Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

Everyone in the family likes cinnamon rolls, and I used to make them from scratch quite often. Since my son's diagnosis of celiac disease, though, and of course my husband's and mine need to maintain a low-fat diet, and my daughter now out in the world on her own (but not too far away) I don't make them anymore.

But occasionally it would be nice to enjoy one or two of these sweet buns. I've tried a few recipes for gluten free cinnamon rolls, and they weren't bad, but the dough is always a little too dry.

On our last trip to Sprout's market, we picked up a box of Chebe Cinnamon Roll Mix, a gluten free product, for about $3.50. A 7.5 ounce box makes 12 rolls.

I followed the directions, rolling out the dough, sprinkling on the cinnamon and sugar mix (not supplied) and then rolling it up and slicing it into 1-inch sections to get the 12 count. I then, according to the directions, baked the rolls using a muffin tin at 375 degrees.

The rolls had that cinnamon roll flavor, but were dry. I wasn't really surprised. The tiny rolls were enveloped in dry heat, trapped in the deep depressions of the muffin tin. The dough had no choice but to give up the moisture.

When rolling out the dough, I barely made it to the dimensions called for on the package - an 8 in. by 12 in. rectangle. The dough then was quite thin and cracking at the edges.

Still... I think this product has potential. As I started rolling it out, the dough held together well and was moist- unusual for a gluten free dough made primarily from tapioca flour to hold up to a rolling pin.

I think I should have stopped at, say, 6 in. by 10 in. or even a little smaller, leaving the dough a little thicker. And I think I should have baked them in a baking dish or cake pan, rather than a muffin tin. And I think a temperature of 350 degrees would have been gentler on the dough.


I would rather have a smaller yield of really tasty cinnamon rolls than a larger yield of not-as-good-as-I-hoped rolls.

I'm going to try this product again, applying the modifications in the hopes of getting a good batch of cinnamon rolls out of a box. I don't mind cooking from scratch, and I will continue on my quest for a recipe for gluten free cinnamon rolls from scratch. I thought I had one a while back, but found that recipe lacked longevity as well. The next morning, the doughy treats weren't as moist and kind of rubbery. Real problem this.

I'm also going to try the recipe for cinnamon rolls on the package of Pamela's Gluten Free Bread Mix and Flour Blend. I'll let you know how that turns out.