Need a fancy breakfast? Try my Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls Recipe! These fluffy, gooey pastries are free of dairy, gluten, and sugar. They grace our table at every Easter brunch and all of our race days, and we look forward to it each time.
When I grew up, our Easter brunch happened between services, and weeks before, all the ladies would get together to make pecan rolls, cinnamon rolls, and sticky buns. Everyone would make their own versions, but we would spend time together making them to serve in between services on Easter morning.
When I got married and discovered I had food allergies, I wanted to create my own version that wouldn’t make me sick. I combined several different recipes to create this delicious but healthy version. My allergy-friendly cinnamon rolls taste just as good (if not better!) than any sugar-filled competitor. You won’t regret making them!
Table of Contents:
Gluten-Free Baking Tips
The great thing about eating healthy is that you don’t have to give up your favorite treats. You can enjoy delicious beverages, comforting casseroles, and even cinnamon rolls! There is a learning curve to gluten-free baking, however.
Over the years, I’ve developed many tricks that make baking nutritious treats a breeze. Here are a few things you should know.
- High-quality, gluten-free all-purpose flour is your best baking friend! I recommend using a cup-for-cup blend because it’s specially formulated for baked goods and tastes great in my gluten-free cinnamon rolls. Some flours will require you to add another ingredient, so be sure to look at the label.
- Like all yeast bread, this dough needs to be placed in a warm spot when rising. I like to put my dough on top of the stove while it preheats. This allows the dough to rise faster and appear smoother.
- It’s tempting to add more flour at the final mixing stage, but this can affect the rising process. Your dough should be a little moist, not too dry.
- Adding multiple healthy sweeteners is an easy way to give your baked goods a full-bodied flavor.
- Be sure to use fresh yeast. When mixed with water, your yeast should get foamy within 5 minutes.
- You’ll notice the filling has a few optional ingredients. Customize it to fit your family’s preferences!
- I only use pecans on half of the cinnamon rolls to accommodate guests who don’t like nuts.
Healthy Cinnamon Roll Ingredients 101
Once you’ve started making healthy changes, you’ll find your pantry is stocked with nourishing ingredients. This recipe uses everyday healthy pantry staples to create one stellar cinnamon roll! Here’s what you need to add to your shopping cart.
Organic Unsweetened Almond or Coconut Milk Beverage: To keep this recipe dairy-free, we use almond or coconut milk. Both of these options create a moist dough without the detrimental effects of dairy. When purchasing almond milk, be sure to grab the unsweetened kind. Other varieties contain lots of hidden sugars.
Grass-fed Organic Sea-Salted Butter: In years past, diet culture eliminated butter in favor of margarine. Recent studies have shown that you should actually avoid margarine (1)! In moderation, butter is good for your body.
In this recipe, pastured, sea salted butter tastes best.
Vegan Mayonnaise: Many kinds of mayo contain unhealthy ingredients, like soybean and canola oil. We recommend using soy-free Vegenaise or your preferred avocado oil or grapeseed oil vegan mayonnaise.
As consumers learn more about their bodies, these products become easier to find at most well-stocked grocery stores.
Organic Coconut Sugar: I love this low-glycemic option because it gives baked goods a deep, dark flavor. It tastes similar to brown sugar! This ingredient is also the base of my Christmas Cookie Blend and Natural Confectioners’ Sugar. I use coconut sugar as the rising agent in all of my yeast bread recipes.
Pink Himalayan Salt or Sea Salt: Traditional table salt undergoes a rigorous harvesting process that leaves it stripped of necessary nutrients. I recommend using sea salt because it’s hand-harvested, which leaves the good stuff intact.
If you don’t have sea salt on hand, you can also use pink Himalayan salt.
Pasture-Raised Organic Eggs: Every baked good needs a binder, and eggs do just that! For best results, I recommend using room-temperature eggs. To quickly bring your eggs to room temperature, fill a small bowl with warm water and let the eggs sit for about 7 minutes.
Raw Organic Local Honey: I love adding a syrupy sweetener to my cinnamon roll filling because it gives it a gooey texture when baked. Local honey is an excellent investment because it’s minimally processed and contains allergens specific to your region. If you suffer from seasonal allergies, try including local honey in your diet (2)!
Grade A Dark Amber Maple Syrup, Organic: Instead of synthetic syrup, we recommend using Grade A Dark Amber organic maple syrup, or what was previously called Grade C maple syrup. If local, organic is available, that’s always my first pick. For this recipe, I often prefer using a mix of honey and maple syrup combined half and half for a richer flavor.
Optional Ingredients: We love adding raw organic nuts to our cinnamon roll recipe. It gives these treats a delightful crunch! If you have nut allergies, you can always leave them out.
