This yummy lemon cheesecake blueberry roll gives a Danish pastry-type vibe. The dough is mixed up in a mixer, making it light and fluffy but a little stickier to work with. It's the one from my cinnamon rolls in a mixer recipe. The end result will be delicious and worth it, though! Enjoy!

A yummy lemon cheesecake blueberry roll, ready to eat!

Fresh from the oven and drizzled with a light drizzle before serving.

Lemon Cheesecake Blueberry Rolls

Makes ~24 rolls

Makes 2 large trays of more spaced out rolls, as in the picture above. 

To make the dough: 

In a mixer, combine:
2 cups brown rice flour
1 cup sorghum flour (or additional brown or white rice flour)
3/4 cup arrowroot starch
1/4 cup potato starch
1/4 cup tapioca starch

(You could use 4 1/4 cup Kristin's Gluten-Free flour mix and use only 2 tsp xanthan gum, but I've played around with this dough quite a bit and I find the amounts listed here for the flours work most reliably for this recipe.)

1/2 cup white sugar
3 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp rapid/quick rise yeast

Then add the following:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup milk, warmed
1/2 cup water (plus an additional 1-2 T, only if needed after beating 1-2 minutes)
3 eggs

Begin to mix slowly, then increase the speed and beat at medium to medium-high speed for 4 minutes.

To roll out the dough, spread overlapping layers of plastic wrap on the counter.  Dust with cornstarch. (You can make this without cornstarch and just use wet hands to move around anything sticky, but I've found this to be an easier method to roll out and work with a stickier dough.)

In the past, I've often used wet hands to move the dough around, which works, but is stickier and a bit more difficult to work with. Either method works.

Flattened and sprinkled with cornstarch to help flatten and smooth.

Filling: 

Mix together: 

8 oz / 225g cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

zest of 1 lemon

~1-2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Spread the cream cheese filling over the rolled out dough. Sprinkle the top with: 

2 cups wild blueberries (thawed in refrigerator if using from frozen - this will keep them from getting too wet as they thaw)

Topped with the lemon cream cheese filling and blueberries.

Roll up the log of dough. It'll be sticky to work with, so you can use cornstarch to help or use wet hands. Slice and place slices on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Use wet hands to flatten the tops of the rolls.  Don't worry about them looking a little messy. Since you're working with a wetter dough, it's hard to get them looking really pretty, but they'll get drizzled over later, so it's all hidden anyways! 

Rolled and ready to slice!

Sliced and flattened gently on the pan. 

Let rise ~30 minutes uncovered (or with an inverted baking sheet over top if the air is too dry) in a warm location. 

After rising. They won't double in size, but will puff up nicely. 

Bake at 350 F for ~20-25 minutes, until nicely browned. 

Fresh from the oven!

Mix together and drizzle over warm or cooled rolls: 

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

milk OR fresh lemon juice, to desired consistency

Topped with the drizzle and serve!

Enjoy warm. Leftovers can be frozen or refrigerated and heated up later to enjoy! 

Lemon Cheesecake Blueberry Rolls Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

 No mixer needed, easy biscuit-style cinnamon rolls!  When we first moved to eastern Canada, I was so confused by the cinnamon rolls I saw for sale in bakeries. They weren't the gooey, squishy rolls I was used to - they sold the flaky, biscuit-style roll. Over time, I learned some people called them baking powder cinnamon rolls - made with no yeast. I feel like the name biscuit-style cinnamon rolls fits them nicely.  I do find the addition of a touch of baking soda helps with the rise, as does the addition of apple cider vinegar. (That's me basically turning the milk into buttermilk without actually mixing them together first. I don't find it's needed).  My family really loves these cinnamon rolls. In fact, one of my kids prefers these rolls to my regular cinnamon rolls or made in a mixer cinnamon rolls.  I'm quite happy to eat any and all versions cinnamon rolls. Enjoy!

Some disappeared - before they even had a chance to cool! Shocker. ;) 

Biscuit-Style Cinnamon Rolls

Makes 12 rolls

Preheat oven to 375 F.  Line a 9 x 13 with parchment paper. 

