This recipe for Gluten Free Cinnamon Buns was first published in 2015, it was good but not GREAT and I really missed having a Cinnamon Bun (or Cinnamon Roll) with a hot cup of tea so I’d made it my mission to perfect the recipe .
Will these Cinnamon Buns keep for a couple of days?
Sadly, these Cinnamon Buns are most certainly a ‘make it and eat it the same day‘ kind of bake. They’re impatient and don’t like to hang around for too long so if you’re planning on making these in advance the best advice I can give is hold off adding the icing finish and heat for a few seconds in the microwave and add the icing just before serving.
The best way to store them would be in an air tight Tupperware container. Then pre-make your cinnamon bun icing and add the final touches when necessary. I personally would not try to keep these for more than two days.
Otherwise, bake and enjoy on the same day, the hand portion controls in the recipe card means that you change the quantity so maybe go for making 4 cinnamon buns and use a muffin tray instead to make 4 individual rolls.
My dough seems too soft
That is the trick to these cinnamon buns being so light. It does however, make the dough a little scary to handle. When it comes to rolling out and rolling up the dough you may feel as if you’re working with a marshmallow. Just make sure the work surface you are working on is well dusted with flour.
when you cut your dough into bun sized portions gently lift into the prepared baking tin or muffin tin if you wish to make individual ones. once in situ you can tease the roll back into a recognisable shape if it got squashed in transit to the tin.
What’s the difference between a Cinnamon Roll and a Cinnamon bun?
I had to Google this myself as I get confused. I initially thought one was a cinnamon danish pastry, you know the kind you see in packs in the supermarkets. They have a gorgeous golden colour and no additional icing or maybe a quick drizzle of white icing?
Nope, turns out they are cinnamon swirls!
So what is the difference between a Cinnamon Bun and a Cinnamon Roll – it’s all in the icing apparently. A Cinnamon Roll is bathed in a rich creamy icing whilst a Cinnamon Bun lavishes in its own buttery-sugary juices. Did I just go a bit Nigella Lawson then?
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Other recipes similar to these cinnamon buns
Gluten Free Cinnamon Buns Recipe
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Cinnamon Buns
Ingredients
- 500 g gluten free plain flour
- 7 g dried active yeast
- 35 g caster sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1.5 tbsp oil (I use vegetable or sunflower) (I used vegetable)
- 1 egg(s)
- 300 ml tepid water (hand temperature) add water gradually until you get a very soft dough, you may need 25ml or so more.
For the filling:
- 100 g caster sugar [see notes if you like more filling]
- 65 g butter
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 100 g currants
For the icing;
- 150 g icing/confectioners sugar
- 30 ml milk (this may need adjusting depending on the desired consistency)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Method using yeast that needs activating
- You'll need to begin with activating the yeast, to do this add the quick yeast and 7 tbsps (35g) of caster sugar to a jug and add 325ml warm water, I use boiled water from the kettle that's been allowed to cool to hand heat and stir to combine.
- After 10-15mins the yeast will have activated, you’ll know it’s worked by the bubbles that have formed and the yeast smells that omit from the mixture.
- In a large bowl add the packet of flour and salt, make a well in the centre and add the egg, oil and finally the activated yeast liquid (depending on the size of your egg you may only need to add 300ml).
Method using fast acting yeast
- Begin with number 3. in the method but add the dried yeast to the bowl of flour and sugar and then in a jug whisk the 300ml warm water, oil and egg. Pour into dry ingredients gradually (you may need less liquid depending on the size of your egg) and use a spatula to make a smooth malleable dough.
- Transfer to a well floured work surface and knead for a good 5-8 minutes until completely smooth. The dough is a very soft dough that should come away from the spatula mess free.
- Spray the bowl you just used with oil spray and pop the dough back into the bowl, cover with a damp tea towel or cling film and leave in a warm place for 40 minutes to prove.
- Whilst waiting for the dough to rise you can make the filling; simply beat together the butter, sugar and cinnamon into a thick buttery paste and set aside.
- After 40 minutes the dough will have risen. Tip out onto a floured surface and knead again for 5 minutes.
