These gluten free cinnamon sticks are the perfect side or dessert for pizza night. They’re soft, sweet, and have the most amazing cream cheese icing for dipping.
Today’s recipe is brought to you in partnership with Freschetta. As always, opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting brands that support What The Fork Food Blog.
Gluten Free Cinnamon Sticks
You guys are going to love me forever for today’s incredible recipe: gluten free cinnamon sticks; which are a must to go along with pizza. We paired our cinnamon sticks with Freschetta Gluten Free Pizza, which is one of the easiest and tastiest gluten free pizza options I can find at my local grocery store. We often get the cheese or the pepperoni and heat it as is or we sometimes add our own fun toppings to change it up.
While my husband is the only one in our house who needs to be gluten free, we all eat the Freschetta gluten free pizza and enjoy it. It’s got a great crispy, thin crust that we all love! Plus, it’s conveniently located in the freezer section at all of the grocery stores I shop at. Easy = awesome.
Also awesome? Gluten free cinnamon sticks. Before I dive into the ins and outs of these cinnamon coated gems, I need to give you the back story on why these MUST be served with pizza.
When I was in college, my roommate and I would often order pizza on the weekend. We usually slept too late to make it to the dining hall for brunch and then “dinner” at the dining hall was slim pickings… aka leftovers turned into something new to use up, sandwiches, or cereal.
So naturally, we did what college kids did best – pizza delivery.
Also, side note and TRUE STORY: our dining hall was called HURLEY HALL. No joke, Hurley was its ACTUAL NAME, not a nickname. The food was just as bad as you’re imagining.
Anyways, my roommate was obsessed with the cinnamon sticks that were on the menu so she always got an order of them. And she was obsessed for good reason, they were damn good. Better than the pizza actually.
Since going gluten free, delivery cinnamon sticks are out of the question so the only thing to do? Make them yourself for family pizza night to get that complete pizza and cinnamon stick experience.
This recipe is actually not difficult at all. While we are making a homemade dough from scratch, it’s all done in the stand mixer and is super easy. I really mean incredibly easy. (The hardest part about making these is not eating them all yourself!)
Since we’re making gluten free cinnamon sticks, there’s no kneading involved. Nada, none, zilch. That’s the second best part (second to eating, obviously).
So one thing to note though, I didn’t use an all-purpose gluten free flour in this recipe. Due to the nature of the dough, I needed a flour blend that is closer to a 50-50 blend of rice flour and starch. My regular blend is 2/3 rice flour to 1/3 starch so it wouldn’t work well here. That’s why you’ll see a breakdown of flours listed in the recipe this time around.
Recipes like this will be sure to help those of you who can’t eat the real thing feel like you’re eating the real thing. Plus, you know this is actually better 😉
If you’re looking for a salad to go with your pizza and cinnamon sticks, try my Easy Italian Salad or Strawberry Kale Salad!
Looking to “lighten” these up a bit? Use maple sugar in place of the granulated sugar, be sure to use palm shortening for brushing, and skip the icing.
If you guys are cinnamon fans or even just carb fans, you’re going to love these gluten free cinnamon sticks. Enjoy!
PS I’m giving away a $50 Visa Gift Card PLUS 5 Gluten Free Pizza coupons from Freschetta to help you get started on your next family pizza night! You can enter via the Rafflecopter form below the recipe.
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Gluten Free Cinnamon Sticks
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 1 heaping tsp active dry yeast*
- ½ tsp granulated sugar
- ½ C milk I used unsweetened coconut, heated to 110-115 degrees
- 1/3 C + 1 Tbsp white rice flour
- 1/3 C + 1 Tbsp brown rice flour
- ½ C arrowroot starch
- ¼ C tapioca flour
- 1 ½ tsp xanthan gum
- 1 tsp aluminum free baking powder
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ C granulated sugar
- 3 Tbsp avocado oil or canola
- 1 large egg room temperature
For the Topping:
- 2 Tbsp melted palm shortening melted
- ¼ C granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
For the icing:
- 4 oz. dairy free cream cheese
- 2 Tbsp palm shortening
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 ½ C powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 Tbsp coconut milk more or less to reach desired thickness
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the yeast and ½ tsp granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Gently pour in the warm milk and let sit for 15 – 20 minutes.
