My brother was recently diagnosed with adult onset Type 1 Diabetes. It’s a bit of a shock, because I always thought it would be me or my other brother that got it, because our body types run more like my father’s side of the family and that’s where the Diabetes lurks. As he starts adjusting to what this means for him, I want to help make some of the transition easier for him. 
One of his most favorite foods in this world is a cinnamon roll; my mom’s cinnamon rolls, now perfected by his wife, to be exact. I realize he could still eat them and then adjust the amount of insulin he takes, but if he could eat one with low glycemic sweetener, he’d be much better off. Optimally, he would eat one made with almond flour, so the carbs were minimal. However, the texture difference between a full on, Mom cinnamon roll and an almond flour, totally low carb cinnamon roll is so vast that I am sure he’d pass. He might ever be put off ever trying anything like it for good.
So baby steps are called for in this situation. I am after a soft and fluffy gluten free, refined sugar free cinnamon roll that will satisfy my brother’s tough palate. This is my first attempt. I fed it to my family because they are not gluten free bread eaters. They still know that soft texture that only gluten can give a roll.
The verdicts were a bit of a surprise to me. All three of the kids that ate them, liked them. They said they tasted like any other cinnamon roll, though they were a bit too heavy on the cinnamon. I was shocked that they could not tell any difference!
On the other hand, my husband, whose opinion would be the most like my brother’s, said they were chewy in a weird way and that he missed the sugar buzz that he expected from eating it. I said, “welcome to gluten free, low/no sugar eating!” His was the critique that makes me think I need to keep trying. However, I don’t want you to miss out on this very delicious version. For those of us who have been gluten free for any length of time, this is amazing! They were much fluffier than others I have tried and the flavor was spot on.
I found this recipe on The Baking Beauties blog. She made sticky buns, the kind you flip over and the syrup oozes down the sides of it. She also used full sugar, so there were a few things I had to adjust. The basic recipe, though was fantastic. I used erythritol, Swerve confectioners and coconut palm sugar as my sweeteners.
Gluten and Refined Sugar Free Cinnamon Rolls Version 1.0
Author: Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker adapted from The Baking Beauties
- 1⅔ cup rice flour
- ½ cup potato starch
- ⅓ cup + ½ cup tapioca starch
- 1 Tbsp xanthan gum
- 1 Tbsp instant yeast
- 3 Tbsp coconut palm sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup dry milk powder
- 1 tsp gf baking powder
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 1¼ cups water
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Filling:
- 3 Tbsp softened butter
- ⅓ cup erythritol or Swerve sweetener
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- Frosting:
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp cream cheese
- 1 cup Swerve Confectioners sweetener
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 Tbsp milk
- Mix the first 9 ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- In a large microwave safe bowl, melt the butter and then add the rest of the wet ingredients.
- Turn on your mixer and slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry.
- The dough will be soft and sticky.
- Lay a 18 inch long piece of plastic wrap on a damp counter.
- Dust the top of the wrap with a bit of gf flour.
- Put the dough on the wrap and then top it with another piece of wrap, the same size.
- Roll out the dough through the plastic so it’s about 9X16.
- Remove the top layer of plastic.
- Mix the filling ingredients together to form a granular paste.
- Leave 1 inch clear of filling across the top edge farthest from you.
- Spread the filling all over every other bit.
- Lift edge of the plastic closest to you and start rolling the dough away from you.
- Peel back the plastic as you roll it until you have a log.
- Seal it across the edge that has no filling.
- Using dental floss, cut the log into eight pieces.
- Gently place each piece in a greased 9X13 pan.
- After all of the pieces are in the pan, take the bottom piece of plastic and place it over the pan.
- Press the rolls down so they touch.
- Leave the plastic on the pan and let them rise 30 minutes or until double in size.
- Remove the plastic and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven 25 minutes or until they turn golden brown.
- Let them cool.
- Beat the frosting ingredients until smooth.
- Add the milk a little at a time until you have desired consistency.
- Spread on cooled cinnamon rolls.
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