Is there anything more magical than the intoxicating warm aroma of cinnamon rolls basking away in the oven? Gluten and Dairy Free Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls are everything you love about the classic morning treat, but even better.
Cinnamon rolls in all forms are irresistible. Tender, soft, pillowy dough hugged in a sweet caress of glaze. Whether it's Gluten and Dairy Free Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls or these pumpkin kissed buns, they never last long. They're perfect for breakfast, make any brunch into an occasion, and are also the ultimate sweet treat for an afternoon pick me up.
Ingredients
Gluten and Dairy Free Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls combine baking staples like yeast and sugar with pantry staples like canned pumpkin puree. This is a recipe that will make it feel like autumn year-round and utilizes easily accessible ingredients.
- Dairy Free Butter - Adds richness to the yeasted dough as well as tenderness.
- Oat Milk
- Honey - Helps feed the yeast and give a light sweetness.
- Sugar - Makes this yeast dough slightly sweet while also feeding the yeast that gives this dough its light texture.
- Warm Water - Warm water is used to help activate the yeast.
- Egg
- Kosher Salt - Enhances all of the natural flavors of the ingredients.
- Instant Active Yeast - Gives this dough it's light and tender texture.
- Pumpkin Puree - Not only adds a delicate flavor to these Gluten Free cinnamon rolls but also keeps them moist.
- Pumpkin Seasoning - Brings a combination of warm spices to every bite. Used in both the dough itself and also the filling. Spiceology makes my favorite. You can get 10% off your order with the code SALTY.
- Gluten Free Flour - Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Four is my go-to flour for both sweet and savory recipes. It makes it easy to measure for recipes that aren't traditionally Gluten Free without having to add anything additional.
- Brown Sugar - Brings sweetness to both the filling and topping.
- Cinnamon - Enhances the warmth of the pumpkin spice seasoning.
- Dairy Free Heavy Cream - Helps make these rolls extra puffy and soft.
- Dairy Free Cream Cheese - Gives creaminess and tang to the frosting.
- Vanilla Extract - The higher the quality the vanilla extract, the more pronounced the flavor.
- Powdered Sugar - Easily dissolves into the frosting.
How to Make Gluten and Dairy Free Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
This cinnamon roll recipe does require a few steps, but they're all easy. With a few tips and tricks you will be baking up tender, soft, and decadent pumpkin cinnamon rolls, wowing your friends and family with this total comfort food treat.
Time needed: 3 hours.
Cream cheese frosted pumpkin cinnamon rolls are the ultimate sweet treat perfect any time of year!
- Bloom
Add the yeast, warm water, honey, and half of the sugar and stir to combine. Allow it to sit for five minutes. It will begin to bubble and become a little foamy.
- Scald
Add the oat milk, the other half of the sugar, butter, and salt to a pot over medium heat and allow it to scald. There will be bubbles that begin to form around the edges, but not boil. Remove from the heat and allow to partially cool.
- Mix
Add the pumpkin, egg, and pumpkin seasoning to a bowl and mix until smooth. Add the yeast mixture followed by the milk mixer with the mixer running. Mix in the flour half a cup at a time. The dough will be sticky. Lightly flour the outside of the dough and place it into an oiled bowl and cover with a towel. Allow it to rise for an hour.
- Form
Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Work the dough by folding it about eight times, careful not to press out the air. Roll it out to about a 9x12 rectangle.
- Filling
Mix together your filling and spread it across the dough. Roll the dough into a log and cut it into nine pieces. Place them into a buttered dish and cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Let rise for an hour.
- Bake
Remove the towel and plastic wrap and pour the heavy cream over the rolls. Allow them to bake for 30-35 minutes or until they are golden brown on top.
- Frosting
Let your rolls cool. Mix together the ingredients for the frosting until smooth. Spread over the top of the rolls.
Variations
This recipe is completely dairy free and gluten free. However, you can make the same pumpkin cinnamon roll recipe with regular milk, butter, and heavy cream.
Tools for Gluten and Dairy Free Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
You will need a stand mixer for this recipe. It helps bring all of the ingredients together quickly without over working the dough. You will also need a 9x11 baking dish.
Storage
Gluten and Dairy Free Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls are a great make ahead. Keep them tightly sealed at refrigerated and they will keep for up to five days. You can reheat them in the oven on a low temperature or in the microwave.
Top Tip for Gluten and Dairy Free Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Skip the knife and reach for the unflavored dental floss. Using dental floss is a great way to slice your rolled cinnamon rolls, creating clean lines. Simply place the dental floss underneath the roll and cross the two sides at the top pulling them through the dough. Easy, and one less dish to wash!
