These gluten-free cinnamon rolls are out-of-control delicious! They taste like Cinnabon copycats, but with zero gluten. They’re soft and tender with a perfect swirly filling and cream cheese frosting. Perfect for Christmas morning breakfast or anytime!
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Why These Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls Are So Good!
- These cinnamon rolls taste just like the ones from Cinnabon, but they are 100% gluten-free.
- They can be made ahead of time and reheated for an easy breakfast or brunch option.
- The cream cheese frosting is so good, this is the only cinnamon roll recipe you will need!
How to Make Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls
- Important note: Make sure your warmed milk and melted butter are not too hot; they should feel warm to the touch but not hot. If they’re too hot, they can kill the yeast. Check them with a thermometer before each step in which they come in contact with the yeast for foolproof gluten-free cinnamon rolls!
- Add the white sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer (Or large mixing bowl if you prefer to knead by hand) and pour warm milk over. Stir to combine. Pour the yeast in and set aside until bubbly or frothy; you should see a sort of film on the top of the mixture at least. This will take about 5 minutes.
- Add the melted butter (About 110º F; warm to the touch but not hot) to the yeast mixture. Stir in whisked eggs and apple cider vinegar. Add in gluten-free flour, baking powder, salt, and xantham gum if your gluten-free flour does not contain it (See Note). Attach the bread hook to the mixer and mix on medium speed for about 5 minutes or until dough pulls away from sides of the bowl and is soft. It should not feel dry but a bit sticky. See Note to mix by hand.
- Lightly oil a large mixing bowl and transfer dough to bowl. Cover and place in a warm spot. Let rise for 1 hour. If your spot is cooler, it may take a little longer to rise, but the dough should be a bit puffier and should leave an indentation when poked. It will not double in size.
- Meanwhile, make the cinnamon filling. In a medium bowl, add all ingredients and use a fork to mix very well. Alternately, beat all ingredients together with a stand mixer and paddle attachment.
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Lightly coat a 9×13” baking dish with softened butter or cooking spray.
- Lay a 12×16” piece of parchment paper on the counter. Scrape the dough on top. Press the dough to fit the parchment sheet; the dough should be about 12×16” as well. It’s OK if it doesn’t quite fit the entire sheet.
- Evenly spread the cinnamon filling on the rectangle of dough, leaving 1/2” bare at one end (short side, not long side).
- Carefully, use the parchment sheet to begin tightly rolling the dough. Use the parchment to fold over the first 1” or so of the short side with filling all the way to the edge. Continue rolling the dough by folding the parchment over to the other side. It will roll naturally.
- Cut the roll into 12 equal pieces. Place evenly into a baking dish and bake 25-30 minutes. They will not puff up like cinnamon rolls with gluten in them but will become a bit fuller and should be a little golden brown. Do not overbake!
- Meanwhile, make your cream cheese frosting. Add cream cheese and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl and beat until completely combined. Cream cheese should be totally smooth with no solid lumps. Add in powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt; beat on medium speed until combined.
- When cinnamon rolls are finished baking, remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before slathering tops with cream cheese frosting (A butter knife or offset spatula work well). Serve with additional cream cheese frosting.
Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls Are the Perfect Make-Ahead Breakfast For the Holidays
We love having cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning, and these are perfect when you are catering for overnight guests. For a stress-free morning, you can also make these ahead of time.
Keep them in an air-tight container at room temperature up to 3 days; 5 days in the fridge. To reheat, warm in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Microwaving produces moister and more tender reheated cinnamon rolls than the oven.
They Taste Just Like Cinnabon!
Even those these rolls are gluten-free, they taste just like Cinnabon and they are so good! Because they are GF, they won’t rise as much as dough with gluten would, but I promise you they taste exactly the same! The cream cheese frosting is to die for!
Can You Freeze Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls?
You can easily get ahead of the game by freezing these rolls…
You can freeze the rolls, baked but unfrosted. Later, you can thaw them out, warm them for just a few minutes in the oven, and ice them while warm.
You can also freeze the rolls completely iced and finished. Just allow them to cool, cover with plastic wrap and foil and pop in the freezer.
Top Tips To Make These Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls
- Make sure your warmed milk and melted butter are not too hot; they should feel warm to the touch but not hot.