- While the yeast is proofing, add the white rice flour, brown rice flour, arrowroot starch, and tapioca flour to a medium bowl and whisk together. Whisk in the xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- When the yeast has proofed for 20 minutes, add the remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar, avocado oil, and egg to the yeast. Mix on low and gradually increase the speed to medium to mix.
- With the mixer off, add the dry ingredients then mix on medium-low speed to incorporate. Mix until combined then let the mixer run for 1 minute.
- Scrape down the bowl and form the dough into a ball in the center of the bowl. **Dough will be sticky but you should be able to form a ball like soft cookie dough.
- Sprinkle the prepared parchment paper with gluten free flour (all-purpose is ok for dusting) and transfer the dough to the center of the parchment paper. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour then cover it with plastic wrap. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a rectangular/oval shape until its ½ and inch thick.
- Coat a pizza cutter with flour and cut the dough into strips, leaving it in place. Cutting it ahead of time will make for easy pull-apart pieces after baking. Bake the breadsticks at 350 degrees on the center rack for 15 minutes. Make the icing while the breadsticks are baking.
- To make the topping, mix together the ground cinnamon and ¼ cup granulated sugar together in a small bowl. When the dough comes out of the oven, liberally brush it with the melted shortening and then sprinkle on the cinnamon and sugar – you don’t have to use all of it. Serve with the icing while the breadsticks are still warm out of the oven.
To make the icing:
- Add the cream cheese, shortening, and vegan butter to a large bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and coconut milk and beat until smooth. Use more milk for a thinner, runnier icing. Use less for a thicker frosting.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Disclaimers
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Facts are estimated and aren't always accurate. Please consult a doctor or nutritionist if you have special dietary needs.
These were amazing. I made them and my daughter picked them up on the way out with friends. A little while later, I received a text message that read, “Mom—what have you done? What is this creation you have made?” To which I asked, “why?” And she said, “It’s sooooooo good.” It truly is good. I will say that I replaced the shortening that goes on the top of it with salted butter, but only because I really like a little saltiness with the sweet. I understand not everyone can do this, but since we don’t have a dairy intolerance, it worked for us.
Thank you Tricia, so happy to hear how much your daughter loved them!
In my former life (before gluten free) I don’t ever remember that they had cinnamon sticks with pizza, but I know they do now. This will be exciting to have a new experience.????
These look amazing!! I’m wondering if the arrowroot starch can be subbed with tapioca starch. Thanks!
I haven’t tried it with all Arrowroot but let me know if you do and how it works out for you. I have tried it with potato starch though instead of Arrowroot with good results.
Buffalo chicken wings and a frozen mudslide are the perfect sides to any pizza. I am now ready to go and have this for dinner.
oooh frozen mudslide?! I haven’t had one in ages, now I want one so bad!
Great photography.
Awesome giveaway, thanks so much!! My favorite side to go with pizza is a giant green salad, because balance. 😉
I enjoy a Caesar Salad as a side with my pizza. 🙂
Looks awesome!
My Husband has an autoimmune disease & had to go gluten free in January!
Sorry to hear that Jill! Let me know if you need any help with recipes and ingredients 🙂
My family enjoys garlic bread sticks and iced tea with pizza.
I Like A Side Salad.
I like a Caesar salad with pizza.
I prefer toasted parmesan cheese sticks with marinara sauce. The crunchier the better!
Root beer is the best thing to go with pizza!
I like potato chips
I love to make a salad bar style salad using all the veggies I can find in the fridge.
My favorite side is greek salad!
My favorite side dish to go with pizza is a yummy salad with Italian dressing. And breadsticks with marinara sauce! I’m hungry now.
Wow these looks super awesome. These wouldn’t last a day in my house!
I love a hearty salad to go with pizza.
I have to have a root beer with pizza also a salad.
I love a good spicy side salad (like with arugula)!
A salad is my favorite side dish with my pizza!
A garden salad!
Um, these look KILLER! That drizzle!
My favorite side dish with pizza is a side salad with ranch dressing!
Oh I love a salad with a really sharp Gorgonzola and dried cherries and a lemon dressing!
