Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls (Peanut Butter)

If you are looking for the best gluten free cinnamon rolls recipe, then here is one for you! Peanut butter icing with mascarpone cheese makes these rolls a special treat for you and your family.

What Gluten Free Flour Should I Use for Cinnamon Rolls?

My suggestion is to use gluten free bread flour mix. In this post, I am using both pastry and bread flour mixes but it is easiest to work with the bread flour when it comes to baking with yeast. However, as you see in the pictures, you can totally make some delicious gluten free cinnamon rolls with pastry mix as well! If you are planning on using your own homemade blend then you might want to experiment to see what works best as I have not tried making this recipe with a homemade flour blend.

How to Make Powdered Sugar?

If you don’t have confectioners sugar (or powdered sugar) you can make it yourself in a matter of minutes! Just grind the needed amount of sugar in a coffee or a spice grinder. Making your own powdered sugar at home is not only easy but is way cheaper than buying it in a store!

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 cup milk (I used 2.8%) – use plant-based milk for a vegan version
• 1/3 cup (67 grams) white sugar
• 25 grams of fresh yeast
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup (57 grams) butter (melted) – use vegan butter for vegan rolls
• 2 ½ cups pastry gluten free flour mix (spooned and leveled)
• 1/3 cup bread gluten free flour mix (spooned and leveled)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt

You might substitute the gluten free flours for just the gluten free bread flour. In that case, you will need 2 1/2 cups of flour in total! This will also make it easier to roll the dough out.

Filling

• ¼ cup (60 grams) homemade peanut butter
• ½ cup (90 grams) brown sugar
• 1 ½ tbsp ground cinnamon

Frosting

• 1 cup (230 grams) homemade peanut butter
• 1/3 cup (75 grams) butter – use vegan butter for vegan rolls
• ½ cup (55 grams) powdered sugar
• 200 grams mascarpone – use coconut whipped cream or vegan mascarpone for vegan rolls

This recipe makes a ton of frosting, so if you would rather like moderate amount of frosting on your rolls then feel free to reduce the amount of the ingredients!

Step by Step Recipe

Step 1

Pour the milk into a small saucepan and add 2 tsp of sugar. Warm the milk up on the stove until slightly warm (or 110F), turn the stove off, and add the fresh yeast to the saucepan. Let it sit for about 10 minutes or until you start seeing activity and bubbles on top of the milk.

Step 2

While the yeast is activating, add the flours, baking powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Mix until incorporated.

Step 3

Melt the butter in the microwave (or on the stove) and whisk the egg. Add the butter, the egg, and the rest of the sugar to the yeast mixture and stir to incorporate. Add the yeast mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon, a rubber spatula, or a mixer until well incorporated and no lumps are seen. Add 1/3 cup of bread flour and mix again. Form the dough into a ball, cover with a clean kitchen towel and leave in a warm spot to rise for about 1 hour or until doubles in size.

Step 4

While the dough is rising you can prepare the filling. To make the filling, mix the peanut butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium size bowl and set it aside.

Step 5

Make the frosting by combining peanut butter, powdered sugar, and butter in a mixing bowl.

TIP: If you don’t have powdered sugar, you can grind regular sugar in a coffee or a spice grinder!

First, mix the ingredients with a fork and when the sugar is incorporated you can use an electric mixer. Mix for about 3 minutes or until light and fluffy (it won’t be super fluffy). Then add mascarpone cheese and mix for another 3 minutes. The frosting is ready! Place it into the fridge for about an hour before topping the cinnamon rolls.

Step 6

When the dough has doubled in size, place it onto a floured plastic wrap stretched on the table surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle but don’t spread the dough too thin or it will break later.

Spread the filling evenly onto the dough, leaving 1 cm clear on one end. Use the plastic wrap to roll the dough onto itself. Try to roll it up tightly so that it doesn’t fall apart. Use a floured knife to slice the roll into 12 pieces.

Step 7

Grease a baking dish and use a metal spatula to transfer the rolls onto the dish. Place the rolls into a draft-free area (I use the microwave for this step) and let them rise for another 20-30 minutes. Turn on the oven in the last 10 minutes and let it preheat to 170C (375F), then place the cinnamon rolls into the oven and let them bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. Let the gluten free cinnamon rolls cool down before topping with the peanut butter icing!

Step 8

Spread the peanut butter icing generously onto your gluten free cinnamon rolls and enjoy your homemade dessert!

Tips for Success

• Make sure the milk is not too hot for the yeast or the yeast will die! However, you do need to warm the milk up to room temperature at least. I prefer using the stove as it gives me more control over the process versus the microwave!

• Use bread gluten free mix only (no pastry gluten free mix) if you are a beginner and/or don’t want to deal with the dough that falls apart super easily. Bread flour tends to stay in one piece more than pastry flour.

• Don’t try to spread the peanut butter onto the dough before adding the sugar and cinnamon mix. Peanut butter is going to tear through the dough and you will have a very sticky situation to deal with. Mix sugar, cinnamon, and peanut butter prior to spreading the filling onto the dough!

• Don’t worry if your cinnamon rolls don’t look great before you bake them. They will look better when they are done and the main thing is that they will definitely taste amazing! Plus the frosting is there to cover up any imperfections.

• If you refrigerate your gluten free cinnamon rolls, then make sure to pop them into a microwave for 15-20 seconds before eating! Add the frosting after you warmed up the rolls.

• If you would like to freshen up your good old cinnamon rolls, you can try making strawberry rolls, blueberry rolls, or any other filling rolls you like! You can even make savory rolls. Share your experiences in the comments below!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Freeze Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls?

Yes! You can freeze them in three different ways: before the second rise, after the second rise, and after baking. Before the second rise, you can freeze the cinnamon rolls one by one on a tray and then transfer them to a zip lock bag. After the second rise, you can store the cinnamon rolls in the freezer in the baking dish, and after baking, you can freeze your rolls with frosting on! If you freeze before baking, then let the rolls thaw in the fridge overnight before baking.

Can You Make Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls Ahead?

Yes, you can. Place your cinnamon rolls into the baking dish, cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to bake, bring the cinnamon rolls to room temperature and place into a cold oven. Turn the oven on and set it to 375F (170C). Keep the rolls inside while the oven is heating up and that will provide the second rise to the dough. When the oven has come up to 375F (170C), bake the rolls for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on the edges!

Can You Substitute Gluten Free Flour for Regular Flour?

No, it is not recommended to substitute regular and gluten free flours 1:1 in recipes. Gluten free flour has its own properties that require a specific amount of other ingredients for best results.

Do I Need to Add Xanthan Gum to Gluten Free Flour?

Yes, unless the mix you are using already includes some sort of binding agents like guar gum, xanthan gum, or psyllium husk.

Do You Put Icing on Cinnamon Rolls Before Baking?

No, the icing should be added to the cinnamon rolls after they bake and cool. If you add the icing before baking then the rolls will absorb it and there will be no beautiful white topping to show off!

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What’s Next?

Have you made these gluten free cinnamon rolls with peanut butter frosting? I would love to see! You can tag me on Instagram at @natashashome_ and I would love to share your creations in my stories. If you have any questions, leave them in the comment section below!