These really are The Best Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls! They’re soft, delicious and vegan too! Perfect for a special breakfast!
You guys, I’m really proud of this recipe! I mean, I like all the recipes I share with you, but perfecting the best gluten free cinnamon rolls has been a project of mine for a while now. When I started this blog (almost exactly 3 years ago!) I was not a baker at all. I baked a little bit before I started eating gluten free, but once I went gluten free all the baking went out the window.
Except for this one recipe that used a gluten free cake mix 🙂 But, fast forward 3 years and I’m presenting you with the best gluten free cinnamon rolls! They’re soft, fluffy, cinnamon-y and they just happen to be vegan too.
HOW TO MAKE GLUTEN FREE CINNAMON ROLLS
There are a few steps involved with these cinnamon rolls, but all of them are pretty easy. You just make the dough, roll it out, sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar, roll it up, slice it and pack it into a skillet. Then 20 minutes later you have the best gluten free cinnamon rolls you’ve ever eaten! I’ve raved about Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour before, and it’s still the only flour I use for baking.
I’ve used this flour in so many recipes and love it because it’s all you need. You don’t need to use 20 different types of flours that are hard to find and that you’ll never use again. I’ve used it in creating my own recipes as well as subbing it in recipes that call for regular flour and it works great every single time!
It’s made with sweet rice flour, brown rice flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, sweet white sorghum flour and xantham gum. It makes these cinnamon rolls light and fluffy and so delicious! They’re great for a holiday or weekend breakfast and I’m certain that your non-gluten free friends will love them too!
PrintThe Best Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls {Vegan}
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls are soft and flavorful and perfect for a special breakfast!
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk, or other favorite kind of milk
- 6 tablespoons unsalted non-dairy butter, or regular butter
- 1 (1/4 ounce) package rapid-rise instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour
Filling:
- 1/4 cup unsalted non-dairy butter, or regular butter
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Glaze:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk
Instructions
- Add the almond milk and butter to a medium sized pot and heat until butter is melted. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool to the temperature of bath water (about 110 degrees F). Once cooled, add the yeast, stir, and let sit for 10 minutes. Then, add the sugar, salt and vanilla extract and let sit for another minute.
- Add the flour to the milk mixture 1/2 cup at a time and stir well in between each addition. Add flour until dough forms a ball that isn’t sticky. You may need to add a few more tablespoons of flour or you may not need the entire 4 cups. Form dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place for 1 hour.
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Cover a large cutting board or counter top with plastic wrap and then lightly flour it (You will probably need to overlap two pieces of plastic wrap). Roll dough out until it’s about 1/4 inch thick and 20×15 inches wide. Cut the edges off so that they are straight.
- Spread the dough with the softened butter and then evenly sprinkle it with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Use the plastic wrap to roll dough (long side) into a cinnamon roll. Cut roll into pieces that are 1 inch thick and place into a medium sized cast iron skillet or oven safe dish. Bake cinnamon rolls for about 20-25 minutes, until cooked through.
- While cinnamon rollls are baking, add the glaze ingredients to a small bowl and mix until smooth. Top cooked cinnamon rolls with desired amount of glaze. Cinnamon rolls are best when eaten immediately. They can be re-heated and eaten later as well, but best when served warm.
- Prep Time: 80 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Breakfast, Gluten Free, Vegan
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Adapted from Minimalist Baker
You might also enjoy these Orange Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls!
Karen @ Seasonal Cravings says
Gluten free cinnamon rolls are so hard to get right – I know from several failed attempts! These look great and I can’t wait to try them.
She Likes Food says
They really are hard to get right, Karen! Thanks so much 🙂
D Scott says
Soooo butter is now part of a vegan diet?
She Likes Food says
I specifically state to use non-dairy butter… I only put “or regular butter” for the people who came just looking for a gluten free cinnamon roll recipe and don’t need it to be vegan
Kathy says
How do you store them? I know gluten free baked goods don’t do well in the fridge
She Likes Food says
I would either store on the counter or if you store in the refrigerator you may want to pop them in the microwave for a few seconds before eating.
