Anyone who knows me knows that I’m very particular about cinnamon rolls. It’s generally my feeling that most of them aren’t as pull-apart tender or as gooey as they should be and hardly any of them are worth much at all the next day. Before my diagnosis, I spent several months trying to make the perfect cinnamon rolls. Then I was diagnosed and I somewhat resentfully realized that I’d have to do it again and that it would be harder this time. Good gluten free cinnamon rolls don’t exactly grow on trees.
After testing several recipes from various other gluten free recipe creators, I still wasn’t quite happy. However, this winter I perfected my gluten free pumpkin sage rolls and it seemed to me that the pumpkin was doing a lot of heavy lifting, not just in terms of flavor but also in terms of texture. This brings me to the most unusual part of this recipe; the noble sweet potato.
The sweet potato puree I’ve incorporated into the bread dough featured in this recipe keeps the cinnamon rolls soft and moist, while also adding structure, flavor, and texture! They’re imperceptibly gluten free and honestly some of the best cinnamon rolls I’ve had. They absolutely measure up to the glutinous cinnamon rolls that I first perfected.
If you’re skeptical about this recipe because of the inclusion of sweet potato, I understand. It’s an odd ingredient in a bread recipe. However, there are plenty of potato breads out there where potato is added to improve the texture and this is the same only for a sweet bread. Give it a try! I can guarantee it will be worth it and you won’t look back.
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Required Equipment
- Rolling pin
- Stand mixer recommended but not required
- Loaf pan
Sourcing Gluten Free Flours for Baking
The quality of gluten free flours is very important for the final product. The more finely ground the flour, the more successful your baked goods will be. If your baked goods aren’t turning out quite how you’d like them to, your flour might be the culprit.
For information on where I source my gluten free flours, see my post on sourcing gluten free flours.
Detailed Instructions
Preparing the Sweet Potato
The sweet potato in this recipe is the white variety. Other varieties of sweet potato can be used, but the result will not be the same.
Preheat the oven to 400oF. Wash the sweet potato and poke holes in the skin with a fork. Place on foil or in a shallow baking dish and bake until tender, anywhere from 1 to 2 hours, depending on the size of the sweet potato. Check it every so often by poking it with a fork. When it feels soft throughout the sweet potato then it is done.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool to a handle-able temperature. Peel the skin off the sweet potato and discard, then blend the sweet potato using a food processor or a blender. I have used an immersion blender successfully, so that works as well. Continue to allow to cool. The sweet potato should be a maximum of 115oF when used, ideally less.
Making the Cinnamon Rolls
Prep your ingredients: weigh out the flours, sugar, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer, melt the butter, whisk together the egg and egg yolk, and measure out the milk and sweet potato.
Mix together the milk and the sweet potato and bring to a temperature of around 105oF. Be sure to check your starting temperature if the sweet potato puree was still warm when you added it. I use the microwave to do this, checking the temperature every 30 seconds.
Whisk in the yeast and a pinch of sugar and whisk to combine. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the yeast to become active. The yeast is active when you can see small bubbles and/or foam on the surface of the mixture. Whisk in the psyllium husk and allow to gel for 1 to 2 minutes.
Add all the prepared ingredients (the butter, eggs, and sweet potato mixture) to the dry ingredients and mix with the dough hook attachment on the stand mixer on medium-low speed until the dough is smooth and all ingredients are completely incorporated, about 5 minutes.
If you don’t have a stand/hand mixer: mix the psyllium husk into the flour mixture instead of the yeast mixture. Combine all ingredients and mix until the dough begins to thicken, then knead until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
Turn the dough out onto a countertop lightly floured with cornstarch. Roll out into a rectangle, roughly 8 inches by 10 inches. Turn the short side to face you.
Mix together the ingredients for the filling until completely combined, then use a butter knife to gently spread the mixture over the rectangle of dough, leaving an exposed edge on the far side.
Starting at the edge closest to you, roll up snuggly without stretching the dough too much. Cut the roll into eight equal pieces.
Butter a 5.5×8.5 loaf pan (standard size) and arrange the rolls inside. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until nearly doubled in size (see below), 45 minutes – 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375oF. Bake the cinnamon rolls for 25 minutes, then remove and allow to cool at least 10 minutes before eating.
Making the Cream Cheese Frosting
Before making the frosting, allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature on the countertop. I usually take it out of the fridge when I start making the cinnamon rolls, then make the frosting while the dough is rising or baking.
Beat together all ingredients except the powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat at medium speed until all ingredients are combined and smooth, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the powdered sugar and beat at medium speed again until smooth. Refrigerate.
Storage
Store the cinnamon rolls covered on the countertop and eat within a few days.
The leftover sweet potato can be portioned into 75g portions, transferred to baggies, and frozen for future cinnamon rolls!
I also freeze any leftover frosting (this recipe makes a lot). It’s a very handy thing to have in your freezer!
Gluten Free Small Batch Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Cinnamon rolls
Filling
Cream cheese frosting
Instructions
For the rolls
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Wash and poke holes in the sweet potato with a fork. Bake at 400oF until completely soft when poked with a fork, 1-2 hours (depending on size). Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
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Peel the skin off the sweet potato and discard. Blend using a blender or food processor until smooth. Set aside.
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Heat the milk to ~105oF and whisk in 75g cooled sweet potato puree, the yeast, and a pinch of sugar. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes until small bubbles form on the surface and the yeast is active. Once the yeast is active, whisk in the psyllium husk and allow to gel for 1-2 minutes.
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While the yeast is activating, combine the remaining dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Add the yeast mixture, the eggs, and the butter and mix on med-low speed for 3-5 minutes or until fully combined. Scrape down the bowl halfway through to ensure all ingredients are mixed in.
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Lightly flour the counter with cornstarch and turn the dough out onto it. Roll out into a 8 inch x 10 inch rectangle with the short edge facing towards you.
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Mix the softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon together to make a thick paste. Spread evenly over the rolled out dough.
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Starting with the short edge, roll the dough up tightly. Cut the resulting roll into six equal pieces.
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Butter a loaf pan and arrange the rolls inside it. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until the rolls have almost doubled in size, around 1 hour.
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While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 375oF. When risen, bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.
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Serve warm and spread with cream cheese frosting (instructions below).
For the frosting
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese, cream, corn syrup, and vanilla until completely smooth and free of lumps. Add the powdered sugar and beat again until smooth. Refrigerate.