Gluten-Free & Sugar-Free Cinnamon Rolls
This genius recipe comes from the soul of Kat of The Loopy Whisk. I made a few modifications for a sugar-free version, but you can expect the same delectable taste sensation as a classic cinnamon roll — just without the spike from sugar. Who says sweet indulgence needs sugar? These soft, fluffy cinnamon rolls are swirled with warm cinnamon spice and buttery goodness, then topped with a luscious cream cheese icing — all without a grain of sugar in sight. Made with gluten-free flours and sweetened with an allulose & monk fruit blend, they deliver that classic gooey-roll experience you crave, minus the sugar crash. Perfect for cozy mornings, treat-yourself afternoons, or anytime you want dessert that feels downright rebellious.
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer
Ingredients
Gluten free enriched dough:
- 15 g 3 tbsp whole/rough psyllium husk (If using psyllium husk *powder*, use only 13g.)
- 180 g ¾ cup warm water
- 160 g 1⅓ cups + 1 tbsp tapioca starch
- 135 g 1 cup millet flour, plus extra for flouring the surface
- 25 g 3 tbsp sorghum flour
- 50 g ¼ cup allulose/monk fruit blend.
- 6 g 2 tsp instant yeast
- 6 g 1½ tsp baking powder
- 5 g 2 tsp xanthan gum
- 5 g 1 tsp salt
- 100 g ⅓ cup + 1½ tbsp whole milk, war. Or coconut cream.
- 1 US large medium egg room temperature
- 35 g 2½ tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Cinnamon filling:
- 85 g ¾ stick very soft unsalted butter
- 100 g ½ cup I recommend Lakanto Golden Allulose & Monk fruit blend.
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
For baking the cinnamon rolls:
- ½ tbsp unsalted butter softened, for buttering the skillet or baking pan
- 100 g ⅓ cup + 2 tbsp heavy/double cream, warm. (Or coconut cream)
Cream cheese icing:
- 115 g ½ cup full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 55 g ½ stick unsalted butter, softened
- 90 g ¾ cup powdered allulose/monk fruit blend. I recommend Lakanto Golden Allulose & Monk fruit blend.
- – 1-2 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Gluten free enriched dough Instructions:
- To make the dough, I recommend using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. You can also make the dough by hand, but the mixer makes it much easier and results in a smoother dough.
- Make the psyllium gel: In a bowl, mix together the psyllium husk and warm water. After about 30-45 seconds, a gel will form.
- In the bowl of the stand mixer, whisk together the tapioca starch, millet flour, sorghum flour, allulose/monk fruit, instant yeast, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt.
- Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the psyllium gel, warm milk, egg and melted butter.
- Knead the dough until smooth and all the ingredients are evenly incorporated, then knead for a further 5 minutes (if using a stand mixer) or 8-10 minutes (if kneading it by hand). Use a rubber spatula to occasionally scrape along the sides and bottom of the bowl to prevent any dry patches of unmixed flour. This extra kneading time will make the dough EXTRA smooth, which is the key to beautiful gluten free cinnamon rolls.
- The final dough will be slightly sticky to the touch – that’s okay, you’ll be working on a lightly floured surface so it shouldn’t be a problem. Resist the temptation to add more flour to the dough, as that can make the final rolls too dense and dry. If you find the dough too sticky to easily handle (even on a floured surface and with floured hands), you can chill it in the fridge for about 1 hour before proceeding to the next step. This will give the flours in the dough time to properly hydrate and also firm up the butter in the dough – both of these factors will make the dough firmer, less sticky, and therefore easier to handle.
Cinnamon filling Instructions:
- In a bowl, mix together the very soft butter, allulose/monk fruit blend and ground cinnamon until you get a soft, spreadable paste. If it's too thick to spread easily, you can soften it slightly in the microwave (in 2-3 second bursts, mix in between). If it's too runny, you can chill it briefly in the fridge until it thickens to the right consistency.
- Set aside until needed.
Assembling the cinnamon rolls instructions:
- Lightly butter an 8×8 inch oven safe glass dish.
- Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a ball.
- Roll it out into a roughly 11×15-inch (28x38cm) rectangle.
- Evenly spread cinnamon filling across the rolled-out dough, all the way to the edges.
- Cut the rectangle lengthways into seven 1½-inch (4cm) wide strips, so that they’re 15 inches (38cm) long. A pizza cutter is great for this.
- Roll up each individual strip into a roll – this will give you the perfect swirl.
- Arrange the cinnamon rolls in the buttered skillet or baking pan, they should only just touch each other.
Proofing the cinnamon rolls instructions:
- Proof the cinnamon rolls in a warm place for about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until about doubled in volume. Lightly cover them with a sheet of plastic wrap/cling film to prevent them from drying out during proofing. If your kitchen is on the cold side, you can proof them in a lukewarm oven (the ideal proofing temperature is around 79ºF/26ºC). You can place a cup of hot water inside the oven, to maintain a fairly humid environment.
Baking the cinnamon rolls instructions:
- Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- Once the cinnamon rolls have doubled in volume, pour the warm cream butter mixture evenly all over them. The addition of cream makes these gluten free cinnamon rolls extra rich and soft. It’s important that you use warm cream (not cold from the fridge).
- Cover the skillet or baking pan with a sheet of aluminum foil. You don’t need to cover it super tightly, just enough so that most of the steam generated during baking will get trapped by the foil. But arrange it so that it’s fairly easy to remove later on, without having to necessarily remove the skillet or pan from the oven, if at all possible.
- Bake the cinnamon rolls on the middle rack at 350ºF (180ºC) covered with the aluminum foil for 20 minutes. *The aluminum foil traps the steam generated during baking, which prevents a crust from forming on top of the cinnamon rolls. This allows them to expand much more during this first part of baking, so they’ll end up even softer and squishier.
- After the 20 minutes, remove the aluminum foil and continue baking until the cinnamon rolls get golden on top – about 15 minutes more.
- Allow the baked cinnamon rolls to cool for 5-10 minutes while you prepare the cream cheese icing.
Cream cheese icing instructions:
- In a bowl, whisk together the room temperature cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Add the powdered allulose/monk fruit blend, vanilla and salt, and whisk well until evenly combined, smooth and creamy.
- Spread the cream cheese icing over the cinnamon rolls while they're still hot or very warm. You can use all of the icing, or spread just ¾ of it over the rolls and set the rest aside for anyone who wants extra with their cinnamon roll. The warmth/heat from the cinnamon rolls will cause the icing to partially melt into all the nooks and crannies, and it will make the cinnamon rolls even more decadent and luxurious.
- Enjoy the cinnamon rolls while they’re still warm.
Serving and storage:
- These gluten free cinnamon rolls are best served while they’re warm.
- They’re at their best on the day of baking, but you can keep them in a closed container for about 2-3 days. Just before serving, re-heat them briefly in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. This will return them to their original pillowy softness.
Overnight, make-ahead options:
- Option 1: You can prepare the dough and then keep it in the fridge overnight (in a closed container or in a covered bowl). You can then roll, shape, proof and bake the cinnamon rolls the next day.
- Option 2: You can make the dough and shape the cinnamon rolls, and then keep the tightly covered skillet or baking pan in the fridge overnight. The next day, bring the rolls to room temperature. If they haven’t doubled in size by the time they’ve reached room temperature, proof them for a while longer – and then, pour over the cream/butter mixture and bake according to the recipe.