thanks for the comment!
Can you freeze this?
It’s definitely worth a try! Gluten-free cake can be a bit delicate, but I think it should work. I would try wrapping it tightly first in a layer of plastic wrap and then in a layer of foil. I hope this helps!
Any suggestions for getting it not to fall apart when you flip it? It also cracked a lot when I unrolled it.
Lately I’ve been using parchment paper instead of a dish towel. Make sure you roll it up as soon as it comes out of the oven. The hot cake will be soft and pliable and should roll up without cracking. I hope this helps!
I have a question. Have you ever tried using parchment paper instead of wax paper and rolling up the Pumpkin in parchment paper?
I haven’t tried that myself but I think it might work! Let me know if you try it 🙂
Hi,
I have a question and I am hoping you can help me. I didn’t see your site before I made the Libby Pumpkin Roll. I substituted the regular flour for the King Arthur Measure for Measure. Everything else in the recipe is gluten free. Everything went find until I unrolled it and it started to crack…and crack and crack.
I saw your recipe and it’s very similar to the Libby Roll. I’m going to try your recipe this weekend but I wondered if you had any tips.
Thank you in advance.
Cathy
I made this for dessert to have after dinner tonight. I used 1/4 cup of coconut sugar instead of one cup of sugar. And I used pumpkin pie seasoning instead of cinnamon. All I had. Followed the recipe after that. The cake was so good my kids asked if I could make it again. I used a clean white shirt instead of a tea cloth. It worked out beautifully
Hooray! I’m glad it turned out with coconut sugar. I’m happy your family enjoyed it!
My family loves this. Can’t tell that its GF. Have to make it every time .
This is so good! I used to order gluten free pumpkin roll from a local bakery, but wasn’t able to do that this year so I tried this recipe instead. Wow! This had to be the best pumpkin roll I have ever tasted! I have never baked a pumpkin roll before and am so impressed with how easy this recipe was for a beginner like me! My entire (non-gluten free) family requested that I make more next thanksgiving.
I’m so glad it turned out for you! That’s the best when non-GF people love it too. Thanks for the comment!
I make a pumpkin roll every year for thanksgiving and my fiancé recently had to switch to gluten and dairy free options due to dietary restrictions. This recipe saved the day and turned out so wonderful and delicious. Thank you!
I’m so glad it turned out well for you! It’s so nice to be able to have your old favorites after going gluten-free!
Can the completed dessert be frozen? Maybe wait for the powered sugar dusting until after thawing?
Yes this should work! Waiting to dust it with powdered sugar after it’s thawed is a good idea.
Can you use ghee in place of the butter?
I think that should work great!
Have you tried making this vegan? Our Thanksgiving is vegan and gluten-free due to allergies, so do you have any ideas on what to substitute the eggs for? I made this last year just gluten free and it was a huge hit! Thanks!
Hi Allie! I’ve never tried making this vegan so it’s hard to say how it would turn out. The filling can definitely be made dairy-free with DF cream cheese. I think the eggs are really important for the structure of the cake. Sorry about that!
We love this recipe but not longer need to be gluten free. If I made this with regular flour would then ingredients be the same?
Yes! This can be made with regular flour just as it is. Enjoy!
I made this pumpkin roll last Thanksgiving and will be making it again this year because EVERYONE loved it! I made it gluten and dairy free due to family allergies and it was perfect! Question, this year I want to also make a chocolate roll for the kiddos, do you know what I could substitute the pumpkin for and if I should do slightly less flour to compensate for cocoa powder? It would also have to be gluten and dairy free. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Use applesauce…unsweetened probably…and maybe cut back the flour a bit to compensate for the cocoa powder…
You have to experiment
Do you use pure pumpkin? Are the one with all the spices in it ? Thanks
I use pure pumpkin. You want to look for 100% pumpkin puree! I hope this helps!