In a large bowl, whisk together: 

2 cups Kristin's Gluten Free Flour Mix (exact flour measurements for convenience, see below**)

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Add and stir in with a big spoon, just until well combined:

2/3 - 3/4 cup milk (I find just under 3/4 cups works nicely. Less milk = less sticky dough, but I like the fluff you get with a bit more milk. - it's just a bit stickier to work with while rolling up)

5 Tbsp butter, melted

1 egg

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Roll out gently between plastic wrap to a rectangle approximately 10" x 15". It's never exact, so don't stress on having it be perfect.  I use two pieces of plastic wrap side by side on the bottom and top to roll out. 

Mix together, then spread on top of the flattened dough: 

3 Tbsp butter, melted

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 - 1 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon

Flattened and spread with the cinnamon, butter and brown sugar mixture.

Slice the dough into 12 equal strips using a pizza cutter.  

Sliced into mostly equal parts.

Roll up each piece and gently place in your parchment lined pan.  If you find the dough is a bit sticky, you can use a bit of extra GF flour on your fingers to help it along.  It'll all end up covered with a cream cheese frosting, so if they don't look as neat as you like, that's okay!  I did flatten a couple rolls a bit so they're all approximately the same height in the pan. 

Ready to bake!

Bake at 375 F for 22-25 minutes, until a nice light brown.  Remove from oven and place the pan on a cooling rack.  

Fresh from the oven and nicely light brown.

Mix together, and spread over hot cinnamon rolls: 

3 oz cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 - 3 tsp milk, to desired consistency

I suppose one could properly mix or beat the frosting to get out any lumps from the cream cheese, but I couldn't be bothered. 

We love eating these freshly made - warm or cooled.  I actually prefer the taste and texture once they've fully cooled on the counter.  Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator. Eat cool or warm them before serving. Enjoy! 

** for 2 cups Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix, combine: 

3/4 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup sorghum flour (or extra brown rice flour or white rice flour or GF oat flour)

1/4 cup arrowroot starch/flour OR cornstarch

1/4 cup potato starch

1/4 cup tapioca starch/flour

3/4 tsp xanthan gum

Biscuit-style Cinnamon Rolls Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

I have made these SO many times now.  Especially in the fall and winter when apples and plentiful.  These are a delicious alternative to regular cinnamon rolls. You can cook up fresh apple in a pan, or use freeze-dried apples if you're looking for a quicker option in these rolls.  They're great as a special treat for breakfast or a snack.  Easy to whip together in a mixer, roll out, rise, and bake.  I plan to make them for Christmas. Yum! Enjoy! 

Fresh GF apple cinnamon rolls topped with frosting.  

Without the cream cheese frosting - they have nice swirls and plenty of yummy filling. 

Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Makes about 20 rolls. 

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  

In this recipe, you can use fresh apples and sauté them, or you can use freeze-dried apples for a quicker prep.  Both options are included below. 

Fresh apple option:

Sauté over medium heat until apples have softened, but are not mushy: 

2-3 Tbsp butter

6 - 8 apples, peeled, cored and diced (use firm cooking apples that retain their shape when cooked)

1 Tbsp cinnamon

Add and cook 1 minute, then remove from heat: 

2 Tbsp maple syrup

Set apples aside to cool while you prepare the dough and filling. 

Dough:

In a large mixer, combine: (It's important to mix dry ingredients first in gluten-free baking to avoid clumps)

2 cups brown rice flour

1 cup sorghum flour (use extra brown or white rice flour or even oat flour if you do not have sorghum)

3/4 cup arrowroot flour (or cornstarch)

1/4 cup potato starch

1/4 cup tapioca starch

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tbsp xanthan gum

1 1/2 tsp salt

4 tsp rapid-rise/quick yeast

2 tsp baking powder

Add and mix in slowly, then increase speed to medium or medium-high and let beat 4 minutes: 

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup milk, warmed (not hot)

1/2 cup water, warmed (not hot)

3 eggs

Add into batter, mixing until evenly distributed: 

Sautéed apples, from above OR 1.2/34g freeze dried apple slices, broken into smaller pieces

While batter is beating, stir together: 

1/4 cup melted butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 - 2 Tbsp cinnamon

1 - 2 Tbsp maple syrup (Optional and ONLY if using freeze-dried apples, since the others get some added while cooking)

Lay out two large pieces of plastic wrap, overlapping slightly.   Place the dough along the center of the plastic wrap.  Cover with another two pieces of overlapping plastic wrap.  Roll out dough until you have a large, long rectangle approximately 15" x 30".   Remove the top layer of plastic wrap. 

Have a small bowl of warm water available to dip your hands/fingertips in case of any sticky dough. 

