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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! ★★★★★“
From Grace: “Massive hit with both the gluten-free and gluten-eating members of my family. The pumpkin and filling helps it stay moist and avoid the dryness or crumbliness so many gluten free desserts have! ★★★★★”
From Ashley: “This is amazing! This is the only pumpkin roll recipe I make and take to gatherings. Everyone loves it. It’s so moist and doesn’t have that gritty texture like most gluten free desserts. ★★★★★”
Why Try This Gluten-Free Pumpkin Roll Recipe
- Soft, moist, and holds its shape. I’ve tested and retested this recipe to create a tender cake with enough structure to roll and a creamy filling that stays put.
- Perfect for making ahead. Since the pumpkin roll needs time to chill in the refrigerator before serving, it’s a great dessert to make a day ahead for holidays or gatherings.
- Easier than you might expect. With detailed instructions for each step, you’ll know exactly what to do from creating the batter to the final roll.
- Bonus point! It can be made dairy-free. I recommend VioLife or Kite Hill Almond Cream Cheese (plus dairy-free butter) for my dairy-free version.
This gluten-free pumpkin roll has been a staple on my website since 2014, and is still one of my favorite gluten-free pumpkin recipes to this day. Over the years, I’ve perfected my method so I can share all my tips for making a pumpkin roll with the perfect spiral every time.
I love this as a gluten-free Thanksgiving dessert! It’s a great alternative to pie while still enjoying cozy fall flavors.
What You 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: Using a high-quality gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum is so important for the ideal crumb. I love King Arthur Flour in this one!
- Canned pumpkin: I use 100% pumpkin puree, not pie filling, in my pumpkin recipes. Besides pumpkin flavor, the canned pumpkin adds moisture, sweetness, and richness. 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.
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!
Make the batter. I whisk the batter up in a medium bowl. From there, it goes into a greased, parchment-lined jelly roll pan to bake.
Bake. It usually takes about 16-18 minutes for the center to bake through. You’ll know it’s done when the edges of the cake start to pull away from the sides of the pan.
Erin’s Tip
A 15×10 jelly roll pan is a must! I line it with parchment paper and leave at least an inch hanging over both short ends. This makes it easy to lift the cake out without cracking it when I’m ready to flip it.
Transfer the cake. I cover the towel in a thick dusting of powdered sugar to prevent sticking, then flip the cake out onto the towel to roll.
Roll. Peel off the parchment paper, then start on a short end and roll the cake up with the towel in it. While it cools in this shape, I use this time to make the filling.
Erin’s Tip
The key is a thin towel without any texture. I find a tea towel is the perfect option!
Add the filling. Once the cake is cool, unroll it and gently spread the filling evenly over the cake.
Roll and refrigerate. This time, roll the cake up without the towel. I wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then refrigerate it for at least an hour before serving.
Erin’s Tip
Don’t worry if it cracks a little here and there. This is pretty common. I just add a generous amount of powdered sugar on top!
More Gluten-Free Pumpkin Desserts
Perfect Gluten-Free Pumpkin Roll (Dairy-Free Option)
Video
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.
Hi Christy, can you please send me dairy free version of the pumpkin roll? I’m enjoying you gluten free recipes.
Hi Patty! This recipe can be made dairy-free by using dairy-free cream cheese, like Kite Hill Almond Cream Cheese, and dairy free butter. We hope you love the pumpkin roll!
My boyfriend begged for this and it did not disappoint!! I did struggle with the final step. I didn’t have a tea towel, and I think that made a huge difference. I think I let it cool too long before I took it out of the towel and roll it. The roll started to fall apart when I started to roll it. It may not have turned out as pretty as the picture, but the flavor is spot on and absolutely delicious!
Thank you for sharing with us, Carrie! A tea towel is a gamechanger in our opinion. We’re sorry your roll experienced some cracking, but we’re so glad you loved the flavor! We hope your next bake goes perfectly!
I remember my mom making pumpkin cake rolls growing up, I finally tried my hand at one and it turned out so beautiful and yummy!! Served this at a gathering and had a ton of compliments on it. Such a great recipe. I didn’t have a jelly roll pan so I used a standard half-sheet pan, it worked great!
Yay! Thank you for sharing this positive feedback with us, Olivia. We’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe and that it helped you recreate a childhood favorite. It’s wonderful to hear the pumpkin roll was a hit at the even too! Happy baking!
I loved this recipe. You would never think it didn’t have gluten. I was hoping you have a lemon version for spring/summer.
Thank you
Debbie
Hi Debbie! We’re so pleased you loved the pumpkin roll this much. Thank you for the kind review! We don’t currently have a GF lemon roll recipe, but for a citrusy springtime bake, we have this GF lemon layer cake or these GF orange rolls (not the same kind of roll, but still delicious!). Happy baking!