- Gently roll into a rectangle approx. 2cm thick (I roll onto a sheet of baking paper as this helps with the rolling process in a minute) spread with the cinnamon butter, then sprinkle the currants evenly.
- To create the spiral, roll the dough length ways towards you and cut into 8 or 10 depending on your choice of baking tin. I cut into 8 for a 26x19cm tin as this is the only tin I have (probably better in a bigger tin to be fair!)
- You will now need to prove this again in a warm place for 40 minutes. (trust me, I’ve cut corners and baked without the second prove and it doesn’t work!)
- Once final prove has finished place in a pre-heated oven 190°C/375°F/Gas 5 (170°C fan) for 30-35 minutes
- Allow to cool completely, whilst making the icing glaze. Simply combine all ingredients and beat together. The glaze should take on an off-white, pale cream colour.
- Once totally cool generously drizzle the Cinnamon Rolls with the glaze and tuck in!
Notes
120g Butter
2tsp Cinnamon (I don’t think you need to add more of this spice)
200g Currants
Nutrition
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Antonia says
Hi,
This is my first time trying one of your recipes and I didn’t chose an easy one! I had a few comments on my process and some tips I would have liked.
In the end, the water (300ml) made the dough way too sticky to knead, so I ended up adding loads more flour to get it smooth. You also don’t mention when to put in the caster sugar so I had to stir it in late!
The proving was fine but I didn’t know what I was looking for (doubling in size, or just a rise? Mine doubled in the bowl!). I was worried when I stopped proving as it had tears across the top, but when kneading with flour it all came together fine to roll out. But it was very delicate to roll into a swiss roll and mine were a bit lopsided…
I would have appreciated the thickness to roll the dough out too before rolling in the recipe as I just guessed. In the end it grew so much on the second prove that the filling wasn’t enough after baking. Definitely needed more butter for me!!
Mine also didn’t go anywhere near golden and sort of just fell apart when I ate it, but were cooked through in the time.
As I haven’t had a cinnamon roll in years I’ve forgotten what it really should be like, so they’re fine… but I’m sure for all the effort they could be much better!
Glutarama says
You’re right Antonia, I think you chose to start with my most difficult bake! The idea of Glutarama is to be stress free baking but I so desperately wanted to make a gluten free Cinnamon Buns that I developed this one anyway despite the difficult method. Thank you for the comments and feedback, again you’re right, I’ve not been specific enough in the baking methods and give precise instructions on thickness etc. As my recipes are normally so simple (life’s a drama, gluten free doesn’t have to be) I normally don’t need to go into so much detail. I will make the amendments to the instructions as recommended. As for the dough, it is a fragile beast and nothing like an elastic bread dough so the texture was right. I have a fan oven so wonder if that was the reason for difference in colour? Once again, thank you for commenting and I hope you come back to try more of my other less complicated recipes. Rebecca x
Maia Pederson says
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything
Glutarama says
You are most welcome Maia, lovely comment to find on here, needed this today x
Mel says
These little buns look soooooo good! As you know, I can’t stand raisins, currants or anything like that, but the buns would be perfect with dark chocolate chips!!! Love your honesty about the ‘flour soup.’ xxx Thanks for joining in with #FreeFromFridays.
Glutarama says
Haha, I may actually make a flour soup recipe now…every cloud!
Nat @ Intolerant gourmand says
Ah man, these look so so good! I bet they smell amazing as they bake too! Save me one pretty please! :) Natx
Glutarama says
Aw thank you Nath, they are quite special…they need to be eaten quick…but we willingly comply ?
Glutarama says
I’ve just made this recipe again, the the third time this week with a different size egg and to be on the safe side I’ve reduced the liquid to allow for small eggs. It’s easier to add more liquid if necessary!
Lauren - Dilan and Me says
Wow these look incredible! Love seeing the new photos too, they look great.
constance says
hi – just checking – I poured in the 325ml of liquid and now have a batter – I used one egg though it says two in the recipe. Help? Should I add another 500g flour?