Spread the brown sugar/melted butter mixture on the dough using the back side of a spoon.  Use the plastic wrap to carefully roll up the dough into one long roll.   You can use wet hands to help with any sticky spots.  If you aren't sure how this should look, I have pictures included in several recipes, including my cinnamon roll recipe and pumpkin cinnamon rolls. 

Cut the dough (I just use a butter knife) into 1 1/2" or 2" slices.  Use wet hands/fingers to pick up and move the pieces.  Use wet hands to flatten each roll, so they're all even heights in the pan. 

Put the apple cinnamon rolls in a warm location and cover with an upside-down cookie sheet.  Let rise ~45 minutes.  Bake at 350 F for 25-30.  Top with cream cheese frosting (below) immediately, if you want the frosting to melt into the rolls.  Or, you can let the rolls cool and then pipe on the frosting.  I love these warm best.  Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator or frozen and reheated.  Enjoy! 

Yummy fresh rolls drizzled with cream cheese frosting. 

Cream Cheese Frosting:

Mix together until smooth: 

1 - 2 Tbsp butter, softened

2 - 3 oz cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

milk, to consistency (I find I sometimes need a little if it's a bit too thick, but sometimes I don't need any at all).  

Depending on your preference, you can make this a bit runnier and drizzle it on top.  You can have it a bit thicker and pipe it out/drizzle onto the rolls.  Or, what I often do for speed, just spread the frosting onto the rolls with the back of the same spoon used to mix together your cream cheese frosting. 

Just another batch - this one filled with a bit of extra apple. 

I left the frosting a little thicker and just quickly spread it on with the back of the spoon.  

Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Rolls Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

Favorite Orange Rolls made in a mixer!

I'm always looking for ways to cut corners, simplify my baking, but retain the taste and flavors.  This method of making orange rolls does just that!  Instead of needing to mix things in a bowl like my original recipe for orange rolls (though we like those, too) -- these can be made in a mixer.  Similarly to my cinnamon rolls in a mixer, the dough is a little stickier, so you'll want to use wet hands and a wet knife when cutting and placing on the pan to rise.  These freeze perfectly, too, so you can freeze leftovers for orange rolls anytime! Enjoy!

Fresh gluten-free orange rolls, piped with cream cheese frosting just out of the oven, so the frosting melts into them. Yum!

Gluten Free Favorite Orange Rolls in a mixer!

Makes ~24-30

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking liner.

In a mixer combine: (It's important to mix dry ingredients first in gluten-free cooking to avoid clumps)
2 cups brown rice flour
1 cup sorghum flour (or an additional cup of brown rice flour, but I prefer to add a little sorghum flour for natural sweetness)
3/4 cup arrowroot starch (or cornstarch)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup tapioca starch/flour
1/4 cup potato starch
1 Tbsp xanthan gum
4 tsp rapid-rise/quick yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt

Add and mix in gently, then increase speed and mix on medium speed for 4 minutes, scraping occasionally:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup water, room temperature
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs

While your dough is mixing, prepare filling:
1/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
2 - 3 Tbsp fresh orange juice
zest of one large orange

Line two large sheets of plastic wrap side by side on the counter, overlapping a bit.   2-3 foot long pieces work well.  Spoon out large scoops of the dough and place along the middle of the plastic wrap. Pull out another two large sheets of slightly overlapping plastic wrap to cover the dough.  

You’ll then flatten/roll out the dough between the sheets of plastic wrap. You want a rectangle between 12" x 20" and 20" x 36".  It just depends on what size you want your rolls. I tend to make a larger rectangle and slice thinner rolls so we have more rolls to go round!  Carefully peel off the top layer of plastic wrap.  Spread the orange filling evenly over the top of the dough.

A larger rectangle of orange roll dough with filling spread out before rolling up the dough.

Roll up the dough, using the plastic wrap to help.  Slice carefully. I like to dip my serrated knife in water between each slice and dip my fingers in water regularly to avoid sticking.  Slice ~1" thick slices and place on parchment-lined baking sheets.

Using a wet knife and hands makes clean cuts and avoids dough sticking.

Cut rolls, ready to rise. 

Let rolls rise uncovered in a warm location for ~30-40 minutes, until nicely puffed.  Bake at 350 F for 17-20 minutes, until light golden brown.  

Orange rolls after rising, ready to bake.

Orange rolls, fresh from the oven.  You don't want them any darker than these here.  I'd almost say aim for a little less brown than these. 