Gluten Free Flour
My go to for baking is Bob’s Red Mill 1:1. It is a blend of several different gluten free ingredients and I find it just works consistently well for what I need. I could blend flour myself but I choose to spend my time other ways and the 1:1 is a really good product.
Oat Flour can give you a chewier, more moist product. It can lend a nice sweet flavor to baked foods and is a flour I tend to mix with others if I want a lighter or fluffy result. I am always very careful to buy organic gluten free oats because they can be sprayed with nasty stuff and be processed in a way that they are no longer gluten free.
Almond Flour has a nice nutty flavor but can tend to dry out what you are preparing. I like to balance it with an extra egg if I am adding it to meatloaf for example and add banana or egg if it is in a sweet treat. Your end product could be a bit denser if you are using straight almond flour as well. I do like using almond flour as bread crumbs or a crunchy topping on savory dishes.
Arrowroot is my normal choice for a thickener in sauce or gravy. It is great for things you want a good crunch on that would normally be dredged in flour. Arrowroot can also be used to temper other gluten free flours for sweets and baked goods.
Brown Rice Flour can also be used in combination with other gluten free flours for baked goods. I like to use it when making a roux and brown rice noodles are a favorite.
More Flour
Amaranth is another gluten free flour that works well when blended. It has a nice nutty flavor that makes it good for crusts, tortillas and breads.
Coconut Flour has a bit of a sweet coconut flavor. It tends to absorb liquid so you will need to adjust your recipe but it does give a nice light texture.
Corn Flour is a great thickener, makes delicious tortillas and one of my favorites, corn bread. Just make sure the corn flour you are buying was proceed in a gluten free environment and from a clean source.
Cassava Flour is the most similar to white or all purpose flour but can be expensive if you are using it often and is high in carbohydrates.
Tapioca is a great thickener as well for soups, pies and sauces and works well when combined with other flours.
Chickpea or garbanzo is used often in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine… Think hummus, falafel, flatbreads. It has lots of healthy benefits and a mild nutty flavor. You can also use the water from the beans, called aquafaba, as an egg replacer or instead of cream for whipped cream. Crazy, I know, but it works so stop dumping it down the drain.
Gluten Free Grains
The gluten free grains we grab for most often are…
Quinoa- easy to make and flavor and is high in fiber and protein. It is actually one of the plant proteins that is a complete protein.
Oats are also good for fiber and a bit of protein but make sure they are clean and gluten free.
Buckwheat actually has no wheat in it but does have fiber, protein and trace minerals. I love buckwheat noodles. I also add them to salads and soups for texture and a bit of “chew”.
Gluten and Dairy Free Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- 1 Mixer
- 2 mixing bowls
- 1 saucepan
- 1 9x11 baking dish
Ingredients
Dough
- 6 tbsp Dairy Free butter
- ½ cup oat milk
- 1 tbsp honey
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ½ cup water, warm
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 pkg instant active yeast
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ½ tsp pumpkin seasoning
- 3 ½ cups Gluten Free 1.1 flour, plus ½-1 cup for working the dough
Filling and Topping
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ tsp pumpkin seasoning
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 4 tbsp Dairy Free butter, room temperature
- 1 cup Dairy Free heavy cream
Frosting
- 8 oz Dairy Free cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Lightly oil a bowl and set it aside.
- Add the yeast, warm water, half of the sugar, and honey to a bowl and mix to combine. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes. It will begin to bubble.
- Add the milk, butter, and remaining sugar to a pot over medium heat. Bring it to a simmer and allow it to scald but not boil. There will be bubbles just beginning to form around the edges. Remove from the heat and let partially cool.
- Add the pumpkin, egg, and pumpkin spice to a mixing bowl and mix until smooth.
- Add the yeast mixture into the pumpkin mixture and mix to combine.
- With the mixture running slowly pour in the milk mixture.
- Add ½ cup of flour at a time and mix to combine, careful not to overmix. The dough will be sticky.
- Dust the outside of the dough with flour and place in the oiled bowl. Cover with a towel and place in a warm place. Allow it to rise for an hour. It should double in size.
- Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Work the dough by folding it about 8 times, careful not to press out the air.
- Roll the dough out into a 9x12 rectangle.
- Mix together the brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice. Spread onto the dough.
- Roll the dough into a log. Cut it into 9 pieces.
- Grease a 9x11 baking dish with 1 tbsp of Dairy Free butter. Place the rolls into the baking dish.
- Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and a towel. Allow the rolls to rise for an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Remove the towel and plastic wrap. Pour the heavy cream over the rolls.
- Allow the cinnamon rolls to bake for 30-35 minutes or until they are golden brown. Let cool.
- Mix together your ingredients for the frosting until smooth. Spread over the top of the cinnamon rolls.
- Enjoy!
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