- Gluten-free flour behaves differently from brand to brand! You may experience different results based on your gluten-free flour. Use the recommended flour from Bob’s Red Mill for the best results.
- If your dough seems overly sticky or unmanageable, gradually add in more flour. Start with just one tablespoon, and add more by the tablespoon as needed.
- Take care not to over bake the rolls!
For More Gluten Free Recipes:
- Gluten Free Stuffing
- Gluten Free Cornbread with Honey
- Perfectly Crispy Gluten Free Fried Chicken
- Gluten Free Paleo Blueberry Muffins
- Perfect Paleo Brownies (Gluten Free)
- Crispy Gluten Free Onion Rings
- Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies
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Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls (Cinnabon Copycat)
These gluten free cinnamon rolls are out-of-control delicious! They taste like Cinnabon copycats, but with zero gluten. They're soft and tender with a perfect swirly filling and cream cheese frosting
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Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1 cup warm milk or alt-milk (like almond, oat, macadamia milk), warmed to 110°-115°F, see Note
- 1 packet active dry yeast 2 ¼ teaspoons
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled until just warm to the touch, about 110°-115°F, see Note
- 2 eggs whisked
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose gluten-free flour see Notes
- 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum only if flour doesn't contain it already, see Notes
- 2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 12×16” sheet of parchment paper
For the Cinnamon Filling
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 3 tablespoons cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened, or margarine
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 6 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Important note: Make sure your warmed milk and melted butter are not too hot; they should feel warm to the touch but not hot. If they’re too hot, they can kill the yeast. Check them with a thermometer before each step in which they come in contact with the yeast for foolproof gluten-free cinnamon rolls!
- Add the white sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl if you prefer to knead by hand) and pour warm milk over. Stir to combine. Sprinkle the yeast over and set aside until bubbly or frothy; you should see a sort of film on the top of the mixture at least. This will take about 5 minutes.
- Add the melted butter (About 110º F; warm to the touch but not hot) to the yeast mixture. Stir in whisked eggs and apple cider vinegar. Add in gluten-free flour, baking powder, salt, and xantham gum if your gluten-free flour does not contain it (See Note). Attach the bread hook to the mixer and mix on medium speed for about 5 minutes or until dough pulls away from sides of the bowl and is soft. It should not feel dry but a bit sticky. See Note to mix by hand.
- Lightly oil a large mixing bowl and transfer dough to bowl. Cover and place in a warm spot. Let rise 1 hour. If your spot is cooler, it may take a little longer to rise, but the dough should be a bit puffier and should leave an indentation when poked. It will not double in size.
- Meanwhile, make the cinnamon filling. In a medium bowl, add all ingredients and use a fork to mix very well. Alternately, beat all ingredients together with a stand mixer and paddle attachment.
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Lightly coat a 9×13” baking dish with softened butter or cooking spray.
- Cut a piece of parchment paper to about 12×18” and lay on the counter. Scrape the dough on top. Press the dough to fit the parchment sheet; the dough should be about 12×16” as well. It’s OK if it doesn’t quite fit the entire sheet.
- Evenly spread the cinnamon filling on the rectangle of dough, leaving ½” bare at one end (short side, not long side).
- Carefully, use the parchment sheet to begin tightly rolling the dough. Use the parchment to fold over the first 1” or so of the short side with filling all the way to the edge. Continue rolling the dough by folding the parchment over to the other side. It will roll naturally.
- Cut the roll into 12 equal pieces. Place evenly into baking dish and bake 25-30 minutes. They will not puff up like cinnamon rolls with gluten in them but will become a bit fuller and should be a little golden brown. Do not overbake!
- Meanwhile, make your cream cheese frosting. Add cream cheese and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl and beat until completely combined. Cream cheese should be totally smooth with no solid lumps. Add in powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt; beat on medium speed until combined.
- When cinnamon rolls are finished baking, remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before slathering tops with cream cheese frosting (A butter knife or offset spatula work well). Serve with additional cream cheese frosting.
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Notes
- Flour: I recommend using Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour. Gluten-free flour behaves differently from brand-to-brand, so you may experience different results based on the type of flour you use. Use the recommended flour from Bob’s Red Mill for best results.