Remove from oven and place sheets on cooling racks.  Top rolls with frosting either while hot (and it melts into the rolls) or once cooled, for a slightly neater look.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Mix together:
3 oz cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp butter, softened/melted
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp zest from orange
fresh orange juice, to desired thickness/consistency

Put frosting in a ziploc bag to pipe on top of the rolls OR spread with a knife or back of a spoon.

Frosting piped onto orange rolls when hot out of the oven, so the frosting melts into them.  This is my favorite method to use.

Gluten Free Orange Rolls Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

Delicious Cinnamon Rolls in a Mixer!

One of the things I strive to do as I rework recipes again and again is find ways to save myself time, while still maintaining or improving on taste and texture in my gluten-free baking.  These cinnamon rolls are a hit! And, the best part is they can be mixed easily in the mixer!   Wet hands help smooth out any sticky spots and doesn't affect the rise or bake of the rolls.  They end up nice and fluffy and absolutely delicious. Enjoy! 

Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls fresh out of the oven and piped immediately with cream cheese frosting.  Delicious! 

Cinnamon Rolls in a Mixer
Makes 1 large tray of cinnamon rolls or 2 large trays of more spaced out cinnamon rolls, as in the picture above. (about 2 1/2 dozen rolls, depending how you slice them)

In a mixer, combine:
2 cups brown rice flour
1 cup sorghum flour (or additional brown or white rice flour)
3/4 cup arrowroot starch
1/4 cup potato starch
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup white sugar
3 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp rapid/quick rise yeast

Then add the following:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup milk, warmed
1/2 cup water (plus an additional 1-2 T, only if needed after beating 1-2 minutes)
3 eggs

Begin to mix slowly, then increase the speed and beat at medium to medium-high speed for 4 minutes.

Roll out the dough between pieces of plastic wrap until you have a large square, approximately 12" x 20" .  I like to overlap pieces of plastic wrap both for the bottom and top pieces when I roll out the dough.

Fill a small bowl with water that you can use to moisten hands or the cutting knife anytime the dough gets too sticky.

Carefully remove the top layer of plastic wrap, using wet hands to help remove any spots that might be sticking to the plastic wrap.

Mix together the following filling and spread as best you can over the dough:
1/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp cinnamon

Roll up the dough into a log, using the plastic wrap to help, and wet fingers for any sticky spots.

Dip the knife into water before cutting 1" slices and placing them on one or two parchment-paper lined cookie sheets. (spaced farther apart, you will need two pans, spaced closer together, you'll need a only one pan).

Set rolls to rise uncovered in a warm location.  They tend to not quite double in size, but get nice and puffy.

I find they don't quite double in size, but they should look noticeably swollen.

Bake at 350 F for ~17-20 minutes, until light golden brown.

The pan on the left was one of two pans of rolls, the pan on the right was the whole batch squeezed onto one cookie sheet.  Both work well! 

Cream Cheese Frosting: 
Mix together until smooth, then put in a ziploc bag, snip the corner and pipe on top of fresh cinnamon rolls or just spread with the back of a spoon or knife on top of rolls:
2 Tbsp butter, softened (almost melted)
2-3 oz cream cheese, softened 
1 1/2 - 2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
teaspoons of milk, slowly added to desired consistency

You can immediately pipe cream cheese frosting over the warm rolls if you want frosting that melts into the rolls, or you can let them cool a bit a then pipe on the frosting for a neater look. 
Enjoy! 

This icing was piped onto mostly cooled cinnamon rolls.  I usually try to pipe it on right out of the oven so it melts a bit into the cinnamon rolls. 

Mini Cinnamon Rolls

We love cinnamon rolls around here, but a new favorite has been making mini versions of my favorite cinnamon roll recipe.   They're a nice size when you want a small treat - perfect for desserts at a wedding, breakfast, brunch, snack-time, etc.  I love to make them, drizzle on a little cream cheese frosting and freeze them for snacks or breakfast treats.  They were a hit recently when I made them for a wedding.  Enjoy!

These mini cinnamon rolls were whipped together for my sister-in-law's gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free wedding reception on Cape Cod.  They were delicious! 

Some tasty mini cinnamon rolls, rolled loosely, for a bit of a messier look, but still equal in taste

Mini Cinnamon Rolls
This recipe makes ~40-50 mini cinnamon rolls, depending on how you roll/slice them.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line two pans with parchment paper or silicon liners.

