I have added an update to this post here.
For years our family has had the tradition of eating a nice Christmas breakfast together, including cinnamon rolls. They were always one of the highlights for the kids (well, for everyone). The year I was diagnosed with celiac disease we went without cinnamon rolls. No one complained, but it just wasn't the same and I was determined to find a recipe by the next Christmas. I tried a number of recipes and ended up modifying one that I was pretty happy with. We had those every Christmas until last year. That's when I found Roben Ryberg's cinnamon roll recipe. I was blown away. It was so easy and so very very good. My family raved about them. I will never go back to my old recipe, however, I have had a desire to modify Roben's recipe.
Like my son, you're probably wondering why I would want to modify something that is already practically perfect. After trying to explain to my son without using these words he said, "Oh, you want to make them healthier." Yes. I do. I don't want to ruin them, but Roben's recipe uses only starch as the flour. So today to tried one simple modification. I substituted sorghum flour for the potato starch.
The verdict: My family didn't notice any difference. I has been months since I made them, so the old recipe is not fresh in their minds. They were mostly surprised that I made cinnamon rolls and thrilled to eat them. I noticed the difference. The sorghum added a slightly different flavor. They were a little heavier and didn't fill out as much. They seemed a little dryer, but then I realized I forgot to add the oil. One big concern I had was how the dough would handle, but that was fine. Overall, I was very pleased with the results. I think I might go back to the original recipe for Christmas as long as we have plenty of protein along with it.
I put the rolls together in slightly less than half an hour and they baked for 20 minutes. From start to finish you can have fresh delicious cinnamon rolls in less than an hour! That's better than you can do with wheat flour. You can also put the unbaked rolls in the refrigerator overnight and bake them in the morning. I did that last Christmas and didn't notice any difference from when I baked them immediately. And finally, the recipe....
The Best Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
2 Tb. butter
1/4 c. sugar
2/3 c. milk, warm
1 egg
1/4 c. oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tb. instant yeast
1/2 c. sorghum flour
1 c. corn starch
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Filling:
2/3 - 1 c. brown sugar
1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 c. chopped nuts (optional)
Glaze:
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
milk
Instructions
Using a mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Mix well. Add the milk, egg, oil, and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients and add to the wet mixture. (If you don't use instant yeast, you should add it to the milk.) Beat on high until well mixed with no lumps. The dough will be soft. You might want to hold back a little milk and see how the consistency is after you mix it. The first time I made these they were too wet and barely held together. They ended up not being distinct rolls in the dish, but they still tasted great. I did use the whole amount of milk in this version of the recipe.
Lay out a piece of plastic wrap and sprinkle it with sugar. Lay the dough on top and cover it with another piece of plastic wrap. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 13 1/2 inch square. Lift the top piece of plastic wrap often and reposition if necessary. You can spray the wrap with cooking spray if the dough is sticking.
Combine the filling ingredients. I prefer to use 2/3 c. brown sugar. Remove the top layer of plastic wrap. Spread the filling on the dough leaving a margin at one side. As you roll the dough, the filling with get shifted. The margin keeps it from being pushed all the way out at the end. Roll the dough by lifting up the plastic wrap. Once you get the roll started, it will roll on its own. Once rolled, smooth out the edge. If you want nice clean end pieces, cut a little off each end. I leave them as is. Cut the roll into 8 or nine slices. I do 8 because it's easy to make them even. I cut the roll in half, then cut each half in half, then cut the quarters in half. Use a sharp knife. I find it helps to spray it with cooking spray. Place the rolls in a glass pie dish and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
Combine the glaze ingredients. Add milk a teaspoon at a time until the glaze is the right consistency. You can adjust the amount of glaze to your taste. Drizzle the glaze over the warm rolls and serve! I usually make a double recipe because they don't last long and eight rolls is not enough for everyone to have two!
For more scrumptious recipes visit
Happy to be at Home.
I have added an update to this post here.
Like my son, you're probably wondering why I would want to modify something that is already practically perfect. After trying to explain to my son without using these words he said, "Oh, you want to make them healthier." Yes. I do. I don't want to ruin them, but Roben's recipe uses only starch as the flour. So today to tried one simple modification. I substituted sorghum flour for the potato starch.
The verdict: My family didn't notice any difference. I has been months since I made them, so the old recipe is not fresh in their minds. They were mostly surprised that I made cinnamon rolls and thrilled to eat them. I noticed the difference. The sorghum added a slightly different flavor. They were a little heavier and didn't fill out as much. They seemed a little dryer, but then I realized I forgot to add the oil. One big concern I had was how the dough would handle, but that was fine. Overall, I was very pleased with the results. I think I might go back to the original recipe for Christmas as long as we have plenty of protein along with it.
I put the rolls together in slightly less than half an hour and they baked for 20 minutes. From start to finish you can have fresh delicious cinnamon rolls in less than an hour! That's better than you can do with wheat flour. You can also put the unbaked rolls in the refrigerator overnight and bake them in the morning. I did that last Christmas and didn't notice any difference from when I baked them immediately. And finally, the recipe....
The Best Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
2 Tb. butter
1/4 c. sugar
2/3 c. milk, warm
1 egg
1/4 c. oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tb. instant yeast
1/2 c. sorghum flour
1 c. corn starch
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Filling:
2/3 - 1 c. brown sugar
1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 c. chopped nuts (optional)
Glaze:
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
milk
Instructions
Using a mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Mix well. Add the milk, egg, oil, and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients and add to the wet mixture. (If you don't use instant yeast, you should add it to the milk.) Beat on high until well mixed with no lumps. The dough will be soft. You might want to hold back a little milk and see how the consistency is after you mix it. The first time I made these they were too wet and barely held together. They ended up not being distinct rolls in the dish, but they still tasted great. I did use the whole amount of milk in this version of the recipe.
Lay out a piece of plastic wrap and sprinkle it with sugar. Lay the dough on top and cover it with another piece of plastic wrap. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 13 1/2 inch square. Lift the top piece of plastic wrap often and reposition if necessary. You can spray the wrap with cooking spray if the dough is sticking.
Combine the filling ingredients. I prefer to use 2/3 c. brown sugar. Remove the top layer of plastic wrap. Spread the filling on the dough leaving a margin at one side. As you roll the dough, the filling with get shifted. The margin keeps it from being pushed all the way out at the end. Roll the dough by lifting up the plastic wrap. Once you get the roll started, it will roll on its own. Once rolled, smooth out the edge. If you want nice clean end pieces, cut a little off each end. I leave them as is. Cut the roll into 8 or nine slices. I do 8 because it's easy to make them even. I cut the roll in half, then cut each half in half, then cut the quarters in half. Use a sharp knife. I find it helps to spray it with cooking spray. Place the rolls in a glass pie dish and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
Combine the glaze ingredients. Add milk a teaspoon at a time until the glaze is the right consistency. You can adjust the amount of glaze to your taste. Drizzle the glaze over the warm rolls and serve! I usually make a double recipe because they don't last long and eight rolls is not enough for everyone to have two!
For more scrumptious recipes visit Happy to be at Home.