- Xanthan Gum: If your gluten-free all-purpose flour blend does not have xanthan gum, add 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum to the mixer when adding flour blend and baking powder. The recommended gluten-free flour (Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour) already has xanthan gum and does not need this ingredient added.
- Sticky Dough: If your dough seems overly sticky or unmanageable, gradually increase the amount of flour. Start with one additional tablespoon of flour, adding more as needed to make the dough workable.
- Mixer: If mixing by hand instead of using a stand mixer, add all ingredients as directed in steps #3 and #4 to a large mixing bowl. Stir with a spatula until mixed well. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for 1-2 minutes. You are not creating gluten by kneading this dough, but kneading will help incorporate all ingredients as smoothly as if you used a stand mixer.
- Frosting: This recipe makes plenty of cream cheese frosting because I’m pretty sure that’s the best part! You will not need all of the frosting when glazing the cinnamon rolls in the baking dish; keep for serving and reheating!
- Storage & Reheating: Keep in an air-tight container at room temperature up to 3 days; 5 days in the fridge. To reheat, warm in the microwave about 30 seconds. Microwaving produces moister and more tender reheated cinnamon rolls than the oven.
Nutrition
Serving: 1rollCalories: 536kcalCarbohydrates: 74gProtein: 6gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 245mgPotassium: 56mgFiber: 5gSugar: 47gVitamin A: 632IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 143mgIron: 2mgNet Carbs: 69g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She’s been a blogger for 10+ years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of three who lives in Memphis, TN.
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Jan says
I made these a few months back and I thought these were really good and I’m planning on making another batch today, Just a suggestion to avoid possible confusion with the flour. I noticed before the recipe you state to use the recommended BRM flour, then in the recipe you call for all-purpose GF flour with a note comment. The note comment states to use BRM 1 to 1. BRM does make a GF all-purpose flour but it is the one with garbanzo bean and fava bean flours in the ingredients and would taste terrible in this recipe. The actual name for the flour you recommend in this recipe is BRM 1 to 1 GF Baking Flour. I’m simply suggesting you consider altering the recipe to state the correct BRM GF flour blend you are recommending to use and not tuck it away in the notes at the end.
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
Thanks for the feedback and tips, Jan! We’ll take that into consideration.
Kate Yonder says
This recipe is amazing! I will no longer be purchasing cinnamon rolls at the local gf bakery for $8/tart-size roll.
The only substitute I made was swapping out a cup of flour for tapioca flour for more springyness and dough-like texture.
Also, I learned that eating these cold out of the fridge will make for a pile of crumbs. It needs to be covered with a damp paper towel and warmed for a minute in the microwave to be fresh like freshly baked.
So addicting. Absolutely amazing.
And the title is wrong. These are not Cinnabon copycats. They’re way better.
Thank you for making gf better for all!
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
Thank you so much, Kate! We’re thrilled that you love these cinnamon rolls as much as we do. 🙂 And good tip re: warming them in the microwave!
Amie says
My dough came out really dry? Help please
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
Hi Amie, we’re sorry your dough came out dry. This typically happens when someone uses too much flour, or even if the surface the dough is rolled out on is over-floured. Could this have happened? It’s also important to mix the dough by hand using the bread hook so it’s not over-mixed. Hope this is helpful!
Anie says
This dough was really hard to work with. I did everything to a T, including using the Bob’s Red Mill 1-1, using my thermometer to have the right temps, etc. and the dough was like soup and never came off the sides of the mixing bowl. I had to use an extra cup of flour for it to be somewhat stiffer. It didn’t rise or anything. I had to use a ton more flour just to knead it after the hour was up so I could roll it and cut it, and it was still super sticky. I was able to roll them and bake them, and they somewhat kept a shape. They looked pretty distorted, though. Flavor wise… just okay. Texture was sorta fluffy, but dry and crumbly at the same time. I’ll have to play around and experiment more with this recipe.
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
We’re sorry you had this experience, Amie, but we do appreciate you sharing it with us. We hope it works out better next time.
