Soft & pillowy gluten free rolls filled with a classic, brown-sugar filling AND a sweet & sticky apple pie filling smothered in a brown butter cream cheese frosting. These Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Rolls are so good, even your gluten-eating friends & family will want another slice!
Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Rolls – What’s it made of?
Altogether this recipe breaks down into four parts:
- the dough
- It’s a basic, enriched dough based on my GF dinner rolls recipe. You need a combo of two different bingers: psyllium husk to create structure and the kneadable dough texture and xanthan gum to add flexibility and moisture retention.
- It’s a basic, enriched dough based on my GF dinner rolls recipe. You need a combo of two different bingers: psyllium husk to create structure and the kneadable dough texture and xanthan gum to add flexibility and moisture retention.
- butter + cinnamon-sugar filling
- Mix softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon together to form a thick, but spreadable paste.
- apple pie filling
- Sauté diced apples with butter, sugar and cinnamon until tender then add a small amount of cornstarch for thickening.
- brown butter cream cheese frosting
- Start by browning a small amount of butter then mix with cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla. Add to the cinnamon rolls while they’re still warm so the frosting melts into the rolls.
How to Make These Gluten Free Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
Make the Dough
Approx. Time Needed:
15 minutes to combine
- whisk dry ingredients in a large bowl
- ideally in a stand mixer
- add wet ingredients
- mix psyllium husk + water first then add the rest
- mix together until well combined
- mix on a high speed until evenly combined
Tip for making everything by hand.
Mix the wet ingredients together in a bowl before adding them to the flour mixture. Use a rubber spatula to mix the dough, then use your hands when it gets hard to stir. Mix and knead the dough for 5-10 minutes until very well combined.
Chill Dough + Knead
Approx. Time Needed:
60 minutes to chill + 10 minutes to knead
- Chill: Cover & chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
- Flour: With floured hands, smooth the flour over the surface of the dough to make it soft & less sticky.
- Tip: Keep a small bowl of extra flour nearby to sprinkle over the dough as needed.
- Knead: Gently knead the dough and shape into an oval or rectangular disc to prepare for rolling.
Filling Prep – Two Types
Approx. Time Needed:
apple filling – 15 minutes to sauté + 30 minutes to cool
cinnamon sugar mixture – 5 minutes to combine
Sauté Apples
- Melt butter & brown sugar in a large pan over a medium heat until the mixture starts to bubble.
- Stir in diced apples and cook about 5 minutes until they start to soften.
- Sprinkle cornstarch over the top. Cook and stir another minute or two to combine and thicken.
- Transfer to a container and set aside until fully cool.
- FYI: You can cover and chill the apple mixture in the fridge to speed up the cooling process.
Cinnamon Sugar Mixture
- Combine softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small mixing bowl until evenly combined into a thick, smooth paste.
- FYI: If needed, warm up the butter very gently until soft, but not melted.
Assemble
Approx. Time Needed:
15-20 minutes
- roll the dough into a 12×18 inch rectangle
- spread the softened butter-sugar mixture over the surface
- spread the cooled apple filling over the top
- cut dough into 12 strips, each 1.5-inch wide
- roll each strip, one at a time into spiral rolls
Quick Tips when Rolling & Filling
- Rotate & flour dough: Make sure to rotate and lift the dough up as you roll it out to make sure it doesn’t stick to the surface too much and sprinkle with more flour as needed.
- Spreadable texture: The butter-sugar mixture should be soft & spreadable so it doesn’t pull and tear the dough as you spread it. If needed, gently warm it up in a microwave or on the stove top to soften.
Proof & Bake
Approx. Time Needed:
1 hour
- Add rolls to a greased baking dish: Leave room for expansion and space evenly apart.
- Cover & proof: Cover and place in a draft free, warm area for about an hour or until the rolls have risen and are snug up against each other.
- Add cream: Before baking, drizzle cream around the sides of the cinnamon rolls.
Tip: Use your oven to create a warm environment to proof the dough.
Preheat your oven on the lowest setting for a few minutes while you roll & fill the dough and don’t forget to turn it off before you add the rolls.
This creates a warm, draft-free environment to help speed up the proofing process. This is especially handy if you’re working in a cold kitchen!
Optional: Place a small pan with hot water in the oven with the rolls while they rise to add some humidity.
