Soft Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls Recipe with Cream Cheese Icing
shared by Nibblore Kitchen
These tender cinnamon rolls have a buttery brown-sugar spiral and a tangy cream cheese icing that melts into the warm swirls. Psyllium husk gives the gluten-free dough enough elasticity to roll neatly, while a short covered bake keeps it soft. Make them for breakfast or brunch and serve slightly warm for the best texture. • Use a gluten-free flour blend made primarily from rice flour and starches; bean- or coconut-based blends absorb differently and can make the rolls heavy. • Check that the flour blend, yeast, spices, powdered sugar, and vanilla are labeled gluten-free if cross-contact is a concern. • Weighing the flour, starch, psyllium, and binders gives much more reliable results than measuring them by volume. • Do not add excess flour while shaping. Parchment paper and lightly dampened fingers control the sticky dough without drying it out. • For a dairy-free variation, replace the milk, butter, cream cheese, and icing milk with unsweetened oat milk, firm dairy-free butter, and dairy-free cream cheese; verify that every product is gluten-free. • Active dry yeast may replace instant yeast in the same weight; let it foam in the warm milk with the sugar for 10 minutes before continuing. • Dark brown sugar may replace light brown sugar for a deeper molasses flavor. • If using a flour blend that already contains xanthan gum, omit the separate xanthan gum; the dough may be slightly softer depending on the blend. Store cooled rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat individual rolls in the microwave for 15–25 seconds, or cover and warm in a 160°C oven for 8–10 minutes. Freeze un-iced baked rolls tightly wrapped for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator, reheat, and ice before serving.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Servings
- 9
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
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Save to my cookbook — freeIngredients
- 240 mlwhole milk, warmed to 38–41°C
- 7 ginstant yeast
- 50 ggranulated sugar, divided
- 15 gwhole psyllium husk
- 300 ggluten-free all-purpose flour blend with rice flour and starches, without xanthan gum
- 35 gtapioca starch
- 6 gxanthan gum
- 6 gfine salt
- 1large egg, at room temperature
- 1large egg yolk, at room temperature
- 55 gunsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 tspvanilla extract
- 85 gunsalted butter, very soft, for the filling
- 120 glight brown sugar, packed
- 2 tbspground cinnamon
- 1 pinchfine salt, for the filling
- 15 ggluten-free all-purpose flour blend, for dusting
- 115 gfull-fat cream cheese, softened
- 30 gunsalted butter, softened, for the icing
- 100 gpowdered sugar
- 1 tspvanilla extract, for the icing
- 1 pinchfine salt, for the icing
- 1 tbspwhole milk, plus more if needed for the icing
Instructions
- 1Grease a 23 cm square metal baking pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. Lightly grease the parchment.
- 2Combine the warm milk, yeast, 10 g of the granulated sugar, and psyllium husk in a medium bowl. Whisk immediately to prevent clumps, then let the mixture stand for 5–8 minutes, until thickened into a loose gel and slightly foamy.
- 3Whisk the gluten-free flour blend, tapioca starch, xanthan gum, salt, and remaining 40 g granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the psyllium mixture, whole egg, egg yolk, 55 g melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
- 4Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl, then beat on medium speed for 4 minutes. The dough should be very soft and sticky but cohesive; if it looks dry or breaks apart when pressed, beat in warm milk 1 teaspoon at a time, using no more than 1 tablespoon.
- 5Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured 40 x 45 cm sheet of parchment paper. Dust the top sparingly with flour, cover with a second sheet of parchment, and roll into a 30 x 38 cm rectangle about 6 mm thick. Remove the top parchment and straighten ragged edges with damp fingers.
- 6Mix the 85 g softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pinch of salt into a spreadable paste. Spread it evenly over the dough, leaving a 2 cm bare strip along one short edge.
- 7Starting at the opposite short edge, use the bottom parchment to help roll the dough into a snug 30 cm log. Pinch the bare edge against the log to seal it. If the log is very soft, refrigerate it on the parchment for 10 minutes before cutting.
- 8Trim 1 cm from each end, then cut the log into 9 equal rolls with a lightly oiled serrated knife. Arrange the rolls cut-side up in the prepared pan in three rows of three, leaving a little space between them.
- 9Cover the pan loosely with greased plastic wrap. Let the rolls rise in a warm, draft-free place for 45–60 minutes, until visibly puffy and nearly touching; gluten-free dough may not double. During the final 20 minutes, heat the oven to 180°C conventional or 165°C fan.
- 10Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and bake on the center rack for 18 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10–12 minutes more, until the tops are lightly golden and the center roll registers 93–96°C on an instant-read thermometer. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
- 11While the rolls cool, beat the cream cheese and 30 g softened butter until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in the powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and 1 tablespoon milk. Add extra milk 1 teaspoon at a time only if needed to make a thick, spreadable icing.
- 12Spread the icing over the warm rolls, allowing some to melt into the spirals. Serve immediately or let them cool for another 10 minutes for a thicker icing layer.