The Best Gluten Free Cinnamon Roll

Gooey, cinnamony, cream cheesy goodness!

 I love a soft, gooey cinnamon roll more than anyone I know, but unfortunately, most cinnamon rolls are dry and hard to choke down, especially gluten free ones (despite the raves the recipes always have posted with them).  On Christmas Eve, a dear friend of mine who owns a restaurant saw me and my husband out on a walk and offered to send us home with two 8" cinnamon rolls for our kids to have Christmas morning (as the restaurant obviously wouldn't be open and selling them.)  My family normally won't touch cinnamon rolls, so I was about to pass, but my husband took a look at those gorgeous gigantic cinnamon rolls and said "of course!"  

As we walked home I started planning out the ultimate gluten free cinnamon roll recipe in my head.  I was going to make one exactly like we had in our hands or better.   I threw some ingredients in the bowl that afternoon, rolled up the cinnamon roll at dinnertime and baked it just before I went to bed.  Sure enough, Christmas morning dawned with the best gluten free cinnamon roll ever!  All the cinnamon rolls I've had in the last 7 years have been 1 star, but this was 5 stars for sure!  The long rise time make these rolls super soft and light.  The eggs and xanthan gum mimic the gluten in traditional cinnamon rolls.

my roll dough in a 5x14" rectangle, spread with melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon

starting to roll the jumbo cinnamon roll.

when you get to the end of one strip of dough, set the cinnamon roll
down at the beginning of the next and keep rolling, pinching the dough together at the seam.

When you are done transfer your giant cinnamon roll to a lightly greased 8" cake pan.   Gently press down with a spatula to fill the whole pan.

All ready to let it rise 4-6 hours.

gluten free in the foreground and gluten-filled in the background,
they looked nearly identical, but the gluten free had the best texture!  

voila!

makes a great Christmas breakfast!  I cut it in fourths
because as you can see it was humongous.

The background shows my inspiration jumbo cinnamon rolls of the gluten-filled variety.
 Then in front you see my fabulous gluten free cinnamon roll hiding under
a generous amount of cream cheese frosting.

Best Ever Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

These are slowrise cinnamon rolls like you get at the mall.  I like to start these in the afternoon, roll them out at dinner time, and bake them at bedtime.  I frost them in the morning, reheat them a bit in the microwave, and eat them for breakfast.  

You could also start them at dinner, roll them up at bedtime, and then get up early and bake them in the morning.  Every step is EASY, they are just spread out a lot.

~4 large cinnamon rolls or 1 jumbo cinnamon roll
12 hrs, prep time 18 minutes bake time

dough
1 tsp active or rapid rise yeast

1 1/3 Tbs warm water (115 degrees)

2 2/3 tbs butter, melted

1/4 cup milk, scalded (nearly boiled)

2 2/3 Tbs sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg, well beaten plus

3 egg whites or 1 ½ eggs, well beaten.

1 1/2 cups flour (I used the Costco all purpose blend which includes xanthan gum) 

½ Tbs xanthan gum or onlly ¾ tsp if using a flour mix already containing x.g.

filling
2 2/3 Tbs butter, melted
1/4 cup brown sugar plus more if needed to thoroughly cover the dough
2 tsp cinnamon plus more if needed to evenly cover the sugar

frosting
1 1/2 Tbs butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 oz cream cheese
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 Tbs milk (2/3 Tbs-2 1/2Tb)

Soften yeast in warm water.  Combine melted butter and scalded milk.  Stir in sugar, salt and eggs.  Cool.  Stir in softened yeast and flour.  Cover; allow to rise in cool place for 4 to 6 hours (room temp in the winter is fine).  Turn out onto lightly floured board roll to cover with a light dusting of flour and gently form into a long rectangle (mine was about 5x14").  Dough is very soft and should remain so, if it is sticking to your hands or roller you can dust with flour or slightly moisten your fingers.  Cover the rectangle with 2 2/3 Tbs melted butter.  cover the butter with a generous coating of brown sugar (so no roll dough is showing through.)  Then sprinkle with a generous amount of cinnamon.  

for a jumbo cinnamon roll:
Cut the rectangle into strips about 1 1/4" tall.  Roll each piece loosely, as you finish one strip of dough move it to the end of another strip and keep rolling so that you make one gigantic roll.  Set the roll into a lightly greased 8" cake pan.  if the roll doesn't come all the way to the edges of the pan you can flatten it a bit with a spatula.  

four smaller cinnamon rolls:
for smaller cinnamon rolls, cut the rectangle into 4 strips and then roll up each cinnamon roll and place in a lightly greased 8" square pan.

Allow to rise in cool place 5-6 hours.  Bake at 375F approximately 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cover with foil after 10 mins if needed to prevent burning, bottom of rolls should be golden brown.  

Cool slightly and frost.  I highly reccomend reheating a bit in the microwave before eating!