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Home » Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls (The BEST & Fluffiest!)

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls (The BEST & Fluffiest!)

February 23, 2019 By Chandice | 26 Comments | Updated October 30, 2020

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These are hands down the BES›T gluten-free cinnamon rolls and you will never believe they are gluten-free! #glutenfreecinnamonrolls #cinnamonrolls #glutenfreebakedgoods #gooeycinnamonrolls #fluffycinnamonrolls

These truly are the BEST gluten-free cinnamon rolls! They are soft, fluffy and so full of ooey, gooey deliciousness. I promise you will never find a better gluten-free flour based recipe out there!

Overhead view of Gooey iced cinnamon rolls sitting on a white plate.

You guys, my mom has done it; she has truly achieved the best gluten-free cinnamon rolls ever! While it’s hard to believe you could get a big, fluffy cinnamon roll like this gluten-free, it’s now possible.

What makes these the BEST gluten-free cinnamon rolls

The secret lies in the technique of making these special gluten-free cinnamon rolls. After many times of trial and error, we found that you just can’t get enough filling inside the rolls unless you first freeze the brown sugar and butter into a block.

It’s the same tried and true techniques that go into the BEST gluten-free crescent rolls and gluten-free sourdough crescent rolls you will ever have as well. They are so flaky and delicious! There is a bunch of rich, creamy butter grated onto the dough before rolling.

As with all good things, they take a bit more time and effort. I recommend making them for special occasions like Christmas morning and Easter. These are 110% worth the energy put into them.

Can I make them with gluten-free all-purpose flour?

I am going to put this in all caps so there is no misunderstanding…

IF YOU WANT THIS TRUE CINNAMON ROLL RESULT, YOU MUST NOT EXCHANGE OUT THE INGREDIENTS IN THE RECIPE FOR A GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR BLEND.

These measurements have been tested over and over (and over and over and over again) to get the cinnamon rolls just perfect.

Gooey gluten-free cinnamon rolls topped with cream cheese frosting and brown sugar drizzle with a piece on a fork.

How to make gluten-free cinnamon rolls

The day before, combine 1 lb butter, 2 C brown sugar and 4 T cinnamon in a stand mixer then shape into a block that can be frozen and grated. Freeze that block for at least 12 hours but it can be longer.

I like to line a square tupperware with plastic wrap before putting the mixture in so it pops out easily and the plastic can be peeled right off (shown in photos 3 and 4).

Step-by-step instructions for making the BEST gluten-gree cinnamon rolls. Here you see the dough in a pile, being rolled out and the frozen brown sugar butter filling in a dish.

When you are ready to make the gluten-free cinnamon rolls, you will mix the dough together in your stand mixer and then place it on a large white rice floured piece of plastic wrap (shown in photo 1).

It will be sticky, that’s how it is supposed to be. Otherwise, you will have overly dry dough once you bake it.

Pro Tip: Spray your hands with non-stick cooking spray before removing the dough from the stand mixer. This will help keep your hands from sticking to the dough.

Next, you will lightly white rice flour the dough and roll it out into a rectangle shape about 18×24 inches (shown in photo 2). Next comes that ooey, gooey filling!

Remove your butter from the freezer and take off the plastic wrap if you used it. Begin grating the block over the rolled out rectangle of dough (shown below).

Frozen brown sugar butter cinnamon roll filling being grated by a little boy onto the dough.

It takes some elbow grease but you can doooo iiiit! Make sure the grated butter is evenly distributed on the dough. It will be a large pile.

What a genius my mom is to come up with this method right? I mean, how else can you possibly get THAT much gooey filling in without it melting right out? It is an extra step, but it’s the key and totally worth it.

Step-by-step instructions for rolling and slicing gluten-free cinnamon rolls.

Starting at one end, roll the dough into a cylinder (shown in photos 5 and 6). As you go, tuck the edges in with your hands so it stays even. This will keep the dough from hanging out on the ends and gives you a pretty, even gluten-free cinnamon roll.

Slice the dough into 10 equally sized pieces (shown in photos 7 and 8). Round them out into nice circles with your hands (shown in photo 9). Place 6 in a greased 9×13 pan and 4 in a 8×8 pan (shown in photo 10).

Step-by-step instructions for molding and place gluten-free cinnamon rolls into the glass pan.

Let rise for 1 hour on bread proof or at 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Once they have risen for an hour, bake them at 350 degrees for 22-24 minutes.

Two glass pans filled with gluten-free cinnamon rolls, rising in the oven.

While the cinnamon rolls are baking, prepare the frosting. Simply whip the butter, softened cream cheese, vanilla and powdered sugar together until smooth and creamy.

