Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls
These gluten free carrot cinnamon rolls are soft and gooey with freshly grated carrot and lots of spices! Topped with a cream cheese frosting, this is truly the perfect Spring dessert recipe!
‘Tis the season for all things carrot cake! We all know how much I love cinnamon rolls- my banana bread cinnamon rolls are a favorite this time of year too, but carrot cake cinnamon rolls feels even more appropriate for spring!
These rolls have spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves, plus fresh grated carrots. The base recipe is similar to my popular gluten free cinnamon rolls, but with a few tweaks to accommodate for the added ingredients. They’re soft, fluffy, bake up beautifully and are topped with a homemade vanilla cream cheese frosting. The ultimate Spring treat!
Tips before we bake!
- For the cinnamon sugar filling, most cinnamon rolls call for brown sugar, but I find the texture to be too gritty so I prefer white. You can use brown if you prefer.
- Please use freshly grated carrot here! Store bought is going to be a bit tougher and drier and will make the final texture of the cinnamon rolls a bit off.
- You need two full eggs for this recipe. Unfortunately, there is not a good substitute for the egg because it is key for that fluffy gooey texture. Instead, try my vegan cinnamon rolls and add in the carrot to the dough and the ginger, nutmeg and cloves to the cinnamon sugar!
How to make carrot cake cinnamon rolls
To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and baking powder. Be sure to use instant yeast and not the yeast packet from the flour. Mix on low until combined with the dough hook.
Warm the milk in the microwave for about 1 minute or until warm like bath water. You don’t want it too hot or it will kill the yeast, but too cold and it won’t activate the yeast. With the mixer running on low, pour in the milk, then the melted/slightly cooled butter, eggs and vanilla extract.
Mix for about 30 seconds, then scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is well combined.
Add in the carrots, then turn the mixer to medium/low speed and let knead the dough for about 5 minutes. Let the dough sit for a few minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the sugar and spices in a bowl and set aside.
Add the 6 tablespoons of butter to a bowl and melt for about 15-20 seconds, then stir so it just looks softened and not fully melted. Set aside.
Transfer the dough to a floured surface (I usually use parchment paper and flour it generously with GF all purpose flour to really ensure no sticking).
Roll into a 12×15 rectangle using a floured rolling pin. Carefully brush the butter on top, then sprinkle with the spiced sugar. Add on the chopped nuts if using.
Working from the 15 inch end, use a pizza cuter to cut out 12 strips about 1 1/4 inch wide (so each strip will be 1 1/4 inch x 12 inches). You can also make 10 large rolls and cut each 1 1/2 inch wide. Roll each strip into the roll and place in a greased 9×13 baking pan.
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Cover with plastic wrap then top with a dish towel and let rise for 1 hour. I will usually just place on top of my oven. You want a slightly warm environment, so if your house is cold, preheat the oven first. Toward the end of the hour, preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
Once the rolls have risen (they won’t quite double in size but will puff up a bit), bake for 24-30 minutes, depending on your oven and preference.
Meanwhile, whisk together the melted butter and cream cheese for the glaze, then slowly add in the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time until smooth. Whisk in the vanilla. When the rolls are done, let cool for about 5 minutes, then top with the glaze and enjoy! Try my single serve cinnamon roll next!
Prep in advance!
If you want to prep these ahead of time, follow all of the steps as usual. Once the carrot cake cinnamon rolls have been rolled, sliced and risen for the hour, cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap or foil and place in the fridge overnight.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 and let the rolls sit on top of the oven while the oven preheats. If they were frozen, let thaw on the counter. Bake as usual for 24-30 minutes, then frost and enjoy!
How long do they keep?
These gluten free cinnamon rolls are best fresh. Unfortunately that is just the nature of gluten free baked goods! If you want to store them, your best bet is to freeze them after they bake (but do not frost), then let thaw and reheat in the oven until warm through the center.
If you don’t want to freeze them, just store at room temp, keeping them tightly covered and reheat in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds before serving.
A note on the flour
For this recipe, we’re using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Bread flour. Note that the package says bread mix, not flour! I suggest buying it on amazon because it’s hard to find in stores, but it truly is what makes this recipe so amazing! I do not recommend swapping for any other flour here.
The bread mix comes with a package of yeast, but you want to use instant yeast so discard that package or save for another recipe.
More carrot cake recipes you’ll love!
- Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Carrot Cake Muffins
- Carrot Cake Banana Bread
- Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cookies
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Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls
by: claire cary
Ingredients
Rolls
- 1 16 ounce bag Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Bread Mix NOT all purpose flour!
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast one standard packet
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cup whole milk
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 6 tablespoons butter melted then cooled slightly
- 2 teapsoons vanilla
- ¾ cup freshly grated carrot about 2 carrots
- ~ ¼ cup GF all purpose flour for rolling the dough do not add into the dough itself- just for rolling it out!
Filling
- 6 tablespoons softened butter
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans optional
Frosting
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 4 ounces plain cream cheese
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and baking powder. Be sure to use instant yeast and not the yeast packet from the flour.
- The bread mix comes with a package of yeast, but you want to use instant yeast so discard that package or save for another recipe.
- Mix on low until combined with the dough hook.
- Warm the milk in the microwave for about 1 minute or until warm like bath water. You don’t want it too hot or it will kill the yeast, but too cold and it won’t activate the yeast.
- With the mixer running on low, pour in the milk, then the melted/slightly cooled butter, eggs and vanilla extract.
- Mix for about 30 seconds, then scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is well combined.
- Add in the carrots, then turn the mixer to medium/low speed and let knead the dough for about 5 minutes.
- Let the dough sit for a few minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the sugar and spices in a bowl and set aside.
- Add the 6 tablespoons of butter to a bowl and melt for about 15-20 seconds, then stir so it just looks softened and not fully melted. Set aside.
- Transfer the dough to a floured surface (I usually use parchment paper and flour it generously with GF all purpose flour to really ensure no sticking).
- Roll into a 12×15 rectangle using a floured rolling pin.
- Carefully brush the butter on top, then sprinkle with the spiced sugar. Add on the chopped nuts if using.
- Working from the 15 inch end, use a pizza cuter to cut out 12 strips about 1 1/4 inch wide (so each strip will be 1 1/4 inch x 12 inches). You can also make 10 large rolls and cut each 1 1/2 inch wide.
- Roll each strip into the roll and place in a greased 9×13 baking pan.
- Cover with plastic wrap then top with a dish towel and let rise for 1 hour. I will usually just place on top of my oven. You want a slightly warm environment, so if your house is cold, preheat the oven first.
- Toward the end of the hour, preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
- Once the rolls have risen (they won’t quite double in size but will puff up a bit), bake for 24-30 minutes, depending on your oven and preference.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the melted butter and cream cheese for the glaze, then slowly add in the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time until smooth. Whisk in the vanilla.
- When the rolls are done, let cool for about 5 minutes, then top with the glaze and enjoy!
Notes
Comments
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About how many carrots should be used in the recipe?
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You need 3/4 cup grated which will be about 1-2 carrots depending on the size!
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Carrot cake and cinnamon rolls together sounds interesting. How do you think the flavors balance out?
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Cinnamon is a key ingredient in carrot cake so they pair so well together!
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leave a comment and rating