Other fantastic filling options include organic chopped dates, currants, and raisins! Experiment with different combinations until you find one that works for your family. As a note, if you have picky people in your family who won’t like a certain topping, you can add toppings as you roll the dough up, just on a specific side, so everyone has options they prefer.
Make My Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon rolls look fancy, but are easy to make! You’ll have a delicious batch of treats that impress even the harshest critic within no time! Note that this gluten-free cinnamon roll dough requires about 90 minutes to rise, so plan accordingly.
Mama Z’s Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls (With Gluten-Friendly Variation)
Servings
Ingredients
Dough
- ¼ cup warm purified OR distilled water (105°F- 115°F)
- 1 rounded tablespoon active dry yeast
- ¾ cup organic unsweetened vanilla-flavored almond OR coconut milk beverage
- 6 tablespoons grass-fed organic sea-salted butter, sliced
- ¼ cup soy-free Vegenaise OR your preferred avocado oil OR grapeseed oil vegan mayonnaise
- 4 pasture-raised organic eggs
- 4½ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour *
- ¼ cup organic coconut sugar OR Christmas Cookie Blend
- 1 tablespoon pink Himalayan salt OR sea salt, ground
Topping
- ½ cup grass-fed organic sea-salted butter, softened
- ¾ cup Grade A Dark Amber maple syrup, organic
- ¼ cup Grade A Dark Amber maple syrup, organic OR raw organic local honey
- Pinch of pink Himalayan salt OR sea salt, ground
- 3 tablespoons purified OR distilled water
- Organic raw halved pecans, to fill the space desired on top of the topping
Filling
- ¼ -½ cup grass-fed organic sea-salted butter, melted (melt the entire half cup to ensure you have enough)
- ½ cup Christmas Cookie Blend **
- 1 teaspoon organic pumpkin pie spice powder **
- 1 teaspoon organic ground Ceylon cinnamon **
- Pinch of pink Himalayan salt OR sea salt, ground
- Organic raw pecans (optional)
- Organic Medjool dates OR organic unsweetened raisins (optional)***
Supplies
- Dough cutter/scraper OR serrated knife
Instructions
For the dough:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the water and yeast; let stand for 5 minutes, until foamy. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over low heat, heat the almond milk just until it begins to steam. Add the cut-up butter and vegan mayonnaise. Stir until just melted. Remove from heat and let cool. (To speed up this process, I often just cheat and stick the pan in the fridge on a hot pad.)
- Pour the almond milk mixture into the yeast. Add the eggs, 1½ cups of flour, coconut sugar, and sea salt. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping the bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated. Gradually beat in the remaining 3 cups of flour for 3-4 minutes until the dough begins to pull away from the side of the bowl and is only slightly sticky. Do not add more flour!
- Transfer the dough to a bowl. Cover the surface of the dough with plastic wrap that has been lightly coated with softened butter or unrefined (non propellant) coconut oil, avocado oil OR olive oil cooking spray, then cover the bowl with the second piece of plastic wrap.
- Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 90 minutes).
For the topping:
- While the dough rises, butter the sides of a 3-quart rectangular glass baking dish. In a medium bowl, stir the softened butter, maple syrup, honey, and a pinch of salt until well combined.
- Add the water and mix until smooth. Pour the topping into the bottom of the baking dish and smooth it evenly. Line the pecan halves over the topping at an angle with the top side (rounded side) facing down.
For the filling:
- Remove the risen dough from the bowl and gently roll it out on an oiled and very lightly floured surface to an 18 x 15-inch rectangle. Oil your hands and dough scraper to help prevent sticking.
- Spread the melted butter evenly over the dough. In a bowl, combine the Christmas Cookie Blend, pumpkin pie spice, Ceylon cinnamon, and sea salt, or more simply, rounded ½ cup Cinnamon and “Not” Sugar with sea salt sprinkled over top. Sprinkle evenly on the dough.
- Distribute the pecans and dates (if using) over the dough. Tightly roll the dough beginning at one long side, keeping the roll as uniform as possible. Use the scraper to help you and compress the ends to keep the rolls as uniform as possible. Pinch the edges to seal.
- Using a serrated knife or your dough cutter/scraper, trim both ends. Spraying the scraper with your cooking oil will give you neater edges. Then cut the roll into even slices until you fill the pan (usually between 12-20). Arrange rolls in the baking dish, evenly spacing them in 4 rows of 4 each.
- Gently place the rolls into the topping mixture. Cover the dish loosely with buttered plastic wrap and let the rolls rise until fully doubled (about 30-60 minutes).