Remove from rolls from the oven and frost what you plan to eat immediately. Save the remaining frosting for the next time you plan to eat a cinnamon roll so that you are able to warm it slightly first.

Up close shot of an unfrosted gluten-free cinnamon roll in a glass dish.

Pro tip: After frosting the cinnamon rolls, drizzle with the leftover brown sugar and butter sauce from the baking pan. This is, of course optional, but let me tell you, they make these gluten-free cinnamon rolls extra incredible!

Big, fluffy gluten-free cinnamon roll with cream cheese frosting and brown sugar drizzle on a white plate on a blue and white towel.

What brand of individual gluten-free flours do you recommend?

I personally like Bob’s Red Mill sweet white rice, brown rice, tapioca starch, xanthan gum and arrowroot powder. They come in smaller, more budget friendly priced bags. They are also readily available at most grocery stores.

I also like Anthony’s brand of those same products on Amazon. He also has the potato starch that I use. Remember NOT to purchase potato flour, it is much heavier. You definitely want potato starch.

I recommend buying small bags of each individual flour until you know how much you will use in general gluten-free baking. Then you can purchase the flours you use more often in bulk.

Many of our best gluten-free baking recipes including these decadent peanut butter bars use multiple flours to get that perfect taste and texture.

Two gluten-free cinnamon rolls on a white plate sitting on a blue and white towel that is on a wood table.

As you all know my mom (Tana Besendorfer) is an incredibly talented baker. I can’t say enough about how talented my she is! Once you make these gluten-free cinnamon rolls just once, you will know exactly what I mean.

In our cookbook, Gluten-Free on a Budget, she created 70% of the recipes. This includes her famous flaky pie crust that can be rolled out and sliced into a lattice piecrust.

How do I store these gluten-free cinnamon rolls?

These rolls are fantastic right out of the oven nice and warm, but they are also good at room temperature the next day.

Once they have cooled, you can store them in an airtight container. They are good for up to 5 days at room temperature on the counter but are best within the first 3 days.

What other gluten-free goodies do you recommend I make next?

These Gluten-Free Raspberry Toaster Pastries are also incredible! Our big, Gluten-Free Buttermilk Biscuits have pockets of soft butter throughout and they are always a hit on our dinner table.

My husband always asks for these Gluten-Free Belgian Waffles and he isn’t gluten-free, so I would say they are really good. They go great with my friend Abbey of The Butter Half’s baked frittata. 

If you want another incredible baked good recipe, I highly suggest this cinnamon roll cake from my friend Chrystal at Gluten-Free Palate. My friend Michelle or My Gluten-Free Kitchen also has a great pull apart cinnamon rolls recipe also.

If you love this recipe, please let us know below. Consider leaving a comment, a rating or sharing on social media. We are so grateful for wonderful readers like YOU! See more of what we love on our Pinterest page…

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The BEST Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls

Straight on shot of a gluten-free cinnamon roll being cut into with a fork.
4.79 from 14 votes
You guys, my mom has done it; she has truly achieved the best gluten-free cinnamon rolls ever! While it’s hard to believe you could get a big, fluffy cinnamon roll like this gluten-free, it’s now possible.
PRINT RECIPE
Prep Time: 2 hrs
Cook Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 2 hrs 25 mins
Course: Breads
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cinnamon rolls, fluffy cinnamon rolls, gluten-free cinnamon rolls
Servings: 10 rolls
Calories: 802kcal
Author: Chandice Probst

Ingredients

  • 1 C brown rice flour
  • 1 C white sticky flour sweet rice flour
  • 1 C tapioca starch
  • 1 C potato starch
  • 1/2 C arrowroot powder
  • 3 tsp. xanthan gum
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 C sugar divided
  • 1 tsp. gelatin
  • 1 T yeast
  • 1 T sugar
  • 1 C warm milk or 1 C water and 3 T buttermilk powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 C coconut oil
  • 1/2 C butter
  • 2 T ground or milled chia
  • 1/2 C warm water
  • 1 lb butter
  • 2 C brown sugar
  • 4 T cinnamon
  • Frosting:
  • 2 8 oz. packages cream cheese, soft
  • 1/2 C butter soft
  • 2 C powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp. gluten-free vanilla