Seems kind of redundant but I love cold pasta salad with pizza.
I can no longer have gluten so I haven’t had either in years but I used to love the combo. 🙂
thanks!
These look *just* like takeout! It’s amazing!!
I’ve been working on a cinnamon twists recipe, but yours are gluten-free so my husband can eat them! He’ll be grateful 🙂
a spinach salad!
My favorite side dish is garlic bread sticks.
These look better than those cinnamon sticks you can get delivered 🙂
love garlic either garlic bread sticks or arancini but both with marinara sauce…
My favorite side dish is now these cinnamon sticks! Great recipe.
What a cool idea and I love that you’ve developed a gluten free version!
Hummany, hum, hum… I am making these tonight!! Love your recipes.
lol thanks Chrystal! We had these for dinner last night ????
Love this idea, but I bet you could even just use a GF homemade pizza crust recipe without any savory herbs and add your yummy sweet touches and make it that way too! So many delicious possibilities!!!
I like salad with Italian dressing and black olives with my pizza.
I love garlic bread and a fresh salad.
I need these in my life! I definitely need to eat them!
Roasted Brussels Sprouts. 😎
OMG! These look SO good! I’m gonna crave them now. You know what that means? I’m gonna have to make them!!! Thanks for the recipe.
I love a nice Caesar salad on the side!
Or a cup of minestrone in the wintertime.
These look so delicious! I love the idea of using the icing for also a dipping sauce!
OMG my husband would go CRAZY for these! YUM!
These are perfect for pizza night!
Well these sound like a fun sweet treat!
I would love these for breakfast! Looks so yummy!
We were super into cinnamon sticks like this during college (and after!) And the fact that you made them gluten free makes me SO happy! While we don’t need to eat GF, we have some family members who are, and I’m always in search of delicious gluten free recipes to try when they visit!
Wow these are such a fun treat! Love the icing too!
I liked everything up until you said you could skip the icing. No way – icing > everything! 🙂
These look divine, Sharon (and so awesome that they’re ready in only 45 minutes)! I also love the idea of rolling out under plastic wrap to keep the rolling pin clean….now why did I never think of that?
Thanks Linnaea! Yes to the plastic wrap, it makes it so much easier when working with gluten free dough!
I love a nice ceasar salad with my pizza.
I like to have a Caesar salad as a side
These look amazing! I love cinnamon. I’d bake them right now but I have your banana pumpkin bread in the oven right now.
LOL, at least they bake at the same temp ????
If you love cinnamon, you’ll love these!
We love cheesy breadsticks with our pizza.!
I like salad and/or marinated olives and artichokes to go with pizza.
I like Caesar salad with pizza.
Wings are my favorite thing besides a soda pop with pizza.
Tater tots are my favorite side dish to go with pizza.
More pizza! Or side salad or chicken wings.
I normally don’t have a side dish with pizza, but I love the idea having cinnamon sticks on the side!
Love salad before pizza!
I don’t usually have a side because I tend to eat so much pizza.
????????
I like to make a large garden salad when I serve pizza!
I like a good garden salad as my side.
My favorite side dish to go with pizza is a kale salad.
My favorite side dish is a mixed greens salad.
My favorite side dish to go with pizza is steamed spinach. Don’t knock it until you try it 🙂
I like a big (cheesy, ranch-covered) salad!
My favorite side dish with pizza is a spinach salad. These cinnamon sticks look like fun, I bet the kids would really gobble them up!
Hmmm. Is beer considered a side dish?
haha, absolutely ????
Our favorite side dish with pizza is MORE pizza!
????????????????
I like a green salad with blue cheese dressing.
Nothing unusual, a nice salad – hopefully a big one so I don’t eat too much pizza, I love it!
Oh no – a dining hall who’s rep lived upto it’s name is no fun for hungry college kids! But, glad y’all had a solution!! Though, I think I could have existed for 4 years on these cinnamon sticks and coffee alone! I have to try your flour blend – my daughter had to go gluten free for a bit, but, fortunately she seems to have outgrown her issues – but still, this would be awesome to try!
I like salad with pizza it makes me feel not so bad about eating the pizza.