Gather Your Ingredients

These carrot cake muffins are a healthier take on the same flavors as our classic gluten-free carrot cake recipe, so you’ll see lots of familiar ingredients, just in different amounts. Let’s take a look:

How To Make Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Muffins, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. Prep The Mix-Ins. If you haven’t already, toast and cool the pecans before chopping. Grate carrots and set aside.
2. Combine Dry Ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, combine gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Whisk until evenly blended. Add the chopped pecans and stir to coat well. (This will help prevent them from sinking to the bottom!)
3. Combine Wet Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, oil, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Add carrots and stir to combine. (I find it’s easier to blend them in at this point than at the end.)
4. Add Dry Ingredients To Wet Ingredients and stir to combine.

5. Let Batter Rest 1 Hour. Then let the batter rest at room temperature 1 hour. This will give the flour time to hydrate and makes a HUGE difference in the rise of the muffins. (They’ll rise 1/2-3/4 of an inch taller if you let the batter rest!)
6. Preheat & Prep. While the batter rests, preheat the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Line a 12-cup metal muffin pan with parchment paper liners.
7. Bake & Cool. Scoop batter into muffin cups, filling about 90% of the way full (keep in mind you’ll have better left for about 4 more muffins!) Sprinkle with coarse sugar and bake 5 minutes at 425 degrees. Leave the muffins in the oven and lower temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking 12-15 minutes or until muffins are cooked through. Let muffins cool 1-2 minutes in the muffin pan before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Repeat with remaining muffin batter.
8. Serve & Store. Enjoy muffins when cooled. Store leftover muffins in an airtight container 2-3 days at room temperature, 3-4 days in the refrigerator, or up to 2 months in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer.

FAQ + Tricks For The Best Carrot Cake Muffins

Measure Carefully! Weigh ingredients with a digital kitchen scale when possible and use the scoop and level method where you can’t weigh. Especially with those dry ingredients, you don’t want to add any extra flour to the muffin batter! 

Let the Batter Rest! I know it’s annoying to wait, but it makes a HUGE difference in the rise of these delicious muffins. We’re talking 1/2-3/4 of an inch! It also creates more tender muffins, since the flour is better hydrated.

Use Fresh Carrots & Toasted Pecans. For best results, do NOT use store-bought grated carrots here. They’ll be too thick and tend to run dry. Grate fresh carrots on a box grater (or in a food processor), and you’ll get much better muffins! I also recommend toasting the pecans before adding them here, since toasting adds significant depth of flavor that raw pecans just won’t. 

The BEST Muffin Pan & Muffin Liners. For a gentle, even bake, I highly recommend a light-colored metal 12-cup muffin tin and these parchment paper muffin liners. They’re the ONLY muffin liners I use since they’re SUPER non-stick and easily peel away without ripping your muffins.

More Gluten-Free Muffin Recipes To Try

Gluten-Free Brown Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Gluten-Free Almond Poppy Seed Muffins

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Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Muffins

Our easy gluten-free carrot cake muffins have the classic carrot cake flavor you love, in breakfast form! They're tender, moist, and full of delicious spices, perfect for breakfast or brunch!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Keyword carrot cake

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Resting Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 16 Muffins

Author Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You

Equipment

• 1 Light-Colored Metal Muffin Pan
• Parchment Paper Muffin Liners (We recommend Paper Chef Brand!)

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:

• 2 ¼ cup Gluten-Free Measure-For-Measure Flour (270 grams)
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
• ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1 ¼ teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon Ground Cloves

Wet Ingredients & Mix-Ins

• 1 ¼ cups Light Brown Sugar
• 3 Large Eggs (Room Temperature)
• 1 cup Sour Cream (or Plain Greek Yogurt*)
• ½ cup Neutral-Tasting Oil (like vegetable oil, canola oil, avocado oil, etc.)
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 ½ cups Freshly Peeled, Grated Carrots (150 grams)
• ½ cup Toasted Pecans, Chopped (toast first, then chop!)
• 2 Tablespoons Coarse Sugar or Sparkling Sugar (for garnish)

Instructions

• Combine Dry Ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, combine gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Whisk until evenly blended. Add the chopped pecans and stir to coat well. (This will help prevent them from sinking to the bottom!)
• Combine Wet Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, oil, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Add carrots and stir to combine. (I find it's easier to blend them in at this point than at the end.)
• Add Dry Ingredients To Wet Ingredients and stir to combine.
• Let Batter Rest 1 Hour. Then let the batter rest at room temperature 1 hour. This will give the flour time to hydrate and makes a HUGE difference in the rise of the muffins. (They'll rise 1/2-3/4 of an inch taller if you let the batter rest!)
• Preheat & Prep. While the batter rests, preheat the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Line a 12-cup metal muffin pan with parchment paper liners.
• Bake & Cool. Scoop batter into muffin cups, filling about 90% of the way full (keep in mind you'll have better left for about 4 more muffins!) Sprinkle with coarse sugar and bake 5 minutes at 425 degrees. Leave the muffins in the oven and lower temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking 12-15 minutes or until muffins are cooked through. Let muffins cool 1-2 minutes in the muffin pan before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Repeat with remaining muffin batter.
• Serve & Store. Enjoy muffins when cooled. Store leftover muffins in an airtight container 2-3 days at room temperature, 3-4 days in the refrigerator, or up to 2 months in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer.

Video

Notes

• Gluten-Free Flour. I love King Arthur Measure-For-Measure gluten-free flour for these muffins. If you use a different brand of 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, be sure it contains xanthan gum! I do not recommend oat flour, almond flour, or coconut flour for this recipe. Weigh the flour when possible, for best results, or use the scoop and level method to spoon flour into your measuring cup to avoid packing extra flour into the recipe. 
• LET THE BATTER REST! I know it’s annoying to wait, but it makes a HUGE difference in the rise of these muffins. They’ll rise 1/2-3/4 of an inch taller after resting! It also creates more tender muffins, since the flour is better hydrated.
• Sour Cream & Yogurt. Plain Greek yogurt can be used in place of the sour cream here, but keep in mind it will have a slightly less moist and tender result, since it’s lower in fat. The higher fat percentage of yogurt you use, the better the result. (Full-fat or 2% yogurt works better than fat-free!) 

Gather Your Ingredients

So, how do we pack all that just-picked strawberry flavor into this easy freezer jam recipe? Let’s take a look at our ingredients list:

Can I Use a Sugar Substitute? Sugar alternatives, like Swerve or stevia typically need a pectin specifically formulated to work with them, or a modified technique to activate properly. I don’t recommend them for my recipe.

How To Make, Strawberry Freezer Jam, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. Prep Your Station. Before you start, make sure you have very clean jars and lids, a funnel, a ladle (or clean measuring cup for scooping), and all your ingredients ready to go. This recipe depends a bit of on timing, and moves quickly once you get started.
2. Make Sure You Have The Right Pectin. This recipe will ONLY work with a low sugar pectin. We recommend Sure Jell Premium Fruit Pectin for Less or No Sugar Needed Recipes (pink box).
3. Mash & Measure The Strawberries. Wash strawberries thoroughly, then remove the green tops and dice the strawberries. (A rough chop is fine here! We’re just making them easier to mash.) Use a potato masher to mash the strawberries in a large bowl, then carefully measure out 4 level cups of mashed strawberries and set aside. If you use more or less, your jam may not turn out properly. (If you have any leftover mashed berries, you can add them to oatmeal, smoothies, yogurt, etc.)
4. Boil The Pectin Mixture. In a large saucepan, combine sugar, low sugar pectin, and water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a boil, with bubbles all across the surface. Boil 1 minute (use a timer!) then remove from the heat.
5. Stir In The Strawberries. Add the crushed berries to the saucepan and stir thoroughly for another full minute (set a timer!) to fully incorporate the pectin mixture and strawberry mixture. Make sure to mix well, so the jam sets up evenly! 
6. Scoop Into Jars. As soon as possible, scoop the jam into the clean jars, leaving 1/2-inch of room at the top for the jam to expand in the freezer. Wipe the rims of the jars and cover with clean lids.
7. Set 24 Hours. Let the jam rest at room temperature for 24 hours. Try not to jiggle or jostle the jars during this time. Just let them set!
8. Chill or Freeze. After 24 hours, transfer the jars to the freezer for up to 1 year, or the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Thaw frozen jam in the refrigerator before using and use within 3 weeks once opened.

FAQ + Tricks For The Best Strawberry Freezer Jam

Can I Use Less Sugar? Not for this recipe. Use the exact amount of sugar called for, for best results. Sugar affects the flavor AND texture, since it’s part of what helps the pectin gel. Reducing the sugar may mean your jam doesn’t set or sets too soft. This is already a low sugar strawberry freezer jam recipe, and you’ll only be having 1-2 Tablespoons at a time. Let yourself have this! 

What Kind of Jars Work Best? I recommend wide-mouth jars since they’re easier to fill, but you can use glass or clean plastic freezer jars here. Do make sure your jars are freezer safe, and remember to leave half an inch of space at the top to allow the jam to expand during freezing!

Can I Can This Jam? This is a freezer jam recipe, so it’s not meant for hot water bath canning or pressure canning.

More Yummy Jams & Spreads To Try

Easy Peach Freezer Jam

Low Sugar Raspberry Freezer Jam

Easy Homemade Lemon Curd

Whipped Cinnamon Honey Butter

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Easy Strawberry Freezer Jam (Low sugar Recipe!)

