Gluten-Free Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls

Pillowy Soft. Fluffy. Gooey. Full of festive flavor. Everything a Christmas cinnamon roll should be!

Take these gluten-free eggnog cinnamon rolls to a holiday gathering and get ready for lots of compliments and requests for the recipe. Truly. They are undetectably gluten-free!

They are also the perfect make-ahead Christmas breakfast. Prep the rolls the day before and let them rise overnight. On Christmas morning, simply pop the now-puffy rolls in the oven and let your house fill with the fragrant aroma of eggnog and cinnamon rolls.

This holiday recipe was inspired by my son's love of eggnog and my good-as-gluten, extra-soft Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls. Together, they are a magical combination. I think you'll love these rolls as much as we do!

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Equipment

Stand Mixer with a coated flat beater attachment: While a stand mixer is a pricey small kitchen appliance, it is money well spent for gluten-free baking. Keep an eye out for sales around Thanksgiving, Christmas, and during 3-day holiday weekends throughout the year. I recommend buying when you see a 50% off deal.

Parchment Paper: Helpful for rolling the cinnamon roll dough into a log and for easy clean-up after baking.

Rectangle Baking Dish: I use this Pyrex 9x13 pan. It includes a lid, which I use to cover the rolls while they rise overnight. Plastic wrap works well if your baking dish does not have a lid.

Kitchen Scale: The most accurate way to measure flour is with a kitchen scale. An inexpensive kitchen scale works just fine!

Ingredients

Most of the ingredients are pantry staples. However, a few items warrant a little extra explanation, especially the first one:

Gluten-Free Wheat Starch: Important! This recipe is designed to be made only with gluten-free wheat starch. Together with yeast, gluten-free wheat starch is the magic that gives these eggnog cinnamon rolls their traditional airy texture.

Gluten-free wheat starch has been processed to remove the gluten-protein and meet the FDA standard for a gluten-free food. It is considered safe for celiacs, but it is not safe for individuals with a wheat allergy. To learn more, visit the article Is Gluten-Free Wheat Starch Safe for Celiacs?

If gluten-free wheat starch is not safe for you, please use another recipe. A different type of flour will not produce the same results in this recipe.

Which brand of gluten-free wheat starch? This recipe is a close variation of my regular gluten-free cinnamon rolls. I have tested this eggnog version with King Arthur Gluten-Free Bread Flour. And I have previously tested my non-eggnog cinnamon rolls with both King Arthur Gluten-Free Bread Flour and my other favorite gluten-free wheat starch, Caputo Fioreglut Gluten-Free Flour. Both flours delivered excellent results.

Ideally, measure the flour with an inexpensive kitchen scale, for the most accurate measurement. If you are substituting another brand of gluten-free wheat starch, definitely be sure to use a scale to measure out 480 grams.

Instant Yeast: I use 1 packet of Fleischmann’s Rapid Rise Instant Yeast, which is labeled gluten-free. Instant Yeast is so simple to use and does not have to be proofed before adding it to the dry ingredients.

Eggnog: Is eggnog gluten-free? Probably. Sigh, not a helpful answer, I know. Read on for some actually helpful insight.

Eggnog is rarely labeled gluten-free and often contains the questionable ingredient "natural flavor" which may contain hidden barley. To be safe, I make a call to the manufacturer every year, and am always told there are no gluten ingredients. I still call every year. This year, I vetted AltaDena Eggnog.

If it's a weekend or holiday, and a call to the manufacturer is not an option, there are non-dairy versions that will work in a pinch, like SoDelicious and Almond Breeze. Those brands respectively are certified gluten-free and do not contain gluten ingredients.

Sugar makes a few appearances in this recipe. A small amount of white sugar in the dough, brown sugar in the cinnamon filling, and powdered sugar in the eggnog icing.

Cream Cheese: Combined with eggnog, nutmeg and powdered sugar, cream cheese gives the eggnog icing the perfect flavor and consistency. To create a smooth icing, make sure the cream cheese is room temperature before mixing.

More Kitchen Staples: salted butter, eggs, vanilla extract, salt, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Add all of the dough ingredients to mixing bowl of your stand mixer. No proofing needed! Simply add the instant to the mixing bowl with the rest of the dough ingredients.