Chris Martinez says
I was looking forward to this recipe because of the claim that, “They taste like Cinnabon copycats.” Unfortunately they do not at all, are very dry and break up very easily. I totally get that this recipe being gluten free is as good as it gets but would have liked to be told to not expect Cinnabon type cinnamon rolls. I just wish that the recipe lowered the standard for the claim. I had guest over in excitement and everyone was trying to be nice and tell me that they understand that they are gluten free. FYI, do not let them sit over night, they got so dry and could not be worked with. I made a second batch of dough and stuck to the recommended time of 1 hour to let the dough sit.
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
We’re sorry that you had this experience, as that’s never our intention when creating recipes. It can definitely be hard to satisfy cravings for foods that no longer comply with our new eating habits, like gluten-free. We appreciate the honest review.
Kate F says
This is a great recipe! If your dough is really sticky while trying to roll out, don’t add a lot more flour! Just roll it out between two lightly floured pieces of parchment paper and it should be easier. Watch them after 23-25 minutes so they don’t brown too much. They were the best and softest right after baking! Will definitely be making again!
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
So glad you enjoyed it, Kate!
Amanda says
Love these! Can the dough be made ahead?
Cheryl Malik says
Glad you love this recipe! Yes, the dough should be fine refrigerated ahead of time for up to 24 hours!
Neida Kamali says
Hi, I usually do regular yummy cinnamon rolls and orange rolls which are my favorite. My nephew was visiting he wanted some but my son’s girlfriend has severed Celiac. I was so glad to have found your recipe due to baking Gluten Free is new to me. The cinnamon rolls came out outstanding. My nephew was amaze that it was GF. My son’s girlfriend was so thrill, it had been four years that she had not had rolls. I am going to try the same recipe but for Orange Rolls. This recipe it’s a kkeeper and gluten free is delicious.
Cheryl Malik says
So happy to hear you all enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for the great review.
Amie Hohlbein says
My son has Celiac Disease and has been begging for cinnamon rolls. THANK YOU FOR THIS RECIPE. Three things we did slightly different that made this an awesome experience and treat for our family.
1. I didn’t have enough of Bob’s 1-1 GF baking flour, so I substituted the last cup of flour with Bob’s GF pancake mix. I baked for 23 minutes and they were perfectly moist and delicious!!!
2. We used a piece of parchment paper on the top and bottom of the dough while rolling it out. This kept the dough from sticking to the rolling pin and made the process super easy for my 7 and 9 year old to roll out the dough.
3. I put a dollop of icing on each roll while they were hot and then placed them back into the 350 degree oven for 30 seconds. This made the icing easy to spread.
ENJOY!
Cheryl Malik says
You’re very welcome! So glad this recipe worked for you and your son. Thanks for the great review!
Kay says
I need to update my rating… initially I gave it 1 star because it was such a nightmare to make. Dough would not roll, middle would not spread. It stuck to the parchment paper. I managed to half ass make 6. And they actually taste great… But it was so stressful to make them, and loose half the dough that I don’t know if I would ever attempt these again.
Cheryl Malik says
I’m sorry the process was stressful for you, that’s never our intention when creating recipes! I am glad they tasted great though. I appreciate the honest review.
Jolene says
Good for gluten-free! I’d recommend backing off on the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Cheryl Malik says
Thanks for the review!
Kristy says
My husband thought he would never have cinnamon rolls again since he’s gluten free. These were amazing!!! Thank you!!
Cheryl Malik says
A life without cinnamon rolls would be tough! I am so happy you enjoyed them!
Monica says
The flavor was really great and as promised, the cream cheese frosting was addictive. I was a little nervous about the 3 Tablespoons of cinnamon for the filling, but it was not overpowering. I have done some gluten free baking but not this type, so I was worried about it being as easy as depicted to work with the dough, but it really was almost as easy as it looked!
I had a problem with it being dry and grainy, though. But there were a couple things that likely contributed to that: 1) I don’t have a stand mixer so I mixed by hand and kneaded, using sweet rice flour to flour the surface, not too much but enough to make it not sticky. And 2) my oven only uses the lower element when baking, so I couldn’t get a golden color on top and wasn’t really sure when they were done so I added a few minutes. Plus I made them on Saturday without the frosting, then reheated Sunday morning so the frosting would get melty on top. After putting all that in writing, it seems obvious why they were dry! If I make them again I will try some of the suggestions here. Aside from the texture it was delicious. Oh, and definitely put ALL the frosting on! Maybe even use the whole stick of butter and the whole brick of cream cheese.