Our low-sugar strawberry freezer jam is the EASIEST jam recipe around! It's made with just 4 ingredients, perfectly sweet & keeps for a YEAR in the freezer. (No canning or special skills required!)

Course Condiment

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Keyword Freezer Jam

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 6 cups jam

Calories 18kcal

Author Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You

Equipment

• VERY Clean Freezer-Safe Jars or Containers & Lids (Freezer-Safe Glass or Plastic)
• Funnel

Ingredients

• 4 cups Mashed Strawberries (about 7-8 cups diced fresh strawberries)*
• 1 (1.75 oz) box Sure-Jell Low Sugar Pectin*
• 3 cups Granulated Sugar* (360 grams)
• 1 cup Water

Instructions

• Prep Your Station. Before you start, make sure you have very clean jars and lids, a funnel, a ladle (or clean measuring cup for scooping), and all your ingredients ready to go. This recipe depends a bit of on timing, and moves quickly once you get started.
• Mash & Measure The Strawberries. Wash strawberries thoroughly, then remove the green tops and dice the strawberries. (A rough chop is fine here! We're just making them easier to mash.) Use a potato masher to mash the strawberries in a large bowl, then carefully measure out 4 level cups of mashed strawberries and set aside. If you use more or less, your jam may not turn out properly. (If you have any leftover mashed berries, you can add them to oatmeal, smoothies, yogurt, etc.)
• Boil The Pectin Mixture. In a large saucepan, combine sugar, low sugar pectin, and water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a boil, with bubbles all across the surface. Boil 1 minute (use a timer!) then remove from the heat.
• Stir In The Strawberries. Add the crushed berries to the saucepan and stir thoroughly for another full minute (set a timer!) to fully incorporate the pectin mixture and strawberry mixture. Make sure to mix well, so the jam sets up evenly!
• Scoop Into Jars. As soon as possible, scoop the jam into the clean jars, leaving 1/2-inch of room at the top for the jam to expand in the freezer. Wipe the rims of the jars and cover with clean lids.
• Set 24 Hours. Let the jam rest at room temperature for 24 hours. Try not to jiggle or jostle the jars during this time. Just let them set!
• Chill or Freeze. After 24 hours, transfer the jars to the freezer for up to 1 year, or the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Thaw frozen jam in the refrigerator before using and use within 3 weeks once opened.

Video

Notes

• Strawberries. I recommend fresh strawberries for best results, but we’ve made this jam countless times with thawed frozen strawberries. The texture of the jam is *slightly* softer with frozen berries, but frozen berries are also picked at their peak, so you’ll still get great flavor! (A great option in winter!)
• Make Sure You Have The Right Pectin. This recipe will ONLY work with a low sugar pectin. We recommend Sure-Jell Premium Fruit Pectin for Less or No Sugar Needed Recipes (PINK box not yellow box).
• Sugar. Use the exact amount of sugar called for, for best results. Sugar affects the flavor AND texture, since it’s part of what helps the pectin gel. Reducing the sugar may mean your jam doesn’t set or sets too soft. This is already a low sugar strawberry freezer jam recipe, and you’ll only be having 1-2 Tablespoons at a time. Let yourself have this! 
• Pay Attention To Timing. This recipe is SUPER simple, but the timing does matter. Make sure to boil the pectin mixture for 1 full minute at a rolling boil, stir the strawberries into the pectin mixture for a full minute, pour jam into jars quickly, let them set 24 hours, then freeze as directed. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1Tablespoon | Calories: 18kcal | Carbohydrates: 4.5g | Protein: 0.1g | Sodium: 5.2mg | Potassium: 14.9mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 4.2g | Vitamin C: 5.7mg | Calcium: 1.6mg

Gather Your Ingredients

These gluten-free banana chocolate chip muffins are a riff on our gluten-free chocolate chip muffins recipe, so you might notice some familiar ingredients! Let’s take a look:

How To Make Brown Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. Brown The Butter. Before you start the muffin batter, brown the butter. Dice the butter into cubes then add to a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly until the butter is golden brown and fragrant. Remove from the heat and pour into a heatproof bowl to cool to room temperature. (Get step-by-step instructions for browning butter here!)
2. Combine Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine, then set aside.
3. Combine Cooled Butter & Sugar. In a large bowl, combine cooled brown butter, brown sugar, and sugar.
4. Finish Wet Ingredients. Add the mashed bananas, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until evenly combined.

5. Add Dry Ingredients To Wet Ingredients. Add the flour mixture and the mini chocolate chips to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
6. Let Batter REST While You Preheat & Prep. If possible, let the batter rest 30-60 minutes at room temperature. (This will give the muffins a taller rise and a more tender texture!) While the batter rests, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. and line a metal muffin pan with parchment paper liners.
7. Scoop & Garnish. After the batter has rested, use an ice cream scoop or extra large cookie scoop to divide the batter between 12 muffin cups. (You may have 1-2 muffins left for a second batch, depending on how long you let the batter rest!) Sprinkle the top of each muffin with coarse sugar or sparkling sugar and a few more chocolate chips, if desired.
8. Bake + Reduce Temp + Bake. Then, bake at 425 degrees F. for 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (leave the muffins in the oven!) and bake an additional 12-15 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs.
9. Cool, Serve & Store. Let the muffins cool in the pan 3-5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Enjoy right away and store leftovers in an airtight container or bag at room temperature 2-3 days or freeze in a freezer bag up to 2 months. (I recommend warming up leftover muffins for a few seconds in the microwave to revive their texture!)

FAQ + Tricks For The Best Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Measure The Mashed Bananas. For the best results, I highly recommend measuring the mashed bananas rather than going by the number of bananas. Bananas can vary in size, so adding more banana also means throwing off the ratio of wet: dry ingredients. While banana bread and banana muffins can be forgiving to a point, you’ll get the best results from measuring the mashed bananas!

Let The Batter Rest. It’s an extra step, yes, but letting the batter rest at least 30-60 minutes before baking is a great way to improve the texture and rise of your muffins. When the batter rests, the flour hydrates better and the baking powder & baking soda have more time to work, which gives your muffins a super fluffy, tender crumb and helps you achieve those bakery-worthy sky-high muffin tops!

The BEST Muffin Pan & Parchment Liners. In my experience, the muffin pan and muffin cup liners you use can make or break your recipe! We love this light-colored aluminum muffin tin for even baking, and these parchment muffin liners that are REMARKABLY nonstick. (No more losing half your muffin to the wrapper!) Keep in mind that if you use a ceramic or silicone muffin pan, your muffins may take longer to bake.

More Gluten-Free Muffin Recipes To Try

Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Muffins

Gluten-Free Almond Poppy Seed Muffins

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Gluten-Free Brown Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

These fluffy, bakery-style gluten-free banana chocolate chip muffins are made with brown butter for extra flavor, with plenty of chocolate chips in each bite!

Course Breakfast, Muffins

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Keyword banana, gluten-free banana bread

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Resting Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings 12 -14 Muffins

Author Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You

Equipment

• 1 Muffin Pan (Preferably Light Colored Metal!)
• Parchment Muffin Liners

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups Gluten-Free Measure-For-Measure Flour* (300 grams)
• 2 ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• ½ cup Butter (113 grams/1 stick)
• ½ cup Granulated Sugar (100 grams)
• ½ cup Brown Sugar (100 grams)
• 1 cup Mashed Bananas (2 large bananas)
• ¾ cup Sour Cream (or Plain Greek Yogurt)
• 2 Large Eggs (Room Temperature)
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• ¾ cup Mini Chocolate Chips
• 1-2 Tablespoons Coarse Sugar or Sparkling Sugar (Optional–For Garnish)

Instructions

• Brown The Butter. Before you start the muffin batter, brown the butter. Dice the butter into cubes then add to a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly until the butter is golden brown and fragrant. Remove from the heat and pour into a heatproof bowl to cool to room temperature. (Get step-by-step instructions for browning butter here!)
• Combine Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine, then set aside.
• Combine Cooled Butter & Sugar. In a large bowl, combine cooled brown butter, brown sugar, and sugar.
• Finish Wet Ingredients. Add the mashed bananas, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until evenly combined.
• Add Dry Ingredients To Wet Ingredients. Add the flour mixture and the mini chocolate chips to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
• Let Batter REST While You Preheat & Prep. If possible, let the batter rest 30-60 minutes at room temperature. (This will give the muffins a taller rise and a more tender texture!) While the batter rests, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. and line a metal muffin pan with parchment paper liners.
• Scoop & Garnish. After the batter has rested, use an ice cream scoop or extra large cookie scoop to divide the batter between 12 muffin cups. (You may have 1-2 muffins left for a second batch, depending on how long you let the batter rest!) Sprinkle the top of each muffin with coarse sugar or sparkling sugar and a few more chocolate chips, if desired.
• Bake + Reduce Temp + Bake. Then, bake at 425 degrees F. for 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (leave the muffins in the oven!) and bake an additional 12-15 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs.
• Cool, Serve & Store. Let the muffins cool in the pan 3-5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Enjoy right away and store leftovers in an airtight container or bag at room temperature 2-3 days or freeze in a freezer bag up to 2 months. (I recommend warming up leftover muffins for a few seconds in the microwave to revive their texture!)

