Unbelievably Plush Gluten Free Vegan Cinnamon Rolls (No Xanthan Gum! Ready in 90 minutes!) (2024)

You NEED to try these unbelievably gluten free vegan cinnamon rolls!! These gluten free cinnamon rolls are soft, pillowy plush, squishy, EASY, and look, taste, and feel just like a classic cinnamon roll. And you can make these cinnamon rolls in just over an hour! Everyone will love these secretly vegan gluten free cinnamon rolls, whether or not you’re gluten free!

This post is in collaboration withForager Project, my absolute favorite dairy-free and vegan food company! You’ve heard me speak about Forager Project many times in my recipes, and I’m so grateful to bring to you a recipe we worked together on that I just know you’ll love!

BEST EVER gluten free vegan cinnamon rolls- without xanthan gum!

If you’re looking for a soft, plush, and brioche-like gluten free cinnamon roll that FINALLY tastes, looks, and feels like the real deal, then look no further.

Oh, and let’s not forget that’s even EASIER than making regular cinnamon rolls.

This recipe is it. These undetectably gluten free cinnamon rolls rise and bake just like the classic; the dough is so easy to make, and even feels like a regular gluten dough! And, you won’t believe how quick and easy these cinnamon rolls are to make (even easier than my traditional vegan cinnamon rolls!). Also, if you only need a small batch of these, there is a small batch cinnamon roll recipe of these gluten free cinnamon rolls!

The result? Chewy and soft texture that pulls apart just like bread, sweet notes of vanilla and cinnamon, and melt in your mouth feel without any grittiness.

And guess what? You don’t need any eggs, dairy, nor xanthan gum or a gluten free flour blend! Yes, these cinnamon rolls are made without any xanthan gum, so that even more gluten-free eaters can enjoy (and trust me, you will too!).

The perfect gluten free vegan breakfast that no one will know is gluten free and vegan!

Gluten free cinnamon roll ingredients overview:

When making gluten free cinnamon rolls, I wanted to ensure that we’re using ingredients that will really replicate the effect of a traditional cinnamon roll. Below are the ingredients you’ll need (all measurements found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post!), why we’re using them, and any substitutions you can make that won’t affect the outcome of the recipe.

• Tapioca starch/flour:Tapioca flour and tapioca starch are actually the same thing(unlike how potato starch and potato flour are completely different!). This is what gives the gluten free cinnamon rolls a similar buttery soft texture that you find in classic cinnamon rolls. I recommend Bob’s Red Mill here.
• Millet flour:Using millet flour is crucial to the success of these gluten free cinnamon rolls. This particulargluten free flour has a high amount of protein(similar to sorghum flour, but much smoother), which helps to stabilize the rise in our dough. The texture is also super soft when baked! If you opt for sorghum flour, the dough might taste more like “whole wheat” flour once baked.
• Psyllium husk powder:I’ve tried this recipe many times without psyllium husk powder, and honestly, it just doesn’t work. If you want gluten free vegan cinnamon rolls that have the look and feel of the traditional, then use this powder. Some other bakers have suggested substitutes but I haven’t personally tested them.
• Arrowroot starch:Arrowroot starch (or cornstarch) works very similarly to xanthan gum, which is why we’re able to omit xanthan gum entirely. This will give the cinnamon rollsa less gritty texture while also helping to bind them (meaning we can also omit eggs!).
• Sugar:Because these gluten free cinnamon rolls are, well, gluten free, we need something else to help get the yeast going, which is why we use sugar. This actually helps the dough to rise more like traditional dough. Both traditional flour and sugar helpyeast to create carbon dioxide, which gives dough its traditional rise. Because we’re omitting the flour, we’ll need to heavily rely on the sugar. Not to worry though- these rolls aren’t too sweet.
• Baking Powder:Adding baking powder to the gluten free cinnamon roll dough not only helps the dough to rise, but it also helps to create a softer dough.I recently tested these rolls WITHOUT baking powder just to see, and I will admit, they were just as fluffy and soft and risen. However, if you’re doubting your yeast in any way, adding the baking powder is like extra reassurance 🙂
• Forager Project Cashewmilk Yogurt:This is one of the key ingredients that makes these cinnamon rolls irresistible. Dairy free yogurt acts as an egg replacement found in regular gluten free cinnamon roll recipes. The fat in the cashew milk yogurt also lends to the tenderness of the sweet rolls once baked- much like a brioche bread. Please see the recipe card below for additional dairy free yogurt options!
• Forager Project Soymilk:Soy milk contains protein, which will help the dough of these vegan gluten free cinnamon rolls stabilize while rising and hold their shape. If you cannot have soy milk, you can use almond milk.
• Vegan butter:Much like brioche bread, we need vegan butter (or coconut oil if you can’t have vegan butter- however, I do recommend vegan butter, as it will help the cinnamon rolls taste better!). I use vegan butter that has salt in it.
• Vanilla extract:A touch of vanilla extract helps the overall flavor of the cinnamon rolls!
• Apple cider vinegar:Using a touch of apple cider vinegar won’t alter the taste of the cinnamon rolls, but it WILL make the holes in the dough muchmore stable when rising(helping the dough to not collapse while baking!).

