Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls

These rolls answer a narrower question than the other gluten-free cinnamon roll already on this site. That one swaps in King Arthur’s Gluten-Free Bread Flour and leans on an active gluten-free starter for flavor. This one skips the starter entirely. Instant yeast does the rising, and a wet gel of whole psyllium husk does the job gluten would normally do, holding the dough together well enough to roll into a tight log instead of pressing it into shape with wet hands.

Allergen note: King Arthur’s Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour, the one this recipe uses, has no wheat in its ingredient list, which is a blend of rice flours and starches, and no wheat starch. These rolls are wheat-free by ingredients as well as gluten-free. King Arthur makes its gluten-free products on shared equipment that also handles wheat, with cleanouts and testing between runs, so read your own bag’s label, and ask your allergist first if you are baking for a wheat allergy or your doctor if you are baking around celiac disease. The sourdough version of these rolls uses King Arthur’s Gluten-Free Bread Flour, which contains gluten-free wheat starch, so that one is gluten-free but not wheat-free.

Why You’ll Love It

• No starter required. Skip the overnight feeding and the wait for bubbles. Instant yeast gets this dough rising on its own schedule.
• A flour with no wheat starch. King Arthur’s Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour leaves out the wheat starch the Bread Flour version relies on. Check your own label and talk to your doctor if that distinction matters for you.
• Psyllium does the heavy lifting. The gel it forms holds the dough together well enough to roll into a tight log, instead of the wetter dough you have to press into shape by hand.
• Done the same day. Mix, rise, shape, rise again, bake. Nothing sits overnight.

Ingredients

Volume measurements are included for convenience, but weigh what you can. Gluten-free flour blends are inconsistent cup to cup, and a scale removes that variable.

This recipe makes 9 rolls in an 8-inch square baking dish.

• King Arthur Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour (390 g / 2½ cups): no wheat starch in this one, unlike the Bread Flour the sourdough version uses. Check your own bag, since formulations can change.
• Whole psyllium husk (10 g / 2 tbsp): or 1.5 tbsp psyllium husk powder. This is what gives the dough enough structure to roll instead of press.
• Instant yeast (about 6 g / 2 tsp): does all the rising here. There is no starter in this recipe.
• Granulated sugar (38 g / 3 tbsp): feeds the yeast and rounds out the flavor.
• Fine sea salt (6 g / 1 tsp)
• Warm milk or water (about 270 g / 1⅛ cups): either works. Milk gives a slightly richer crumb.
• Unsalted butter, melted (57 g / 4 tbsp)
• Vegetable oil (27 g / 2 tbsp): a neutral oil that keeps the crumb tender alongside the butter.
• Egg (1 large, about 50 g)
• Vanilla extract (1 tsp)
• Unsalted butter, softened, for the filling (28 g / 2 tbsp): the same amount the Gluten-Free Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls use.
• Brown sugar, for the filling (150 g / ¾ cup): same amount as the sourdough version.
• Ground cinnamon, for the filling (2 tbsp): same amount as the sourdough version.
• Powdered sugar, for the icing (120 g / 1 cup): the same amount the sourdough version uses in its glaze. This one skips the cream cheese and stays a simple icing.
• Milk, for the icing (2 to 3 tbsp): add it a tablespoon at a time until the icing is thick but pourable.

Equipment

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• Stand mixer: this dough is beaten, not kneaded by hand.
• Parchment paper: you roll the dough directly on it instead of a floured counter.
• Unflavored dental floss or a sharp knife: floss gives the cleanest slice through filled dough.
• 8-inch square baking dish: or a 9-inch round cake pan. Either holds 9 rolls with room to puff.

Sample Schedule (Same-Day)

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls

Using psyllium husk makes this dough wonderfully rollable, so you won’t have to struggle with a sticky mess when rolling and shaping your cinnamon rolls.

Print Recipe

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Prep Time 35 minutes mins

Cook Time 24 minutes mins

Rise (First + Second) 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs 14 minutes mins

Servings: 9 rolls

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 420

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 1/2 cups (390g) King Arthur Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour
• 2 tbsp (10g) whole psyllium husk or 1.5 tbsp psyllium husk powder
• 2 tsp (about 6g) instant yeast
• 3 tbsp (38g) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp (6g) fine sea salt
• 1 1/8 cups (about 270g) warm milk or water
• 4 tbsp (57g) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tbsp (27g) vegetable oil
• 1 large egg about 50g
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter, softened, for the filling
• 3/4 cup (150g) brown sugar, for the filling
• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon, for the filling
• 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar, for the icing
• 2 to 3 tbsp milk, for the icing thin to a drizzle consistency

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Equipment

• Stand mixer paddle attachment, this dough is beaten rather than kneaded by hand
• Parchment paper
• Unflavored dental floss or a sharp knife
• 8-inch square baking dish or a 9-inch round cake pan

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Method

 

1. Whisk the psyllium husk into the warm milk or water. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until it forms a thick gel.
2. Combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a stand mixer bowl. Add the psyllium gel, melted butter, oil, egg and vanilla, then beat on medium-high for 3 minutes until smooth.
3. Cover and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour.
4. Roll the dough directly on parchment into a 10×12 inch rectangle. Spread with the softened butter, sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar, then roll tightly into a log.
5. Slice into 9 rolls, arrange in a greased baking dish, cover and let rise for 1 to 1.5 hours until puffy.
6. Bake at 350°F for 22 to 25 minutes. Top with the icing while the rolls are still warm.

Notes

This dough uses psyllium husk and instant yeast instead of a sourdough starter, so it skips the overnight ferment this site’s other gluten-free cinnamon rolls need. King Arthur’s Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour has no wheat starch in it, unlike the King Arthur Gluten-Free Bread Flour used in the sourdough version, so the psyllium gel is doing the structural job the starch and starter would otherwise do.

How to Make It

Tips & Troubleshooting

• Dough too wet or too dry: this flour blend can vary a little bag to bag. If the dough will not hold together, beat in another tablespoon of flour. If it looks dry and crumbly after the full 3 minutes, beat in another tablespoon of milk.
• Seam will not seal: leave a bare half inch strip along the far edge with no filling on it. That is the clean dough the roll grabs onto to close the seam.
• Rolls baking unevenly: rotate the baking dish halfway through if your oven runs hot on one side. Gluten-free enriched dough browns a little less predictably than wheat dough.
• Icing too thin: add powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time instead of more milk. It sets up faster than you would expect once it is on a warm roll.

How to Store

• Counter: covered, up to 2 days. The icing keeps the tops from drying out.
• Refrigerator: up to 5 days, covered. Warm a roll for 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave before eating, since cold gluten-free dough firms up more than wheat dough does.
• Freezer: freeze unfrosted rolls up to 2 months, wrapped well. Thaw, warm, then ice.

Nutrition

Nutrition values are estimates per roll, based on 9 rolls, and will vary based on exact ingredients used.