You know the cinnamon rolls you all loved? Well guess what, I turned them into a bread. Not just any bread, a cinnamon roll twist bread covered in cinnamon streusel. It’s basically the perfect breakfast and dessert all in one. It has a nice gooey filling, doughy center, crispier top and is even more addicting than the cinnamon rolls. Is that even possible? I mean, it is actually more of a pastry than a bread but nonetheless, it’s delicious.
If you love cinnamon or my gluten free cinnamon rolls, you will LOVE this bread. And it’s actually really easy to make! If you can make a dough and twist, you will succeed. And trust me, it’s worth it. If you haven’t made my cinnamon rolls yet, the recipe is here!
This cinnamon roll twist bread is made with gluten free all purpose flour. You can use real flour here if you aren’t gluten free, but I don’t recommend any other substitutions. I have yet to try a paleo flour! I also love baking with Miyoko’s butter and that’s what I used here. It’s the cleanest vegan butter out there, tastes just like butter, browns well and is perfect for all recipes. This bread is yeast free as well.
Why no yeast?
I do not use yeast in my breads or any of my baking. I guess you can call them ‘quick breads’. Battling a gut imbalance for years, I avoid yeast because it can contribute to a Candida overgrowth. I also avoid it because it is a main trigger for migraines and headaches, and specifically high in histamines when it is fresh out of the oven. If you can eat yeast I am full of envy! I just do not bake with it. I use apple cider vinegar and a bicarbonate as a substitute.
What texture does this cinnamon twist bread have?
It is a denser bread because it does not have eggs or yeast. It has a crumbly top because of the streusel. The outside bakes almost like a pastry and the inside is very gooey and a touch doughy, in the best way possible. Kind of like a cinnamon roll.
Is this vegan cinnamon streusel bread easy to make?
This bread looks intimidating but it is actually really easy. It’s basically like making cinnamon rolls, but instead of slicing into individual rolls, No waiting for the dough to rise and warming the yeast. These can be made in under an hour. The dough is easy to roll and I have no trouble with it being too sticky or too crumbly. Make the dough, roll the dough, sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar mix, roll it up, slice it in half, twist and bake!
This cinnamon twist bread is vegan, gluten free and refined sugar free. It is also FODMAP friendly.
I eat low FODMAP 90% of the time and I only bake with ingredients that are FODMAP friendly. Every now and then I’ll put honey in a recipe but I always have a substitution suggestion. This bread has no refined sugar, sweetened with just coconut sugar and cinnamon. If you have Vietnamese cinnamon, it will make this bread extra sweet! I did not use eggs in this bread, but I have an option below to use an egg for a more structured texture and crumb.
How to store the cinnamon streusel twist bread?
Store on the counter for 3 days in an airtight container, or vented. Then transfer to the fridge in an airtight container for up to 7. Reheat when you want to enjoy. You can also slice it up and freeze the slices individually for east defrosting, for up to 3 months.
What is in the gluten free cinnamon twist bread?
All Purpose Gluten Free Flour: I have not tried a paleo version yet and I used Bob’s GF 1:1 here. You may also try cassava but I’d reduce the recipe by 1/4 the amount. I haven’t tried it but it may work
Baking powder: This gives your dough a nice rise
Sea Salt: Salt is always used in baking to balance out sweetness
Vegan/Dairy Free Butter: I used Earth Balance sticks but Miyoko’s will work as well. Or real, grass fed butter. This recipe calls for a good amount, that’s what makes them so delicious
Cinnamon: The star of the bread! I used Vietnamese cinnamon and it makes the bread so much sweeter! It’s the best cinnamon for baking imo.
Coconut Sugar: My go to for all my baking. It’s low glycemic, safe on most diets and does not taste like coconut
Non Dairy Milk: Any unsweetened non-dairy milk. I always bake with Oatly. I have a love affair with Oatly. But you can use regular milk here to.