Video

Notes

• Gluten-Free Flour. We highly recommend King Arthur Measure-For-Measure Gluten-Free Flour blend for these muffins. If you use another 1:1 flour blend, be sure it contains xanthan gum. Do not use almond flour or coconut flour for this recipe. 
• Measure The Mashed Bananas. For the best results, I highly recommend measuring the mashed bananas rather than going by the number of bananas. Bananas can vary in size, so adding more banana also means throwing off the ratio of wet: dry ingredients. While banana bread and banana muffins can be forgiving to a point, you’ll get the best results from measuring the mashed bananas!

Gather Your Ingredients

Get The Right Flour!

You MUST use this King Arthur Gluten-Free Bread Flour for these gluten-free sticky buns. No different flours will work in this recipe!

SHOP THE FLOUR

How To Make Gluten-Free Pecan Sticky Buns, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

First, Make Sticky Bun Dough

1. Combine Dry Ingredients. Add gluten-free flour, sugar, yeast, salt, and baking powder to the bowl of a stand mixer and gently pulse with the paddle attachment on low speed to combine. (Do not use a hand mixer, dough hook, or whisk attachment.)
2. Add Wet Ingredients. With the mixer on LOW speed, gradually add warm milk, warm water, melted butter, and eggs, one at at time.
3. Beat. Turn the mixer speed up to HIGH and mix the dough for 3 full minutes to allow the dough to fully blend. It will look VERY sticky and wet–more like thick, sticky cake batter than bread dough. This is normal!
4. Cover & Chill. Use an oiled spatula to scrape down the edges of the bowl and form the dough into a ball. (Make sure to also scrape the bottom of the bowl to check for any unmixed spots!) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill 20 minutes to make the dough easier to handle.

Make Caramel Pecan Topping

5. Melt Butter. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
6. Combine. Add brown sugar, pure maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. Stir over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture looks uniform. (Don’t let the caramel sauce boil, as we don’t want it getting hard in the oven.)
7. Pour caramel sauce into a lightly greased metal 9×13 pan and sprinkle with chopped pecans. Set aside while you assemble the cinnamon buns.

Make Cinnamon Filling & Shape Rolls

8. Combine Cinnamon Filling. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar with cinnamon, vanilla powder (if using), and a pinch of salt. Mix until well blended, to evenly distribute the cinnamon into the sugar.
9. Roll Out. Lay down a sheet of parchment paper or very lightly flour your countertop. Transfer the dough from the bowl to your parchment or counter and cover with another sheet of parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a 15-inch square (15″x 15″).
10. Fill The Rolls. Spread Softened Butter over the 15-inch dough square in an even layer. The butter should be VERY soft so it’s easily spreadable. If you can’t get the butter soft enough, you can melt it and cool it slightly before spreading. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the butter in an even layer.
11. Form The Rolls. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the dough into twelve (1.25-inch) strips. Roll each strip up to form a roll, starting at one end and tightly rolling to make a spiral as you go. (We find this method works MUCH better with gluten-free sweet rolls than the traditional rolling the dough into a long cylinder and slicing or using floss to cut them.) Place rolls into the pan on top of the caramel & pecans.

Let Rolls Rise, Then Bake

12. Cover & Rise. Then, cover the pan with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise 45-60 minutes. They’ll look puffy but won’t double in size at this point. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees as the cinnamon buns rise.
13. Bake. Remove the plastic wrap from the pan, then place the pan on baking sheet (to catch any possible spills!) and bake sticky buns in preheated oven 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown on top. The interior of the dough should read at least 190-200 degrees F. Set rolls aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.
14. Flip. After the sticky buns have cooled 5-10 minutes, you’ll flip them out of the pan. To do this safely, I recommend placing a COOL (or room temperature) sheet pan on top of the pan, face down (like a lid). Then, wearing oven mitts(!!!), carefully flip the pan so the sticky buns fall out of the 9×13 and onto the sheet pan. (The caramel pecan topping should now be facing up)
15. Serve & Store. Enjoy right away or within a few hours for best results. Cover leftover sticky buns or transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator 1-2 days. Reheat a few seconds in the microwave or a few minutes in the oven for best results.

FAQ + Tricks For The Best Gluten-Free Sticky Buns

Metric is Best. If possible, weigh your dry ingredients with a kitchen scale for best results. Your dough will work consistently well if you measure properly. If you don’t have a scale, use the scoop and level method to spoon flour into the measuring cups rather than scooping *with* your measuring cups to avoid packing extra flour into the dough. Even an extra few tablespoons will make a drastic difference in the dough.

Flour. This recipe will ONLY work with King Arthur Gluten-Free Bread Flour. No other gluten-free bread flour brands or homemade blends will work in this recipe. (Note that this is NOT the same as measure-for-measure or 1:1 gluten-free flour.)

A Trick For Leftovers. I love to warm leftover sticky buns up in the microwave at 50% power for 10-15 seconds. It will soften them right back up!

More Special Gluten-Free Breakfasts To Try

Soft Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls

Gluten-Free Belgian Waffles

Gluten-Free Orange Rolls

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

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Gluten-Free Pecan Sticky Buns

These soft, gooey Gluten-Free Pecan Sticky Buns combine gluten-free cinnamon rolls with a decadent maple caramel pecan topping you'll LOVE!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Keyword christmas, fall, pecans

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Rising Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 2 hours hours 25 minutes minutes

Servings 12 Sticky Buns

Author Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You

Ingredients

For The Dough:

• 5 ⅔ cups King Arthur Gluten-Free Bread Flour* (NO Substitutions) (680 grams)
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar (40 grams)
• 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast* (1/4 oz)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 ¼ cup warm whole milk
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 eggs room temperature
• 6 Tablespoons salted butter melted*

For The Cinnamon Filling:

• ½ cup butter, VERY soft (113 grams/1 stick)
• 1 cup brown sugar (200 grams)
• 1 ½ Tablespoons ground cinnamon
• Optional: 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean powder
• pinch salt less than 1/8 teaspoon

For Caramel Pecan Topping

• 1-2 cups chopped pecans* (100-200 grams)
• ¾ cup butter (170 grams/1 1/2 sticks)
• 1 cup brown sugar (200 grams)
• ½ cup pure maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

***BEFORE YOU START*** It’s VERY important to follow the instructions precisely in this recipe. No ingredient substitutions are recommended, and no other gluten-free flour blend will work for this recipe. 

FIRST, MAKE THE DOUGH

• Combine Dry Ingredients. Add gluten-free flour, sugar, yeast, salt, and baking powder to a stand mixer and gently pulse with the paddle attachment on low speed to combine. (Do not use a hand mixer, dough hook, or whisk attachment.)
• Add Wet Ingredients. With the mixer on LOW speed, gradually add warm milk, warm water, melted butter, and eggs, one at at time.
• Beat. Turn the mixer speed up to HIGH and mix the dough for 3 full minutes to allow the dough to fully blend. It will look VERY sticky and wet–more like thick, sticky cake batter than bread dough. This is normal!
• Cover & Chill. Use an oiled spatula to scrape down the edges of the bowl and form the dough into a ball. (Make sure to also scrape the bottom of the bowl to check for any unmixed spots!) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill 20 minutes to make the dough easier to handle.

MAKE CARAMEL PECAN TOPPING

• Melt Butter. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
• Combine. Add brown sugar, pure maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. Stir over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture looks uniform. (Don't let the caramel sauce boil, as we don't want it getting hard in the oven.)
• Pour caramel sauce into a lightly greased metal 9×13 pan and sprinkle with chopped pecans. Set aside while you assemble the cinnamon buns.

MAKE CINNAMON FILLING & SHAPE ROLLS

• Combine Cinnamon Filling. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar with cinnamon, vanilla powder (if using), and a pinch of salt. Mix until well blended, to evenly distribute the cinnamon into the sugar.
• Roll Out. Lay down a sheet of parchment paper & lightly flour or very lightly flour your countertop. Transfer the dough from the bowl to your parchment or counter and cover with another sheet of parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a 15-inch square (15"x 15").
• Fill The Rolls. Spread Softened Butter over the 15-inch dough square in an even layer. The butter should be VERY soft so it's easily spreadable. If you can't get the butter soft enough, you can melt it and cool it slightly before spreading. Sprinkle the cinnamon brown sugar mixture over the butter in an even layer.
• Form The Rolls. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the dough into twelve (1.25-inch) strips. Roll each strip up to form a roll, starting at one end and tightly rolling to make a spiral as you go. (We find this method works MUCH better with gluten-free sweet rolls than the traditional rolling the dough into a long cylinder and slicing or using floss to cut them.) Place rolls into the pan on top of the caramel & pecans.

LET ROLLS RISE, THEN BAKE

• Cover & Rise. Then, cover the pan with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise 45-60 minutes. They'll look puffy but won't double in size at this point. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees as the cinnamon buns rise.
• Bake. Remove the plastic wrap from the pan, then place the pan on baking sheet (to catch any possible spills!) and bake sticky buns in preheated oven 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown on top. The interior of the dough should read at least 190-200 degrees F. Set rolls aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.
• Flip. After the sticky buns have cooled 5-10 minutes, you'll flip them out of the pan. To do this safely, I recommend placing a COOL (or room temperature) sheet pan on top of the pan, face down (like a lid). Then, wearing oven mitts(!!!), carefully flip the pan so the sticky buns fall out of the 9×13 and onto the sheet pan. (The caramel pecan topping should now be on top)
• Serve & Store. Enjoy right away or within a few hours for best results. Cover leftover sticky buns and store in the refrigerator 1-2 days. Reheat a few seconds in the microwave or a few minutes in the oven for best results.

