Name: Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 9 rolls
Ingredients: 3/4 cup white rice flour ((120 g)); 3/4 cup brown rice flour ((120 g)); 3/4 cup cornstarch (or potato starch (90 g)); 3/4 cup tapioca flour ((90 g)); 3 tsp psyllium husk powder ((*see recipe notes)); 2 tsp dry instant yeast; 1 cup plant-based milk, lukewarm ((240 ml)); 3 1/2 tbsp vegan butter (margarine), softened ((50 g)); 6 tbsp coconut sugar (or brown sugar (60 g)); 1/2 tsp salt; 2 medium-sized apples, finely chopped; 2 tsp cornstarch; 1/2 scant cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar (85 g)); 1/4 cup raisins (optional); 3 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp allspice; 1/4 tsp cardamom (optional)

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Vegan and gluten-free Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Yes, you read that right. I made it. Finally. After countless failed attempts of making vegan AND gluten-free cinnamon rolls, this recipe turned out pretty great. I thought it was impossible to get the recipe right because let’s be honest, it’s damn hard to make vegan + gluten-free cinnamon rolls but I am super happy how these came out. So let’s get the party started with these delicious Apple Cinnamon Rolls.

Vegan + gluten-free cinnamon rolls can be challenging

As mentioned before it’s difficult to make a yeast-based dough fluffy and soft without eggs and without gluten. But it is possible. Are these gluten-free cinnamon rolls perfect?! I am not sure, I would need to make at least 100 more attempts to find out if I can improve the recipe. I tried so many different versions, with different gluten-free flour ratios, and this version is by far the best one so far.

A gluten-free dough that will rise

Most gluten-free yeast recipes do not rise very much. But this one will. It won’t double in size like a regular wheat-based dough (which contains gluten) but it will rise considerably. The hardest part was to get the cinnamon buns soft and not hard as rock. And I love how soft these apple cinnamon rolls turned out. They taste best when they are still warm. However, please keep in mind that they won’t stay soft after you put them in the fridge. They will dry out a bit and you will need to reheat them in the oven the next day to make them soft again. This is normal since the recipe doesn’t contain eggs and the dough is furthermore gluten-free.

Apple Filling

Since this recipe is gluten-free I thought it would be amazing to make an “apple cinnamon raisin filling”. Gluten-free doughs tend to dry out fast but the apples make the cinnamon rolls so much softer and enjoyable! And who doesn’t love apples? Just think about apple pie or apple filled crepes. I just love the apple + raisin + cinnamon combo, it’s simply delicious!

Freezable recipe

You can freeze the cinnamon rolls, baked but unfrosted. You will need to let them cool after baking and then you can put them in the freezer (best is to use freezer bags). You will need to let them thaw a bit before you reheat them in the oven.

These apple cinnamon rolls are:

Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
Gluten-free
Can be made refined sugar-free
Soft and lush
Much healthier than other cinnamon rolls
Great for breakfast and dessert
Fluffy
Delicious
Satisfying

Should you recreate these gluten-free apple cinnamon rolls, please leave a comment below and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan and #elavegan because I love to see your remakes.

healthier vegan apple cinnamon rolls gluten-free recipe

Print Recipe

5 from 6 votes

Apple Cinnamon Rolls

These vegan & gluten-free apple cinnamon rolls are soft, fluffy, and delicious. The apple cinnamon filling tastes and smells heavenly and keeps the cinnamon buns moist. This is a great vegan dessert, snack or breakfast.

