If you love the taste of cinnamon rolls but don’t want to go through the trouble of making them, then I have a worthy option for you. These tasty gluten-free cinnamon roll bites are a cross between cinnamon rolls and monkey bread, and they come together quickly and with little fuss. This post is sponsored by Hand + Heart Gluten-Free and contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.
I miss the taste and texture of gooey and doughy cinnamon rolls. Every once in a while, I’ll take the time to make them, but they do require a bit of work in the kitchen. I miss the days when I could pop open a can of Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls, and that was all I had to do to enjoy the gooey and warm treat.
I want you to enjoy the taste of delicious cinnamon rolls again, but I realize you may not have the time, patience, or know-how to make them from scratch.
In this post, I’ll show you how to make shortcut cinnamon roll dough bites instead. These delicious mounds of dough taste just like cinnamon rolls but take a fraction of the time to make.
They may not look as pretty since they’re not neatly rolled up like cinnamon buns, but they sure do taste out-of-this-world delicious, and you won’t believe they’re gluten-free.
Please note that you must use the amazing Hand + Heart Sweet Dough Mix to make these cinnamon roll bites. You cannot substitute any old gluten-free flour blend.
This incredible Sweet Dough Mix is specially formulated for making yeasted breads like cinnamon rolls, fried donuts, monkey bread, chocolate babka, and soft pretzels.
Unlike other gluten-free flour blends, Hand + Heart Sweet Dough Mix is made from a blend of flours, starches, xanthan gum, and sugar. This is a baking mix, not a flour blend.
Tip! When making these delicious Gluten-Free Cinnamon Roll Bites, be sure to plan ahead. You’ll want to make the dough a day ahead of time so it has plenty of time to rise and chill.
Making the Gluten-Free Dough
You’ll start the process by making the dough needed for the cinnamon roll bites. Here’s what you’ll need:
Hand + Heart Gluten-Free Sweet Dough Mix: You’ll make the entire bag of the Hand + Heart Sweet Dough Mix, but you’ll only need half of the dough for this recipe. You can reserve the other half of the dough to make another sweet treat – see Hand + Heart’s website for inspiration.
Yeast: The Hand + Heart Sweet Dough Mix includes the three yeast packets needed to make the dough.
Warm Milk: I recommend using whole milk for the best results, but you could use dairy-free milk if you’re dairy-free. You’ll need 1¼ cups of warm whole milk to make the Hand + Heart Sweet Dough Mix.
Butter: You’ll need ¾ cup of unsalted butter that is melted and slightly cooled.
Eggs: You’ll need two large eggs at room temperature to make the dough.
To make the Sweet Dough Mix, combine the Hand + Heart Sweet Dough Mix with the three included yeast packets in the bowl of your stand mixer. Whisk the flour and yeast together.
Add the milk, butter, and eggs and mix on low until combined, then set the mixer to medium and mix for five minutes. The dough will be sticky and smooth.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place the mixture in the refrigerator to rise and chill for at least four hours, preferably overnight. Chilled dough is easier to work with.
After the dough has chilled, divide it in half. You only need half of the dough for this recipe. If you want to use all of the dough, double the amount of brown sugar and cinnamon and the ingredients for the cream cheese frosting. The other half of the dough can be frozen and used later, or it can be used to make another recipe that requires Hand + Heart Sweet Dough Mix.
Assembling the Cinnamon Roll Bites
Roll the dough into a rope about 1″ in diameter. I use the excellent silicone kneading mat from the Hand + Heart Baking Kit. It keeps my counter clean and allows me to roll out the dough without it sticking to the countertop.
I then cut the rope into 1″ pieces and rolled the pieces into balls. You’ll have enough dough to make about 24 pieces.
Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a large glass bowl. Add the dough balls to the bowl and toss it with the butter. Then add ½ cup of brown sugar and 1 ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and toss the balls until they’re well coated.
Proof the Cinnamon Roll Bites
Place the balls in a 9″ square pan or round pie pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let the mixture rise for 30-45 minutes in a warm place until it has doubled. The dough may need more time to rise if your house is cold. I use the proofing setting in my oven to ensure the dough rises in a warm spot.
Bake the Bites
Preheat the oven to 350º F while you finish prepping the Cinnamon Roll Bites for baking.
