Gluten-free Cinnamon Roll Cookies {vegan and low-carb options}
These Gluten-free Cinnamon Roll Cookies are sure to please all cinnamon roll lovers with their cinnamon swirl filling and a light vanilla icing drizzle. They're vegan and refined sugar-free with grain-free, paleo, and low-carb options so basically everyone can enjoy this cinnamon roll goodness in cookie form.
If you love regular cinnamon rolls, but don't have time to make the real thing, these healthy cinnamon roll cookies are going to knock your socks off. They are so good you'll want to enjoy them not only during the holiday season, but year round.
This cookie recipe is super fun to make and fills your house with the great scent of cinnamon rolls, but without the fuss of a traditional cinnamon roll recipe. Your kids will love seeing cinnamon filled dough logs turn into soft cinnamon roll cookies that they get to top with a delicious vanilla glaze.
The base is similar to sugar cookie flavor, but I've made it healthier by making these cookies gluten-free and there is also a grain free option using almond flour. Plus by using a low-carb sweetener, there's no added sugar.
I also like to use and recommend healthy fats like grass-fed butter or organic coconut oil. You can also make these into vegan cinnamon roll cookies by simply substituting coconut oil or a vegan butter for the butter. Either way they taste great, but I prefer grass-fed butter for a buttery flavor. Mmmmmm.....
Ingredients
almond flour, oat flour, or gluten-free flour blend
butter (or vegan butter or coconut oil)
low-carb sweetener
flax egg (or other egg substitute)
baking powder
salt
ground cinnamon
low-carb powdered sweetener
coconut milk
vanilla extract
Directions
Combine water and flax meal (to make a flax egg) and let sit for about 10 minutes
Beat sweetener and the butter / other fat until fluffy and light in large bowl (Photos 1 & 2)
Add flax egg to sweetener and butter mixture (Photo 3)
Combine remaining base cookie dry ingredients and gradually add to the mix (Photo 4)
Mix well to form a ball (Photo 5)
Divide dough in half (Photo 6)
Combine cinnamon and remaining sweetener in a small mixing bowl or use this Sugar-free Cinnamon Sugar Blend.
Flatten one half into a 1/4" thick rectangle shape using hands or floured rolling pin.
Spread melted butter on flattened dough (if desired). Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the surface of the flattened dough (Photo 7)
Roll the flattened dough (Photo 8)
Cut the cookies using a sharp knife into 1/2 thick wheels and place on cookie sheet (Photos 9 & 10)
Repeat with the other half of the cookie dough.
Preheat your oven to 350F or 180C.
Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until slightly brown.
Remove from oven and cool.
Combine powdered sweetener with coconut milk.
Drizzle the icing over the cookies and let set.
Recipe Notes and Tips
Filling Notes: The melted butter / coconut oil spread on the dough rectangle is optional but adds a really nice moistness to the cookies.
Chilling: Chilling helps the roll to form for easier cutting, but you likely won't need to chill the oat based dough.
Special Diet and Substitution Notes
Flour Options: I've had success with both the almond flour and oat flour options. Any gluten-free flour blend could work, but the one time that I tried it, the dough was pretty hard to work with. A gluten flour version should work, but you will want to change the recipe for that by following information in this post about gluten-free baking tips (and reversing the instructions).
Oat flour has a nutty flavor that is truly delicious, while the almond flour is a bit richer. Either way yields a truly delicious cookie.
Egg Alternatives: Any egg alternative or real egg should work fine for this recipe.
Sweeteners: Regular sweeteners or coconut sugar would work as well.
Keto / Low-carb: The Grain-free cookie base and low-carb sweeteners make this a keto cookie.
Paleo: To make these cookies paleo, use coconut sugar or other on plan sweetener.
How to Store
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days, in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
To defrost, set the cookies out at room temperature for about 1 hour before serving.
Recipe
Gluten-free Cinnamon Roll Cookies
Ingredients
Low-carb / Keto Cookie Base
- 2 1/4 cups almond flour
- 3/8 cup butter, coconut oil, or vegan butter
- 5 tablespoons low carb sweetener
- 1 tablespoon flax meal (the flax meal and water make a flax egg. Other egg substitutes or egg can also be used.)
- 3 tablespoons water
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Grain-based Gluten-free Cookie Base Alternative
- 3 1/4 cups oat flour
- 3/4 cup butter, vegan butter, or coconut oil, softened
- 3/4 cup low carb sweetener
- 1 tablespoon ground flax
- 3 tablespoons water (water and flax make a flax egg--see Recipe Notes for other egg alternatives)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- 1/2 cup low carb sweetener
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons melted butter, coconut oil, or vegan butter (optional)
Vanilla Glaze
- 1/2 cup powdered low-carb sweetener
- 3-4 teaspoons coconut milk
- dash vanilla extract
- dash salt
Instructions
- Combine water and flax meal to make flax egg. Let sit for about 10 minutes.
- Beat sweetener and the butter or alternative until fluffy and light in large bowl.
- Add the flax egg to the sweetener and butter mixture. Beat briefly to combine.
- Combine remaining cookie base dry ingredients and add to the mix, mixing well but being careful not to over-mix.
- Divide the dough in half, flattening one half into a 1/4 inch thick rectangle shape using hands or a dusted rolling pin. Alternatively, you can make one large rectangle.
- Combine Cinnamon Filling ingredients in a small mixing bowl.
- Spread melted butter or alternative, if using, on dough rectangle.
- Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the surface of the flattened dough.
- Using parchment or wax paper, roll the flattened dough into a tight roll using your hands.
- Chill dough in freezer for 10-15 minutes, if desired.
- Cut the cookies using a sharp knife into 1/2 inch thick wheels and place on cookie sheet.
- Repeat with the other half of dough.
- Preheat your oven to 350F / 180C.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until slightly brown.
- Remove from oven and place cookies on wire rack to cool.
- Mix powdered sweetener with coconut milk in small bowl until thick but pourable.
- Drizzle icing over the cookies. Let set until hardened.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is merely an approximation. Optional ingredients are not included and when there is an alternative, the primary ingredient is typically used. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts since they have been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
I found it impossible to roll the dough into a log using the almond flour version. It crumbled rather than roll up. I ended up piling the whole mess up and scooping into cookies with my ice cream scoop. I flattened the rounds and baked about 15-17 minutes. They tasted good but were not pretty. Do you have any tips?
Hi Trish. I'm so sorry you had a hard time with it. Did you chill the dough?