Prep Time25 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Resting time1 hr

Total Time50 mins

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Servings: rolls

Author: Ela

Ingredients

Yeast Dough

3/4 cup white rice flour (120 g)
3/4 cup brown rice flour (120 g)
3/4 cup cornstarch or potato starch (90 g)
3/4 cup tapioca flour (90 g)
3 tsp psyllium husk powder (*see recipe notes)
2 tsp dry instant yeast
1 cup plant-based milk, lukewarm (240 ml)
3 1/2 tbsp vegan butter (margarine), softened (50 g)
6 tbsp coconut sugar or brown sugar (60 g)
1/2 tsp salt

Apple Filling

2 medium-sized apples, finely chopped
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 scant cup coconut sugar or brown sugar (85 g)
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
3 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cardamom (optional)

Instructions

Yeast Dough

In a small pot, dissolve the 2 tsp dry yeast with 1 tsp of the sugar in the lukewarm milk (about 95 degrees F / 35 degrees C). Let the yeast proof for 10 minutes. It should get frothy and rise. If this doesn't happen you will need to buy fresh yeast.
Put all flours and starches into a bowl, add the psyllium husk powder, the coconut sugar, salt and stir with a whisk.
Now add the softened vegan butter + yeast mixture and knead the dough with your hands for about 5-10 minutes.
Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let it rest at a warm place for about 45 minutes.

Filling

Meanwhile, you can prepare the filling. Chop the apples and put them to a bowl. Add all other filling ingredients and stir. Set aside.

Assemble

Once the dough has risen, put it on a floured parchment paper. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to a rectangle, about 1 cm thick.
Spread the apple filling over the dough but leave about 10 cm on the top blank.
Carefully roll up the dough with the help of the parchment paper. Since the dough is gluten-free and egg-free it can be a little bit tricky to roll it up. Gluten-free doughs always tend to be a little bit brittle and can burst easily so roll it up carefully.
Cut the dough into 9 equal pieces and put them into a greased baking dish.
Bake in the oven at 180 degrees C (356 degrees F) for about 25 minutes.
If you want to add a delicious frosting, simply mix about 70 grams of icing sugar (or powdered Erythritol) with a little bit of plant-based milk until you have a runny paste.
Let the apple cinnamon rolls cool a little bit, then add the frosting and enjoy!
The cinnamon rolls taste best right out of the oven when they are still warm, soft and fluffy. You can store leftovers in the fridge but they will become a bit drier after a while. That's why you should put them again in the oven for a few minutes when you eat leftovers the next day. Please read the text of the blog post to find out how to freeze them.

Notes

Do not omit the psyllium husk powder. It's very useful in gluten-free yeast doughs. Psyllium husk is a fiber which soaks up a lot of liquid. Ground chia seeds are similar (soaking up some liquid), however, psyllium husk adds some elasticity and bounce to the dough, and furthermore also acts like a gum replacer.
I had the best result with the flour mixture stated in this recipe. If you use a different flour mixture the result will be different since different gluten-free flours absorb a different amount of liquid. You might have a similarly good result with another flour mixture but at the same time it can also end up in a failure. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you which other flour mixes might or might not work in this recipe.
If you are not gluten-free you can use regular all purpose flour, however, you will most likely need a little bit less plant-based milk. Just add enough until you have an elastic dough.

If you are using Pinterest, feel free to pin the following photo:

Comments

Rachel says
December 30, 2018 at 12:26 pm

Could you just use a gluten free flour blend vs. Using all those different flours? Thanks, they look delish????

- Ela says
  December 30, 2018 at 1:59 pm
  
  Hey Rachel, you can definitely give it a try. When you are based in the US, you could try using the Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 GF flour mix. The mix has somewhat different flours though, so you might need more or less plant-based milk and the result probably will be different. Please report back if you give it a try. 🙂
  
Abs says
December 30, 2018 at 3:17 pm

I don’t get any vegan butter around here, any replacement you can recommend ?

- Ela says
  December 30, 2018 at 3:24 pm
  
  Hey, can you buy margarine? Most brands are vegan. If not, you could try coconut oil. 🙂
  
  - Abs says
    December 30, 2018 at 4:17 pm
    
    Thanks for your reply! Will definitely sub with coconut oil and try..
    