Bake & Frost
Approx. Time Needed:
30-35 minutes to bake + 10 minutes to cool & frost
- Bake in the middle of the oven for about 30-35 minutes
- FYI: If you have a food thermometer, you know they’re done when the bread is about 190-200°F (88-93°C).
- Foil: Cover the rolls with foil after baking for about 20 minutes to stop the outside from over-browning/drying out on top while the insides finish baking
- Cool & frost:
- If you want the frosting to melt into the rolls more like a glaze: Spread over the rolls while they’re still warm.
- If you want the frosting to stay thick & frosting-like: Wait for the rolls to mostly cool to room temp.
Quick Questions
What type of apple should I use to make the filling?
Granny smith, golden delicious, honey crisp, pink lady, Braeburn – tart apples with a firm flesh and a tart flavor are ideal for baking. They hold their shape well after cooking and a bright flavor.
Can I make dairy free and/or egg free cinnamon roll?
Yes!
Dairy Free Option: Use dairy free milk, vegan cream & vegan baking butter (one that comes in a stick or block, not the spreadable kind in a tub) to make the dough. Use vegan butter and cream cheese for the frosting.
Egg Free Option: Add an extra 2 tbsp milk (30ml) and 1 tbsp butter (14g).
Why add cream to the cinnamon buns before baking?
This will make your gf cinnamon rolls extra soft & gooey! The cream creates steam in the oven which keeps the crust soft & moist while it gradually soaks into the dough as it cooks.
Can I omit the heavy cream before baking?
Yes!
Heavy cream will make the rolls extra soft and gooey, but its purpose is to enhance the final outcome more than anything. Leave it out if you prefer – you’ll still love the cinnamon rolls!
How to freeze unbaked cinnamon rolls?
Freeze unbaked cinnamon rolls after filling & rolling the dough, before rising up to 3 months.
→Fill and roll cinnamon rolls as usual. Place them in a baking dish and cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil.
→Thaw overnight in the fridge then bring to room temp and let rise 1-2 hours. Bake and frost as normal.
How to freeze partially baked cinnamon rolls?
This is a good option when you don’t want to bake & eat a whole batch of cinnamon rolls right away.
Instead of using a large 9×13-inch baking dish, use two 8inch round or square dishes. Bake 1 dish fully and partially bake the second dish to freeze for later (use within 3 months).
→Follow the recipe as usual, but only bake for 10 minutes to form a basic crust on the outside of the dough.
→Cool completely then cover well with plastic wrap and foil.
→Thaw overnight in the fridge then bring to room temp (about 30 minutes). Bake at 350°F/180°C for about 15-20 minutes.
How to freeze fully baked cinnamon rolls?
→Bake as usual, but do not frost!
→Cool completely, then wrap up tightly in plastic wrap and foil then freeze.
→Thaw overnight in the fridge then bring to room temp (about 30 minutes). Reheat in the oven at 350°F/180°C for about 15-20 minutes until warmed through or in the microwave until piping hot.
How to make overnight cinnamon rolls?
Follow recipe instructions right up until it’s time to let the cinnamon rolls rise. Instead of placing them in a warm place to proof, cover the rolls tightly in plastic wrap and/or foil (so they don’t dry out) and place in the fridge to slow down the yeast activity.
The next day, take the rolls out of the fridge and bring them to room temperature. After they’ve doubled in size (about 1-2 hours) you can proceed with the recipe as usual.
More Fall Baking
Enjoy!
Let me know if you try this Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Rolls recipe! Leave a comment and review with your thoughts. I always appreciate the feedback and serving suggestions that you come up with!
Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Soft & pillowy gluten free rolls filled with a buttery, cinnamon-sugar filling AND a gooey, apple pie filling. Bake until lightly golden and bubbly then top with a brown butter cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
Dough
- ¼ cup whole psyllium husk (20g)
- ⅔ cup water, room temp or warm (160ml)
- 2 ½ cup + 1 tbsp gluten free all purpose flour (360g)
- ¼ cup white sugar (55g)
- 2 ¼ tsp instant yeast (8g)
- 1 tsp salt (8g)
- 1 ½ tsp xanthan gum (6g)
- 2 tsp baking powder (8g)
- ⅔ cup whole milk, room temp or warm (160g)
- 3 tbsp softened butter (42g)
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream (80ml)
Apple Filling
- 4 medium apples, peeled + diced into small cubes
- 2 tbsp salted or unsalted butter (25g)
- ¼ cup brown sugar, light or dark (55g)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp cornstarch
Cinnamon + Sugar Filling
- ¾ cup softened butter, salted or unsalted (175g)
- ¾ cup brown sugar, light or dark (165g)
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 tbsp butter, cut into chunks (55g)
- 6 tbsp tbsp cream cheese (82g)
- ¾ cup powdered sugar (95g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp cinnamon
Instructions
Dough
- Pan Prep: Lightly grease a 9x13-inch inch baking dish and set aside.