Ingredients:
The dough:
2 cups of all purpose gluten free flour* see notes for subs
4 tbsp of coconut sugar
1 tbsp of baking powder
1 tsp of sea salt
5 tbsp of non-dairy butter, or regular grass fed butter
3/4 cup of non dairy milk
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
*see notes for an egg option
The filling:
2/3 cups of coconut sugar
3 tsp of cinnamon
4 tbsp of melted butter
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
The streusel:
3 tbsp of GF flour, or any flour will work here
3 tbsp tsp of coconut sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
A big pinch of cardamom
2 tbsp of non dairy butter coconut oil or ghee
Optional: 1/4 cup of chopped nuts
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Prep a loaf pan with parchment and spray the edges with cooking spray.
In a small bowl. Mix together the milk and vinegar and set aside for 5 minutes.
2. In a medium size bowl, mix together the flour, coconut sugar, baking powder and sea salt. Cut in the butter with a fork, or your hands and mix until just crumbled. Add in the milk/vinegar and mix well until a dough forms. Roll into a ball, it should be formable.
3. Take 2 pieces of parchment paper or wax paper and sprinkle the bottom piece with flour. Transfer your dough ball between these two pieces and start to flatten it with your hands. Dust a little flour on top to prevent sticking when rolling. Roll the dough to a rectangular shape, about 9” x 12” and about 1/4” thick. It doesn’t have to be perfect on the edges.
4. Now spread the filling mixture in the center of the dough, leaving a little bit of dough exposed on the sides. About a 3/4” border. The filling will spread to the edges when you roll it up. Now carefully lift one of the longer sides of the dough up and start to roll it in. This should be easy and not crack or stick to the paper. You may have to use your fingers to guide it up and tuck it under.
5. Once fully rolled up, the dough should be in the shape of a log. If it feels soft and will not cut easily, place in fridge for 20 minutes, or freezer for 10 to chill enough so you can cut and twist it easily.
6. Once chilled, use a sharp smooth knife and carefully slice the roll vertically in two pieces. Starting at the top, carefully lift one piece over the other, and the other piece under until it’s fully twisted together. Take your hands and condense the twist so it’s smooshed enough to fit into the loaf pan.
7. Carefully lift into the loaf pan. I usually use a large spatula to help guide it in. If you want a browner crust, brush with olive oil or non-dairy milk.
8. Prepare the streusel crumble topping by mixing together all the ingredients in a small bowl. Crumble together in your hands so it becomes like coarse sand. Sprinkle over the twist, in the areas of the pan and in between the twists where there is no dough. THIS SHOULD NOT BE SPREAD OVER THE TOP, it needs to be gently crumbled. If your mixture is too wet, add a bit more flour until it's crumbly.
9. Bake 35-40 minutes until top is golden brown. Insert a toothpick into the bread part (not the gooey cinnamon part), to make sure it comes clean. Let rest on a cooling rack for 20 minutes, then carefully remove from the pan and finish cooling to room temperature.
10. Slice up and enjoy with tea or coffee… for breakfast, dessert, lunch….
11. Store on the counter for 3 days in an airtight container, or vented. Then transfer to the fridge in an airtight container for up to 7. Reheat when you want to enjoy. You can also slice it up and freeze the slices individually for east defrosting, for up to 3 months.
Recipe notes:
* This is a vegan bread, made with no eggs. I have made this bread three times, once with an egg and I do prefer the texture slightly over the egg free version. It holds together better and it had a higher rise. However both versions taste exactly the same. If you decide to use an egg in this recipe, add 6 more tablespoons of flour to the dough.
** You can substitute the GF flour for all purpose flour. You can also try to substitute cassava flour for grain free, but I would reduce the flour to 1 3/4 cups and just add more if the dough is too wet. Cassava absorbs a lot of moisture so you always add a bit less when using it. I haven’t tried this yet but if you do please leave me some feedback!
*** Make sure your crumble mixture is dry and crumbly, like coarse pea-sized sand. If it's too wet, add 1 tbsp of flour at a time until crumbly. It should not be spread over the top like frosting.
If you make this beautiful bread, please leave comments or ratings below! And as always, if you make any of these recipes, I LOVE to see your remakes. Tag me on instagram @gutsy_baker!
xo Stephanie