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Leavened only with baking powder and eggs, these gluten free yeast free cinnamon rolls are a great place to start if you’re curious about baking bread but you’re nervous about getting the proper rise.
Since there’s no yeast, as long as your baking powder is good, they’ll rise for sure. Plus, the dough is smooth and easy to work with and turns out every time.
Why this recipe works
The dough for these yeast free cinnamon rolls is smooth and even silky. With no more than a sprinkling here and there of flour as you work, it’s truly a pleasure to roll out.
In just a few minutes, you’re rolling up the dough. Then, all that’s left is to slice it into 1-inch sections and nestle them into the wells of a muffin tin.
After just 25 minutes in the oven, they’re done. Classic, fluffy and soft cinnamon buns, with that perfect buttery cinnamon-sugar filling bursting out of the center and making those edges almost crispy.
Warm, comforting gluten free yeast free cinnamon rolls take no time at all, since they don’t have to be left to rise like our classic yeasted gluten free cinnamon rolls. I also have gluten free monkey bread recipe if you want something easier. They’re still gooey, soft, and sweet!
Making clean slices
You can slice the roll of dough into individual pieces with a sharp knife, or even a piece of unflavored, unwaxed dental floss. It’s a great way to get razor-sharp edges without crushing the roll at all.
Yeast Free Cinnamon Rolls
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Ingredients
For the dough
- 3 ½ cups (490 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend, plus more as needed (See Recipe Notes)
- 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum, (omit if your blend already contains it)
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
- 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) milk, at room temperature
For the filling
- ½ cup (109 g) light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
For the glaze
- 1 cup (115 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk, plus more by the 1/4 teaspoonful if necessary
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease the wells of a standard twelve-cup muffin tin and set it aside.
Make the roll dough
- In a large bowl, place 3 1/2 cups (490 g) of the flour, the xanthan gum, baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the granulated sugar, and whisk well.
- Add 6 tablespoons of the butter, the eggs, and the milk, and mix until the dough comes together.
- The dough should be smooth and relatively easy to handle.
- If the dough seems sticky, add more flour by the tablespoon and knead it in with well-floured hands until the dough is smooth.
Shape
- Turn the dough out onto a piece of lightly floured unbleached parchment paper.
- Sprinkle the dough very lightly with extra flour and roll it into a 12-inch by 15-inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick (no thinner).
- Trim any especially rough edges.
Make the filling and fill the dough
- In a medium-size bowl, place all of the filling ingredients and mix to combine well.
- With a small offset spatula or large spoon, spread the filling in an even layer over the top of the rectangle of dough, leaving about 1/4 inch clean around the perimeter.
- Starting at a short side, roll the dough away from you into a tightly formed roll. Slice the roll in cross-section into twelve equal pieces, each about 1 inch thick.
- Place each roll in a well of the prepared muffin tin.
Bake
- Place the tin in the center of the preheated oven, and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the rolls begin to turn golden brown and the filling starts to bubble out of them.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool until the rolls are firm enough to handle (about 10 minutes), then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Be sure to remove the rolls from the muffin tin before they are completely cool, or they will begin to stick to the muffin tin.
Make the icing
- In a small bowl, place the confectioners’ sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk. Mix well until a thick paste forms.
- Add more milk by the 1/4-teaspoon, mixing to combine well, until the glaze falls off the spoon slowly, in a thick but pourable glaze.
- Add milk very slowly, as it is much easier to thin, than to thicken, the glaze.
- If you do thin the glaze too much, add more confectioners’ sugar a teaspoon at a time to thicken it.
- Drizzle or spread the icing on the cooled rolls before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Would these cook up OK in a baking pan ( I have yet to purchase gf muffin tins)? I assume so :-). But you never know :-) can’t wait to bu y the new cookbook, thanks so much for all you do/have done for everyone gf!
Would these cook up OK in a baking pan ( I have yet to purchase gf muffin tins)? I assume so :-). But you never know :-) can’t wait to bu y the new cookbook, thanks so much for all you do/have done for everyone gf!
I am planning to make these tomorrow morning for my grandkids. I don’t have a bench scraper so I thought I would add another way to cut the dough without squashing them when you make each cut. I use dental floss. Slide it under the roll and then bring both ends up to the top. Cross the two ends of the floss and the cut is made. Smooth and easy and no squashing.
I have all these ingredients sitting out to become room temperature and I’m so excited. Your book came just the other day and I’m so excited to have it!!! If we are dairy-intolerant (can’t do cheese), would a standard confectioner’s sugar icing work well?
Absolutely, yes, Theresa! You can try the glaze from the Plain Doughnuts, Yeast-Free, and use a nondairy milk to make a glaze. Thank you so much for picking up a copy of the book – it means a lot to me!
xoxo Nicole
I use straight up buttercream all the time!! :)
I don’t see cheese in this recipe. Are you sure you’re commenting on the right recipe?
I have all these ingredients sitting out to become room temperature and I’m so excited. Your book came just the other day and I’m so excited to have it!!! If we are dairy-intolerant (can’t do cheese), would a standard confectioner’s sugar icing work well?
Absolutely, yes, Theresa! You can try the glaze from the Plain Doughnuts, Yeast-Free, and use a nondairy milk to make a glaze. Thank you so much for picking up a copy of the book – it means a lot to me!
xoxo Nicole
WOW love this idea of putting them in a muffin tin. Sharing on my page and pinning to my breakfast board. Thanks! Amee
holy mole-y, nicole! this look incredible…this weekend’s healthy indulgence, for sure! and i have to tell you…i’ve 2 batches of those pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese molasses frosting in 2 days…they are amazing!!! i didn’t have any molasses so i used a smidgen less of maple syrup…you are a genius!:)…phoebe
I never know if it’s holy moly or holy moley, Phoebe. Spellcheck prefers the former, but I’m not so sure… So glad you’re loving those cupcakes – mmmm maple syrup cream cheese frosting.
xoxo Nicole
holy mole-y, nicole! this look incredible…this weekend’s healthy indulgence, for sure! and i have to tell you…i’ve 2 batches of those pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese molasses frosting in 2 days…they are amazing!!! i didn’t have any molasses so i used a smidgen less of maple syrup…you are a genius!:)…phoebe
I never know if it’s holy moly or holy moley, Phoebe. Spellcheck prefers the former, but I’m not so sure… So glad you’re loving those cupcakes – mmmm maple syrup cream cheese frosting.
xoxo Nicole
You make it hard to decide what to make first! These are on the top of my list along with those gorgeous donuts on the cover of your new book (which I LOVE), but my little guy’s first birthday is tomorrow and I made your delish pumpkin butter today so I can make those yummy cupcakes with molasses frosting for him! Thanks for all the incredible recipes and encouragement. I’m already dreaming about your bread book, but no rush because I need time to practice from the first two :)
-Dana
Oh, happy first birthday to that little guy, Dana! I see you start them young on a love of pumpkin. Wise of you! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the new book, Dana, and thank you for always being so lovely and supportive!
xoxo Nicole
Oh, happy first birthday to that little guy, Dana! I see you start them young on a love of pumpkin. Wise of you! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the new book, Dana, and thank you for always being so lovely and supportive!
xoxo Nicole
Congratulations on your new book !!!! And congrats to me because I received your new book last week and my entire gf family thanks you. Food has always been about love for me, and now with more yummy recipes I am sharing it with everyone. This week my daughters class had the pleasure of gf chocolate donuts and they all ate them! Every crumb!
How wonderful, Mariah! Sounds like a family affair – and being able to share it with her classmates and having them love those doughnuts – is just the best thing ever. :)
xoxo Nicole