Use the flat beater attachment to mix on low for five minutes. Stop mixer to occasionally scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.

The eggnog in this recipe takes a little longer to be absorbed than the milk used in my regular gluten-free cinnamon roll recipe. If you find the dough too sticky to work with, simply let it rest for about 20 minutes before making the rolls.

Place the dough on parchment paper. Use a spatula to gently press and stretch the dough into a 10x15-inch rectangle.

In a small bowl, combine all cinnamon filling ingredients with a fork until well-mixed and crumbly. The ground nutmeg added to the filling compliments the eggnog flavor in the dough and icing.

Sprinkle the cinnamon filling on top of the dough, and gently press it into the dough with a spatula. Pressing the mixture into the dough prevents it from spilling out as you roll the dough.

The cinnamon mixture does not have to be perfectly even throughout, but be sure to take the filling all the way to the edges. This will ensure that every eggnog roll, including the first and last, is packed with flavor.

Tightly roll the long side of the dough to form a 15"-long log. Use the parchment paper to lift and roll the dough. Then, as you roll the dough, slowly peel back the parchment paper. The dough will still be slightly sticky, but should easily peel off the parchment paper.

Gently score the top of the log marking 11 lines to make 12 even cinnamon rolls.

I love this mess-free and squish-free method for cutting cinnamon rolls! Use thread or unflavored dental floss to cut out the rolls. Slide the thread under the log and toss both ends of the thread over the top of the log. Grab each end of the floss and pull to cleanly slice off an eggnog cinnamon roll. Continue until you have 12 rolls.

Place rolls in a 9x13 rectangle baking dish lined with parchment paper. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap.

Let the eggnog cinnamon rolls rise in the fridge overnight for 8-24 hours. This overnight rise gives you the perfect make-ahead breakfast. These holiday rolls rise all night and are so easy to bake and enjoy fresh-from-the-oven the next morning.

If you are short on time, the recipe card notes include instructions for a 1-hour rapid rise in the oven and a 2-hour rise at room temperature.

Remove the rolls from the fridge and take off the plastic wrap. After 8-24 hours of yeast working its magic, the rolls should be nicely puffed up and have the wonderful aroma of sweet eggnog and yeast-bread combined. Just a little bit longer and you will get to devour these delicious eggnog cinnamon rolls!

Preheat the oven to 350℉. While the oven preheats, place the pan of rolls on top of the stove, where the temperature will be slightly warmer than the rest of your kitchen. Bake the eggnog cinnamon rolls for approximately 25-27 minutes until they are a light golden brown. 

While the rolls are baking, mix all of the icing ingredients with a stand mixer or hand mixer until the icing is smooth and creamy.

If you want to really simplify the morning prep, mix the icing the day before. Store in the fridge overnight. Remove the icing and rolls at the same time, giving the icing plenty of time to come to room temperature before spreading on the rolls.

Use a spatula to spread the icing over the warm cinnamon rolls. Serve and enjoy!

Storage & Reheating

Store your eggnog cinnamon rolls in the fridge for up to two days or in the freezer for up to 4 weeks. Any longer and they will begin to dry out.

For best results, thaw frozen cinnamon rolls to room temperature before reheating.

Reheat the rolls in the oven at 350℉ for approximately 5-7 minutes. To maintain moisture when reheating, place a second baking dish with water below the baking dish with the cinnamon rolls.

Reheat in the microwave in 30-second increments. Add a damp paper towel to maintain hydration and a soft crumb.

Related Recipes Using Gluten-Free Wheat Starch

• Caputo Gluten-Free Flour Pizza Recipe: I first encountered this amazing gluten-free flour while eating my way through Italy!
• Gluten-Free Garlic Knots Recipe

More Holiday Sweets

Here are a few of my personal Christmas favorites:

• Candy Cane Crème Brûlée
• Easy Gluten-Free Crepes
• Soft & Chewy! Gluten-Free Gingersnaps

If you just can't get enough eggnog, try this decadent Eggnog Crème Brûlée! For more delicious gluten-free breakfast recipes, like Trader Joe’s Holiday Vegetable Hash & Pesto Frittata, check out this round-up of 30 Gluten-Free Christmas Brunch Recipes for a Festive Morning!

Wishing you a Merry & Sweet Christmas!