- Psyllium mixture: Mix psyllium husk and water in a small bowl until no lumps remain. Set aside a few minutes to let the mixture thicken into a gel.
- Dry Ingredients: In a stand mixer bowl: Whisk flour, sugar, yeast, salt, xanthan gum and baking powder.
- Wet Ingredients: Add psyllium gel, milk, butter and egg to the flour mixture. Mix on a medium speed with a dough hook or paddle attachment (about 5 minutes) until the dough is evenly combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed. It should be a bit sticky, but easily clump together.
- Chill Dough: Cover the bowl and place in the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour while you prep the fillings or up to 14 hours.
Apple Filling | Butter-Sugar Mixture - Make in Advance or While the Dough Chills
- Apple Filling: Add butter and brown sugar to a large skillet set over a medium heat. Stir and cook for a few minutes until the mixture starts to bubble then add the cinnamon and apples. Stir often and cook for about 4-5 minutes until the apples are tender.
- Sprinkle cornstarch over the apples then mix well until fully combined. Cook another 1-2 minutes until the mixture thickens then transfer to a bowl or container, cover and chill until ready to use.
- Butter & brown sugar mixture: In a small bowl, mix the softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon together into thick, soft paste. Set aside.
Assemble
- Knead/Roll: Plop the dough out in the middle of a floured work surface and sprinkle a bit more flour over the top. Gently rub the flour over the outside of the dough to make it soft & smooth. Roll the dough out into a 12x18-inch rectangle.
- Butter-Sugar Mixture: Dollop the butter and brown sugar mixture across the dough, then gently spread evenly over the surface, all the way to the edges.
- Apple Filling: Spread the cooled apple filling over the top of the butter-sugar mixture.
- Slice & Roll: Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the dough up the long side into 1½-inch-wide strips so you end up with 12 strips of dough that are each about 12 inches long. Roll up each strip of dough one at a time then transfer to the prepared baking dish. Space out the rolls evenly so that they are just barely touching each other.
- Rest & Rise: Loosely cover the dish with foil, cling film or a clean kitchen towel and set aside somewhere warm and draft-free for at least 1 hour to rise or until the rolls have risen and are sung against each other.
- Baking Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Pour the cream around the rolls while the oven warms up.
- Bake: Bake in the middle of the oven for 30-35 minutes. The tops of the rolls should be lightly golden. If the rolls start to darken too much, cover with foil during the last 10 minutes of baking. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10-15 minutes before adding the frosting.
Frosting
- Brown Butter: Add the butter to a small saucepan and set over a medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly until the butter is golden-amber and fragrant with brown specks on the bottom of the pan.
- Combine: Pour the butter into a mixing bowl. Add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix together until a thick, smooth glaze forms. If you want a more pourable frosting, add a splash of milk.
Notes
- For best results: Use a kitchen scale to weight ingredients. Small weigh variations can make a big difference!
- Apple Type: Granny smith, golden delicious, honey crisp, pink lady, Braeburn – tart apples with a firm flesh and a tart flavor
- Pan type matters. Glass and ceramic pans heat up slower which makes for softer rolls. Metal pans & cast iron pans cook faster and create slightly crispier tops/edges.
- Chill Dough: Don't skip the chilling - the dough will be too sticky to roll without it.
Make Ahead/Freeze
- Overnight Cinnamon Rolls: After you've placed arranged the unbaked rolls in the baking dish, cover tightly in plastic wrap and/or foil (so they don’t dry out) and place in the fridge. The next day, bring the rolls to room temperature and let rise until they’ve doubled in size (about 1-2 hours). Bake & frost as usual.
- Freeze Unbaked Rolls: After rolling and before rising, cover the baking dish tightly in cling film and foil and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge then thaw at room temp 1-2 hours and bake.
- Freeze Baked Rolls (Unfrosted): Cool completely then wrap up in an airtight contain and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature. Reheat in oven for 10-15 minutes at 350°F or in the microwave until piping hot. Frost after reheating.
Leave a Review!