Video

Notes

Ingredient Notes & Recipe Tips:

• Metric is Best. If possible, weigh your dry ingredients with a kitchen scale for best results. Your dough will work consistently well if you measure properly. If you don’t have a scale, use the scoop and level method to spoon flour into the measuring cups rather than scooping *with* your measuring cups to avoid packing extra flour into the dough. Even an extra few tablespoons will make a drastic difference in the dough.
• Flour. This recipe will ONLY work with King Arthur Gluten-Free Bread Flour. No other gluten-free bread flour brands or homemade blends will work in this recipe. (Note that this is NOT the same as measure-for-measure or 1:1 gluten-free flour.)
• Yeast. We are using instant/rapid rise yeast, NOT active dry yeast, which must be proofed in warm water before starting.
• Butter. If using unsalted butter, I recommend increasing the salt up to 2 1/4 teaspoons for the sweet roll dough.
• A Trick For Leftovers. I love to warm leftover sticky buns up in the microwave at 50% power for 10-15 seconds. It will soften them right back up!

Make-Ahead Instructions:

1. Follow the instructions above for making the sweet roll dough & filling, all the way until the sticky buns are filled, shaped, and put into the baking pan.
2. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight 8-16 hours. (They will not rise well past 16 hours.)
3. In the morning, remove the baking dish from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature to finish rising 30-40 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. while dough rises.
4. Bake in preheated oven 35-40 minutes.

Gather Your Ingredients

Another thing to love about this easy muffin recipe? The simple ingredients list! Let’s take a look:

How To Make Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with parchment paper liners and set aside.
2. Make Streusel. In a small mixing bowl, combine gluten-free flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Stir with a fork until all the dry ingredients are coated in butter and clusters form.
3. Start Dry Ingredients For Muffin Batter. In a large mixing bowl, combine gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt. Whisk until well blended.
4. Add Wet Ingredients. Then, add pumpkin puree, oil, milk, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk to combine until muffin batter is smooth.
5. Make Cream Cheese Filling. In a medium bowl, combine softened cream cheese, 3 Tablespoons sugar, egg yolk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat with a hand mixer on medium speed 1-2 minutes until smooth and fluffy. (You *can* mix this by hand, just make sure the cream cheese is soft before starting!)

6. Layer Muffins. Use a medium cookie scoop to add 1 1/2 Tablespoons muffin batter into each muffin cup. Then, use a small cookie scoop to add 1 Tablespoon cream cheese filling to the center of each muffin cup. I like to slightly flatten the cream cheese mixture out a bit so it doesn’t sink later. Then, top with another scoop (1 1/2 Tablespoons) of pumpkin batter on top of the cream cheese layer. Add about a 1 Tablespoon scoop of streusel topping on top of each muffin, lightly pressing it into the batter so it doesn’t fall off during baking.
7. Bake & Cool. Now, bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 425 degrees, then (leaving the muffins in the oven), reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake another 15-18 minutes, or until muffins are fully baked. Let muffins cool on a wire rack before eating.
8. Serve & Store. Enjoy cooled muffins right away. Store leftover muffins in an airtight container 2-3 days in the fridge, for best results, or freeze in a freezer-safe ziplock bag for up to 2 months!

• Using room temperature ingredients will make mixing the muffin batter & cream cheese filling MUCH easier! Speed things up with our room temperature egg trick and these tips for how to soften cream cheese quickly!

FAQ + Tricks For The Best Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Our Go-To Muffin Tin & Liners. Your materials matter when it comes to muffins! I highly recommend a light-colored metal muffin pan and these Paper Chef parchment paper muffin liners for best results. The pan cooks gently and evenly, while the muffin liners won’t stick to your muffins!

Can I Use Homemade Pumpkin Puree? I LOVE making homemade pumpkin purée in the fall, and it works GREAT for making gluten-free pumpkin cream cheese muffins. Just make sure you drain any excess liquid out of the puree before using it!

Can I Use Pumpkin Pie Spice Instead? That’s certainly up to you, but I prefer our blend below for the best balance of fall flavors.

Tricks for the Best Pumpkin Muffins. For the best texture, I highly recommend weighing ingredients with a digital scale! If you don’t have one, make sure to measure carefully to avoid packing extra flour into the recipe. Then, just follow the directions as closely as you can–use softened ingredients, switch the baking temperature after 5 minutes, and don’t make substitutions!

More Gluten-Free Muffins To Try

Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins

Gluten-Free Banana Crumb Muffins

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Muffins

Gluten-Free Applesauce Muffins

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Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

These gluten-free pumpkin cheesecake muffins combine perfectly a spiced pumpkin muffin with crisp cinnamon streusel and a surprise cream cheese filling you'll LOVE!

Course Breakfast, Muffins

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Keyword cream cheese, fall, pumpkin

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 12 -14 Muffins

Author Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You

Equipment

• 1 Light-Colored Metal Muffin Pan
• Parchment Paper Muffin Liners
• 1 Medium Cookie Scoop (1 1/2 Tablespoon capacity)
• 1 Small Cookie Scoop (1 Tablespoon capacity)

Ingredients

For The Cinnamon Streusel

• ½ cup Gluten-Free Measure-For-Measure Flour* (60 grams)
• ⅓ cup Brown Sugar (67 grams)
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 4 Tablespoons Butter, melted (57 grams)

For Pumpkin Muffin Batter

• 1 ⅔ cup Gluten-Free Measure-For-Measure Flour* (200 grams)
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 2 teaspoons Cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon Nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon Ground Ginger
• ¼ teaspoon Ground Cloves
• ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1 cup Pumpkin Puree (Not Pumpkin Pie Filling)
• ½ cup Oil (Like Canola Oil or Vegetable Oil)
• ⅓ cup Milk
• ½ cup Brown Sugar (100 grams)
• ½ cup Granulated Sugar (100 grams)
• 2 Large Eggs (Room Temperature)
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

For The Cream Cheese Filling

• 8 ounces Full-Fat Cream Cheese, Like Philadelphia (Softened To Room Temperature)
• 3 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar (38 grams)
• 1 Large Egg Yolk (Save white for another use)
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Instructions

• Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with parchment paper liners and set aside.
• Make Streusel. In a small mixing bowl, combine gluten-free flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Stir with a fork until all the dry ingredients are coated in butter and clusters form.
• Start Dry Ingredients For Muffin Batter. In a large mixing bowl, combine gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt. Whisk until well blended.
• Add Wet Ingredients. Then, add pumpkin puree, oil, milk, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk to combine until muffin batter is smooth.
• Make Cream Cheese Filling. In a medium bowl, combine softened cream cheese, 3 Tablespoons sugar, egg yolk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat with a hand mixer on medium speed 1-2 minutes until smooth and fluffy. (You *can* mix this by hand, just make sure the cream cheese is soft before starting!)
• Layer Muffins. Use a medium cookie scoop to add 1 1/2 Tablespoons muffin batter into each muffin cup. Then, use a small cookie scoop to add 1 Tablespoon cream cheese filling to the center of each muffin cup. I like to slightly flatten the cream cheese out a bit so it doesn't sink later. Then, top with another scoop (1 1/2 Tablespoons) of pumpkin batter on top of the cream cheese layer. Add about a 1 Tablespoon scoop of streusel topping on top of each muffin, lightly pressing it into the batter so it doesn't fall off during baking.
• Bake & Cool. Now, bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 425 degrees, then (leaving the muffins in the oven), reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake another 15-18 minutes, or until muffins are fully baked. Let muffins cool 2-3 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling before eating.
• Serve & Store. Enjoy cooled muffins right away. Store leftover muffins in an airtight container 2-3 days in the fridge, for best results, or freeze in a freezer-safe ziplock bag for up to 2 months!

Video

Notes

• Gluten-Free Flour. I highly recommend King Arthur Measure-For-Measure Gluten-Free Flour for these pumpkin cream cheese muffins. If you use another gluten-free flour blend, be sure it contains xanthan gum, or the muffins won’t have the right texture. Do not substitute alternative gluten-free flours, like almond flour or coconut flour, into this recipe. 
• A Trick For Pretty Muffins. If, after removing the baked muffins from the oven, you notice that some of the streusel has migrated, use the back of a spoon to gently tuck it back into the muffin while it’s hot. 

Gather Your Ingredients

How To Make Gluten-Free Pumpkin French Toast Casserole, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. Prepare The Bread. If you have time, let the bread sit out at least a few hours up to a day in advance to get a little hard and stale. This helps the bread hold its shape! Dice the bread into 1-inch cubes. Transfer to a greased 9×13 pan and set aside. (I prefer a glass or ceramic casserole dish for this recipe.)
2. Make The Custard. In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin puree, milk, maple syrup, eggs, butter, vanilla, pumpkin spice, and salt. Whisk until well combined. The pumpkin spice may clump slightly, but you really want to make sure the eggs are smooth! (You can also use an immersion blender to get the egg mixture totally smooth, if you prefer.)
3. Pour the pumpkin custard mixture over the bread cubes, doing your best to coat the bread evenly. Use a flexible spatula to gently tuck any dry bread cubes into the custard.

