The smell of cinnamon rolls has always been warm and inviting, and their taste even more so! What brands are gluten-free?
Most cinnamon rolls sold in grocery stores and online whether ready-to-bake or ready-to-eat, even in bakeries, are mostly made with wheat flour which is abundant in gluten. We recommend asking your local bakery for a gluten-free version or making your own.
What about the cinnamon roll frosting? Find out the answer below!
Are Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls Gluten Free?
Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls are not gluten-free. This is because they have wheat coming from wheat flour in enriched flour bleached as the major ingredient. The cinnamon rolls also contain wheat starch.
The primary sources for gluten are wheat, rye, barley, oat, other related grains, cross-breeds such as spelt, Khorasan, and emmer, and the products of these grains like malt (source: Gluten Associated Medical Problems).
Gluten is the culprit in Celiac disease as well as Non-celiac gluten sensitivity. If a person has Celiac disease and accidentally ingests gluten, the gluten component triggers the immune system in the small intestine and responds to it.
As time goes by, this response will damage the intestinal wall and prevent the body from absorbing needed nutrients (source: Mayo Clinic).
It would be best to give the Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls a pass if you are looking for gluten-free cinnamon rolls. Unfortunately, the brand doesn’t have a gluten-free variant.
Brand Guide to GF Cinnamon Rolls
Here are some well-known brands we see in supermarkets or online. Let’s take a look at their gluten status based on their packaging or their website, and if they have a gluten-free version for those that aren’t gluten-free.
Annie’s
Annie’s Organic Cinnamon Rolls doesn’t have a “gluten-free” label nor do they state that it is on their website. This is because this product, while organic, also contains organic wheat flour which is the main source of gluten.
Their only cinnamon roll offering that’s gluten-free is their Organic Cinnamon Roll Cereal which is made with whole grain and chickpea flour (source: Annie’s).
Rhodes
Rhodes Bake N Serv Cinnamon Rolls with Frosting contains wheat flour, malted barley flour, malt, and wheat gluten. Their Bake N Serv, AnyTime! Cinnamon Rolls is also not free from gluten because it contains wheat flour, malted barley flour, and wheat starch.
Their Thaw, Rise and Bake Giant Cinnamon Rolls is not gluten-free as well because it contains wheat flour, malted barley flour, malt, and wheat starch. The brand doesn’t offer a gluten-free version of any of its cinnamon rolls.
Cinnaholic
According to their website, their products are not aimed at people with gluten intolerance or sensitivity as they don’t offer gluten-free products. However, they do suggest reaching your local bakery on gluten-free offerings which some have during some days of the week (source: Cinnaholic).
Cinnabon
According to their website, wheat is listed as one of the allergens in their Cinnabon CinnaPacks which makes it a no for people with gluten intolerance or sensitivity (source: Cinnabon).
Walmart
Walmart’s Great Value Original Cinnamon Rolls has wheat flour, while their ready-to-eat Great Value Cinnamon Rolls has wheat flour, malted barley flour, and vital wheat gluten which makes both of these products not gluten-free.
Great Value doesn’t offer gluten-free cinnamon rolls.
Kroger
Kroger® Cinnamon Rolls with Icing is not gluten-free as it contains wheat flour (source: Kroger). However, they offer the brands Chebe and Udi’s which are gluten-free cinnamon rolls.
When it comes to the frosting, most cinnamon roll frosting is made with gluten-free ingredients. However, cross-contamination is likely. We recommend making your own or using a gluten-free frosting.
There are available cinnamon roll frostings you can buy like the Pillsbury Creamy Supreme® Cinnamon Bun Flavored Frosting and the Betty Crocker Cinnamon Toast Crunch Frosting which are both gluten-free.
Most ready-to-bake or even ready-to-eat cinnamon rolls are made with wheat flour which is rich in gluten. We recommend making your own using gluten-free flour or contacting your local bakery if they have a gluten-free option.
In case you’ve been wondering, what about cinnamon itself? Does cinnamon naturally contain gluten? I invite you to check out my guide, which will help you better understand the gluten content of cinnamon and make informed choices.
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