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Gluten-Free Cinnamon Roll Muffins

By Audrey Roberts

Published Jul 30, 2025

4.97

Read 96 Reviews

Prep 10 minutes mins

Cook 24 minutes mins

Servings 12 muffins

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Two of my all-time favorite desserts are cinnamon rolls and sticky buns—and I’ve always had a soft spot for a tender, flaky muffin. But finding good gluten-free versions of any of those is challenging. That’s exactly why I had to make these. These gluten-free cinnamon roll muffins bring all the gooey texture and warm, spiced flavor I love, with a sweet drizzle of classic icing on top. No kneading or rolling the dough required. Just 10 minutes of prep and a few simple pantry ingredients. I’ve made them more times than I can count—they hit that sweet spot every time.

One of the most popular recipes on the blog is my gluten-free cinnamon roll cake, and honestly, I don’t know why it took me so long to turn one of my family’s favorite treats into a muffin. When I have time, I’ll make my gluten-free cinnamon rolls, but for a quick fix, these muffins are the best. They’re just as moist, packed with cinnamon flavor, and drizzled with sweet classic icing. It brings all the ooey-gooey goodness you’d expect from a classic cinnamon roll. And don’t worry, I’ve included some easy dairy-free swaps for my dairy-intolerant friends, too.

4.97 from 51 votes

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Roll Muffins

By: Audrey Roberts

Servings: 12 muffins

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 24 minutes mins

Total: 34 minutes mins

These gluten-free cinnamon roll muffins bring all the gooey texture and warm, spiced flavor I love, with a sweet drizzle of classic icing on top. No kneading or rolling the dough required. Just 10 minutes of prep and a few simple pantry ingredients. I’ve made them more times than I can count—they hit that sweet spot every time.

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

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Ingredients 

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Muffins

• ▢ 1½ cups all-purpose gluten-free flour, I like Pillsbury gluten-free. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
• ▢ ¾ tsp  xanthan gum, Leave out if your flour already contains it.
• ▢ ⅛ tsp salt
• ▢ ½ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
• ▢ ¾ cups milk, For dairy-free I like almond milk, cashew or coconut milk.
• ▢ 1 egg
• ▢ 1 tsp  pure vanilla extract
• ▢ ¼ cup butter, melted, For dairy-free I like Smart Balance butter.

Topping

• ▢ ¼ cup butter, softened, For dairy-free I like Smart Balance butter.
• ▢ ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• ▢ ½ tbsp gluten-free flour
• ▢ ¾ tsp cinnamon

Glaze

• ▢ 1 cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 2 tbsp milk, For dairy-free use almond, cashew, or coconut milk.
• ▢ ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

US Customary – Metric

Instructions 

Muffins

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Use cupcake liners or spray a with muffin pan with cooking spray.
• In a large bowl add the gluten-free flour, xanthan gum (leave out if your flour already has it), salt, sugar, baking powder, milk, egg, and vanilla and mix until fully combined.
• Once combined stir in the melted butter.
• Scoop the batter (will be very thick and sticky) into the lined/greased muffin pan. I like to use a greased ice cream scoop.

Topping

• In a large bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, gluten-free flour and cinnamon together with a mixer.
• Drop a heaping teaspoonful of the butter mixture onto each muffin batter.
• Use a knife to swirl the butter mixture through the muffins.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 24-26 minutes. Please watch your muffins because every oven is different. Use a toothpick to check and see if the centers are done.

Glaze

• In a medium bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, milk and pure vanilla extract together.
• Drizzle over the warm muffins.
• Enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffinCalories: 229kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 1gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 142mgPotassium: 108mgSugar: 28gVitamin A: 405IUCalcium: 65mgIron: 0.2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Tried this recipe?Mention @mamaknowsglutenfree or tag #mamaknowsglutenfree!

How to Make Gluten-Free Cinnamon Roll Muffins Step by Step

Gather the ingredients: Gather all the ingredients together. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners or lightly grease with cooking spray.

Make the muffin batter: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1½ cups all-purpose gluten-free flour (I like Pillsbury brand), ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your flour blend already includes it), ⅛ teaspoon salt, ½ cup granulated sugar, and 2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder. Add ¾ cup milk (use almond, cashew, or coconut milk for dairy-free), 1 large egg, and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. 

Add the butter: Mix until fully combined, then stir in ¼ cup melted butter (or Smart Balance for dairy-free).

Divide the batter: The batter will be thick and sticky. Use a greased ice cream scoop or spoon to divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Make the cinnamon topping: In a separate bowl, cream together ¼ cup softened butter (or Smart Balance), ¼ cup packed brown sugar, ½ tablespoon gluten-free flour, and ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon.

Add the cinnamon topping: Drop a heaping teaspoon of the cinnamon mixture onto each muffin. 

Swirl the topping: Use a knife to gently swirl it into the batter.

Bake the muffins: Bake at 350°F for 24–26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Ovens vary, so check toward the end of the baking time.

Make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk (dairy-free if needed), and ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract.

Glaze and serve: Drizzle the glaze over the warm muffins and enjoy!

Gluten-Free Baking Tips

• The best way to measure gluten-free flour is the “spoon & level” method. Using a spoon, scoop the flour into the measuring cup.  After you’ve spooned the flour into the measuring cup, use the back of a knife to level off the top of the measuring cup. Friends, please do not scoop the flour out of the bag with your measuring cup.
• For uniformed sized muffins, I always use a greased ice cream scoop. It makes it nice and easy to get the perfect amount in the baking pan.
• I also like to use cupcake liners to keep the muffins from sticking to the pan.

Serving Suggestions

These muffins are perfect for cozy weekend breakfasts, holiday brunches, or just when you’re craving something warm and sweet with your coffee. I love serving them slightly warm so the glaze gets a little melty—it’s like a shortcut cinnamon roll without all the work. They’re also great as a midday treat or packed into lunchboxes for a fun surprise. Trust me, they never last long in my house.

Storage Instructions

Keep any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For that fresh-from-the-oven feel, warm the muffins for about 10–15 seconds in the microwave before serving to bring back their soft, gooey texture. 

I don’t recommend freezing them, as the texture tends to change once thawed.

More Comforting Cinnamon Desserts 

• Gluten-Free Churros
• Gluten-Free Baked Donuts
• Gluten-Free Cinnamon Biscuits
• Gluten-Free Baked Apple Cinnamon Donuts
• Gluten-Free Cinnamon Bread

Our Gluten-Free Cinnamon Roll Muffins recipe was originally published 2/27/18. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 7/30/25.