Kym P says
We made these for Thanksgiving this year because I am gluten free and egg free and let me tell you- they were heavenly! I’ve attempted a few different gluten free cinnamon rolls and none were as gooey and delicious as these ones (they are not fluffy, but the taste makes up for that). My whole family (who is not GF) agreed that they were very delicious and not lacking any gluten, the whole batch was devoured. (: It is now April and I have been craving these ever since Thanksgiving, so going for the second time around. Can’t wait to eat these again in a few hours.
She Likes Food says
I’m so glad you hear you enjoyed them!!
DJ says
These sound and look delicious!! Do you have nutritional info for these rolls?
She Likes Food says
Thanks, DJ! Unfortunately I don’t have the nutritional info, but there are a few sites you can use to look it up, such as MyFitnessPal.com 🙂
Annie says
We have got to try these! Perfect! I love it!
She Likes Food says
I think you guys would love them, Annie!!
Nicole @ Foodie Loves Fitness says
OMG lady, these look to die for! I’ve been really wanting to make cinnamon rolls for months, sooo I think I might need to try these out. Like RIGHT NOW!
Amber says
Could these be refrigerated overnight prior to baking? Trying to make Christmas morning a little easier. Would love to completely make the day/night before and then just take out the next morning and pop in the oven.
She Likes Food says
Hi Amber, I haven’t done that myself, but I think that would work great!
Joy says
Hi Amber, I have the same question you had. Did you ever try refrigerating these overnight prior to baking? Would love to make these for a brunch tomorrow.
Thanks!
She Likes Food says
Hi Joy, I think it would definitely work! I’ve found that when I refrigerator the dough before baking it can kinda have a strong yeast smell when I go to use it but I don’t think that effects the flavor once baked 🙂
Nicole says
Hi Joy,
Did you try preparing these the night before? If so how did it go? And at what point did you get to the night before?
Thanks,
Nicole
Jessica says
If you’re planning on putting in the fridge do not allow the yeast to rise or set beforehand when you first make them put them in the fridge immediately and then the next day let then rise before baking.
Nicole says
Hi Jessica,
Can you elaborate? I am a beginner and I don’t know where to prep, stop (night before) and then continue the next morning.
Thanks,
Nicole
Elaine says
Nicole, I’m pretty sure she means make the entire recipe but don’t let it rise one hour before refrigerating. After the dough is mixed put in the fridge and take out at least one hour (but I would probably do 1/ 1/2 or 2 hours since it will be cold and need longer to warm up to rise. If it is like normal dough you’ll be able to tell that it has filled with air some and looks fluffy. If you touch it with your finger it should feel like it can be squished down, like pushing the air out) then roll and bake as directed. At least that’s what I would do. Good luck!
Nicole says
Thanks Elaine!!
Hannah says
Im going to try these for Christmas morning. We have both egg and gluten allergies in our family, these will be perfect! Thanks for sharing!
She Likes Food says
I hope you all enjoy them!! Happy holidays 🙂
Kelley says
Have you tried just placing on a baking sheet to make individual rolls?
She Likes Food says
Do you mean rather than baking together in a pan? That should work just fine!
Jessica says
Cinnamon rolls need to be touching in order for them to bake properly so I wouldn’t bake them individually
Holly says
You have salt listed in the ingredients but, not in the instructions. When or do I put this in? Thanks.
She Likes Food says
Sorry about that! Put it in when you put the sugar and vanilla in 🙂
KRISTIN L CHACON says
Thanks for posting this Gluten free version! Minimalist Baker always has fantastic recipes, many of which are gf but this one wasn’t so I’m so happy I found your modified one! Xoxo
She Likes Food says
My pleasure! I hope you enjoy!
natalie says
I tried making these twice and didn’t work at all!!
She Likes Food says
Hi Natalie, I’m sorry they didn’t work. Can you be more specific about what part didn’t work?
