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These gluten free cinnamon rolls are soft, gooey, and full of cinnamon-sugar flavor—just like the kind you thought you couldn’t have anymore.
The dough is easy to work with, they rise beautifully, and you can even make them ahead.
“OMG! These were incredible. Light, fluffy and the perfect sweet I have been missing. Will definitely make these again.”
my take
Why You'll Love These Rolls
Soft and tender: They rise beautifully and have that classic pillowy texture.
Easy to handle: The dough is simple to shape, especially after a quick chill.
Make-ahead friendly: Parbake and freeze so they’re ready when you are.
Balanced sweetness: Just enough sugar to satisfy without overpowering the cinnamon.
Tastes like the original: No one will guess they’re made without gluten.
Recipe ingredients
Below I break up the ingredients to make these gluten free cinnamon rolls into different parts of the recipe.
For the rolls
- Gluten free flour blend: Use one of my recommended gluten free flour blends. Add xanthan gum only if your mix doesn’t include it.
- Tapioca starch: Adds extra stretch and softness.
- Milk powder: Adds richness and helps with browning.
- Instant yeast: For rise and flavor. Active dry yeast also works—see FAQs.
- Cream of tartar + baking soda: Work together to help the rolls rise and brown.
- Brown sugar + salt: For balanced flavor and tenderness.
- Apple cider vinegar: Adds a slight tang and helps with lift.
- Butter + egg + milk: Enrich the dough and keep it soft. Use full-fat milk.
For the filling
- Butter: Softened so it spreads easily.
- Brown sugar + cinnamon: Classic flavor and gooey center.
For the optional glaze or frosting
- Confectioners’ sugar + milk: For a simple pourable glaze.
- Butter + heavy cream: For a thicker, rich frosting. Use at room temp for best texture.
How to make gluten free cinnamon rolls
Follow along with my directions below to see how to make gluten free cinnamon rolls in your own kitchen.
Make the dough
Whisk together the dry ingredients, then mix in the wet. Beat the dough in a stand mixer until smooth and pulling away from the sides. Chill it for 30 minutes so it’s easier to handle.
Roll it out
Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a 9×12-inch rectangle about ½-inch thick on a lightly floured surface.
Add the filling
Spread with softened butter, then sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Pat the filling down gently to help it stick.
Shape the rolls
Roll the dough tightly from a short side into a coil. Slice into 6 even pieces using dental floss or a very sharp knife. Repeat with the other half.
Let them rise
Place the rolls cut side up in a greased baking dish, cover, and let rise until puffy—about 50% larger, not doubled.
Bake and frost
Bake at 350°F until risen and lightly golden. While still warm, top with glaze or frosting, if using.
My Pro Tip
Expert tips
Chill the dough before shaping: Cold dough is easier to handle and less likely to absorb too much flour, which can lead to dense rolls.
Don’t let them overproof: They should rise to about 50% bigger—not double. Overproofed rolls lose structure and bake up flat.
Roll evenly and not too thin: A ½-inch thickness gives the best swirl without tearing the dough or losing filling.
Use dental floss to cut cleanly: It slices without compressing the rolls. If using a knife, saw gently with a very sharp blade.
substitutions
Ingredient substitutions
Dairy-free: Use powdered coconut milk in place of milk powder. Substitute vegan butter for dairy butter, and choose a nondairy milk with fat (like almond milk, not fat-free).
Egg-free: Replace the egg with a chia egg (1 tablespoon ground white chia seeds + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, mixed and gelled).
No apple cider vinegar or cream of tartar: Use white wine vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice (½ teaspoon) in place of cream of tartar.
make ahead tip
Parbake and freeze
To make fresh cinnamon rolls in the morning without overproofing:
- Shape the rolls and let them rise as usual.
- Bake at 300°F for 15 minutes—until puffed but very pale.
- Let cool completely, then wrap tightly and freeze.
- When ready to serve, defrost at room temp.
- Bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes, until browned and bubbling.