4. Make The Streusel. If making the streusel topping, prepare it now. In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, pecans, gluten-free flour, cinnamon, and cubes of butter. Use clean hands, a pastry blender, or two forks to work the butter into the dry ingredients until clusters form and no dry spots remain.
5. Rest. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and let the custard soak into the bread for at least 1 hour, or cover the pan and chill several hours, up to overnight. Store the streusel separately until you’re ready to bake.
6. Assemble & Bake. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Break the streusel into clusters and sprinkle over the French toast casserole. Bake uncovered 40-45 minutes, or until the top is deep golden brown and the custard is just set. (Around the 30 minute mark, check on the casserole. If your streusel is browning too quickly, you can loosely tent the pan with foil to prevent burning!)
7. Serve & Store. Sprinkle the casserole with powdered sugar, or drizzle with pure maple syrup and enjoy! Cover leftovers and store in the fridge 2-3 days.

FAQ + Tricks For The Best Pumpkin French Toast Casserole

Stale Bread Works Best! For best results, I recommend using slightly stale bread, or bread that you’ve set out to dry for at least a few hours (up to 1 day in advance!) for this recipe. The bread will soak up the custard better and maintain its shape during baking. Fresh bread can sometimes get soggy or mushy. As for the type of bread, gluten-free bread usually doesn’t have as many readily available options as traditional bread, so I use sandwich bread rather than trying to find gluten-free challah bread, brioche bread, or French bread. 

Make-Ahead Tips. We LOVE to mix this easy breakfast casserole up the night before for holidays, like Thanksgiving or Christmas morning. It works GREAT as an overnight casserole! If you’re mixing this french toast casserole up the night before, I recommend storing the casserole and the streusel topping separately to avoid the topping dissolving or getting soggy. Crumble the topping on top of the casserole the next morning right before baking!  

Don’t Have Pumpkin Spice? Use This Instead! If you don’t have any pumpkin spice handy, you can substitute 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon cloves. This mix of fall spices will be remarkably close! 

Not A Fan of Nuts? No problem! You can skip them!  

More Cozy Breakfast Recipes To Try

Gluten-Free Eggnog French Toast Casserole

Gluten-Free Belgian Waffles

Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins

SOFT Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls

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Gluten-Free Pumpkin French Toast Casserole

Author Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You

Ingredients

For Pumpkin French Toast Casserole

• 1 loaf gluten-free bread cut into 1-inch cubes* (12-15oz.)
• 1 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling!
• 1 ½ cups whole milk or dairy-free milk
• ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
• 5 large eggs
• 2 Tablespoons butter melted
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• ⅛ teaspoon salt

For Optional Brown Sugar Streusel

• ½ cup brown sugar 100 grams
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• ⅓ cup gluten-free measure-for-measure flour 40 grams
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 Tablespoons butter cut into small cubes (57 grams)

To Serve:

• Pure Maple Syrup (optional)
• Powdered Sugar (optional)
• Whipped Cream (optional)

Instructions

• Prepare The Bread. If you have time, let the bread sit out at least a few hours up to a day in advance to get a little hard and stale. This helps the bread hold its shape! Dice the bread into 1-inch cubes. Transfer to a greased 9×13 pan and set aside. (I prefer a glass or ceramic pan for this recipe.)
• Make The Custard. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, milk, maple syrup, eggs, butter, vanilla, pumpkin spice, and salt. Whisk until well combined. The pumpkin spice may clump slightly, but you really want to make sure the eggs are smooth! (You can also use an immersion blender to get the mixture totally smooth, if you prefer.)
• Pour the pumpkin custard mixture over the bread cubes, doing your best to coat the bread evenly. Use a flexible spatula to gently tuck any dry bread cubes into the custard.
• Make The Streusel. If making the streusel topping, prepare it now. In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, pecans, gluten-free flour, cinnamon, and cubes of butter. Use clean hands, a pastry blender, or two forks to work the butter into the dry ingredients until clusters form and no dry spots remain.
• Rest. Cover the pan and let the custard soak into the bread for at least 1 hour, or cover the pan and chill several hours, up to overnight. Store the streusel separately until you're ready to bake.
• Assemble & Bake. When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Break the streusel into clusters and sprinkle over the French toast casserole. Bake uncovered 40-45 minutes, or until the top is deep golden brown and the custard is just set. (Around the 30 minute mark, check on the casserole. If your streusel is browning too quickly, you can loosely tent the pan with foil to prevent burning!)
• Serve & Store. Sprinkle the casserole with powdered sugar, or drizzle with pure maple syrup and enjoy! Cover leftovers and store in the fridge 2-3 days.

Video

Notes

• Stale Bread Works Best! For best results, I recommend using slightly stale bread, or bread that you’ve set out to dry for at least a few hours (up to 1 day in advance!) for this recipe. The bread will soak up the custard better and maintain its shape during baking. Fresh bread can sometimes get soggy or mushy. 
• Make-Ahead Tips. If you’re mixing this casserole up the night before, I recommend storing the casserole and the streusel topping separately to avoid the topping dissolving or getting soggy. Crumble the topping on the next morning right before baking! 

Simple Ingredients To Get Started

• King Arthur Gluten-Free Bread Flour. This is the ONLY gluten-free flour blend that will work for this recipe. No 1:1 or measure-for-measure gluten-free flour blends will work, and not even other brands of gluten-free bread flour will work for this recipe. I order on Amazon for the best price!
• Sugar. Regular granulated sugar (white sugar) goes into the cinnamon roll dough to keep it moist & a little sweet.
• Instant Yeast. This gluten-free cinnamon roll recipe recipe uses INSTANT (or rapid rise) yeast, rather than regular active dry yeast. Active dry yeast must be proofed in warm water before adding it to the recipe, and we’re not doing that here. The rise time & instructions are for instant yeast. You’ll just need one (1/4-ounce) packet!
• Baking Powder. I use this trick in gluten-free focaccia, too! Adding some baking powder gives these sweet rolls extra puff and softness.
• Salt. To balance the flavor.
• Butter. This is an enriched dough, meaning it has the addition of butter and eggs. Melted butter goes into the dough, while softened (or melted) butter goes into the cinnamon filling. I like salted butter, but unsalted butter works, too!
• Warm Water. To help activate our yeast!
• Warm Whole Milk. This is a time where whole milk is worth it. The extra fat helps keep the dough moist and pliable.
• Eggs. Another trick for delicious, tender dough!
• Brown Sugar & Cinnamon. Then, we’ll add brown sugar to the filling. I usually use light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar can work too, if you prefer a deeper molasses note. Plenty of cinnamon gives these homemade cinnamon rolls their signature flavor!
• *Maybe* Vanilla Bean Powder. IF you have it (and only IF!), some vanilla bean powder is a great addition to the cinnamon roll filling. It definitely makes these taste like a gluten-free Cinnabon cinnamon roll dupe!
• Vanilla Glaze, Cream Cheese Frosting, or Buttercream! Lastly, we’ll top these gluten-free cinnamon rolls off with a quick vanilla glaze, cream cheese frosting, or buttercream. There are directions for each in the recipe card!

Get The Right Flour!

You MUST use this King Arthur Gluten-Free Bread Flour for these cinnamon rolls. No different flours will work in this recipe!

SHOP THE FLOUR

How To Make Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

First, Make The Dough

1. Combine Dry Ingredients. Add gluten-free flour, sugar, yeast, salt, and baking powder to the bowl of a stand mixer and gently pulse with the paddle attachment on low speed to combine. (Don’t use a dough hook attachment, hand mixer, or whisk attachment!)
2. Add Wet Ingredients. With the mixer on LOW speed, gradually add warm milk, warm water, melted butter, and eggs, one at at time.
3. Beat. Turn the mixer speed up to HIGH and mix the dough for 3 full minutes to allow the dough to fully blend. It will look VERY sticky and wet–more like thick, sticky cake batter than bread dough. This is normal!
4. Cover & Chill. Use an oiled spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and form the dough into a ball. (Make sure to also scrape the bottom of the bowl to check for any unmixed spots!) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill 20 minutes to make the gluten-free dough easier to handle. After chilling, you’ll have a more workable, soft dough.

Make The Filling & Shape The Cinnamon Rolls

1. Combine Cinnamon Filling. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar with cinnamon, vanilla powder (if using), and a pinch of salt. Mix until well blended, to evenly distribute the cinnamon into the sugar.
2. Roll Out. Lay down a large piece of parchment paper or very lightly flour your countertop or work surface. Transfer the dough from the bowl to your parchment or counter and cover with another sheet of parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a 15-inch square (15″x 15″).
3. Fill The Rolls. Spread Softened Butter over the 15-inch dough square in an even layer. The butter should be VERY soft so it’s easily spreadable. If you can’t get the butter soft enough, you can melt it and cool it slightly before spreading. Sprinkle the cinnamon brown sugar mixture over the butter in an even layer.
4. Form The Rolls. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the dough into twelve (1.25-inch) strips. Roll each strip up to form a roll, starting at one end and tightly rolling to make a spiral as you go. (We find this method works MUCH better with gluten-free sweet rolls than the traditional rolling the dough into a long cylinder and slicing or using dental floss to cut them.) Place rolls into a greased 9×13-inch pan.
5. Cover & Rise. Then, cover the pan with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to let dough rise 45-60 minutes. They’ll look puffy but won’t double in size at this point. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees as the cinnamon rolls rise.
6. Bake. Remove the plastic wrap from the pan, then bake cinnamon rolls in preheated oven 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown on top. The interior of the dough should read at least 190-200 degrees F. Set rolls aside to cool for 15-20 minutes, while you make the glaze.