Jennifer says
I tried making these, but they didn’t seem to bake in the oven? They just got very hard, and didn’t brown at all. They also didn’t rise in the oven.
Any suggestions on what I can do for next time??
She Likes Food says
Hi Jennifer, sorry about that. It’s gluten free dough, so it doesn’t rise the same way regular dough would. Mine didn’t turn brown either, but they also didn’t get hard. They just got cooked and weren’t doughy anymore. Sorry yours were hard.
Terry says
So, I just finished making these. The dough was very difficult. I think I ended up using close to 8 cups of flour to get to a ‘not sticky’ consistency. I used Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Baking Flour. It was difficult to roll out; but rolling on a plastic wrap base sprinkled with more flour really helped when trying to roll the dough up before cutting into buns. They are on the dry side (probably from all the extra flour); but they are tasty and I would probably make them again despite the difficulties. The dough rose really well also. Oh, and double the icing!!
She Likes Food says
Hi Terry, I’m sorry you had to use a lot more flour. I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten free baking flour which is different than their all purpose one, maybe that is why you had to use more? I’m glad they were at least tasty though! 🙂
Hannah says
Can you sub for an all purpose gluten free flour?
She Likes Food says
I’ve only ever made this with Bob’s Red Mill GF AP flour so I’m not sure if anything else would work well unfortunately
Tanya Gaynor says
One of the better gluten free recipes we have tried for cinnamon rolls. Easy to make.
She Likes Food says
Yah! So glad they were easy to make!
Edy Cozort says
These were by far the best gluten free cinnamon rolls I’ve had since being diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2014!!!!! I’ve been using this cup for cup flour for awhile and was very excited to find your recipe on Pinterest. Thank you for posting.
She Likes Food says
That is so great to hear, Edy!! I’m so glad you enjoyed them 🙂
Steve says
Made these rolls this morning…they were easy & really good. Usually I make “regular” cinnamon rolls, but needed a gulton free, egg free and dairy free batch. Thanks to google, I found Izzy’s recipe & blog. The dough is a little different to work with, but fun, and the plastic wrap is a must for rolling it out. The family said they liked them…between bites and rolls! Thanks Izzy, and great pictures by the way!
She Likes Food says
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed them!! Yes, the plastic wrap is a must, but it makes it work! Merry Christmas!
Ragan says
I have these in the oven right now for Christmas breakfast (making ahead of time!) and they look and smell AMAZING and just like the “real” deal! I have been nervous to try baking gluten free and vegan but this recipe is turning out fantastic and I can try wait for everyone to sink their teeth into them on Christmas morning!
She Likes Food says
I’m so glad to hear they came out well! I hope you enjoyed them! Merry Christmas!
Renée Flaharty says
I have never before baked any kind of bread or roll from scratch. My 18-year old daughter was diagnosed last week as highly gluten, lactose, soy, and corn allergic. Our Christmas breakfast tradition is to have cinnamon rolls and I did not want her to have to miss out or eat something she shouldn’t. We made this recipe last night, substituting coconut oil (1:1) for all butter in the recipe. Additionally, we sprinkled lots of extra cinnamon sugar on top of the rolls as soon as they came out of the oven. They turned out perfectly, with delicious taste and texture!! Thank you SO much for this great recipe that let her enjoy Christmas morning without feeling the least bit deprived or left out. Merry Christmas and God’s blessings — as you have blessed us.
She Likes Food says
Aw, your comment just made me so happy!! I’m so glad your daughter enjoyed these and that they allowed her to not miss out on your special tradition!! Merry Christmas to you and your family! I hope you have a wonderful day! 🙂
Ana says
Is there any way I can substitute the yeast???
She Likes Food says
Hi Ana, unfortunately I’m pretty sure you need the yeast in this recipe. It isn’t like regular dough though, so you might be able to get away without it, but I haven’t tried it myself.
Catherine says
Loved these! A+
She Likes Food says
Yah!! I’m so glad you enjoyed them 🙂
FRANCINI LEUCK says
Hey, that looks sooo delish!