In a 2 cup measuring cup, heat until just scalding (90 seconds in the microwave should do it):

¾ cup milk

Immediately add to hot milk:

½ cup butter, chopped into smaller pieces

½ cup sugar

1 ½ tsp salt

In a small measuring cup or bowl combine:

1/3 cup warm water (110-115F)

4 tsp rapid rise yeast or active dry yeast

1 Tbsp sugar

Let yeast rest 5 minutes to foam and allow milk mixture to cool a bit.  

Meanwhile, mix in a large bowl:

4 ½ cups Kristin’s Gluten-Free Flour Mix * (see below for measurement amounts for just this recipe)

2 tsp xanthan gum (this is in addition to the xanthan gum in the flour mix)

Add to the flour mixture:

3 eggs, room temperature

Milk mixture (with sugar/salt/butter)

Yeast mixture

Mix well with a spoon, using the back of the spoon to help make the mixture nice and smooth.  Let this sit just a moment while you prepare the filling.

Melt in a small bowl:
1/2 cup butter

Mix together in a separate bowl:

1 1/2 cup brown sugar (light brown or dark brown work well)

4 Tbsp ground cinnamon

Line two large sheets of plastic wrap side by side on the counter, overlapping a bit.   2-3 foot long pieces work well.  

Spoon out half the dough along the middle of the plastic wrap.  (You can either roll them out in two batches, or if you have a long counter, you can just do it all at once). 

Pull out another two large sheets of slightly overlapping plastic wrap to cover the dough.  You’ll roll the dough between the plastic wrap until you have – more or less – a two foot long piece of dough that is flattened to somewhere between 10-15 inches wide.  Try to make it nice and even.  You have to slightly adjust the plastic wrap as you’re doing this, since it sometimes gets caught underneath the dough.  But, you’ll find the dough doesn’t stick to the cling wrap, which is fantastic!  Carefully remove the top layer of plastic wrap.

Pour and spread 1/4 cup melted butter over the dough. Sprinkle with ~3/4 cup of the cinnamon/sugar mixture. 

You can see how easily the plastic wrap comes off the dough!  Spread butter, then cinnamon mixture.

Carefully roll up the dough, so you have one two-foot long roll of dough.  (I like to use the plastic wrap to help with the rolling.)  Once you have your long roll of dough, pat the ends slightly to flatten the messy ends.   Use a serrated knife to cut dough into ~24 pieces. (i.e. cut in half, cut each half in half, continue)

You can use the plastic wrap to help you roll it up. I roll it most of the way using the wrap on the far side, then use the side of the wrap closest to me to roll up the last part.  Slice evenly.  

Place pieces carefully on one of the parchment lined cookie sheets and set to rise while you make the cinnamon rolls out of the other half of the dough.   (If I have enough counter space, I just roll the whole thing out at once - a little crazy, but it works). 

Cinnamon rolls before and after rising uncovered on a parchment-lined pan.

Let rolls rise uncovered for ~25-40 minutes in a warm location.  The rolls will puff a bit, but won't double in size.  

Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned on tops.   You can make the cream cheese frosting (recipe below) while it’s baking.

Remove from oven and put on a wire rack to cool. 

You can either:

1. Add the frosting right away and it oozes into the cinnamon rolls

2. Let cool, then add frosting.  

These freeze really well and heat up quickly in the microwave!  We pop them into tupperwares once cooled and pull out and reheat on a plate for snacks/breakfast/treats.  

For a special occasion (party, wedding, brunch), freeze unfrosted rolls in a single layer in a large ziploc.  Remove from freezer and let them thaw IN the bag (this keeps condensation away from the thawing rolls).  Remove and warm on a pan in the oven for 5-10 minutes, if desired, or just frost and serve! Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Frosting:

In a bowl, warm in the microwave 20 seconds, or let sit to come to room temperature:

3 oz cream cheese

2 Tbsp butter

Add, and mix with a spoon until smooth (ish):

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

Carefully add, ½ cup at a time:

2 cups powdered sugar

Milk, to desired consistency (add 1-2 tsp at a time)

Some people like a runny glaze, so they’ll find they end up adding more milk, others like a thick topping for cinnamon rolls, so you’ll just leave out the milk or add very little.  You can drizzle a bit on top of the cinnamon rolls while warm, or wait until they've cooled and drizzle for a neater looking frosting. 

