Gluten Free Cinnamon Buns

Making it gluten free for you don't have to. Gluten free recipes can be a hit or a miss, so let me try them first and let you know they are worth the effort.

These are... WORTH THE EFFORT! These are by far the best gluten free cinnamon buns I have ever had and gluten eating people say they taste like Cinnabon!

This is an altered the recipe from Iowa Girl Eats.

Check out https://youtu.be/O5AVtKVichI for video format of the recipe!

Gluten Free Cinnamon Bun with cinnamon iced coffee

Ingredients:

For the rolls:

• 1/4 cup butter or vegan butter

• 1 cup milk (I use lactose free)

• 1/3 cup + 1 Tablespoon sugar, divided

• 1 packet quick rise instant yeast

• 1 large egg, whisked

  
  

• 2-1/2 cups Gluten Free Flour (that has a binder like xanthan gum)

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

  
  

For the filling:

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar

• 2 Tablespoons cinnamon

• 1/3 cup butter or vegan butter, extremely soft

  
  

For the icing: (half the amounts if you don't like a lot of icing)

• 4 Tablespoons butter or vegan butter

• 2 cup powdered sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 12 Tablespoons milk (I use lactose free)

  
  

Directions 

1. Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a large glass bowl in the microwave.

2. Add 1 cup of milk and 1 Tablespoon sugar then microwave for about 45-50 seconds, until it reaches a temperature of 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius).

3. Sprinkle in yeast then stir gently and let sit for 8 minutes, it will become foamy. (If your mixture does not foam, your yeast might have been too old and/or the temperature of the milk mixture was too cool or too warm.)

4. While you are waiting for the yeast to bloom, in another bowl add 2 and 1/2 cups of gluten-free flour blend, 2 tsps baking powder, and 1/4 tsps salt then stir with a fork to combine.

5. Once the yeast has bloomed (8 minutes is up and it is foamy), add 1 whisked egg and the remaining 1/3 cup sugar then stir gently to combine.

6. Add to wet ingredients in two batches, stirring until flour is just incorporated (small lumps remaining are fine) before adding the next batch. Dough should be very soft but not overly sticky – kind of like sugar cookie dough.

7. Cover with a tea towel then set somewhere warm to double in volume, about 1 hour. I use my oven’s “bread proof” setting, though placing the pan on a heating pad set to warm, or placing in a warm sunny spot will also work. Your dough may not rise if it's not in a warm enough spot.

8. While waiting for the dough to rise, you can prepare for the next few steps. For the filling, combine 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 2 tbsp cinnamon in a small bowl then set aside. Spray or butter a 9” pan then set aside. Put plastic wrap down on the counter and lightly flour. Make sure you have 1/3 cup of butter extremely softened so it is ready to go.

9. Once risen, scrape the dough onto your plastic wrap and roll it out with a rolling pin, you can lightly flour the top of the dough if it is still too sticky. Roll into a rectangle about 1/4" inch thick.

10. Using an offset spatula, gently spread the 1/3 cup of extremely softened butter over the dough, leaving 1/2” clear at the top. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly on top, avoiding the clear strip of dough. Using the left over cinnamon sugar mixture, add it to the bottom of the 9" pan.

11. Using the plastic wrap, gently roll the dough from the bottom up keeping it as a tight roll. Continue to roll the dough into a log until you reach the top.

12. Then slice the log into quarters using a sharp knife in one slicing motion vs sawing at the dough. Slice each quarter into thirds for 12 slices total then arrange the slices in the prepared 9" pan.

13. If you are going to eat them the same day, put a tea towel on them and place rolls somewhere warm to rise until puffy, 30-40 minutes. Then moved to step 15.

14. If you are preparing these the day before, wrap the pan in plastic wrap and put in the fridge. The following day, take out of fridge and take the plastic wrap off, you will put a tea towel on them and place rolls somewhere warm to rise until puffy, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

15. During the last 10 minutes of rising time, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake rolls for 16-20 minutes, or until golden brown on top, rotating the pan 180 degrees halfway through.

16. Let rolls cool for 15 minutes then make the icing. (If you ice them while they’re too hot they’ll absorb all the icing.) Add 4 tbsp of melted butter, 2 cups of icing sugar (sifted), 1 tsp of vanilla, and 2 tbsp of milk for the icing in a bowl then whisk vigorously until smooth.

17. Spoon icing on top of the rolls then serve. Rolls are best the day they’re made but leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator and microwaved for 20-25 seconds uncovered to warm back up.