I was wondering, could I use ghee butter or coconut butter/oil instead of the non-dairy butter?
Also, could I use stevia or xylitol instead of regular sugar?
She Likes Food says
Hi Francini, yes you can definitely use a butter substitute! I don’t really have experience with stevia or xylitol so I’m not 100% sure, but I think that would work!
Vicky says
FYI- I have been told that Bob’s Red Mill baking flour does act differently in baked goods than the Bob’s 1 to 1, so I will buy that the next grocery trip. Glad to see the recipe calls for almond milk, I have to sub the butter for coconut oil. Would margarine work as a sub for butter?
She Likes Food says
Yes, the 1 to 1 is different than the regular one! Margarine would work great for butter! 🙂
Danielle says
I made this top 8 free (used rice milk) and my kids loved it!!! My whole family tried a bite (still working on accepting gluten free cooking) and great reviews all around. 🙂
Thank you for your dedication so that my allergy kiddos can enjoy cinnamon rolls again!!!
She Likes Food says
That is so nice to hear, Danielle!! I’m glad your kids were able to enjoy cinnamon rolls again, that truly makes me so happy to hear! 🙂
Ada says
Could domata flour be used., it’s cup for cup exchange., let me know., thks. They look great.
She Likes Food says
Hi Ada, I can’t say for 100% sure since I’ve never used it myself. The consistency of the dough might be a little bit different, but you could probably just adjust the recipe if so (by adding more flour if needed, or less). Good luck!
Kelly says
Could this dough be made the night before? Or even make the rolls the night before and bake the following morning?
She Likes Food says
Yes, it can definitely be made the night before and I think it would work if you made the rolls the night before as long as you sealed them up well with plastic wrap 🙂
DC says
Instead of instant rapid rise yeast, could “regular” yeast be used? Maybe by starting in warm liquid then subracting that liquid from the overall amounts?
She Likes Food says
Hmm, baking is so scientific that I can’t say for sure that it would work since I haven’t tried it myself but you could always test it out! Sorry I don’t have a better answer for you!
Havana says
Oh my goodness these are THE BEST vegan gluten free cinnamon rolls I have EVER had! they are fluffy and delicious!! I used the gluten free King Arthur Flour, and a little bit of the Trader Joes gluten free flour. AMAZING JOB! 🙂
She Likes Food says
Awesome!! I’m so glad you like them! 🙂
Ann says
Do you have to use the 1:1 flour, does it make a difference in the recipe?
She Likes Food says
Hi Ann, I’ve only made it with the 1:1 flour so I’m not 100% sure if would work with another one. You might just have to adjust the liquid content but that should be pretty easy!
Noel Farren says
If I make these the night before for Christmas morning, is it best to bake them and then reheat in the oven? Or should I have them ready to bake in the morning?
She Likes Food says
I think either would work well! My only thought is that they might get a little dry if you bake them the day before.
Marion says
Just baked the cinnamon buns and so good, I’ve been a cilac for 30 years and it’s so nice with the different flours to be able to bake some really delicious recipes. I must admit over the years made lots of duds. Since I didn’t have the Bob Mills 1 on 1 flour which by the way is good, I substitute my gluten free mixed which is 3cups rice flour, 1cup potato starch, 1/2 cup tapioca starch, I then only used 3 cups of this and added 1 cup of sweet rice flour, added 2 teaspoons of xanthan gum. I also put the mixture right away out on the counter with the plastic wrap and more rice flour, mixed it to a nice ball and flatted it out and continued to add the sugar, rolled up and cut then put in my pan to rise for an hour. Baked a good 25 minutes and here is the results hope I can send the pictures.
She Likes Food says
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! And also glad to hear that they still worked out with using a different flour blend! 🙂
Hannah says
I made these for my husband and sister— I’m gluten free, my sister is gluten & dairy free, and my husband is neither. But all 3 of us couldn’t stop eating them. Everyone loved them! Even my in-laws 😉 Thank you for this recipe! I can’t wait to make it again!