    - Ela says
      December 30, 2018 at 5:42 pm
      
      You’re welcome. Hope the cinnamon rolls turn out delicious. 🙂
      
Dee | Green Smoothie Gourmet says
January 1, 2019 at 9:18 pm

These rolls look so heavenly Ela! Perfect for a snack or breakfast. Fascinating how you used and explained psyllium husk. I actually just baked a cake with it as an egg replacer! Happy New Year! Dee xx

- Ela says
  January 3, 2019 at 2:54 pm
  
  Thank you very much, Dee! Psyllium husk is amazing, isn’t it? I can’t wait to check out your cake. 🙂
  
Jess @choosingchia says
January 2, 2019 at 1:28 pm

SO happy this recipe turned out great Ela! Cinnamon rolls are my favourite 🙂 xo

- Ela says
  January 3, 2019 at 2:42 pm
  
  Thank you, Jess! Yes, cinnamon rolls are amazing, I love them so much. 🙂
  
Bianca Zapatka says
January 3, 2019 at 8:56 pm

I love cinnamon rolls and yours look so delicious with that Apple filling! ????
Much Love,
Bianca ❤️

- Ela says
  January 3, 2019 at 11:03 pm
  
  Thank you, Bianca! Yes, I love apples in baked goods. So yummy! Sending love back, Ela ❤️
  
Nurdan says
January 7, 2019 at 6:04 pm

How may i substitute the instant yeast( me and mu son has intolerance to yeast)

- Ela says
  January 8, 2019 at 3:29 pm
  
  Hello, that is quite difficult since these are “yeast rolls” and the dough will only rise with yeast. You can use baking powder + baking soda instead but they won’t rise so much and won’t be as fluffy.
  
Tanie Reid-Walker says
February 3, 2019 at 4:01 pm

Hi Ela

I have had wonderful success with many of your recipes but i epic failed on this one. The buns simply wouldn’t cook! So I wonder if I made a mistake with the yeast? I can tell it was my fault, not the recipe, I just wonder if you have some ideas? Baking is not my strong suit yet.

- Ela says
  February 4, 2019 at 1:30 pm
  
  Hi Tanie, I am so sorry to read that this recipe didn’t work for you. Can you please tell me what went wrong? Did the dough not rise? Was your yeast mixture foamy?
  
Bea Marshall says
February 7, 2019 at 5:56 am

Absolutely delicious! My teenage sons and I could barely stop ourselves eating them! I love how easy the recipe is to follow and the end result was everything I hoped for. I’m loving every recipe I’ve tried so far from Ela’s website.

- Ela says
  February 7, 2019 at 1:38 pm
  
  That’s awesome, Bea! I am very glad you liked the recipe. Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
  
Debbie Abazia says
February 21, 2019 at 12:48 am

could you use pizza dough? like from pizza shop? if you don’t need gluten free?

- Ela says
  February 21, 2019 at 4:15 am
  
  I don’t think it would taste good since it’s not sweet.
  
  - Debbie Abazia says
    February 21, 2019 at 3:03 pm
    
    OK thank you. looks so good.
    
Stefano says
April 14, 2019 at 11:40 am

First off – just incredible. Was super easy to follow and make. Thank you so much, we love your recipes in our home.
Made for a family gathering… I was hoping for some leftovers.

Keep up the good work ❤️

Stefano

- Ela says
  April 14, 2019 at 4:34 pm
  
  Awesome! Thanks so much for your great feedback, Stefano! 🙂
  
Farhaanah says
May 15, 2019 at 8:02 pm

Hey Ela, what do you use for the frosting?

- Ela says
  May 16, 2019 at 12:17 am
  
  Hello! 🙂 It’s actually mentioned in the instruction step 6:
  
  “If you want to add a delicious frosting, simply mix about 70 grams of icing sugar (or powdered Erythritol) with a little bit of plant-based milk until you have a runny paste.”

Apple Cinnamon Rolls | vegan, gluten-free recipe

Vegan and gluten-free Apple Cinnamon Rolls