Gluten-free Cinnamon Rolls

Gluten-free | Sugar-free | Grain-free 

Makes: 10 rolls
Cuisine: Swedish
Course: Dessert 
Difficulty: Medium
Prep time: 30 minutes
Prove: 60 minutes
Cook time: 22 minutes
Cooling time: 1 hour

The smell of cinnamon rolls baking is reason enough to make them. The sweet cinnamon aroma goes straight up your nose and into your soul! 

So popular are cinnamon buns, thanks to their overwhelming smell and decadent looking glaze, that I just had to try my hand to create a healthy version. 

My cinnamon rolls are free from gluten and grain but are incredibly moist and flavoursome. I've also removed the sugar and created a world-first 2-ingredient glaze that covers these little rolls like a wonderful warm hug. 

Hints, Tips & Tricks

I use pea protein to help improve the dough and add additional nutrients to this recipe. You can purchase pea protein online or at the health food store. 

This recipe also calls for inulin powder, a soluble fibre derived from plant-based sources. It is prebiotic, making it a fantastic ingredient for our gut health, and it's also a healthy alternative to sugar. You can read more information about inulin powder --> here. Or, if you're wondering where to purchase some, we sell 100% Chicory Inulin Powder for home delivery*! Find out more --> here.  

To help maintain a sweet taste without adding refined sugar, I use my Zero as Sugar Pure Erythritol. You'll find this ingredient in many reduced-calorie and sugar-free foods and drinks. If you would like to purchase my Zero as Sugar Pure Erythritol, which's 100% natural, has zero calories, and registers zero on the glycemic index, you can find out more here.  

As this recipe is gluten-free, I have used xanthan gum to provide elasticity and fluffiness that the gluten would otherwise provide. 

RECIPE

Ingredients

For the rolls 

• 90 g (3 oz) coconut milk
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 10 g (⅓ oz) instant dried yeast
• 10 g (⅓ oz) pure as inulin powder
• Pinch ground ginger
• 220 g (7.7 oz) almond flour
• 50 g (0.7 oz) flax meal
• 90 g (3 oz) zero as sugar erythritol
• 40 g (1.4 oz) pea protein
• 2 ½ tsp xanthan gum
• 2 ¼ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp mineral salt
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 20 g (0.7 oz) grass-fed butter, melted and cooled a little + extra for brushing
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

For the filling

• 30 g (1 oz) grass-fed butter, melted
• 60 g (2 oz) zero as sugar erythritol
• 10 g (0.7 oz) ground cinnamon

For the glaze

• 80 g (2.7 oz) zero as sugar erythritol
• 30-40 ml (1-1.4 oz) coconut milk 
• Pinch mineral salt

Method

1. Gently heat the coconut milk and 2 tsp apple cider vinegar in a jug till it is blood temperature or tepid. Activate the yeast by sprinkling it over the warm liquid. Add the inulin and ginger powder. 
2. Stir briefly and leave the mixture in a warm spot in your kitchen for 10 minutes or until it bubbles like the head of a freshly poured glass of beer. 
3. In a large mixing bowl, add the almond meal, flax meal and erythritol and then blend in a food processor or spice grinder until the mixture is very fine. 
4. Add to the almond mixture the pea protein, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, and stir to combine. 
5. Prepare the bench for rolling by laying a large piece of cling film onto the bench approx 30 cm x 30 cm (12 x 12 inches) and brush with a little melted butter. 
6. Stir together the cinnamon, erythritol and melted butter for the filling. Line a sandwich or brownie tin with non-stick baking paper. 
7. Using an electric mixer, whisk the eggs, 20 grams (0.7 oz) of melted, cooled butter and one tablespoon apple cider vinegar until light and frothy. Add the activated yeast mixture and continue to whisk for a further minute. 
8. Add the yeast mixture into the dry ingredients and stir quickly to form a sticky dough. 
9. Place the dough into the middle of the cling film, and then, using a wetted spatula and clean wet fingertips, flatten the dough into a rectangle shape approx 25 cm x 20 cm (10 x 8 inches)
10. At the very top of the dough, lightly wet a thin strip with water to help the dough to stick together once rolled. Brush the remaining dough with the melted butter and sprinkle generously with the cinnamon sugar. 
11. Working from the bottom of the dough edge closest to you, begin to tightly roll the dough away from you, using the cling film to guide and assist you with creating a firm roll. Finish by sealing the roll with the wet edge. 
12. Wet the tip of a large sharp knife and slice the roll into ten even rolls, wetting the knife blade between each slice. 
13. Lay the slices flat so that the swirl is visible, and then carefully place the rolls into the baking paper-lined tin, sandwiching them close together. 
14. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm spot in the kitchen. Let it sit for 45-60 minutes or until the rolls have almost doubled in size. I have a proving function in my oven, preset at 40C (104F), which helps my yeasted doughs prove quicker, especially in the colder months. 
15. Preheat your oven to 200C (390F), and when your rolls look almost doubled, bake in the hot oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, cover loosely with a bit of baking paper and continue to bake for a further 10-12 minutes or until the rolls are baked through the centre. 
16. Remove from the oven and cool in the tray on a wire rack. 
17. Make the glaze by blending the erythritol in a small food processor or spice grinder until it resembles icing sugar (powdered sugar). Add the coconut milk, a tablespoon at a time, stirring between each addition until a smooth glaze forms. Add a pinch of salt. 
18. When the rolls have cooled, drizzle over the glaze and serve.