Mix Up The Frosting & Finish The Rolls

1. Combine. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, heavy cream, pure vanilla extract, and salt. Beat 1-2 minutes until smooth and fluffy.
2. Frost. Let cinnamon rolls cool 15-20 minutes, then add cream cheese frosting while they’re still warm (but not piping hot!).
3. Serve & Store. Enjoy warm cinnamon rolls right away for best results, or cover cinnamon rolls and store in the refrigerator 1-2 days. Or, freeze up to 2 months.

Simple Ingredients To Get Started

• King Arthur Gluten-Free Bread Flour. This is the ONLY gluten-free flour blend that will work for this recipe. No 1:1 or measure-for-measure blends will work, and not even other brands of gluten-free bread flour will work for this recipe. I order on Amazon for the best price!
• Sugar. Regular granulated sugar (white sugar) goes into both the gluten-free orange roll dough and the orange filling.
• Instant Yeast. This recipe uses INSTANT (or rapid rise) yeast, rather than regular active dry yeast. Active dry yeast must be proofed in warm water before adding it to the recipe, and we’re not doing that here. The rise time & instructions are for instant yeast. You’ll just need one (1/4-ounce) packet!
• Baking Powder. I use this trick in gluten-free focaccia, too! Adding some baking powder gives these rolls extra puff and softness.
• Salt. To balance the flavor.
• Butter. This is an enriched dough, meaning it has the addition of butter and eggs. Melted butter goes into the dough, while softened (or melted) butter goes into the orange filling.
• Warm Water. To help activate our yeast!
• Warm Whole Milk. This is a time where whole milk is worth it. The extra fat helps keep the dough moist and pliable.
• Eggs. Another trick for delicious, tender dough!
• Orange Zest & Orange Juice. Fresh orange zest adds bright orange flavor to these orange rolls! Since we already have fresh oranges on hand for the zest, I use fresh orange juice in the glaze, too.
• Simple Orange Glaze or Orange Cream Cheese Frosting. Lastly, we’ll finish this gluten-free orange rolls recipe off with a simple sweet orange glaze OR an orange cream cheese frosting. I’ve got instructions for both in the recipe card!

Get The Right Flour!

You MUST use this King Arthur Gluten-Free Bread Flour for these orange rolls. No other flour will work in this recipe!

SHOP THE FLOUR

How To Make Gluten-Free Orange Rolls, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

First, Make The Dough

1. Combine Dry Ingredients. Add gluten-free flour, sugar, yeast, salt, and baking powder to a stand mixer and gently pulse on low speed to combine.
2. Add Wet Ingredients. With the mixer on LOW speed, gradually add warm milk, warm water, melted butter, and eggs, one at at time.
3. Beat. Turn the mixer speed up to HIGH and mix the dough for 3 full minutes to allow the dough to fully blend. It will look VERY sticky and wet–more like thick, sticky cake batter than bread dough. This is normal!
4. Cover & Chill. Use an oiled spatula to scrape down the edges of the bowl and form the dough into a ball. (Make sure to also scrape the bottom of the bowl to check for any unmixed spots!) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill 20 minutes to make the dough easier to handle.

Make The Filling & Shape The Orange Rolls

1. Combine Sugar & Zest. In a small bowl, combine 1 cup sugar with 2 Tablespoon orange zest. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers until fragrant and well-blended. This distributes the orange essential oils into the sugar, which gives your rolls a more vibrant citrus flavor.
2. Roll Out. Lay down a sheet of parchment paper or very lightly flour your countertop. Transfer the dough from the bowl to your parchment or counter and cover with another sheet of parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a 15-inch square (15″x 15″).
3. Fill The Rolls. Spread Softened Butter over the 15-inch dough square in an even layer. The butter should be VERY soft so it’s easily spreadable. If you can’t get the butter soft enough, you can melt it and cool it slightly before spreading. Sprinkle the orange sugar mixture over the butter in an even layer.
4. Form The Rolls. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the dough into twelve (1.25-inch) strips. Roll each strip up to form a roll, starting at one end and tightly rolling to make a spiral as you go. (We find this method works MUCH better with gluten-free sweet rolls than the traditional rolling the dough into a long cylinder and slicing.) Place rolls into a greased 9×13-inch pan.
5. Then, cover the pan with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise 45-60 minutes. They’ll look puffy but won’t double in size at this point. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees as the orange rolls rise.
6. Bake. Remove the plastic wrap from the pan, then bake orange rolls in preheated oven 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown on top. The interior of the dough should read at least 190-200 degrees F. Set rolls aside to cool for 15-20 minutes, while you make the glaze.

Mix Up The Glaze & Finish The Rolls

1. Combine. In a large bowl, combine powdered sugar, heavy cream, orange juice, vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon orange zest, and pinch salt. Whisk until very smooth. If you want thicker glaze, add more powdered sugar 1 Tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency. For thinner glaze, add additional cream 1 teaspoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
2. Glaze Rolls. Pour the orange icing on top of the orange rolls. Enjoy right away!
3. Serve & Store. Enjoy right away. Store leftover orange rolls covered at room temperature 1-2 days, or freeze up to 2 months. (If serving with cream cheese frosting, store leftover orange rolls in the refrigerator.)

Prefer Cream Cheese Frosting Instead? I’ve got a recipe & instructions in the recipe card below!

How To Make Gluten-Free Cinnamon Coffee Cake, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. Preheat & Prep. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a metal 8-inch square pan with parchment paper. 
2. Make The Streusel. In a medium bowl, combine melted butter, gluten-free flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Mix lightly with a fork just until clusters form and there aren’t any super floury bits. (It’s ok for it to look a bit powdery, just no big clumps of flour!). Try not to over-mix the streusel into a paste–stop when the clusters form. Set the streusel aside.
3. Make The Cake Batter. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream the softened butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes, until light, fluffy and smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing to incorporate each egg before adding the next one. Then, the vanilla and mix to combine. Scrape down the sides of your bowl and add the gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just the dry ingredients are blended into the wet ingredients. Mix in the sour cream and beat for 30-60 seconds, until the mixture is lighter in color, smooth, and velvety.
4. Layer The Coffee Cake. Scoop roughly half of the gluten-free coffee cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Top with roughly half of the crumble mixture and gently pat into the top of the cake batter. Top streusel with the second half of the cake batter and smooth. Top with the remaining streusel mixture. 
5. Bake & Cool. Now, bake the coffee cake in preheated oven for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs (no wet batter!). Cool the cake on a wire rack 10 minutes before removing from the pan and cooling completely. (If needed, you can cool in the pan.) 
6. Garnish The Cake. If desired, you can garnish with a simple glaze or sprinkle with powdered sugar. For the glaze, combine melted butter, maple syrup, milk, vanilla, and 1/3 cup powdered sugar in a liquid measuring cup or small bowl. Whisk until totally smooth, adding more powdered sugar as necessary until it’s mostly opaque and drizzles easily off your fork or whisk. (If the glaze gets too thick, you can thin it with a little more milk.) Drizzle over cooled coffee cake before serving.

More Gluten-Free Breakfast Recipes To Try

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Muffins

Gluten-Free Belgian Waffles

Gluten-Free Blueberry Coffee Cake

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Gluten-Free Cinnamon Coffee Cake

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

• Author: Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You
• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 12–16 servings 1x
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

With fluffy, buttery vanilla cake and TWO layers of cinnamon streusel, this gluten-free coffee cake recipe might just be the best coffee cake of your life! (Pro tip: make the optional glaze–it takes it to the next level!) 

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Ingredients

For The Cinnamon Crumble:

• 12 Tablespoons butter, melted (1 1/2 sticks/170 grams)
• 1 3/4 cup gluten-free measure for measure (210 grams)*
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar (150 grams)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (you can use 2 tsp. for stronger cinnamon flavor!)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt*

For The Coffee Cake:

• 8 Tablespoons butter, softened (1 stick/113 grams)*
• 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
• 3 large eggs, room temperature*
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups gluten-free measure-for-measure flour* (240 grams)
• 1 cup sour cream (8 oz/227 grams), room temperature*
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt*

Optional Glaze:

• 1/2 Tablespoon butter melted
• 1/2 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1/2 Tablespoon milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3–1/2 cup powdered sugar (40–60 grams)

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Instructions

1. Preheat & Prep. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8 metal pan with parchment paper.
2. Make The Streusel. In a medium bowl, combine melted butter, gluten-free flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Mix lightly with a fork just until clusters form and there aren’t any super floury bits. (It’s ok for it to look a bit powdery, just no big clumps of flour!). Try not to over-mix the streusel into a paste–stop when the clusters form. Set the streusel aside.
3. Make The Cake Batter. In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream the softened butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes, until light, fluffy and smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing to incorporate each egg before adding the next one. Then, the vanilla and mix to combine. Scrape down the sides of your bowl and add the gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just blended. Mix in the sour cream and beat for 30-60 seconds, until the mixture is lighter in color, smooth, and velvety.
4. Layer The Coffee Cake. Scoop roughly half of the coffee cake batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth into an even layer. Top with roughly half of the crumble mixture and gently pat into the top of the cake batter. Top streusel with the second half of the cake batter and smooth. Top with the remaining streusel mixture.
5. Bake & Cool. Now, bake the coffee cake in preheated oven for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs (no wet batter!). Cool the cake on a wire rack 10 minutes before removing from the pan and cooling completely. (If needed, you can cool in the pan.)
6. Garnish The Cake. If desired, you can garnish with a simple glaze or sprinkle with powdered sugar. For the glaze, combine melted butter, maple syrup, milk, vanilla, and 1/3 cup powdered sugar in a liquid measuring cup or small bowl. Whisk until totally smooth, adding more powdered sugar as necessary until it’s mostly opaque and drizzles easily off your fork or whisk. (If the glaze gets too thick, you can thin it with a little more milk.) Drizzle over cooled coffee cake before serving.
7. Serve & Store. Enjoy right away, or store in an airtight container 2-3 days. (I refrigerate it for best results.) Coffee cake can also be frozen up to 2 months.