Cheryl Malik says
Glad it was flavorful and you enjoyed the frosting. Hopefully, it works out better the next time you make it!
Ashley says
I appreciate this recipe so much! Cinnamon rolls are in the oven now. I’m using a little orange zest in the icing to recreate a childhood favorite. Thank you!!!
Cheryl Malik says
Hope you enjoyed them!
Madeline says
Wow! I never write reviews but, 100% best gluten free cinnamon rolls. I made these at Christmas, and then tried a few other recipes between then and now, and made these today and they’re the best. All others were crumbly/dry/flat. I guess the key is the sticky dough? These are perfect and soft. I also make the dough at night and refrigerate before rolling it out/baking in the morning. I also pour cream on top before baking bc I read that on another blog and it’s delicious. (I don’t use any icing, but do use a whole stick of butter for the filling.) thanks 🙂
Christina Massie says
Made these luscious cinnamon rolls this morning , and they turned out very well! Considering the recipe is GF,( which usually means dry and flaky ) these were light and fluffy and very satisfying with all the divine cinnamon and oozing cream
cheese frosting .
I didn’t use Bobs Red Milk GF flour since it wasn’t available in our grocery store, King Arthur GF flour sufficed . Next time I’ll try with Bobs and see if I can detect the difference . All in all a very good GF recipe to keep and one I’ll make again when our GF son is in town . 😘
Ashley Mewherter says
These came out SO good!! I made them today for brunch and my brother who has had celiac disease for almost for 20 years ate almost half of them! The dough was very sticky but it was fairly easy to roll out using a rolling pin and a little extra flour on the parchment paper, which I was so happy with because I’ve worked with other GF flour in the past and have not had such a good time. You couldn’t even tell they were GF! Thanks so much for such a wonderful recipe!
Ally says
Cinnamon Roll cake—I made these exactly but when I went to roll out the dough it was way too sticky. I should have checked before rising and added more flour. I made it into a cake instead. I just mixed up the filling with the dough, spread in a 13×9 pan and baked for 25 minutes. Delicious!!
Marley says
This happened to me too.
Sara says
HOLY. MOLY. Pretty sure my boyfriend just ran out to buy me a ring after making these!! They were incredible- worth every step. Instructions were clear and I’m about to drink the frosting with a straw…it’s THAT good! Make extra cinnamon filling so you can hide and some from the bowl.
He couldn’t believe they were gluten and dairy free. I can’t believe I’m not Martha Stewart because this cinnamon rolls made me seem like her.
Keeping this recipe as a new Valentine’s Day tradition 🙂
Alistair says
This can’t be dairy free if you used cream cheese and butter. What did you use instead?
Michelle Vaillancourt says
I made mine GF/LF as well! Delicious. There are good brands of lactose free cream cheese, lactose free butter and lactose free milk.
Vanessa Piliponis says
Can adding too much flour make it not rise? I had to add a couple cups more than recipe because mine were so sticky I couldn’t get it out of the mixer. It also wouldnt pull away from edges. I guess we will see how it goes. It has been about 20 minutes. I will see if it rises any in the next hour. If it doesn’t rise any recommendations?
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
How’d it go?
Vanessa says
I am not good at baking, it turned out good other than it was very dry and crunchy. Now I know how important it is to have it be sticky. I have dairy allergy so I used Ghee instead of butter and the cinnamon solution totally melted off the cinnamon roll. There was still alot of stuff on it though to get the taste. I am learning. I never baked before.
Vanessa Huttenlocker says
It actually wasn’t too bad. I think it turned out too dry for me because i added too much flour. Other than that it was really yummy. My kids approved regardless. I used 1-1 flour. What I am confused about is it says on bobs red mill website that their all purpose baking flour is the best for cinnamon rolls. My issue with that is it doesn’t have xanthum gum. It also has a different carb content. I am going to try again soon. I am not a baker so this is so brand new to me lol
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
That’s good to hear! Definitely make sure you use xanthan gum and properly measure your flour! 🙂