Instructions

  • The day before combine 1 lb butter, 2 C brown sugar and 4 T cinnamon well then shape into a block that can be frozen and grated
  • Freeze that block for at least 12 hours but it can be longer
  • Place 2 T milled chia and 1/2 C warm water in a cup, let soak 2 minutes
  • Meanwhile, dissolve yeast and 1 T sugar in warm milk, let sit to proof
  • Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine all flours, starches, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, sugar and gelatin
  • In another bowl, mix the soaked milled chia and yeast mixture together with eggs, coconut oil, butter and apple cider vinegar
  • Slowly add that mixture to the flour mixture in stand and combine until well blended
  • Roll the dough out to a rectangle shape about 18x24 inches on plastic wrap that is heavily sprinkled with white rice flour
  • Grate the frozen butter brown sugar mixture onto the dough evenly, it will be a large pile
  • Starting at one end, roll the dough into a cylinder and as you go, tuck the edges in with your hands so it stays even. This will keep from dough hanging out on the ends and gives you an even roll
  • Slice into 10 equally sized pieces
  • Round them out into nice circles with your hands
  • Place 6 in a greased 9x13 pan and 4 in a 8x8 pan
  • Let rise for 1 hour on bread proof or 100 degrees
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 22-24 minutes
  • Meanwhile, prepare the frosting by whipping the butter, softened cream cheese, vanilla and powdered sugar together until smooth and creamy
  • Remove from oven and frost what you plan to eat immediately

Notes

IF YOU WANT THIS TRUE CINNAMON ROLL RESULT, YOU MUST NOT EXCHANGE OUT THE INGREDIENTS IN THE RECIPE FOR A GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR BLEND.
It is also important to note that while freezing the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon mixture is an extra step that take some prep, it gives you the most delicious gooey filling that you can't get any other way. 
These freeze well in an airtight container for up to 3 months. To unthaw, let them sit at room temperature in the airtight container. When you are ready to eat them, warm them in the microwave for 45 seconds then spread cream cheese frosting on thick. 
You can also store them at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days, although they are best within the first 3 days. 

Nutrition

Calories: 802kcal | Carbohydrates: 152g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 85g | Saturated Fat: 54g | Cholesterol: 231mg | Sodium: 919mg | Potassium: 533mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 91g | Vitamin A: 2405IU | Vitamin C: 0.7mg | Calcium: 235mg | Iron: 1.9mg

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Filed Under: Breads, Featured Tagged With: bread, breakfast, cinnamon rolls, easter

Chandice of This Vivacious Life

Hi, I'm Chandice!

Parties, gatherings, gorgeous food and ESPECIALLY holidays with my people are what make my heart pitter patter. Having a place to share our favorite traditions, recipes and celebrations is very important to me. I live each day with unapologetic, authentic happiness and hope to help others do the same. More About Chandice

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sarita Shanley says

    December 25, 2020 at 5:34 pm

    My husband was diagnosed with celiac 3 years ago. Since then it has been trial and error on baked goods (mostly errors!). One thing that he loved before his diagnosis was cinnamon rolls. I am very happy to say that he was practically in tears this morning when he tried these. He has really missed some things but my heart is warm knowing that he has cinnamon rolls again. Thank you for a great recipe. Absolutely delicious!

    Reply
    • Chandice says

      January 7, 2021 at 5:06 pm

      This just made my day! So glad your husband was pleased. Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂

      Reply
  2. Katie says

    December 19, 2020 at 5:49 pm

    Hi! I followed the recipe exactly, but my rolls didn’t rise at all within the hour on oven bread proof. Any ideas on what could have gone wrong or how I can fix?

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Chandice says

      December 19, 2020 at 6:27 pm

      I’ve never heard that. Did you make sure to proof your yeast before adding it to the dough? Maybe your yeast was no longer good.

      Reply
      • Katie says

        December 20, 2020 at 1:22 am

        Hi!!! Yes, it proofed perfectly in the bowl. Brand new package of yeast. After about an hour and a half in the oven, I ended up putting boiling water in the oven with them and it worked after another hour. It’s been pretty cold, so I’m wondering if the air is too dry in our house??? It was strange, but it worked eventually! They were delicious.

        Planning to make again for Christmas. Any advice on making ahead of time and then baking fresh Christmas morning?

      • Katie says

        December 20, 2020 at 2:03 am

        Hi!! Yeast was brand new and proofed well in the bowl. I think maybe our air was too cold/dry! I ended up adding boiling water to the oven and gave them another hour and they fluffed up pretty well! They ended up being delicious!

        Planning to try again for Christmas morning – any advice on making them ahead of time and baking fresh morning of?

  3. Breanna says

    November 3, 2020 at 12:53 pm

    5 stars
    I have had celiac for half my life and have tried many different recipes. These are by far the best cinnamon rolls. Me and my mom make them at least once a month. We freeze and eat throughout the month.