Once the dough is proofed, pour ½ cup of heavy cream over the bites. It will look like a hot mess, but I promise you, it will be okay.
Place the bites in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until they are golden brown on top. The heavy cream will bake into the dough balls and help the brown sugar to caramelize on the bottom.
Add the Cream Cheese Glaze
As if the Cinnamon Roll Bites aren’t decadent enough, I highly recommend adding a sweet cream cheese glaze on top. It makes the bites look and taste even more amazing. This sweet cream cheese frosting will remind you of the Pillsbury cinnamon roll frosting from your childhood.
While the bites are baking, you can make the cream cheese glaze. For the cream cheese glaze, you’ll need to combine the following ingredients in a small bowl:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 4 tablespoons heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
Mix the cream cheese glaze with a handheld mixer until smooth and creamy. Once the Cinnamon Roll Bites are fully baked, dollop the glaze on top and enjoy the gooey, sweet mess.
These gooey gluten-free cinnamon roll bites are soft, doughy, and decadent. They remind me of monkey bread, although I might like these dough bites better!
Every bite is filled with the delicious cinnamon and sweet caramelized brown sugar. The luscious cream cheese glaze elevates the dough balls and turns them into a spectacular sweet treat that can be enjoyed for dessert or served at your Easter, Mother’s Day, or Christmas morning brunches.
And don’t forget to pace yourself. These cinnamon roll bites pop in your mouth and go down fast!
Where to Buy the Sweet Dough Mix
I fell in love with the Hand + Heart Sweet Dough Mix years ago and almost exclusively use it when making yeasted recipes.
You can find it on the Hand + Heart website, along with a variety of other flour blends and recipes. Stock up so you always have one on hand for special occasions!
Gluten-Free Cinnamon Roll Bites with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 1 Standing mixer
- 1 handheld mixer
- 1 9" square or round pan
- Various mixing bowls and spatulas
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1 package Hand + Heart Gluten-Free Sweet Dough Mix see notes
- 3 yeast packets included in Hand + Heart Gluten-Free Sweet Dough Mix
- 1 ¼ cups warm milk
- ¾ cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 2 large eggs room temperature
For the Filling
- ¼ cup butter melted
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ cup heavy cream
For the Frosting/Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 4 tablespoons heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Dough
- To make the Sweet Dough Mix, combine the Hand + Heart Gluten-Free Sweet Dough Mix with the three included yeast packets in the bowl of your stand mixer. Whisk the flour and yeast together.
- Add the milk, butter, and eggs and mix on low until combined, then set the mixer to medium and mix for five minutes. The dough will be sticky and smooth.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place the mixture in the refrigerator to rise and chill for at least four hours, preferably overnight. Chilled dough is easier to work with.
- IMPORTANT: After the dough has chilled, divide it in half. You only need half of the dough for this recipe. If you want to use all of the dough to make a double batch, be sure to double the amount of filling and topping ingredients. If reserving the other half of the dough, you can either wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it, or you can use it to make another recipe that requires Hand + Heart Sweet Dough Mix, like soft pretzels, babka, or monkey bread.
Assembling the Cinnamon Roll Bites
- Roll the dough into a rope about 1″ in diameter, then cut the rope into ¾”-1″ pieces. Roll the dough into balls. You’ll have enough dough to make about 24 balls.
- Melt ¼ cup of butter in a large glass bowl. Add the dough balls to the bowl and toss them with the butter. Add ½ cup of brown sugar and 1 ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and toss the balls until they're well coated.
Proof the Cinnamon Roll Bites
- Place the balls in a 9″ square pan or pie pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 30-45 minutes in a warm place until it has doubled. The dough may need more time to rise if your house is cold. I use the proofing setting in my oven to ensure the dough rises in a warm spot.
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Once the dough is proofed, pour ½ cup of heavy cream over the bites. Place the bites in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until they are golden brown on top.
Add the Cream Cheese Glaze
- To make the cream cheese glaze, combine the powdered sugar, cream cheese, heavy cream, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Mix with a handheld mixer until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
- Once the Cinnamon Roll Bites are fully baked, spread the glaze on top and enjoy the gooey, sweet mess!
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