Notes

• Gluten-Free Flour. We recommend King Arthur Measure-For-Measure Gluten-Free Flour blend for taste and texture. If you use another brand (like Bob’s Red Mill), be sure it contains xanthan gum! Make sure you weigh it or measure carefully using the scoop & level method to avoid a dry or gummy cake! We don’t recommend almond flour, coconut flour, or oat flour for this recipe. 
• Metal Pan. I only recommend a metal pan for this cake. You’ll get the most even & gentle bake. If you use glass or ceramic, it will impact the rise and the bake time. 
• Watch The Ingredient Temperature! For best results, you’ll want to start the cake with softened butter, room temperature eggs, and room temperature sour cream. This is important because the butter needs to be soft enough to cream with the sugar (a trick for fluffy cake!) and you don’t want cold eggs or sour cream ruining the creamed mixture. 

• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 55 minutes
• Category: Breakfast
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American

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Simple Ingredients To Start

If you’re wondering, “what is lemon curd made of?,” I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how simple the ingredients are for gluten-free lemon curd! Let’s take a look at the 5 basic ingredients you’ll need:

• Fresh Lemon Zest & Fresh Lemon Juice. You’ll need both the lemon zest (yellow lemon peel) and the fresh lemon juice for making lemon curd. Lemon zest contains the lemon essential oils, which have an intense lemon flavor that makes a big impact. Then, lemon juice provides body and even more lemon flavor! When possible, we recommend organic lemons so you have less wax to contend with.
• Sugar. Granulated sugar (white sugar) strikes the perfect balance of sweetness and helps create the silky smooth texture we’re aiming for.
• Eggs. Some lemon curd recipes use egg yolks some recipes use whole eggs (egg whites + yolks) and some recipes use a mix. Our simple recipe uses 4 whole eggs to keep things easy. Use fresh eggs for best results!
• Butter. Then, butter adds a velvety richness that mimics the effect of cream. I love using salted butter here so I don’t need to add salt later, but you can absolutely use unsalted butter, if you prefer.
• Vanilla, Maybe. Not 100% necessary, but I love adding a tiny splash of vanilla extract at the end.

How To Make Homemade Lemon Curd, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below!

1. Start The Double Boiler. Add 2-3 inches of water to a medium saucepan and bring the water to a simmer over medium heat. You’ll also need a heatproof bowl that can rest on top of the saucepan WITHOUT touching the simmering water below. 
2. Combine. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, eggs, and cubed butter to the heatproof bowl and place over the saucepan of simmering water.
3. Stir To Thicken. Stir continuously for 20-25 minutes, or until the lemon curd has thickened and reaches 170 degrees F on an instant read thermometer. It should easily coat the back of a spoon at this point. (Keep in mind: you want to stir the whole time to avoid getting any clumps or scrambled egg bits.) 

4. Strain the lemon curd through a fine mesh strainer into a glass bowl or jar to remove any lumps and stir in vanilla extract. 
5. Cover & Chill. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap or food wrap and press the plastic wrap onto the surface of the lemon curd. (This prevents a film/”skin” from forming on top.) Chill 3-4 hours or until completely chilled through. It will continue to thicken as it cools. 
6. Serve & Store. Enjoy after chilling and store in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months. (Thaw frozen lemon curd in the fridge before using.) 

Yummy Ways To Use Lemon Curd

So what do you eat lemon curd with? SO MANY GREAT THINGS!

• On Biscuits or Scones. Lemon curd is a classic, delicious topping for tea scones or biscuits, along with other accompaniments like clotted cream and jam. We love it on these Gluten-Free Biscuits!
• For Cheesecake! Homemade lemon curd is a luscious topping for cheesecake! We love it on our Gluten-Free Lemon Cheesecake, and it’s so good on so many lemon desserts, like…
• In Cookies. Try it instead of jam in Lemon Thumbprint Cookies for a fun, sunny take on a classic. These soft lemon cookies are AMAZING. 
• In Whipped Cream. You can flavor your own yogurt or whipped cream by adding a little lemon curd!
• In Ice Cream Or Yogurt! You can flavor your own yogurt or top your ice cream with gluten-free lemon curd. It’s delicious swirled into homemade ice cream!
• In Lemon Mousse. Fold lemon curd into whipped cream & layer with more lemon curd and some graham cracker crumbs for an easy treat!
• Pies & Tarts. A version of this homemade lemon curd recipe is actually the common lemon filling for lemon meringue pie or lemon tarts! 
• As Cake Filling. This easy spread is a classic filling for layer cakes, especially paired with fluffy buttercream or fresh fruit!
• With Waffles or Pancakes. It’s amazing on fluffy gluten-free Belgian waffles with fresh berries!
• In Crepes or French Toast. Add a dollop of creamy lemon curd and a dusting of powdered sugar to crepes or French toast. It’s delicious!

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Lemon Curd

More Recipes For Lemon Lovers

Gluten-Free Lemon Bundt Cake

Gluten-Free Fruit Pizza Cookies

Gluten-Free Lemon Brownies

Recipe Card

Easy Homemade Lemon Curd

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

• Author: Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 1 1/2 cups 1x
• Diet: Gluten Free

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You’ll be AMAZED by how easy it is to make gluten-free lemon curd from scratch! The flavor is sunny, vibrant, and fresh–SO much better than store-bought!

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Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar (200 grams)
• 1 Tablespoon lemon zest (pack the zest in a bit!)
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (120 ml)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup butter, cut into small cubes (4 Tablespoons/57 grams)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Instructions

1. Start The Double Boiler. Add 2-3 inches of water to a medium saucepan and bring the water to a simmer over medium heat. You’ll also need a heatproof bowl that can rest on top of the saucepan WITHOUT touching the simmering water below.
2. Combine. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, eggs, and cubed butter to the heatproof bowl and place over the saucepan of simmering water.
3. Stir To Thicken. Stir continuously for 20-25 minutes, or until the lemon curd has thickened and reaches 170 degrees F on an instant read thermometer. It should easily coat the back of a spoon at this point. (Keep in mind: you want to stir the whole time to avoid getting any clumps or scrambled egg bits.)
4. Strain the lemon curd through a fine mesh sieve into a glass bowl or jar to remove any lumps and stir in vanilla extract.
5. Cover & Chill. Cover the lemon curd with a piece of plastic wrap or food wrap and press the plastic wrap onto the surface of the lemon curd. (This prevents a film/”skin” from forming on top.) Chill the lemon curd 3-4 hours or until completely chilled through. The lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools.
6. Serve & Store. Enjoy after chilling and store in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months. (Thaw frozen lemon curd in the fridge before using.)

Notes

• ONLY Fresh Lemon Juice. You do NOT want to use bottled lemon juice for this recipe. It ruins the flavor. You’ll need 4-6 lemons to get 1 cup of lemon juice.
• ZEST FIRST. For ease, zest the lemon before juicing it. Make sure to ONLY get the bright yellow zest, not the bitter white pith underneath.
• BUTTER. I like using salted butter so I don’t need to add salt later, but if you use unsalted butter, you’ll likely want to add a hefty pinch of salt to the curd as it cooks so the flavors are balanced.
• VARIATION. For a citrus twist, you can make this using Meyer lemons, which have a flavor between orange & lemon.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Category: Condiment
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

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Simple Ingredients To Get Started

• Sugar. To sweeten the muffins. In this case, I don’t recommend substituting honey, brown sugar, coconut sugar, or maple syrup. Regular granulated sugar (white sugar) works best for this recipe.
• Oil. A neutral-tasting oil keeps the muffins moist. Choose vegetable oil, canola oil, avocado oil, or grape seed oil. (I don’t recommend coconut oil or olive oil since they’ll impact the flavor.)
• Buttermilk. A great trick for moist muffins! The creaminess and acidity of the buttermilk both come into play here to give the muffins a light texture.
• Eggs. Next, you’ll need 3 large eggs to bind the batter and keep it moist.
• Almond Extract & Vanilla Extract. I want my almond poppyseed muffins to have a clear, strong almond flavor, so I find a combination of pure almond extract and vanilla makes them smell and taste amazing.
• Gluten-Free Flour. To keep things simple, we’re using a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. I highly recommend King Arthur Measure-For-Measure flour blend for these muffins. If you use another brand, be sure it contains xanthan gum so the muffins turn out correctly. Do not substitute almond flour, coconut flour or oat flour here.
• Baking Powder. For some serious puff!
• Poppy Seeds. These tiny seeds give these delicious muffins their distinct look. Don’t substitute sesame seeds or chia seeds here, since they won’t give you the same results. (Chia seeds will absorb moisture from the batter and lead to dry muffins)
• Kosher Salt. To balance the flavors.
• Optional Toppings. To give these gluten-free almond muffins a bakery-style look, I love to sprinkle them with coarse sugar or sparkling sugar and some sliced almonds, but this is 100% for looks. Feel free to skip the optional toppings if you prefer.

