Butternut Bakery’s Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls

November 2025

By Jenna Barnard

If you’ve ever fallen down a late-night TikTok or Instagram baking rabbit hole, you know just how mesmerizing it can be. You get caught up in the gooey but crispy-edged cookies, the perfectly piped frosting, and the cozy kitchens they’re baked in. Before you know it, two hours have gone by in a blink, and you’re drooling. Oh, how the times have changed, to where social media has become the new cookbook! In this fall and holiday season-inspired baking roundup, we’re highlighting some of the most talented bakers who have taken over our feeds (and even our kitchens) with their irresistible creations, like Jenna Barnard’s Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls.

Jenna Barnard is the creator behind Butternut Bakery. She started the blog as a way to share her passion for baking, the kind that involved flour, butter, and sugar. You know, the good stuff. After discovering a dietary sensitivity to both gluten and dairy, Jenna began adapting her bakes to work for all diets. Now she’s passionate about creating approachable and delicious recipes for anyone who has an insatiable sweet tooth, no matter their diet.

VIE: What makes the holiday time special for you?

Just being with family. After living across the country for the past eight years, I’ve now moved back to be a short drive from my parents, sister, and my niece and nephew, so I can’t wait to spend every big holiday with them this year. I’m also looking forward to baking fun cookie boxes for everyone!

VIE: What makes baking around the holidays important to you?

When I was growing up, my family had the tradition of baking gingerbread cookies from scratch every year, and it’s what sparked my love for baking. Now when I bake during this time of year, it feels like I’m getting back to that feeling that started it all. I also just love that everyone is in the mood to fully indulge, so it makes sharing desserts that much better!

VIE: Are you the baker in the family, or are there others in the kitchen during the festivities?

It’s just me! Or at least, it’s just me baking fully from scratch. My mom enjoys baking, but mostly with mixes or premade crusts. Still equally delicious! My grandma was the cook and baker of the family, so I must have picked up the skill from her. I definitely get a lot of inspiration from some of her old cookbooks.

VIE: What’s a holiday tradition you did as a child that you still do or try to do today?

This is my first Christmas as a mom, so I’m so excited to start carrying on my family traditions. Although my son is too little for it now, decorating cookies is at the top of the list! Also watching a Christmas movie on Christmas Eve. My dad always had us watch A Christmas Story, but after twenty-plus years of watching that every year, I think we’re going to switch to Elf for my kids! And, of course, I’ll be baking cinnamon rolls every Christmas morning.

VIE: What’s a holiday baking staple that you will always bake, year after year?

My blossom cookies! They’re easily my favorite type of Christmas cookie, and the recipe uses one dough to make four different flavors. It bakes a big batch, so it’s perfect for sharing, and everyone gets a flavor they love.

VIE: If you could bake with ANY person, who would it be?

Definitely my grandma! I was too little to appreciate her gigantic holiday spreads, but looking back, I would have loved to be over her shoulder watching her cook and bake absolutely everything.

VIE: What’s a baking tool or staple that you could not live without?

A kitchen scale! It’s my mission to convert cup-measuring bakers to kitchen-scale bakers. Baking is a science, so precision is key. A scale is truly the only way to ensure you’re using the exact amount of ingredients you need for any recipe. Plus, it’s so much easier to just weigh everything right into the mixing bowl rather than having to scoop and measure out every single ingredient. Once you start, you never want to go back to cups!

VIE: What’s one helpful thing you wish you knew when you first started baking?

The material of your baking pans can make or break a dessert. Glass, ceramic, and dark metal pans aren’t great conductors of heat, so the outside will bake way faster than the inside. Instead, go for light aluminum pans! My best pans are the ones handed down to me from my great-grandmother. You just can’t beat those vintage aluminum baking pans.

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

For the Cinnamon Rolls

1 16 oz bag Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Bread Mix

1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar

4 1/2 tsp (or two packets) instant yeast

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp kosher salt

1 1/4 cups (300g) water

1/2 cup (110g) unsalted butter, sliced into tablespoons (vegan butter can be subbed)

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 large egg + 1 egg white

Cornstarch, for dusting

For the Cinnamon Sugar Filling

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, very soft (vegan butter can be subbed)

1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar, packed

2 Tbsp ground cinnamon

For the Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Icing

1/4 cup (55g) unsalted butter, room temp (vegan butter can be subbed)

4 oz cream cheese, room temp (vegan cream cheese can be subbed)

1 1/2 cups (170g) powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

Directions

For the Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls

Using a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, add in the bread flour mix (discard the yeast packet), sugar, instant yeast, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Wiz it around for about a minute to mix everything together.
In a heat safe measuring glass, add the water, butter, and vinegar. Microwave for 1-2 minutes or until it’s warm to the touch but not piping hot. It’s important that it’s warm; otherwise, the yeast will not activate. It’s also ok if the butter doesn’t completely melt.
With the dough hook running on medium speed, slowly pour in the warm mixture. Use a rubber spatula to mix in any of the dry ingredients that may still cling to the sides of the bowl.
Once it’s nearly mixed, add in the egg and egg white.
Turn the mixer on medium-high speed and mix for a good 5 minutes to create a smooth and slightly stretchy dough.
After those 5 minutes, allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. In the meantime, lay down a sheet of plastic wrap over your work surface and liberally dust it with cornstarch. The dough will be rolled out into a 13×19-inch rectangle, so make sure to cover enough of the surface for this size.
After 10 minutes, scoop out and plop the dough in the center of the bed of cornstarch. Dust the top of the dough with some more cornstarch and begin to press the dough down into a rectangle.
If you don’t have a rolling pin, the dough can be fully pressed out as it’s very moldable. But for ease, I suggest using a rolling pin to roll out our 13×19-inch rectangle. Mold the edges to create as even sides as possible.
Now it’s very important that the butter is VERY soft, otherwise it can tear the dough when spreading. A trick I like to use is to slice chilled butter into tablespoons and place in a heat-safe dish. Microwave for about 15 seconds or until it JUST starts to melt. Then use a fork to mash the butter into a very smooth and spreadable consistency.
Spread the butter all over the dough. Then sprinkle it with brown sugar and pat it evenly. Finally, dust the top with cinnamon.
Roll the dough up into a tight log. This should be easy thanks to the pile of cornstarch underneath, but if you run into any issues, use the plastic wrap to help guide the rolling. Use a pastry brush to dust off any excess cornstarch on the log.
Using flavorless floss, cut about 3 inches off of each end and discard. Then cut the remaining dough into 7 rolls.
Crinkle up a sheet of parchment paper, then unwrap it and place it inside a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Arrange the rolls so that they have a good inch between them, with 1 roll in the center and the other 6 surrounding it.
Preheat the oven to the lowest temperature possible. Once it’s preheated, turn the oven off and place the rolls inside. Allow the rolls to rise in the warm oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. (For overnight rolls, cover and chill the rolls after they have puffed up. Then bring to room temp the next day and bake as instructed).
After the hour is up and the rolls have doubled in size, remove them from the oven and preheat to 350°F.
Bake the cinnamon rolls for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. You can also test by poking the rolls with your finger. They’re done when they have a soft spring to them.
While the rolls cool, make the icing.