Gluten-Free Cinnamon Roll Focaccia

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A close-up of a rectangular cinnamon roll focaccia slab topped with creamy white icing, resting on a metal cooling rack. The icing is melting slightly and spread unevenly over the swirled bread.

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Focaccia doesn’t have to be savory. This gluten-free cinnamon roll focaccia uses the same Caputo Fioreglut dough as my classic gluten-free focaccia, but instead of olive oil and flaky salt on top, you get a cinnamon butter swirl folded into the dough and drizzled over before baking, finished with a cream cheese glaze.

It has all the flavor of a cinnamon roll without the rolling, cutting, or shaping individual pieces. Unlike traditional yeasted doughs, my gluten-free focaccia really only needs one rise. Traditional doughs need a second rise to relax the gluten and develop structure, but since gluten-free doughs don’t have gluten to develop, one good rise (and the right gluten-free flour) is all you need to get the right texture.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • No rolling or shaping. The cinnamon butter gets folded directly into the dough. No rolling pin, no cutting individual rolls, no placing them in a pan one by one.
  • It feeds a crowd. A full 9×13 pan slices into 12 generous pieces, which makes this a good option for brunch when you’re feeding a group without making individual pastries.
  • The cream cheese glaze. Drizzled over the warm focaccia right before serving. It melts slightly into the cinnamon butter and ties everything together.

Searching for more gluten-free focaccia recipes? Gluten-Free Focaccia Pizza / Gluten-Free Garlic Butter Focaccia / Gluten-Free Chicago Hot Dog Focaccia / Gluten-Free Cheddar Jalapeño Focaccia

A close-up of gluten-free cinnamon roll focaccia being topped with cream cheese frosting. A pastry brush is spreading the icing across the surface, coating the golden-brown dough beneath.

Ingredient Notes

  • Caputo Fioreglut Gluten-Free Flour – This is the only flour I recommend for this recipe. It contains gluten-free wheat starch which gives the dough the stretch and open crumb that’s hard to get from other blends. It’s NOT suitable for wheat allergies, but considered safe for those of us with celiac disease.
  • Instant Yeast – Goes straight into the dry ingredients, no proofing needed.
  • Olive Oil – Goes into the dough and in the pan. Don’t skip it or reduce it. It’s what gives you the crispy bottom and edges. If you want to use melted butter to grease the pan instead of olive oil, you can!
  • Salted butter – Use salted butter in the filling. The salt in the butter balances the sweetness of the brown sugar and cinnamon. If you use unsalted
  • Light brown sugar – Gives you that classic cinnamon roll flavor and caramelizes slightly in the oven.
  • Ground cinnamon – Use a good quality cinnamon. It’s the main flavor so it matters here.
  • Cream cheese – Make sure it’s fully softened before mixing or you’ll get lumps in the glaze.

The Folding Step Is What Creates the Layers

After you spread the dough into the pan and pour half the cinnamon butter over it, you fold the dough into thirds like a letter. This folds the cinnamon butter into the dough so you get swirls of cinnamon filling throughout, not just on top. Press it back out to fill the pan, let it rise, then drizzle the remaining cinnamon butter on top before dimpling and baking. That second layer of cinnamon butter is what gets golden and caramelized in the oven.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use a different gluten-free flour?

This recipe was developed specifically for Caputo Fioreglut. It contains gluten-free wheat starch which gives the dough its stretch and open crumb. Other blends won’t produce the same result and I don’t recommend substituting.

I’m nervous about the folding step. What if I mess it up?

The folding doesn’t need to be perfect. You’re just trying to get the cinnamon butter layered into the dough rather than sitting on top of it. Fold it like a letter, press it back into the pan, and let it rise. Even if it’s not perfectly even, the cinnamon butter will distribute as the dough rises and bakes.

Expert Tips

  • Let the cinnamon butter cool slightly before pouring it over the dough. If it’s too hot it can start to activate the yeast unevenly or make the dough hard to handle. Melted and slightly cooled is the right temperature.
  • Don’t rush the rise. The dough should double in size before you dimple and bake. If your kitchen is cold it may take closer to 1.5 hours. A dough that hasn’t fully risen will be dense in the middle.
  • Drizzle the glaze while the focaccia is still warm. It melts slightly into the cinnamon butter on top and gives you a better finish than glazing a fully cooled focaccia.
A close-up of a hand holding a gooey cinnamon roll focaccia slice topped with melted cream cheese icing, with more cinnamon roll focaccia slices and icing visible in the background on a wooden surface.

Storage Instructions

Storing: Best eaten the day it’s made. If you have leftovers, store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The glaze will firm up in the fridge which is fine.

Reheating: Warm in the oven at 325°F for about 10 minutes. The glaze will soften back up as it warms.

Serving Suggestions

This focaccia works well as part of a brunch spread. If you love the cinnamon roll flavor, my gluten-free cinnamon rolls are the classic version for when you want individual rolls. For something savory to balance things out, my gluten-free breakfast casserole is a good pairing. And if you want to round out a bigger bread basket, my gluten-free buttermilk biscuits are worth adding to the table.

