The Best Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls
These Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls. have the most lovely texture, and are perfectly sweet! The perfect holiday breakfast to make!
Servings 9 rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup water (water should be at 110ºF)
- 2 tsp yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 cup plant based milk (warmed to 90-110ºF)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup vegan butter (melted, cooled)
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 cups cassava flour
- 1/2 cup brown rice flour
- 1/2 cup arrowroot powder
- 3 tsp psyillium husks
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- additional brown rice flour for rolling
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- 1/4 cup vegan butter (melted, cooled)
- 2/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz vegan cream cheese (I used the Earth Island brand- 113g)
- 2 tbsp vegan butter (room temperature)
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
Dough
- Measure 1 cup of water that is around 110ºF in temperature. Add 1 tsp of sugar and 2 tsp of yeast to the water. Don't stir. Just let it sit for 10 minutes. It should be foamy at the end of 10 minutes, if it isn't, your yeast may have expired.
- Melt 1/4 cup of vegan butter, set it aside to cool.
- Heat 1 cup of plant based milk up to around 110ºF. Once warmed, add 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar, let sit for 5-10 minutes to slightly curdle.
- Add the cassava flour, brown rice flour, arrowroot powder, psyllium husks, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Once the yeast mixture is ready and the butter has somewhat cooled, add the butter and 3 tbsp of sugar to a stand-up mixer. You can use a hand mixer for this part if you don't have a stand-up mixer. Mix for 20 seconds or so.
- Then add the milk + apple cider mixture and the yeast mixture to the butter. Give it a quick mix and then add in the dry ingredients. SLOWLY mix the dry into the wet ingredients using the paddle attachment of the mixer. If you don't have a stand-up mixer you can use a wooden spoon followed by your hands. The dough should incorporate nicely, it shouldn't be dry or crumbly at all, once it's all combined. If it is too wet, add another 1/4 cup of cassava flour.
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- Prepare the cinnamon sugar filling. Melt 1/4 cup of vegan butter, set it aside to cool.
- Combine the coconut sugar and the cinnamon in a bowl and mix together. Set aside.
Assemble
- Place a large piece of parchment paper on the counter and dust it with brown rice flour. Transfer the dough to the parchment paper.
- Dust a rolling pin with more brown rice flour to avoid any sticking (you will need to do this multiple times while rolling). Roll the dough into a 11x16 rectangle.
- Brush the dough with the melted butter, leaving behind roughly 1/2 tablespoon to brush on top of the cinnamon rolls (later on- right before baking). Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar filling on top- reserve a few tablespoons to sprinkle on top, again before the baking process.
- Line an 9x9 baking dish with parchment paper, lightly butter the sides and sprinkle some of the cinnamon sugar reserve in it.
- To roll the dough: Start with the shorter edge, and tightly roll the dough into a spiral shape. Use the parchment paper the dough sits on as a guide. On the shorter edge of the rolled out dough, take that same edge of parchment paper and guide it over the dough, it will naturally start to push the dough to roll. Alternatively, you can just use your fingers to roll the dough.
- Use a ruler or measuring tape to divide your log into 9 equal pieces (roughly 1.5 inches wide). Cut the log using a sharp serrated knife. Gently use a back and forth motion with not a ton of downward pressure. Continue to do the same for all pieces. Place the pieces, cut side up into your baking pan.
- Two options here for rising: 1) If letting them rise overnight, cover the top with plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge for the night. To bake them in the morning, take the plastic wrap off and let them sit on the counter for 30-45 minutes before baking. 2) If baking them same day, place a clean towel over the rolls and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour. I usually let mine rise in the oven with the oven light on.
- After the rising time (whether it was overnight or just for 1 hour) preheat the oven to 350ºF. Brush the tops and sides of the rolls with the reserved melted butter and sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon sugar filling on top. and then bake uncovered for 23-25 minutes.
- While the rolls are baking, prepare the frosting. Mix the vegan cream cheese and butter together using a hand mixer or a stand-up mixer, once smooth add the powdered sugar and the vanilla. Mix until silky smooth!
- When the rolls are done they will be a little soft on top and the outside layer will look a little crisp and crackly (but they won't be dry!). Let the rolls cool for a few minutes when they come out of the oven and then cover them with the icing. Cinnamon rolls are best fresh but if you don't eat them all, store them in a sealed container on the counter and reheat in the microwave for 45 seconds before enjoying. They will get drier the longer they store on the countertop.
Notes
I would not suggest using any other flours in this recipe. I truly believe you will be left with a super dense roll if you don't use cassava flour. It's truly worth the splurge in my mind. And when you've been eating gluten free baking for as long as I have you know when you've stumbled upon a good thing. You can get cassava flour at most natural health food stores. I've also lucked out at The Real Canadian Superstore in the natural aisle. It's the best price I've seen for it (as it is a pricier flour).