Gluten free Cinnamon Roll Filling:

• Brown sugar:for a super caramelized center, use dark brown sugar!
• Ground cinnamon
• Vegan butter

Cinnamon bun frosting:

• Vegan butter
• Vegan cream cheese
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla extract

Which yeast is best for gluten free cinnamon rolls?

I recommend using instant yeast or quick rise yeast for these gluten free vegan cinnamon rolls. Instant yeast acts much faster than dry active yeast (or fresh yeast) in gluten free recipes (and in regular vegan bread recipes in general!), so you’ll know instantly whether the yeast is working or not.

Plus, that means that you don’t have to wait that long to enjoy these gluten free cinnamon rolls!

Overview: How to make the best ever gluten free vegan cinnamon rolls

For the full written instructions and ingredientmeasurements, see the bottom of this post in therecipe card. You can also hit the “jump to recipe” button at the top of this post! Here, we’ll go over a brief overview of the steps, along with providing visuals for a better understanding of the recipe.

I actually adapted this method from Kat over at The Loop Whisk. Her method for slicing the gluten free cinnamon rolls is genius! We’ll go over that in a second, but I wanted to give her credit for such an amazing idea (and her recipe is incredible as well!).

Here’s an overview of how to make these easy gluten free cinnamon rolls:

1. Whisk:You’ll start by whisking together the dry ingredients. This is the tapioca starch, millet flour, sugar, arrowroot starch, psyllium husk, baking powder, and yeast. Whisk until everything is completely combined.
2. Make the dough:Next, you’ll add in the dairy free yogurt, dairy free milk, vegan butter, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract. I recommend using a stand mixer with dough attachment to make these cinnamon rolls. You can also make these cinnamon rolls by hand, but they’ll take about 10-15 minutes longer, as you must knead the dough by hand until smooth. You’ll also need more flour potentially. Mix everything together in the stand mixer on medium speed until you achieve a smooth, not very tacky dough ball (the dough shouldn’t really be sticky at all!).
3. Roll out the dough:Lightly flour a clean surface or rolling mat with tapioca flour, and roll the dough out to be 18×12 inches.
4. Spread the filling:Use an offset spatula to spread the softened vegan butter, or brush the melted butter onto the cinnamon rolls with a pastry brush. Then sprinkle the brown sugar cinnamon mixture over the vegan butter in an even coat. You can pat the filling with your hands if needed.

The method for rolling gluten free cinnamon rolls:

Next, you’ll need a pizza cutter or large kitchen knife, and a ruler (or use the ruled sides of the silicone baking mat, like I did).

On the 18″ side (length side), make a slice every 1 1/2 inches. You’ll yield 12 cinnamon rolls then. After you’ve marked the dough, you can take the pizza cutter or large kitchen knife, and slice one cinnamon roll length wise. Then roll the cinnamon roll from either side tightly. Transfer the cinnamon roll to your prepared baking pan and repeat.

I recommend slicing and rolling each cinnamon roll individually (instead of making 12 slices at once, then rolling 12 cinnamon roll at once). This is because the dough rises quite fast, and will stick together as it waits for you to roll each cinnamon roll, causing you to re-slice the dough anyways.

Rest the cinnamon rolls then bake:

This next part is so easy. You’ll preheat the oven to 350F, and allow your covered gluten free cinnamon rolls to rest while the oven preheats, about 30 minutes. The cinnamon rolls will have doubled in size, like below.