Gluten Free Cinnamon Roll Recipe
Equipment
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment
Ingredients
For the rolls
- 3 cups (420 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend, (See Recipe Notes), plus more for sprinkling
- 2 teaspoons xanthan gum, omit if your blend already contains it
- ¼ cup (36) tapioca starch/flour
- ½ cup (43 g) dry milk powder, or buttermilk powder; make sure it's powder, not liquid!
- 3 teaspoons (6 g) instant yeast
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons (26 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 (50 g (weighed out of shell)) egg, at room temperature, beaten
- 1 ¼ cups (10 ounces) warm milk, about 95°F (plus a bit more, only as necessary)
For the filling
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (164 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For an optional glaze
- 1 cup (115 g) confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 1 tablespoon milk, any kind, plus more by the 1/4 teaspoonful
For an optional frosting
- 6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups (230 g) confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, at room temperature, plus more as necessary
Instructions
- Grease a 9-inch x 13-inch casserole dish and set it aside.
Make the dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, whisk together the flour, xanthan gum, tapioca starch, milk powder, yeast, cream of tartar, baking soda, and sugar. Add the salt and whisk again.
- Add the vinegar, butter, egg, and milk, and mix to combine.
- Increase the mixer speed to high and beat for about 3 minutes, until the dough is smooth and pulling away from the sides.
- Transfer the dough to a sealed container and refrigerate for 30 minutes to make it easier to handle.
Roll out the dough
- Turn the chilled dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently to smooth.
- Divide in half, keeping one half covered. Roll the other into a 9×12-inch rectangle about ½ inch thick, dusting with flour as needed.
Add the filling and shape
- Spread half the softened butter over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Sprinkle with half the brown sugar, pat it down, then sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Starting from a short side, roll the dough tightly into a coil. Slice into 6 rolls using floss or a sharp knife.
- Place in a greased 9×13-inch pan, 1 inch apart. Press each roll down about ⅓ of the way to flatten slightly.
- Repeat with the second half of the dough and filling.
Let rise
- Cover the pan with lightly oiled plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot until the rolls are about 50% larger—about 45 minutes.
Bake
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Remove plastic wrap and bake for 20 minutes, until risen, lightly golden, and baked through.
- Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before icing or frosting, but no longer.
Optional glaze.
- Whisk together confectioners’ sugar and milk until thick but pourable. Add more milk ¼ teaspoon at a time if needed.
- Drizzle over warm rolls.
Optional frosting
- Beat butter and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Add cream gradually to reach a spreadable consistency.
- Spread generously over warm rolls.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
leftovers
Storage instructions
Let the rolls cool completely before storing. Wrap tightly and freeze in a single layer before adding glaze.
To reheat, defrost at room temp, sprinkle with a bit of water, and warm in a 275°F oven until soft and heated through.
FAQs
Be patient. Gluten free yeast dough takes time to rise and usually won’t double. If they seem stalled, the environment may be too cold.
Most likely causes: too much flour during shaping or not enough proofing time. Make sure to let the dough rise until noticeably puffy.
Check that you used the correct flour blend, measured by weight, and used dry milk powder—not liquid. Sticky dough often means it’s overhydrated.
They may have overbaked, or the flour blend may have absorbed too much moisture. Avoid adding extra flour while shaping.
Yes. Use 25% more (about 8g total) and dissolve it in some of the milk before adding it to the dough.
Hi again…
I just made these for the second time (I messed up the first batch). The dough was pulling away from the sides into a ball form just after adding the water. However, when I continued to beat on high for three minutes, it stuck to the sides of the mixing bowl and looked more like a thick batter. Should I have stopped after adding the water during the slow mix or continued beating on high for longer than the three minutes? They did rise and I’m about to bake them but I’d like to have them “perfect” for Christmas brunch. Thanks…
I’m afraid I can’t really say if you needed to keep beating, Angela. I can only suggest you watch the video and try to mimic the texture you see in my dough. I don’t think it will matter that much, but again I can’t know for sure since I’m not there with you.