TOOLS WE RECOMMEND

How To Make Almond Poppy Seed Muffins, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. Combine Wet Ingredients. In a large bowl, combine sugar, oil, buttermilk, eggs, almond extract, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine until smooth.
2. Add Dry Ingredients. Next, add gluten-free flour, baking powder, poppy seeds, and salt. Stir until just combined.
3. Let The Batter Rest 1 Hour. This will make for a SIGNIFICANTLY higher rise in your muffins. It’s worth doing!
4. Preheat & Prep. During the last 30 minutes of the batter resting, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with parchment paper liners.
5. Scoop & Top Muffin Batter. Use an ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measuring cup to divide batter into muffin cups. (It will come almost all the way up the parchment liners!) Sprinkle batter with sparkling sugar and a few sliced almonds on top of each muffin, if desired. (This is just for looks!)
6. Bake 5 Minutes, Then Reduce Heat. Start by baking the muffins for 5 minutes at 425, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and continue baking another 10-12 minutes, or until the edges of the muffins are light golden brown and baked through. A toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin should come out with just a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter. (You do NOT need to wait for the oven temperature to reach 350 degrees, just adjust the temperature and keep baking.)
7. Cool The Muffins 2-3 minutes in the muffin tin before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
8. Serve & Store. Enjoy right away or store leftover muffins in an airtight container or bag at room temperature 2-3 days (a few seconds in the microwave revives them beautifully!), or freeze up to 2 months.

3 Tricks For The Fluffiest Muffins

1. Measure Carefully & Don’t Make Substitutions. Especially in gluten-free baking, the biggest culprit of dry or dense muffins is adding too much flour. Measure VERY carefully, ideally using an inexpensive kitchen scale, or at least using the scoop and level method. Then, use the ingredients called for. Don’t substitute chia seeds for the poppy seeds, or use regular milk instead of buttermilk. Each ingredient has a purpose here!
2. Let The Batter Rest. I know this might seem like an annoying step, but your muffins will literally rise twice as high if you let the batter rest about 1 hour before baking. It gives the flour time to absorb liquid, and gives the leavening agents more time to react, which makes the texture of these almond poppy seed muffins ultra fluffy.
3. Switch Up The Baking Time. Another trick for tall muffins is to adjust the bake time, start by baking for 5 minutes at 425 degrees F., then lower the temperature to 350 degrees F. for the rest of the bake time. It makes a big difference in the height of the muffins!

FAQ + Tips For The Best Almond Poppy Seed Muffins

Try Them With A Glaze! For a special occasion or celebration, you can also try topping these almond poppy seed muffins with glaze. Just whisk together 1-1 1/2 cups powdered sugar with 1-2 Tablespoons milk and a few drops of almond extract.

Make Them Mini! For mini muffins, fill each cup of a mini muffin pan 3/4 full. Bake 15-18 minutes, or until the edges are just golden and the centers are cooked through.

What Can I Substitute For Buttermilk? If you’re trying to make gluten-free dairy-free almond poppy seed muffins, or simply don’t have buttermilk on hand, you might be looking for a good buttermilk substitute. I love this Buttermilk 101 post, which compares all the common buttermilk substitutions. My best suggestion would be to use 3/4 cup sour cream + 1/4 cup milk.

More Gluten-Free Muffin Recipes To Try

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Muffins

Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins

Gluten-Free Corn Muffins

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Gluten-Free Almond Poppy Seed Muffins

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 4 reviews

• Author: Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You
• Total Time: 1 hour 33 minutes
• Yield: 12 muffins 1x
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

This gluten-free almond poppy seed muffins recipe is made from scratch with simple ingredients for BIG flavor. You’ll love the fluffy texture!

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Ingredients

Wet Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup sugar (150 grams)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil*
• 1 cup buttermilk*
• 3 large eggs
• 2 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups gluten-free flour (270 grams), weighed or scooped & leveled*
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (use less if using fine table salt)

To Top The Muffins

• 1–2 Tablespoons sparkling sugar (optional)
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds (optional)

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Instructions

1. Combine Wet Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, oil, buttermilk, eggs, almond flavoring, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine until smooth.
2. Add Dry Ingredients. Next, add gluten-free flour, baking powder, poppy seeds, and salt. Stir until just combined.
3. Let The Batter Rest 1 Hour. This will make for a SIGNIFICANTLY higher rise in your muffins. It’s worth doing!
4. Preheat & Prep. During the last 30 minutes of the batter resting, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with parchment paper liners.
5. Scoop & Top Muffin Batter. Use an ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop batter into muffin cups. (It will come almost all the way up the parchment liners!) Sprinkle the tops of the muffin batter with sparkling sugar and a few sliced almonds, if desired. (This is just for looks!) Depending on how fluffy your batter has risen, you may end up with a few extra muffins. This is fine, just bake them in a second batch.
6. Bake 5 Minutes, Then Reduce Heat. Start by baking the muffins for 5 minutes at 425, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and continue baking another 10-12 minutes, or until the muffins are light golden brown and baked through. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with just a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter. (You do NOT need to wait for the oven temperature to reach 350 degrees, just adjust the temperature and keep baking.)
7. Cool The Muffins 2-3 minutes in the muffin tin before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
8. Serve & Store. Enjoy warm muffins right away or store leftover muffins in an airtight bag or container at room temperature 2-3 days (a few seconds in the microwave revives them beautifully!), or freeze up to 2 months.

Notes

• Gluten-Free Flour. We highly recommend King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure-For-Measure Flour for these muffins. If you use another brand, be sure it contains xanthan gum so the texture turns out correctly.
• Measure the flour carefully, as even an extra few tablespoons of flour can lead to dry muffins. Weigh flour using a scale or use the scoop and level method rather than using your measuring cup to scoop the flour (which packs flour in).
• Buttermilk. Actual buttermilk will give these muffins a nice, rich, fluffy texture. If you don’t have any on hand, you can use 3/4 cup sour cream + 1/4 cup milk. 
• Oil. We recommend a neutral-tasting oil, like vegetable oil, canola oil, avocado oil, or grape seed oil. I don’t like coconut oil or olive oil for these muffins, since it impacts the flavor.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Rest Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 18 minutes
• Category: Breakfast
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American

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Start With Simple Ingredients

• Gluten-Free Flour. We’re keeping things simple with a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum. I highly recommend this blend from King Arthur Baking (which I use for all my muffins, cookies, brownies, etc.), but if you use another brand (like Bob’s Red Mill), be sure it contains xanthan gum. I do not recommend substituting in oat flour, almond flour, or coconut flour in this recipe.
• Baking Soda & Salt. For just enough puff and the perfect balance of flavor.
• Warm Spices. I love a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in these apple spice muffins. SO GOOD!
• Oil. A neutral-tasting oil like avocado, canola, or vegetable oil works best. (Coconut oil will impact the flavor, so I don’t like it here.) 
• White Sugar & Brown Sugar. For moisture, sweetness & flavor.
• Unsweetened Applesauce. So what does adding applesauce to muffins do? Just like using mashed bananas or pumpkin puree, applesauce adds moisture! It also keeps these muffins sweet and fluffy.
• Eggs. Then, adding eggs helps bind the muffin batter and give them just enough rise.
• If You want: Some Grated Apple. If you don’t mind a little texture, a peeled, grated green apple adds even more apple flavor!
• Our Cinnamon Sugar Topping. I love this trick for a quick, easy finish. Top these gluten-free apple muffins with a mixture of melted butter, cinnamon, sugar, and gluten-free flour. Adding that little bit of flour helps the cinnamon sugar mixture really stand out on top of the muffins!

How To Make Muffins With Applesauce, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. Preheat & Prep. Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 12-cup metal muffin tin with parchment liners or grease each muffin cup.
2. Combine The Dry Ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, combine gluten-free flour blend, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Whisk to combine well.
3. Mix Wet Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar, and oil. Whisk to combine. Mix in applesauce, the mix in the eggs one at a time. 
4. Finish The Batter. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. If desired, fold in 1 cup grated apple or chopped nuts. 
5. Let The Batter Rest. For best results, let the batter rest for 30-60 minutes. This will give your muffins a MUCH bigger rise and is worth the wait!

6. Mix Up Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, cinnamon, sugar, and flour. Stir with a fork until everything is well combined and the butter is coating all the dry crumbs. It’ll be thick and powdery. 
7. Scoop The Batter. After letting the batter rest, gently use an ice cream scoop to spoon about 1/4 cup of batter into each muffin cup, filling each muffin cup almost up to the top of the parchment liner. (Depending on how much the batter has expanded, you may end up having 1-2 muffins extra batter. You can bake these in a second batch.) Try to be gentle here so you don’t deflate the batter. Sprinkle tops the muffins with cinnamon sugar mixture. 
8. Bake & Cool. Put the muffins in the oven and bake 5 minutes at 400 degrees. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for 10-14 minutes, or until the muffins are done. The interior should reach at least 205 degrees F., the tops should spring back when gently pressed, and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out with just a few moist crumbs. Let the muffins cool 1-2 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
9. Serve & Store. Enjoy warm muffins right away, or store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days or in a freezer bag in the freezer up to 2 months.