    Reply
    • Chandice says

      November 3, 2020 at 9:20 pm

      Awww! You have NO idea how much this comment means to me!! My mom and I love making them together too. 🙂

      Reply
  4. Janet O. says

    April 28, 2020 at 4:57 am

    Another baked good that I made so often prior to my celiac diagnosis. I haven’t tried a gluten free recipe for these yet. My attempts with GF dinner roll recipes left me discouraged. I am going to make your crescent roll recipes first, and then I will be trying these cinnamon rolls! My celiac sister is going to be thrilled–and so am I!! 🙂

    Reply
    • Chandice says

      May 2, 2020 at 4:12 am

      I am so glad to hear this! You will love them 🙂

      Reply
  5. Jaimee Johanning says

    April 12, 2020 at 2:25 pm

    5 stars
    These are amazing! I’ve tried 3 or 4 GF cinnamon roll recipes and they all claimed to be the “BEST!” They were all good, but still left us a little disappointed. Today, we found a winner. My family declared them perfect and couldn’t think of a single improvement! They were soft and squishy and just delicious! I did not plan ahead enough so I wasn’t able to freeze the butter, so I ended up just melting the butter and mixing it with the cinnamon and sugar (I only used 2 sticks of butter-instead of 4) and spreading it on the dough, and they still turned out perfect. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Chandice says

      April 16, 2020 at 11:21 pm

      Hi Jaimee, I am so so happy to hear this! Thanks for taking the time to let us know. They are definitely our favorite too. 🙂 So glad it worked with less butter and not having to freeze. I will add that tip to the post. If you haven’t tried our crescent rolls yet, I highly recommend them!

      Reply
  6. Amanda LaRose says

    February 2, 2020 at 6:34 pm

    5 stars
    These are absolutely incredible!!!!! Thank you! My husband, who is not gluten free, liked these more than my regular flour cinnamon rolls which are also amazing! I also sprinkled white rice flour over the top before rolling because the dough was so sticky.

    Reply
    • Chandice says

      February 8, 2020 at 12:12 am

      Aw thanks Amanda, I absolutely love receiving messages like this! Have you tried our crescent rolls?

      Reply
  7. Amanda LaRose says

    February 2, 2020 at 6:33 pm

    These are absolutely incredible!!!!! Thank you! My husband, who is not gluten free, liked these more than my regular flour cinnamon rolls which are also amazing! I also sprinkled white rice flour over the top before rolling because the dough was so sticky.

    Reply
  8. Erin says

    December 21, 2019 at 4:23 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve made these twice now and they truly taste the closest to “real” cinnamon rolls of any GF recipe! Love how bready and delicious they turned out. Grating the butter is genius too!

    Reply
  9. Debra Robinson (Mary Probst’s sister) says

    September 21, 2019 at 2:58 am

    5 stars
    Just made these cinnamon rolls, for the second time, for my daughter-in-law! They are the best!!! So grateful to have this recipe! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Chandice says

      September 24, 2019 at 2:54 am

      Oh this makes my heart so happy! We are so glad you love these, thank you for taking the time to leave this message. It made my day! 🙂

      Reply
  10. Tera says

    April 26, 2019 at 11:26 pm

    5 stars
    Seriously amazing!!

    Reply
    • Chandice says

      April 29, 2019 at 7:09 pm

      I am so glad you guys like them!

      Reply
  11. Brooke Besendorfer says

    April 26, 2019 at 11:23 pm

    5 stars
    They’re so delicious and soft!!

    Reply
    • Chandice says

      April 29, 2019 at 7:11 pm

      Thank you, I am glad you liked them! Yes, I definitely love how soft and buttery they are too! 🙂

      Reply
  12. Abbey says

    April 25, 2019 at 6:18 pm

    5 stars
    I always struggle with getting the right texture in my gluten free baking, and the apple cider vinegar definitely helps! Thanks for all the detailed tips. Really great recipe!

    Reply
    • Chandice says

      April 26, 2019 at 3:14 am

      I am so glad the detailed tips helped you. Once you have a really good gluten-free cinnamon roll, you can never go back, right? 🙂

      Reply
  13. Cindy G. says

    March 17, 2019 at 9:44 pm

    5 stars
    These rolls were a lot of work to make but they are AMAZING! I made the recipe as directed using all of the different flours, etc. The only thing I did differently was made only half of the frosting. Next time, I will put more of the rice flour on the plastic wrap when I roll out the dough. It kind of stuck to the wrap but that was my fault, the recipe said to use a lot! So glad I found this recipe!

    Reply
    • Chandice says

      March 19, 2019 at 2:50 am

      This just made my day! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this reply and rating Cindy. I always love hearing others experience with my favorite recipes. I hope it becomes a new family classic for you. 🙂 If you love this, you will also love our crescent rolls and buttermilk biscuits…

      Reply

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Chandice of This Vivacious Life

Hi there, I’m Chandice!

I love sharing ways to live more vivaciously! Celebrate life with us through unforgettable gluten-free recipes, easy mocktails and everyday entertaining ideas…

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