Then bake your cinnamon rolls for 30-32 minutes, or until lightly golden on top. Remove from the oven and spread your favorite dairy free cinnamon bun icing on top!

How long do these cinnamon rolls last?

I recommend enjoying your gluten free cinnamon rolls immediately after baking. They’re best served warm with the icing. I typically allow the cinnamon rolls to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then make the icing.

If you have any leftover cinnamon rolls, you can absolutely save them to enjoy for later (just know they’re best enjoyed same day!). To save and reheat your cinnamon rolls for later:

Refrigerator:Store the cinnamon rolls in an airtight bag or container for up to 4 days in the fridge. To reheat, preheat the oven to 350F, and place the cinnamon rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Heat for 4-5 minutes. Alternatively, you can microwave the cinnamon rolls for 2-3 30 second intervals.

Freezer:Place the gluten free cinnamon rolls in an airtight bag or container for up to 3 months in the freezer. To reheat, preheat the oven to 350F, and place the cinnamon rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Heat for 7-10 minutes. Alternatively, you can microwave the rolls for 3-4 30 second intervals.

Important! Why you need to weigh your ingredients:

It’s imperative to the success of these gluten free vegan cinnamon rolls that you weigh your ingredients on a scale rather than measuring by US cups. While I provide both metric and US measurements, the most accurate results will be from using a kitchen scale.

I use the OXO kitchen scale, which is about $50, but my first kitchen scale was $10, and it worked a charm.

If you use US cup measurements, you might under measure or (more likely) over measure the amount of flour and dry ingredients needed. The ratio of this gluten-free flour blend that I’ve created is imperative to get right.

These gluten free cinnamon rolls are sure to become your favorite indulgent vegan breakfast recipe!! They’re perfect as a Christmas breakfast for the whole family, or as a weekend brunch treat! You can even use the base dough in my vegan sticky buns recipe as well 🙂 A total treat!

Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest!

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If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!

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Soft & Plush EASY Gluten Free Vegan Cinnamon Rolls (No Xanthan Gum!)

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• Author: Britt Berlin
• Prep Time: 15
• Proofing Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 30
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 12 1x
• Category: Breakfast
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

You NEED to try these unbelievably gluten free vegan cinnamon rolls!! These gluten free cinnamon rolls are soft, pillowy plush, squishy, EASY, and look, taste, and feel just like a classic cinnamon roll. And you can make these cinnamon rolls in just over an hour! Everyone will love these secretly vegan gluten free cinnamon rolls, whether or not you’re gluten free!

Ingredients

Scale

Gluten free vegan cinnamon rolls:

• 3 cups (390 g) tapioca flour or starch
• 2 1/2 cups (330 g) millet flour*
• 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup (30 g) psyllium husk powder
• 2 tbsp arrowroot starch (or cornstarch)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 4 1/2 tsp (2 packets or 14 g) instant yeast (quick rise yeast)
• 1 3/4 cups (400 mL) Forager Project soy milk*, lukewarm
• 1/2 cup (143 g) Forager Project Cashewmilk yogurt,* room temperature
• 1/3 cup (75 g) vegan butter, melted but not hot
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Cinnamon Roll Filling:

• 1 cup (200 g) light or dark brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 6 tbsp melted vegan butter

Cinnamon Roll Icing (or sub vegan cream cheese frosting):

• 1/3 cup (75 g) vegan butter, room temperature
• 2 cups (320 g) powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla powder

