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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.
Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Yeast Dough
- 3/4 cup (120 g) white rice flour
- 3/4 cup (120 g) brown rice flour
- 3/4 cup (90 g) cornstarch or potato starch
- 3/4 cup (90 g) tapioca flour
- 3 tsp psyllium husk powder (*see recipe notes)
- 2 tsp dry instant yeast
- 1 cup (240 ml) plant-based milk lukewarm
- 3 1/2 tbsp (50 g) vegan butter (margarine) softened
- 6 tbsp (60 g) coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
Apple Filling
- 2 medium-sized apples finely chopped
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 scant cup (85 g) coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 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 dough. 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 less plant-based milk. Just add enough until you have an elastic dough.
- Recipe serves 9. Nutrition facts are for one serving.
If you are using Pinterest, feel free to pin the following photo:
Hi Ela, I should have followed your advice and not made any substitutions with the flours. As it was I only had brown rice flour and no white rice flour so I used all brown. The result was delicious and me and my children loved it but it’s a lot more dense and heavy.
I have some questions about letting the dough rise. I tried to do this in the oven at 50 degrees with a bowl of water in the bottom but the dough came out feeling dry and didn’t seem to rise much. Perhaps that’s cos the brown rice flour was too heavy? I’m in Europe so it’s getting a bit warmer now, can I just leave it to rise on the counter, maybe leave it for longer? You say 45 minutes but surely I could leave it to rise for 3 hours,or all day? or not? I can’t wait to make these again with white rice flour. I absoloutely love your recipes, I can’t believe I’ve only just found your blog. You’re so talented. You’re making our gluten free vegan lives a much happier place. Thank you.
Hello Maria, I am glad they turned out delicious. Yes, I believe white rice flour works better because it’s lighter. I would say you can leave it on the counter to rise for up to 2 or 3 hours, I never tried a long time, so not sure how a gluten-free dough will behave if you let it rise all day. Gluten-free dough tends to dry out quickly, that’s totally normal.
Thanks for your compliment, I appreciate it! 🙂
So excited to try these for our Christmas morning breakfast!
I’m wondering—can I sub xantham gum for the psyllium husk? And can I prep these the night before, refrigerate, and bake them in the morning?
Thanks!
XO
Hi Katie, I never tried making these with Xantham gum because I am not a fan of it. I believe it could work, but you would need only a little amount of Xantham gum, definitely less than what the recipe calls for psyllium husk powder. Please report back if you give it a try. 🙂
Thank you!
Any thoughts on making these rolls the night before baking them?
Sorry but I don’t know as I never tried it. Please report back if you give it a try. 🙂
Thank You very much, I have been doing them a few times already and I am getting better at it… although I still cannot manage to make them look as beautiful as in your photo…. is there a hidden secret?? can it be the oven? anyway I thank you very very much for your beautiful cooking …. my partner and son love them :=)sweetest blessings!
Thanks so much, Elaya! I think it’s just a lot of practice. The first time I made them, you could barely tell that they are cinnamon rolls, haha. I am so glad you like the recipe. 🙂
thank you 🙂 beautiful day to you 🙂 I might make them again this week 🙂 and by the way I have tried three other recipes of yours and all are wonderful! thank you!! I just didn’t have the time to comment in each one of them… I soon will I hope!
Aww, that’s wonderful! Thanks so much for your sweet comment, Elaya! 🙂
Can ground flax seed replace the psyllium?
Unfortunately, that won’t work.
Hi Ela
does one need to use plant based milk or can any milk be used?
Any milk can be used, Mena.
What type of psyllium husk powder did you use? I plan on making these in two weeks and I can’t find any reviews as to what brand would work best. PLEASE HELP!
I actually use a German brand. I am sure any brand works pretty much the same. 🙂
Okay thank you?
Hi Ela, if I wanted to make this within ordinary white flour what other changes should I make?xx
Unfortunately, I can’t give you exact measurements, as I never tried it out. However, as mentioned in the recipe notes “you will most likely need a little bit less plant-based milk. Just add enough until you have an elastic dough.”
Hey Ela, what do you use for the frosting?
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.”
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
Awesome! Thanks so much for your great feedback, Stefano! 🙂
could you use pizza dough? like from pizza shop? if you don’t need gluten free?
I don’t think it would taste good since it’s not sweet.
OK thank you. looks so good.
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.
That’s awesome, Bea! I am very glad you liked the recipe. Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
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.
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?
How may i substitute the instant yeast( me and mu son has intolerance to yeast)
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.
I love cinnamon rolls and yours look so delicious with that Apple filling! ????
Much Love,
Bianca ❤️
Thank you, Bianca! Yes, I love apples in baked goods. So yummy! Sending love back, Ela ❤️
SO happy this recipe turned out great Ela! Cinnamon rolls are my favourite 🙂 xo
Thank you, Jess! Yes, cinnamon rolls are amazing, I love them so much. 🙂
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
Thank you very much, Dee! Psyllium husk is amazing, isn’t it? I can’t wait to check out your cake. 🙂
I don’t get any vegan butter around here, any replacement you can recommend ?
Hey, can you buy margarine? Most brands are vegan. If not, you could try coconut oil. 🙂
Thanks for your reply! Will definitely sub with coconut oil and try..
You’re welcome. Hope the cinnamon rolls turn out delicious. 🙂
Could you just use a gluten free flour blend vs. Using all those different flours? Thanks, they look delish????
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. 🙂