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Uncover rolls and bake for about 40 minutes****, rotating the dish once and tenting loosely with foil if buns begin to brown too quickly.
- Keep the rolls in the pan, but let them cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Invert onto a serving platter and serve warm.
Cinnamon and “Not” Sugar (Vegan)
Servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups Christmas Cookie Blend
- ¼ cup organic ground Ceylon cinnamon
- ¼ cup organic pumpkin pie spice powder
Instructions
- Place the Christmas Cookie Blend, Ceylon cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice in a gallon-size Ziploc bag. Shake to mix thoroughly. I prefer milling this recipe in the dry goods container of a Vitamix. I start blending on one, then slowly increase until the mixture is fully blended. Then, I open the blender, stir and repeat the process. The final color of your product will differ based on the brand of sweetener you use. Use in place of processed cinnamon & sugar in all your favorite baked goods.
Christmas Cookie Blend (Vegan)
Servings
Ingredients
- 6 ounces organic coconut sugar
- 11-16 ounces organic date sugar (based on your available container sizes)
- 6 ounces organic maple sugar
Instructions
- Place the coconut sugar, date sugar, and maple sugar in a gallon-size Ziploc bag. Shake to mix thoroughly.
- Place mixture in a blender and blend until powdery. I prefer milling this recipe in a Vitamix dry goods container. I start blending on one, then slowly increase until the mixture is fully blended. Then, I open the blender, stir, and repeat the process. The final color of your product will differ based on the brand of sweetener you use. Use in place of regular sugar in all your favorite baked goods. Store in a glass jar.
Step One: Heat the Milk and Sweetener
In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the water and yeast; let stand for 5 minutes, until foamy. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over low heat, heat the almond milk just until it begins to steam. Add the cut-up butter and vegan mayonnaise. Stir until just melted. Remove from heat and let cool. (To speed up this process, I often just cheat and stick the pan in the fridge on a hot pad.)
Step Two: Make Cinnamon Roll Dough
Pour the almond milk mixture into the yeast. Add the eggs, 1½ cups of flour, coconut sugar, and sea salt. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping the bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated. Gradually beat in the remaining 3 cups of flour for 3-4 minutes until the dough begins to pull away from the side of the bowl and is only slightly sticky. Do not add more flour!
Step Three: Let Dough Rise
Transfer the dough to a bowl. Cover the surface of the dough with plastic wrap that has been lightly coated with softened butter or unrefined (non propellant) coconut oil, avocado oil OR olive oil cooking spray, then cover the bowl with the second piece of plastic wrap.
Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 90 minutes).
Step Four: Make the Topping
While the dough rises, butter the sides of a 3-quart rectangular glass baking dish. In a medium bowl, stir the softened butter, maple syrup, honey, and a pinch of salt until well combined.
Add the water and mix until smooth. Pour the topping into the bottom of the baking dish and smooth it evenly. Line the pecan halves over the topping at an angle with the top side (rounded side) facing down.
Step Five: Mix the Filling
Remove the risen dough from the bowl and gently roll it out on an oiled and very lightly floured surface to an 18 x 15-inch rectangle. Oil your hands and dough scraper to help prevent sticking.
Spread the melted butter evenly over the dough. In a bowl, combine the Christmas Cookie Blend, pumpkin pie spice, Ceylon cinnamon, and sea salt, or more simply, rounded ½ cup Cinnamon and “Not” Sugar with sea salt sprinkled over top. Sprinkle evenly on the dough.
Step Six: Cut the Cinnamon Rolls
Distribute the pecans and dates (if using) over the dough. Tightly roll the dough beginning at one long side, keeping the roll as uniform as possible. Use the scraper to help you and compress the ends to keep the rolls as uniform as possible. Pinch the edges to seal.
Using a serrated knife or your dough cutter/scraper, trim both ends. Spraying the scraper with your cooking oil will give you neater edges. Then cut the roll into even slices until you fill the pan (usually between 12-20). Arrange rolls in the baking dish, evenly spacing them in 4 rows of 4 each.
Gently place the rolls into the topping mixture. Cover the dish loosely with buttered plastic wrap and let the rolls rise until fully doubled (about 30-60 minutes).
Step Seven: Bake the Treats
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Uncover rolls and bake for about 40 minutes, rotating the dish once and tenting loosely with foil if buns begin to brown too quickly.
Keep the rolls in the pan, but let them cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Invert onto a serving platter and serve warm.
Gluten-Friendly Recipe Variation
Want more healthy options? Try our gluten-friendly variation! This cinnamon roll recipe includes a mix of spelt and gluten-free flour.
These rolls are as soft as a cloud and perfect for morning munching.
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9229205
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24188941/
