These soft and fluffy gluten free cinnamon rolls are the real deal thanks to a secret ingredient! Complete with flour recommendations and easy step by step instructions.
This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure.
Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls. This is a recipe that has been requested dozens, if not hundreds, of times from our readers. Our family loves cinnamon rolls, and we wanted the gluten free version to be just as good as the regular recipe we used to enjoy.
As you might already know, gluten free yeast breads tend to be tricky. This is because gluten is a protein that is also a binding agent - it is what gives elasticity to baked goods holding them together and allowing them to rise.
Even when using xanthan gum as a binding agent, gluten free yeast breads can be dense and have a gritty texture. No one wants a dense and gritty cinnamon roll, and we don't think that should be your only option!
This really is the BEST gluten free cinnamon roll recipe, here's why:
Here in the Life After Wheat kitchen, we have been baking yeast breads and rolls for over 6 years. We know a lot of tricks to make those taste super good, and wanted to make a gluten free cinnamon roll that also didn't disappoint. And we did it thanks to a secret ingredient that we are soooo excited to share with you!
This recipe is a combination of many different recipes, ingredients, and techniques. There really isn't a single recipe that inspired this, and the secret ingredient? That's completely original.
After trying a few versions of these gluten free cinnamon rolls, I had one of those AHA! moments. A couple of years ago, we cracked the code on a soft and fluffy gluten free sugar cookie recipe by adding prepared pudding and I thought, Hey! Why not try adding prepared pudding to the cinnamon roll dough???
And it worked.
Prepared vanilla pudding gives these gluten free cinnamon rolls a sweet vanilla flavor and the perfect soft and fluffy texture - with no gritty texture or funky aftertaste.
To clarify, you're not using pudding powder straight out of the box. You'll buy a package of your favorite gluten free pudding and make it according to the package directions, then measure 1 cup of that prepared pudding and add it to the dough.
Jell-O Instant pudding is generally considered safe by the gluten free community because Kraft is pretty strict with their labeling. We also like Vivian's Live Again, which is a dairy free and gluten free pudding option. It is harder to find in stores but easy to order online.
If this is your first time making gluten free cinnamon rolls...
Don't worry, we've got you covered with easy to follow, step-by-step instructions PLUS a video so you can see exactly how to make them. We know gluten free baking can be intimidating, so we've tried to make this as easy as possible and set you up for success.
Please read through the recipe and recipe notes, and comment below if you have any questions. We work hard to answer every question that comes through.
Keep in mind that the brand of gluten free flour you use absolutely matters. We don't know how all the different flours will perform in this recipe, but we can guess because we regular test many of them. We have only used Better Batter for this recipe because it always performs well in yeast breads, so we knew it would work for gluten free cinnamon rolls, too 🙂
More information on flour can be found in the recipe notes below.
Looking for more breakfast inspiration?
Try these!
MAKING THIS RECIPE?? Snap a photo and tag @LifeAfterWheat on Social, then come back and leave a comment and/or rate the recipe!
Thanks for stopping by, ENJOY!
XOXO Celeste and the Life After Wheat team
Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In bowl of stand mixer, measure gluten free flour by stirring the flour, scooping into measuring cup, and leveling off with a knife.
- Add yeast, then salt on the opposite side of the bowl.
- Add prepared pudding, butter, eggs, and milk and mix on low-medium speed until dough is smooth. This should take 1-2 minutes. Don't mix on high.
- At this point, your dough should be quite sticky - see the attached video. If it is too think and not sticky enough, add milk a tablespoon at a time until it's the right consistency. If it is too wet and sticky, add flour a tablespoon at a time. Keep in mind that your dough needs to be quite sticky - much too sticky to handle. In the next step, you will coat the outside of your dough with flour so you can roll it out, but you want the dough itself to be nice and wet so that it will rise.
- Prepare cinnamon sugar filling by combining the butter, sugars, and cinnamon. Mix with a fork or pastry blender until combined and crumbly.
- Now it's time to roll out the dough. If you have a silpat or baking mat, that will make nice, non-stick surface to roll out your dough. A counter-top will work fine too.
- Sprinkle a tablespoon or two of gluten free flour or starch on your surface, put your dough on top, then sprinkle another tablespoon of flour or starch over it.
- You want your dough to remain nice and wet/sticky because gluten free dough soaks up a lot of moisture when it's baking. So try not to work the flour/starch into your dough, just coat it so you can roll it out.
- Once you have dusted your surface and dough, roll it out to about 16" by 11". If the rolling pin sticks to the dough, sprinkle a little more flour on.
- Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar filling over your dough and press it down gently.
- Starting at the longer end, roll the dough, trying to keep your roll as tight as possible. Once it is in a nice log, press down on the edges to seal them.
- Now it's time to slice. There are many methods, feel free to use your favorite. I have a dough scraper that I LOVE and use all the time (there's a link to it below). It does a great job and slicing the cinnamon rolls and is quick and easy. Some use floss, and that works well too.