To make it dairy free, instead of dairy free butter for the dough and the filling, I used coconut oil and it turned out great!
She Likes Food says
That is so great to hear! I’m glad everyone enjoyed them and it’s good to know the recipe works with coconut oil instead of vegan butter! 🙂
Marianne Lewis says
These were delicious! I made them for a brunch this morning with dairy free & gluten free friends.
I made them the night before & baked in the morning. I followed the recipe all the way thru but DID NOT leave the dough to ride. I then rolled it onto a Saran Wrap covered baking sheet & tightly covered & put in fridge overnight. The next morning, the roll was very limp & wet, as the sugar had started to melt. You know what? No problem! I had a greased glass pan, cut approximate roll sized slices & pinched them into the pan- it was like s cinnamon roll casserole & looked great when done.
Dough needs SEVERAL hours to come up to temp & get puffy. I ended up putting the rolls in a slightly warm oven for about an hour. I made double recipe for 8 people & almost the entire pan was devoured. I also made the yummy egg & potato cups.
For the glaze: a pinch of salt & small squeeze of lemon reduce the sweetness.
She Likes Food says
That’s so nice to hear!! I’m glad everyone enjoyed them and that they worked well to make the night before! Thanks!! 🙂
Kelly says
Can I cut this recipe in half without messing up the end result? It’s just the hubby and I but I’m the one that has a very restricted diet (over 100 food allergies over here…geesh????). These tasty baked goods help me keep weight on and this makes the hubby, my doctor and my belly happy. I use the 1 to 1 to make fried chicken. The hubby inhales it before I can get it on the dinner table.
She Likes Food says
That should work!
Karen says
I would like to try this recipe for my husbands birthday tomorrow.. my question is I have a package of Bob’s red mill gluten free cinnamon raisin bread mix in the cupboard… anyone ever used this to make this recipe?? Thanks in advance!
Judy says
Elaine, so cool for you to respond to Nicole as you did.
Leonie says
Only just trying to move to gluten free having realised my body is not great with gluten. These sound delicious. Looking forward to trying to make them.
Would be brilliant for Xmas morning breakfast
She Likes Food says
They’re so good for Christmas morning! I hope you enjoy! 🙂
Julie says
These were good but definitely needed more than 25mins in the over. Definitely closer to 45mins. Loved the taste though!
She Likes Food says
Glad you enjoyed them! Sorry the timing was different for you though
Stephanie says
The dough itself seems like it should be sweeter. Has anyone added sugar to the dough ingredients with good results?
Tiff says
Hi! They taste GREAT, but it has a funny texture, so I’m sure I didn’t something wrong. I made the dough last night, put it in a gallon sized ziplock bag, and had it in the fridge until this morning. I left the dough out to prove this morning for about 2 1/2 hours—I didn’t see much rise/texture change. The dough was kind of wet (or maybe oily?) when I put it in the fridge and after proving, but it wasn’t sticky. I suspect that I went wrong with the wet dough and/or the proving process. Should I have continued to add flour to create a less wet dough? According to your pictures, it looks like your dough wasn’t as shiny as mine, but I can’t be sure. Please help! And thank you for this recipe!!!!
She Likes Food says
Hi Tiff, I haven’t let the dough sit overnight before, so maybe that is why? They are gluten free so the texture isn’t going to be perfectly fluffy like regular cinnamon rolls, but it should be pretty good. I would recommend adding a little more flour, at least to help roll it out, if the dough seems really wet. I hope that helps!
paris summers says
I just baked these and WOW these are delicous! I ran over to my computer to let you know how successful this went. I know you know, but these are..going to be gone by the end of the night. THANK YOU!
She Likes Food says
That is SO nice to hear!! Thank you!!
Hailey says
Can I prepare all the way to rolling into a cylinder the night before then cut them in the morning to cook? Or can they not sit over night?