Get 10% off Caputo Fioreglut Flour

Close-up of a cinnamon pull-apart focaccia topped with drizzles of white icing, sitting on a cooling rack. The bread has a golden-brown, textured surface with visible cinnamon swirls.
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Gluten-Free Cinnamon Roll Focaccia

This gluten-free cinnamon roll focaccia is made with Caputo Fioreglut dough swirled with a salted butter and brown sugar cinnamon filling and finished with a cream cheese glaze. One rise, baked in a 9×13-inch pan, and it slices into 12 pieces. Good for brunch, dessert, or anywhere in between.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 26 minutes
Rise Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 11 minutes
Servings 12 servings

Ingredients

For the Dough:

  • 520 g (4 cups) Caputo Fioreglut Gluten-Free Flour
  • 12 g (4 teaspoons) instant yeast
  • 14 g (1 tablespoon) granulated sugar
  • 12 g (2 teaspoons) kosher salt
  • 480 g (2 cups) warm water - 120-130°F
  • 42 g (3 tablespoons) extra-virgin olive oil - for the dough
  • 28 g (2 tablespoons) extra-virgin olive oil - for the pan

For the Cinnamon Butter:

  • 113 g (8 tablespoons) salted butter - melted and slightly cooled
  • 110 g (½ cup) light brown sugar
  • 8 g (1 tablespoon) ground cinnamon

For the Cream Cheese Glaze:

  • 57 g (2 oz) cream cheese - softened
  • 28 g (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter - softened
  • 40 g ( cup) powdered sugar
  • 15 to 30 g (1 tablespoon) milk
  • 2 g (½ teaspoon) vanilla extract

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Instructions

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 520 g (4 cups) Caputo Fioreglut Gluten-Free Flour, 12 g (4 teaspoons) instant yeast, 14 g (1 tablespoon) granulated sugar, and 12 g (2 teaspoons) kosher salt. Whisk together.
    A close-up of a glass mixing bowl containing Caputo Fioreglut flour, instant dry yeast, salt and sugar, ready to be mixed for baking focaccia.
  • Add 480 g (2 cups) warm water and 42 g (3 tablespoons) extra-virgin olive oil. Mix on medium speed for 4 minutes. The dough will be soft and sticky.
    Close-up of thick, creamy gluten-free focaccia dough being mixed in a stand mixer with a white paddle attachment. The batter clings to the sides of the bowl and the paddle.
  • Add 28 g (2 tablespoons) extra-virgin olive oil to a 9×13-inch pan and spread it around to coat the bottom. Transfer the dough to the pan.
    A close-up of gluten-free focaccia dough ball on a baking pan that has been generously oiled with olive oil.
  • Use well-oiled hands to press it out toward the edges. Gluten-free focaccia dough doesn't really stretch so you just want to keep patting it out to spread it out on the pan.
    Two hands pressing and spreading dough in a rectangular baking pan, with a light layer of oil visible on the dough’s surface.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together 113 g (8 tablespoons) salted butter, 110 g (½ cup) light brown sugar, and 8 g (1 tablespoon) ground cinnamon.
    A spatula stirring a melted butter and cinnamon mixture in a clear glass bowl.
  • Pour half of the cinnamon butter evenly over the dough, reserving the rest for after proofing. Using oiled hands, fold the dough into thirds like a letter. Fold one short end toward the center, then fold the other end over the top. Flip seam-side down. It's ok if it's not perfect, you just want to try to keep as much of the cinnamon filling contained in the dough as possible so you get a ribbon throughout it.
    Melted cinnamon roll filling added to the top of gluten-free focaccia dough.
  • Carefully press the dough back out to fill the pan using oiled hands. Some of the cinnamon filling may ooze out and that's okay.
    Close-up of unbaked cinnamon roll focaccia dough in a baking dish, drizzled with melted butter and cinnamon sugar, ready for proofing.
  • Cover and let rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1.5 hours, until doubled in size.
    Close-up of a golden-brown, fluffy baked surface with swirls of melted butter and patches of cinnamon, resembling a cinnamon roll in a rectangular baking pan.
  • During the last 30 minutes of rising, preheat the oven to 425°F.
  • Gently rewarm the remaining cinnamon butter until pourable. Drizzle it over the top of the dough. Use oiled fingers to dimple the dough all over.
    Two hands are dimpling gluten-free cinnamon roll focaccia dough covered with a layer of cinnamon butter mixture in a rectangular baking pan.
  • Bake at 425℉ for 23 to 26 minutes, until golden brown on top.
    A close-up of a golden-brown, textured cinnamon roll bread, resting on a cooling rack in bright natural light.
  • Let the focaccia cool for about 10 minutes. While it cools, make the cream cheese glaze. Beat together 57 g (2 oz) cream cheese and 28 g (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter until smooth. Add 40 g ( cup) powdered sugar and mix until combined. Add 15 to 30 g (1 tablespoon) milkuntil the glaze is drizzleable. Stir in 2 g (½ teaspoon) vanilla extract
    A close-up of a glass bowl filled with smooth, cream cheese frosting, with a spoon partially visible, sitting on a wire rack.
  • Drizzle or spread the glaze over the warm focaccia. Slice into 12 pieces and serve.
    Close-up of a golden-brown cinnamon roll focaccia drizzled with cream cheese icing, resting on a wire cooling rack. The bread surface has visible dimples and swirls of cinnamon filling.

Notes

  • Flour: Caputo Fioreglut contains gluten-free wheat starch and is tested to below 20 ppm gluten. Safe for most people with celiac disease, but not suitable for those with a wheat allergy.
  • Dough: The dough will be soft and sticky. Do not add more flour.
  • Glaze: Make sure the cream cheese and butter are fully softened before mixing or the glaze will be lumpy. Add milk gradually until you reach a drizzleable consistency.
  • Storage: Best eaten the day it’s made. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 325°F for about 10 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 469mg | Potassium: 35mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 361IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 0.2mg

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