cinnamon rolls, vegan and gluten free

For a couple weeks now, I have been feeling like my body is on the constant verge of a heart attack. I have no idea what a heart attack feels like, that is just the only way I know how to describe how I am feeling. It’s as though someone has my heart and lungs in their hands and won’t stop squeezing them. Breathing is hard, concentrating is even harder. It’s becoming unmanageable.

I’ve never let anxiety take ownership over my life in the past, but it is right now. I’ve walked out of a movie, I’ve bailed on important social engagements, and I have even stopped driving for the most part. I actually feel a lot of shame about it, but I try my hardest to make jokes and remind myself that I am doing my best.

Am I doing my best, though? Because apparently my best isn’t good enough. I feel as though I have tried everything, all the tools in my toolbox are worn out. Even the Xanax I was prescribed can’t seem to make the hands around my chest go away. Sometimes the grip loosens, but they’re ever present.

I try to make my life as cozy as possible because I am at my happiest and calmest when I am feeling cozy. I have been baking a lot in attempts to calm my anxiety, or at least temporarily distract myself. These cinnamon rolls were the result of one of these attempts. I mean, what’s more cozy than the smell of cinnamon rolls baking in the oven with a fire crackling while Pachelbel’s Canon in D plays softly in the background? I can’t think of anything either.

It didn’t totally do the trick, but it was a distraction for an hour or so. Plus I was happy with the product! I was aiming for a cinnamon bun to be honest, but these turned out more biscuit like—hence the name change to cinnamon rolls. What is maybe the loveliest thing about this recipe (fellow celiacs rejoice) is that the dough is actually manageable. So many times I have tried recipes for gluten free cinnamon buns or rolls and the dough is just too difficult to work with. This dough will spread out nicely, will not entirely stick to your hands, and will not fall apart completely when you try to cut the log into rolls. I hope that you do not need distracting from anything in your life, but if you do, I hope you try some baking and that it helps.

 cinnamon rolls, vegan and gluten free

serves 12
active time: 20 minutes ~ total time: 60 minutes

These are the best vegan and gluten free (and yeast free) cinnamon rolls I have made to date! You can prepare them in an hour, which make them a great option for a late Sunday breakfast. Serve with lots of coffee.

Ingredients:

dough:

• 4 cups of Bob’s All Purpose Gluten Free Flour Blend, plus more for dusting
• 2 tsp xanthan gum
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup almond milk, warm
• 6 tbsp earth balance (or other vegan butter substitute), softened
• 6 tbsp aquafaba

filling:

• 1/4 cup earth balance (or other vegan butter substitute), melted
• 2 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 cup brown sugar

frosting:

• 2 tbsp earth balance, at room temperature
• 2 tbsp vegan cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup icing sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a baking dish.
2. Sift together the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
3. Add in the almond milk, earth balance, and aquafaba and mix well. The dough will be slightly sticky, but you don’t want it too sticky. Feel free to add a little more flour, about a tablespoon at a time if required.
4. Cover a large wood cutting board (about 21 x 14 inches), with saran wrap, tucking the edges under the board. Dust the saran wrap with flour and place your dough on top. Add more flour to the top of your dough and spread it out to the edges of the board, dusting your hands with flour as needed. You can do this step without a large cutting board, but it easier with one. Tape down your saran wrap to the counter if you are not using a board.
5. Brush the melted butter on to the dough, going all the way to the edges. Sprinkle the cinnamon on, then the sugar.
6. Start rolling up the dough from the short side. Use the saran wrap to lift up the dough.
7. Using a really sharp knife, cut the dough into 12 pieces and place them in your greased dish. Bake for 40 minutes.
8. While the buns cool, prepare the cream cheese frosting. In a small bowl, blend the earth balance, cream cheese, and vanilla. Mix in the sugar. Add water, a drop at a time, until you reach your preferred consistency.
9. Drizzle the frosting on the buns once they have cooled.