Glutarama says
Goodness it shouldn’t have been a batter! Depending on the size of the egg, 300-325ml should have been fine…granted the dough is very soft and if rolled onto a ball should slowly spread but certainly not be batter still. I do hope you managed to recover the dough to make your buns, please let me know how you got on….I’m actually planning on making another batch myself tomorrow since we’re going to be snowed in!
jenny paulin says
I love me a cinnamon roll up and could eat one right now after my cold walk with the dog! I bet they smell lush too. mmmmm! I often spot an error (or two!) with my copy/recipe too x
thank you for linking to #Bakeoftheweek x
Glutarama says
At the end of the day Jenny, we’re all about the yummy food aren’t we, the finer details just get in the way of our delicious creativeness ;-) Thank you for having me on #Bakeoftheweek xxx
Monika Dabrowski says
It’s hard to believe gluten free bakes can look this good! You should sell your secret to creating gluten free fluffy pastries to supermarkets, they’ve been clearly ill advised on the subject! And I love your photography:) thanks for bringing your lovely recipe to #CookBlogShare:)
Glutarama says
Thank you so much Monika, to be fair these don’t preserve well so that’s the sticking point the supermarkets have to contend with…not an issue for us though…we just scoff them while they’re fresh!
Eb Gargano says
These look so lovely! How funny about your old recipe though – I don’t think I’ve managed quite such a disaster but I have had a couple where someone’s DMd me going ‘er Eb…you mention garlic in the ingredients, but not the method…???’ I double triple my recipes like a hawk, but somehow there’s the odd mistake that weedles it’s way in. I live in perpetual fear of someone having a bad dinner on my account!! Good excuse for redoing the photos though…and these look gorgeous! Could just eat one now…though that would be very greedy as I am currently stuffing my face with tortilla chips and homemade guacamole! Still…separate pudding stomach and all that ;-) Eb x
Glutarama says
Oh yes, separate pudding stomach indeed! I will definitely be checking thrice in future!
Cat | Curly's Cooking says
I absolutely love cinnamon buns. Yours look so deliciously fluffy. I’m glad I’m not the only one that spots slight errors in my recipes after publishing them and having to fix them!x
Glutarama says
It’s horrible when I see them let alone a poor unsuspecting follower trying out my recipe…Chris has forgiven me I’m pleased to say ;-)
Vicki Montague says
This looks incredible Rebecca. You’ve got your mojo back!
Glutarama says
Thank you darling, mojo locked and ready ;-)
Chris Rowland says
Hi!
Just tried this recipe for a second time and both times my dough is was really wet and sticky – no chance of being able to roll it out even with a bit of extra flour. Any idea what I might be doing wrong?
Glutarama says
Yikes! Thank you so much from bringing this to my attention Chris…wish others had done this! I’ve emailed you direct with an apology, a little gift and a promise that it’ll be sorted by the end of today….assuming none of life’s little drama’s get in the way! :-)
Elainee says
I’m getting this too – I am wondering if it’s the ingredients or why it will not become the right consistency.
Glutarama says
I’m on my third batch this weekend, this recipe lay dormant for two years and since I remade it it’s had 2K hits! I’m adamant I will get this perfect for everyone, it can’t be just fluke that I’m getting it right….even taken to using different measuring jugs just in case the ones I’ve used in the past are inaccurate!!!
Charlotte says
Hi!
When do you roll them up? Isn’t stage 9, after you’ve cut into 8 strips? And then you prove them in their rolled shape?
Thx Charlotte x
Glutarama says
Hello Charlotte, great to see you here, so sorry for tardy response, hubby and I have just had our first weekend away from kids….in eleven years!!! Plus we were incommunicado in The Cotswolds! Sheer bliss but great to be back with my babies now.
Regarding the process (which I am sure you will have worked out or improvised by now)
You spread the cinnamon mixture, roll up the rectangle like a long Swiss roll, I roll along the long edge so you don’t get to many layers to the spiral, this prevents an uncooked doughy middle, THEN cut into 8-10 spirals and add to your baking tin. That’s when you need to prove for another 40mins.
Let me know how you got on, fingers and toes crossed you liked them x