She Likes Food says
Sorry for the delay in replaying, but yes that would work
Carolyn Guercio-Wisler says
Making now!! Can’t wait to taste them – I’ll take pics too and if I can’t post here, I’ll tag you on Insta or FB. Thank you for always having such great recipes~!
They are amazing!!!! Super delicious and the dough was actually pretty easy to work with!
She Likes Food says
I hope you enjoyed them!!
Rebecca says
Can i make these without the yeast?
She Likes Food says
No, unfortunately I don’t think that would work very well.
Scarlett says
How can you replace rapid rise yeast with active dry yeast in this recipe?
She Likes Food says
Unfortunately I’m not sure if that would work
Joanne Buckner says
I made these yesterday…I had a couple issues 🙁 by reading the comments…I believe it must be my error! I just wanted to know …after the 1 hour raise…how much should it raise? (very little? double?) I know when I took out of bowl after raise..dough wanted to “crack” as I was rolling up..I used Plastic wrap to help (which it did) I feel like the dough looked like your picture 3 & 4 of pre -raise dough but it did not look like the picture you have of rolled log??? I then put in cast Iron skillet…and covered with plastic wrap …hoping it would “puff” up some? (maybe a problem??) The end product seemed edible but hard
*Used BRM 1:1
*used about 3 3/4 c flour of the 4c flour
*checked water/butter temp–110*
*Yeast is not expired & it is quick rising
Thank you for your help! I feel as though correcting a promising recipe is better than hopping to another recipe. GF & Yeast baking is finicky at BEST!!
Joanne Buckner says
did you happen to see??
She Likes Food says
they don’t really puff up too much with the gluten free flour
Linda Shin says
I hate using vegan butter. Can I use coconut oil instead?
She Likes Food says
I think that would probably work, but haven’t tried it myself
Miranda says
When you put it in a warm place to rise, does it rise very much? Mine has barely risen at all.
She Likes Food says
It doesn’t rise a ton but it should rise a little bit
Jaye says
The dough wasn’t the easiest to work with, but it was worth it. The cinnamon roll recipe is scrumptious, and I’ve tried about 7 gluten free cinnamon roll recipes to date.
She Likes Food says
So glad to hear that!!
Destinee says
Can I substitute coconut sugar? Really want to try these for New Years! Also would ghee would work for this recipe?
She Likes Food says
Yes!
Stephanie says
Hi there I know the cinnamon rolls are amazing I made them many times before but it’s been a while and last time I remember hearing the ingredients in the microwave before adding the years but I thought it said about how long to heat in the microwave do you have any idea?
She Likes Food says
I’ve never heated mine in the microwave before but I’d probably just do 30 seconds at a time until it’s warm enough
Anne says
I made a complete mess out of trying to follow this recipe, and even with all of that, these cinnamon buns came out delicious!
I’ve made cinnamon buns with gluten in them many times in the past, but I’m slightly intolerant and wanted to give this a try. Excited as I was I managed to completely misread the instructions and didn’t allow the dough to rise for an hour! Even then, the buns raised whilst they were baking and were incredibly fluffy fresh out of the oven.
Sadly they became very hard when they cooled down (understandably), but they soften again when brushed with a little bit of plant-milk and popped in the microwave for under a minute. Brilliant, will definitely be making them again.
She Likes Food says
haha, I’m glad you still enjoyed them!!
Jeanette says
After you put the rolls in the skillet or baking dish, do you let them rise again (a second rise) before baking?
She Likes Food says
you can but no need!
Amy says
THANK YOU! This has become our Christmas morning go-to for the last few years. Even though I’m the gluten and dairy free one in the family, the whole family looks forward to it!
She Likes Food says
That is so nice to hear, Amy!! I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas! <3
Christine says
I am hoping to make these for my Girl Scout troop’s upcoming camping trip. If they are made Friday, what is the best way to store them to be eaten on Sunday morning?
She Likes Food says
Hi Christine, I would suggest storing them in an airtight container, either at room temperature or in the refrigerator. They’re best served either warm or at room temp, if you are not able to re-heat them.