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Prep:Line a 9×13″ baking dish with parchment paper, and set aside. Measure out all ingredients before beginning. Whisk together the brown sugar and cinnamon for the filling, and set aside.
2. Whisk:In the bowl of your kitchenaid stand mixer or in a large bowl if making these by hand, whisk together the tapioca starch and millet flour. Then add in the granulated sugar, psyllium husk powder, arrowroot starch, baking powder, and instant yeast. Whisk vigorously to ensure that everything is evenly distributed throughout the flour.
3. Make the dough: Attach your bowl to your stand mixer if using, along with the dough attachment. Create a crater in the flour, and add in the soy milk, dairy free yogurt, vegan butter, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract. Turn the stand mixer on to medium speed (or mix with a wooden spoon and then your hands) until a smooth dough forms (about 7 minutes by stand mixer, or 15 minutes by hand), kneading the dough until smooth. The dough should not really be sticky or tacky at all. The psyllium husk takes a few minutes to activate, which will help make this dough feel more like traditional dough. If the dough is still sticky after 7 minutes of mixing in your stand mixer, you can safely add in 20 g more of millet flour.
4. Roll the dough:On a clean surface or using a large silicone baking mat like I have, lightly dust the surface in tapioca starch, and place the dough in the middle. Gently shape the dough into a small rectangle with your hands, then roll the dough out with a rolling pin to be 12×18″.
5. Spread the filling onto the dough: Brush the melted vegan butter onto the dough. Then sprinkle the brown sugar cinnamon filling on top in an even coat. You can use your hands to help spread the sugar mixture to any uneven spots.
6. Roll the cinnamon rolls:On the 18″ side (length side), make a slice every 1 1/2 inches. You’ll yield 12 cinnamon rolls then. After you’ve marked the dough, you can take a pizza cutter or large kitchen knife, and slice one cinnamon roll length wise (see photos in blog post). Then roll the cinnamon roll tightly, starting from either end of the strip (see photos in blog post). Transfer the cinnamon roll to your prepared baking pan and repeat.I recommend slicing and rolling each cinnamon roll individually (so make a slice, then roll a cinnamon, make a slice, roll a cinnamon roll, etc.; instead of making 12 slices at once, then rolling 12 cinnamon roll at once). This is because the dough rises quite fast, and will stick together as it waits for you to roll each cinnamon roll, causing you to re-slice the dough anyways.
7. Allow the cinnamon rolls to rise:Cover the baking pan with a clean kitchen towel, and place the rolls in a warm area to rise for about 30 minutes, until doubled in size. While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 350F.
8. Bake the cinnamon rolls: After the cinnamon rolls have doubled in size, place the baking pan into the oven to bake for 30-32 minutes, or until the tops are just lightly golden. Remove the cinnamon rolls from the oven.
9. Make the icing: While the cinnamon rolls are cooling for 5-10 minutes in the baking pan, make the icing. In a bowl, cream together the vegan butter and powdered sugar, either with a hand mixer or a whisk. Add in the vanilla extract.
10. Spread theicing onto the cinnamon rolls: Spread the icing onto each of the cinnamon rolls. Slice, serve warm, and enjoy!
11. Storage:These gluten free cinnamon rolls are best enjoyed the same day they’re made. However, you can store any leftovers in an airtight bag or container for up to 4 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer.

Equipment

rolling pin

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baking dish

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pizza cutter

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Notes

Please try to use akitchen scale for the most accurate measurements! I recommend the OXO kitchen scale. If you are using US (cups), then please remember to spoon & level each flour to get the mostaccurate results.However, using metric (grams) will yield the best cinnamon rolls.

Millet flour: You can sub sorghum flour if you don’t have millet- HOWEVER, these will taste more like a whole wheat cinnamon roll.

Soymilk:If you are soy-free, you can use Forager Project oatmilk or cashewmilk. You can also use almond milk. Any will work in this recipe!

Dairy free yogurt:Please feel free to use your favorite dairy free yogurt if you cannot have nuts. Soy milk yogurt or coconut yogurt have worked great here. Additionally, I have tried these with vegan Greek-style protein packed yogurt with great results!

Instant yeast: Pleaseonly use INSTANT yeast, NOT dry active yeast. Dry active yeast will take just too long to rise. Only for the OVERNIGHT option, however, you may use dry active yeast.

Make ahead/Overnight: To have these rolls close to first thing in the morning, please follow steps 1 through 7, stopping right before the proof. Cover tightly in plastic wrap and store the cinnamon rolls in the fridge overnight. An hour before you’d like to serve the rolls, take them out of the fridge and place them in a warm area to rise while the oven preheats, continuing onto step 8.

Please read the full blog post for all tips and tricks. There are also more extensivedescriptions on possible ingredient substitutions.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cinnamon roll no icing
• Calories: 249
• Sugar: 9.2 g
• Sodium: 32.2 mg
• Fat: 7.1 g
• Saturated Fat: 3.6 g
• Carbohydrates: 42 g
• Fiber: 2.7 g
• Protein: 4.1 g
• Cholesterol: 15 mg