* If you don’t want to make up the flour mix since you’d have to make it twice for this recipe, just use the following: 

2 cups brown rice flour

1 cup sorghum flour

¾ cup + 1 Tbsp cornstarch OR similar amount of arrowroot starch

¼ cup + 1 Tbsp potato starch

¼ cup + 1 Tbsp tapioca starch

1 ½ tsp xanthan gum (ideally measure 1 1/3 tsp)

Monkey Bread!

There's nothing yummier than warm monkey bread.  This gluten-free version is easy to mix together, and then you can scoop with a spoon to dip in butter and then your cinnamon sugar mixture.  Drizzle a little frosting on top to turn it into 'gorilla bread'.  Once cooled, you can also slice thick slices and toast or use in homemade french toast.  Suggestions for a stickier/gooier monkey bread are at the bottom**.  This bread is similar to my popular cinnamon swirl bread -  but the monkey bread adds a fun dimension with pull-apart cinnamon-buttery goodness. Enjoy!

Homemade Gluten-Free Monkey Bread! 

Monkey Bread
Makes two large loaf pans or one 9 x 13 pan

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Butter 2 large loaf pans.

Mix together in a mixer:
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup arrowroot starch
2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp quick rise yeast
1 tsp salt

Add, mix in slowly.  Increase speed and beat 3-4 minutes:
1 1/4 cup warm water
1 Tbsp honey
1 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup
4 Tbsp oil
3 eggs
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

While dough is beating, prepare the following:
1/3 - 1/2 cup melted butter

In another small bowl, mix:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 - 2 Tbsp ground cinnamon

Dip heaping teaspoonfuls of dough half into melted butter, then in cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Using a second spoon, scrap into large bread pans.  Repeat until each pan is 1/2 filled.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm location until doubled in size.

Bake at 350 F for 35 - 40 minutes.  Let rest 5 minutes before removing to cooling rack to cool.   This bread can be pulled apart to eat or cooled and sliced.  Slice and freeze leftovers. Leftover slices reheat nicely in a toaster oven.

To turn your "monkey bread" into "gorilla bread" by whisking together a little cream cheese frosting and drizzling over the top of your bread once it's on the cooling rack.

Cream cheese frosting: 
Mix together until smooth:
1.5 oz cream cheese, softened
1 Tbsp butter, softened
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
milk, to desired consistency

**For a stickier/gooier bread, scoop spoonfuls into a buttered 9 x 13 pan.  Heat together an additional 1/2 cup butter + 1/4 cup brown sugar until sugar crystals have dissolved.  Drizzle over pan before baking.  Bake 30 - 35 minutes until nicely browned.   Serve warm and upside down for a nice sticky sweet bread. 

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

We made these as a youth activity at my church and it was such a huge hit with the girls.  I've since made it a handful of times at home and when we've had visitors and it's been an equally big hit.  My sister, Jenny, introduced me to the magic that is cinnamon roll pancakes.  They're a great treat when you don't have time to make homemade gluten-free cinnamon rolls.  The cinnamon mixture sinks into the batter and then caramelizes perfectly once flipped. Enjoy!

Fresh, piping hot gluten-free cinnamon roll pancakes!

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
Makes ~24 pancakes

Mix in a large bowl:
1 1/2 cups Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Add and mix in:
2 eggs
1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cup milk (lactose-free works great!)
4 Tbsp oil
1/2 - 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract)

Pre-heat your pan over medium-low heat while you mix together the cinnamon mixture.

Mix together and put in a squeeze bottle (or thick ziploc bag):
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
*The butter will separate out a bit from the cinnamon swirl mix, but just keep shaking or mixing - I sometimes just squeeze out any extra liquid into a spare bowl before piping the cinnamon mixture onto the pancakes.

If you have a non-stick, then you don't need to butter the pan (although you'll want to give it a quick wipe between batches of pancakes).  If in doubt, butter your pan between rounds of pancakes.

Pour a spoonful of batter on the pan.  Add a big swirl of cinnamon mixture on top of the pancake.  Repeat.

You'll want the pancakes to look fairly well-cooked, so you can see bubbles coming through the entire pancake before you flip.  It should look similar to the one below.

You can serve the pancakes plain (honestly, they're delicious like this and I don't think need anything else added) or you can make a bit of cream cheese glaze (below) to turn them into proper mini cinnamon rolls.  

Cream Cheese Glaze:
2 oz cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
pinch salt
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract)
milk, to desired consistency