Hi Erin! I was a little anxious about trying a roll cake, having never done one, but your video helped greatly. I have recently become ” Gluten sensitive” and have had a great many failures in the food prep department. I have made this cake twice and it turned out perfect both times. It was easy to prepare, presented just like your photos and, was delicious! My non-GF husband and son both loved it! My husband advised that this should be the recipe I use when taking a cake to a gathering. High praise indeed! I used a flour blend from my Gluten Free Bible and a friend, who is Celiac, was delighted with it. I also used Lactose-free cream cheese, as that is also part of my dietary restrictions now. I will definitely be surfing your recipes for more ideas. Thank you!
Hi Judy! Thank you for sharing your baking journey with us! Roll cakes can definitely be intimidating so we’re very pleased to hear that the video helped and your cake turned out amazing. We hope you love your next bake just as much!
Massive hit with both the gluten-free and gluten-eating members of my family. The pumpkin and filling helps it stay moist and avoid the dryness or crumbliness so many gluten free desserts have!
Hi Grace, thanks so much for your review! Happy to hear you all enjoyed it!
This was absolutely the best GF pumpkin roll I’ve ever made. I also made it dairy free. I used Violife cream cheese which, in my opinion is the closest tasting to real cream cheese. Make the frosting at least a day before and let it sit in the fridge to firm up. No one could believe it was both gluten-free and dairy free! Thank you for a great recipe!
Hi Stephanie, thank you so much for your review! So glad everyone loved it and great tips on the dairy-free option!
Suggestion – do not leave the DF cream cheese out to get room temp as the recipe suggests. My filling was liquid! I didn’t think to put it back in the fridge before I spread, but still – everyone loved it!! It was so gratifying to make my FIRST roll and have it turn out great!
Hi Tracy, thanks for the feedback! Glad they still turned out for you!
Very happy to have had a non pie thanksgiving dessert that was also GF and DF. It was my first attempt at a roll and overall quite successful. I feel like the picture is a tad misleading because the cream layer in it is so thick. I knew going in there was no way 1 package of cream cheese and 1 cup of powdered sugar was going to make anything more then a very thin layer of cream across all that cake, but it was a delicious layer and that’s the important thing. 🙂 And honestly it’s so rich I wouldn’t even want it thicker. I guess the picture just had me imagining a more balanced looking Swiss roll.
Hi Theresa, thanks for taking the time to comment! Glad the cream cheese/cake ratio worked out for you in the end!
This is amazing! This is the only pumpkin roll recipe I make and take to gatherings. Everyone loves it. It’s so moist and doesn’t have that gritty texture like most gluten free desserts.
Hi Ashley, thanks so much for your positive review! We really appreciate it!
Any help on cracking? I’ve tried making these 4 times and every single time my cake cracks and splits in half! I’m following the directions to the letter, so I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. I’m not subbing any ingredients and I measure by weight.
Hi Stephanie, we’re sorry you’ve had this experience! If following the recipe’s measurements and instruction exactly, then most likely it’s a case of overbaking. Even 1-2 minutes too long for your oven can impact a roll like this. If it seems like your oven is running hotter, you could even try reducing the temperature by 25°F, then baking slightly longer for a lower, slower bake. Make sure your dusting of powdered sugar on the towel is thick and roll it immediately while it’s still hot. We hope these ideas help!
I have made many pumpkin rolls in the past and I absolutely love them, but after I was diagnosed with celiac disease, I haven’t even tried the pumpkin roll recipe, but I thought tonight I would try this one and I’m so happy with it. It was delicious. thank you so much for the recipe.
Yay! We’re so happy to hear you loved the pumpkin rolls! Thank you for taking the time to share your positive experienced with us, Phyllis!
Hello! This recipe was delicious, but how can I make the icing thicker. It was really this. I added extra powdered sugar as well.
Hi Sarah, the best way to thicken the filling is to add more powdered sugar and to make sure the cake is completely cool so that it doesn’t melt the filling when you spread it on the cake. Next time you could also try adding the butter softened, instead of melted, and see if that helps before adding the extra powdered sugar. We hope this helps!
So delicious; this will definitely be made again. I added pumpkin pie spice and a little honey.
We’re so glad you enjoyed the pumpkin roll, Karla! Those additions sound delicious, too. Thank you for sharing your positive feedback with us!
I made this with GF Jules flour and it was AMAZING! As a celiac, I don’t really trust anything unless I made it and I never thought I would have a “good” pumpkin roll again. I rave about this to everyone and it gives such hope to the GF world that we CAN eat good stuff again! Thanks so much for sharing this gem!
Aww, we’re so pleased you enjoyed the pumpkin roll recipe so much! Thank you for the kind feedback. It’s also great to know that flour blend worked well for you!