- You're going to make a slice right in the middle, then cut each of those halves in half so you have 4 pieces. Next, cut each of those pieces into 3 slices. Now you'll have 12 cinnamon rolls of equal sizes 🙂
- Lightly grease a 9x13 baking pan and arrange your cinnamon rolls in 4 rows of 3.
- Cover your pan with plastic wrap or a light towel.
- Allow the cinnamon rolls to rise in a warm location. I heat my oven to 120 degrees F, turn off the oven, put the pan in, and close the door.
- Let the rolls double in size. check them after about 20 minutes, sometimes that's all it takes.
- Once the dough has risen to double its size, or almost double, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the pan from the oven before preheating.
- Once the oven is preheated, put the rolls in and bake for 25-30 minutes. Mine take the full 30 minutes. Your rolls should start to brown on top and be done in the middle. Once they're done, remove from the oven to cool in the pan.
- Prepare the frosting by creaming together the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until creamy.
- Frost the cinnamon rolls and serve! They are great warm, and best served the day you make them. If you have leftovers, store in an airtight container and warm them briefly in the microwave before serving.
Lisa Smock says
I have never made cinnamon rolls and tried these today. Amazing! Followed the recipe but used Bobs Red Mill gluten free baking flour. Will save for another date for sure. I thought they had the best texture at room temperature.
Becky says
I can't remember the last time I had a sweet roll. Yum!!! I think the texture was a little different than regular gluten sweet rolls but still good enough that my gluten eating family liked them. This was my first time rolling out gf dough so I am not used to the stickiness and may have added a bit too much flour when rolling but they were not dry. I also used cup for cup flour so I will definitely try again using the recommended flour and a little less flour when rolling. But over all I'm pretty excited about these! Printing this recipe. Thanks for sharing!
***Update the first one I ate right out of the oven. But I recommend letting them sit and the texture will correct itself. These are actually AMAZING after they have cooled off!
thereislifeafterwheat@gmail.com says
Yay! So glad you got to enjoy a sweet roll again! XO Celeste
anne-marie says
I find these pillowy and soft straight from the oven, but the next morning they have settled and dried out a bit. I use PC gf flour, could this be the reason?
Celeste Noland says
Gluten-free has a tendency to dry out quickly because of the rice flour. I find using gfJules brand gf flour helps, as does adding a few teaspoons of psyllium husk powder. Warming in the microwave can soften them up after a day or two, also.
Bridgette says
Love love love these cinnamon rolls! They are so big and fluffy. I used Bob's Red Mill 1to1 gluten free flour. I have made these twice now, and I also exchanged the pudding for Greek yogurt to make cheesy bread, flat bread pizza, and dinner rolls. Amazing and so versatile! Thank you so much!
Sandi says
Greek Yogurt to make them dinner rolls!! This is a genius idea.
Sandi says
Oh my gosh! Thank you for this recipe! I've been without a decent cinnamon roll for SO LONG. I followed the recipe exactly, with room temperature ingredients and Better Batter flour (the BEST gf flour, right???). These couldn't have been more soft and delicious. You would never know that were gluten free!!
Next time, I'm going to experiment with making them the night before, putting in the fridge, then leaving on the counter to warm for about 30 minutes before baking.
I'll keep you posted 😁
thereislifeafterwheat@gmail.com says
So glad you're enjoying cinnamon rolls again!! Please keep me posted, I've been meaning to try this myself.
Shelby says
I started making these last night for dinner and planned for them to rise this morning before baking. While making them I thought there was no way they’d turn out. I used bobs red mill 1-1 flour, active yeast vs instant yeast, and my pudding made with almond milk didn’t set before I mixed it in. When I
rolled he dough out it coated both sides of my parchment paper and was so sticky (although I added flour) and I thought I wouldn’t be able to salvage it but tried anyhow. Instead of cinnamon rolls I created a cinnamon casserole/cake. I let it rise for 1 hr this morning and by some miracle it turned out! The casserole was so moist and delicious! I honestly couldn’t believe something made out of gluten free flour could be that moist after baking after my historical recipes being much more dense.
thereislifeafterwheat@gmail.com says
So glad they were a success!
Katrin says
Hi, can you weigh your ingredients and post the amounts in gramm? I do have a measuring cup, but I find measuring 1/3 cup of butter very difficult. I made these the second time and they are not like rolls - more like little loafs of bread with cinnamon inside. Taste good, but could look better :o) Thank you!
thereislifeafterwheat@gmail.com says
It's on my list of projects! Hopefully I'll have that added soon 🙂
CJ says
Celeste, I cannot believe you respond to each comment, I'd lose my mind on some of these needy people. Good grief. Seriously, it's a free recipe, people have no right to make demands of you but you handle it with grace. Well done. Looking forward to making this today. And, great idea adding the pudding!
thereislifeafterwheat@gmail.com says
It's a challenge sometimes, but I love what I do and every time someone enjoys a recipe it makes it all worth it 🙂
Corrie says
Hello! I want to make these and really want to see the video since there are so many comments about the dough being the right consistency, but I cannot locate it. I've looked on desktop and on mobile, at the top of the post, a few paragraphs down, and on the recipe card and it seems to be gone. Do you have a link to it on YouTube or somewhere that I can use? Thank you!
thereislifeafterwheat@gmail.com says
So sorry, I had a technical error which is fixed now. The video is toward the top of the page, but you can also view the YouTube video here: https://youtu.be/AJI9yeeX3SY
anne-marie says
While I find these fluffy and soft straight from the oven, the next morning the have settled and dried out a bit. I se PC gf flour. Is this the reason?