The video would be great. I have scrolled through the whole post several times and don’t see where the video or a link to it might be. Help. Thanks…
Hi, Angela, I apologize for my mistake! It appears that I haven’t added a how-to video for this particular recipe. I’m afraid the still images and the detailed description in the recipe are all I can offer.
Hi!! Can I used gluten free bread flour??
No, this recipe can only be made successfully with an all purpose gluten free flour blend. I’m not sure if you’re discussing my gluten free bread flour blend or the one from King Arthur Flour, but neither is appropriate for this recipe.
Hi Nicole! I love your recipes and have used them many times over the last 10 years in our home. I was wondering if this recipe can be made into a type of sweet bread role? I am trying to find a recipe for gluten free Mexican pan dulce or conchas as we call them. The King Arthur flour recipe I found has wheat starch which we still need to stay away from. Do you have another recommendation of one of your other recipes that can be adapted? Thank you for any feedback!
Hi, Kat, no I wouldn’t use this recipe to make sweet rolls since this dough is meant to be rolled flat and coiled. You could try using my recipe for Hawaiian rolls, but it’s not a firm roll like what you’re describing. I have a few recipes in my cookbook, Gluten Free on a Shoestring Bakes Bread that you might be able to use, but those recipes are not available for free on the blog. You’d have to purchase the cookbook.
You recommend Better Batter flour and also list adding xantham gum. Better Batter flour lists xantham gum as one of its ingredients. Do we still add more xantham gum? Or did you create this recipe before BB flour had that in it?
Hi, Angela, since Better Batter already has xanthan gum, you omit that as an ingredient. Better Batter’s classic blend, which is the only one I recommend, has always had xanthan gum. That’s why the ingredient says “omit if your blend already contains it.”
I’m wondering if this recipe can be done with ANYTHING but a stand mixer? If not, do you have a recipe you can recommend in it’s place? I love paycheck to paycheck and can’t afford a stand mixer, but I still want to make these.
No, you can’t. You can try my recipe for yeast free gf cinnamon rolls instead.
What could I use to substitute cultured buttermilk blend powder- my son has a dairy allergy.
You can try using coconut milk powder, but I’m afraid it’s not a perfect substitute.
Can a bread machine be used for this recipe?
I don’t use or recommend a bread machine, Arlene. And this is a shaped bread recipe, which can’t be made in a bread machine anyway.
I used to use the dough only setting on my breadmaker then shape and bake. This was before my hubby was diagnosed as celiac. Today I tried this recipe in my breadmaker on dough only and found the dough VERY sticky, so could not roll it, but used a cookie scoop to drop balls of the dough into sugar and cinnamon for a monkey bread. Will bake in the morning.
I’m going to guess that your issue is the flour blend you used, Pam. You must use one of my recommended blends for this recipe to work. The blend always matters, but especially in shaped yeast breads.
Is there a way to make these rolls if you only have a hand-held mixer and no paddle attachment?
I’m afraid you can’t make this dough with a handheld mixer, no, Sue. You can try pulsing it in a food processor, but you do run the risk of easily overprocessing and making the dough loose.
I made these. Rolls with my hand mixer and I used my dough beaters. It worked out perfect. I have a Breville hand mixer that has those attachments. Hope this helped
Hi, Nicole.
Thank you for all your wonderful recipes.
I know you likely haven’t done this BUT is there any reason you can think of why orange filling in these would not work out? I want to make some for Halloween visitors!
Hi, Melissa, if you already have a recipe for orange filling and it’s not more wet than the current filling, then I say go for it!
Nicole, I think there is a step missing in the instructions of this great recipe… am I assuming correctly that the filling needs to be divided in half and split between the two halves? When I tried it and followed the instructions step-by-step, I put all of the filling on one roll, only to realize that I was supposed to make 2 rolls (and not cover my first roll with the remaining batter).
You’re right I’ve edited the recipe to clarify that. Thank you for pointing that out!