Kelli says
Do you think vanilla yogurt could be used instead of vanilla pudding?
thereislifeafterwheat@gmail.com says
I haven't tried it and recommend sticking with the pudding.
Clarissa says
Thank you so much for the cinnamon roll recipe! My mom and myself have been gluten free for the last 39 years and have never had cinnamon rolls turn out as well as these! They have been a Christmas breakfast favorite for a few years now. I usually make these the morning of but this year I'm going to try your make ahead suggestion so that we have them tomorrow morning for Christmas breakfast. Merry Christmas!
thereislifeafterwheat@gmail.com says
Merry Christmas Clarissa! I'm so happy you and your mom are enjoying a favorite tradition again.
Donna says
When you recommend a flour, does that mean your own flour mix is NOT a good idea in this recipe? Or is that recommendation for someone who wants to buy their flour and not follow your mix and make it at home? And is this true of other recipes on your site? Will you state if your mix is appropriate in the recipe or if the store bought is better than your mix? In your introductory article you mention making this with your own mixture but then in the recipe it only recommends store bought brands.
Thank you SO much for all your research and work on these recipes!!! I've only tried one so far but it was wonderful! I'd like to try more but would prefer to make the flour to save money, if that is possible.
thereislifeafterwheat@gmail.com says
Hi Donna, great question! I know that my flour blend works great for all yeast breads/rolls. In the past few years, I have just used pre-made blends like Cup4Cup for other types of recipes so I can't be so sure, but it really is a good 1:1 sub.
Nancy Wells says
I made your cinnamon rolls with my 16-year-old granddaughter who has celiac. She took one bite and said, “So this is what I have been missing out on all my life?!” She loved them and was so glad to be able to eat a rather normal treat. Thank you for figuring out how to make gluten-free foods so tasty and then sharing that with us! I love your book!
Celeste Noland says
I love this so much! Thank you for coming back to comment!
Jill Rafos says
I just purchased your book and all necessary ingredients to make cinnamon rolls. The book recipe does not mention vanilla pudding. Therefore I don't have all the necessary ingredients to make these. Are there other surprises within the recipe pages that I can only find on line?
Celeste Noland says
The cinnamon roll recipes in my cookbook and on the blog are different. Honestly, they're both delightful and you really can't go wrong with either one! Some of the recipes in my cookbook are also found on my blog, some are exclusive to the cookbook 🙂
Kerry says
Do you use a dough hook or the regular paddle to mix? The video was too fast and blurry to tell!
Celeste Noland says
I use the paddle for all my bread recipes, gluten-free bread dough is too soft for the hook.
Denise says
I couldn't find the attached video to watch how sticky the dough will look. Can you send link?
Celeste Noland says
It's toward the top of the post, a few paragraphs down.
Erin says
I made these today! Goodness they are amazing. I used my own flour blend. I also used Country Crock plant based butter and I made my pudding with Planet Oat unsweetened Oat Milk. These are the best gluten free cinnamon rolls I have ever made! These will be my go do. I will be doubling the batch and making them for my co-workers next week.
Celeste Noland says
So happy you like them!
Annemarie says
These were the best Gluten free cinnamon rolls i've ever had!
Just wondering if they freeze well?
Celeste Noland says
Yes, they freeze great!
Annemarie says
Has anyone tried pouring heavy cream on top before baking to keep moist longer? They are delicious the way they are, but typical of gluten free the next day they do start to dry out a bit.
Burton Holmes says
I just made these and they turned out really well. The best cinnamon rolls I’ve made and I’ve been trying to make good gf cinnamon rolls for a decade. I used the King Arthur gluten-free measure for measure flour and sugar-free vanilla pudding. I also cooked them for 35 minutes, but we’re at 3000 feet altitude, so that may be the difference. They still didn’t get very brown but they were light and fluffy. They definitely doubled in size after letting them rise for an hour. I cut down the amount of sugar in the frosting to just 1/2 cup and that seemed plenty sweet.
Anne Marie says
Can I make these , put in the fridge or freezer and bake the next day?
Celeste Noland says
Great question, I have found they don't rise quite as well from frozen, but do pretty well being refrigerated overnight.
Whitney Hoefling says
Have you made the rolls the night before and baked the next day? If so do you refrigerate after they have risen or before?