Gluten-Free Pumpkin Roll

This gluten-free pumpkin roll is an easy-to-make must-have addition to your Thanksgiving dinner! Your family won’t even know you used a gluten-free recipe!

What’s awesome about a pumpkin roll is that it looks like you put your heart and soul into it, but it’s actually a very quick sheet cake rolled up with cream cheese icing.

The soft, moist cake has the most delicious, aromatic flavors of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, wrapped around the previously mentioned rich, sweet cream cheese icing, and honestly, it’s to die for.

I think this should be on every Thanksgiving table!

What’s funny is that I was once adamantly opposed to the pumpkin roll though.

We had recently moved to a new area, and made friends with neighbors. Neither of us were able to have Thanksgiving with our extended family that year, so we had it together.

Unfortunately, the neighbor in charge of making pumpkin pie ran out of time, and made a pumpkin roll instead.

I was incensed at not having our traditional pies that year (hey look, I was a child – it was a long time ago). and didn’t appreciate the switch at all.

It’s funny how that one incident left a lasting impression on me. Now, three or more decades later, I look forward to making a gluten-free pumpkin roll filled with creamy filling every fall. I’m not going to say it’s better than a good pie with lots of whipped cream, but it as you can see, tradition means a lot to me, so I would never diss a pumpkin pie.

Ingredients for gluten free pumpkin roll

• Gluten free flour blend. While you can use all purpose flour for this recipe, it’s actually specifically formulated to accommodate the needs of a gluten-free diet. I have used my own homemade gluten-free flour mix, and have had good success with King Arthur Gluten-Free baking mix as well. I know some others have used Pillsbury gluten-free flour successfully as well. 
• Xanthan or Guar gum. If your flour blend already incorporates this, skip it. But you do need a binder of some kind, We can’t fully replace gluten in baking, but xanthan gum does let us get enough cohesion to roll our cake.
• Baking powder, baking soda, and salt. These are important for creating a fluffy, soft cake.
• Cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and vanilla. For that delicious pumpkin spice flavor we all adore. You can also substitute pumpkin pie spice for the combined amount of the individual spices. 
• Granulated sugar. Sugar not only sweetens, but also acts as a liquid in baking. This is important for creating a soft cake that doesn’t dry out.
• Eggs. These add protein which helps lend structure to the cake, and help create a more cohesive crumb.
• Pumpkin Puree. Apart from being essential for this to be a pumpkin roll, pumpkin adds moisture to your pumpkin roll, keeping it moist as it rests.
• Cream cheese. For the base of the icing. While you could use a traditional buttercream, the cream cheese compliments the pumpkin spice phenomenally.
• Butter. To make your icing rich and creamy
• Powdered sugar. Another essential ingredient in your icing to both sweeten, and create a spreadable, stable texture.

How to make a gluten-free pumpkin roll

1. Line a 15×11 inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper, and grease the parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 375º
3. Combine flour, xanthan gum (if you flour mix doesn’t already include it), baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
4. In a smaller mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, large eggs, pumpkin, and pure vanilla extract well.
5. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients, and combine until just mixed.
6. Pour batter into prepared jelly roll pan, and spread evenly.
7. Bake in center of oven for 15 minutes.
8. When cake is finished baking, turn onto a tea towel, and roll up from the short edge.
9. Let cool completely.
10. When cake is cool, combine all icing ingredients and beat until smooth.
11. Gently unroll cake, and spread with frosting
12. Re-roll and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
13. It is common for your cake to crack a bit at the more tightly rolled end. Just use both hands to roll, and eep it together as best as you can.
14. To store, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator. Unwrap, and sprinkle with fresh powdered sugar (if desired) before serving.

More Pumpkin Recipes:

• • Pumpkin Dump Cake
  • Gluten-Free pumpkin bars with cream cheese icing
  • Gluten-Free chocolate chip pumpkin bread
  • Gluten-Free pumpkin spice cookies
  • Pumpkin french toast

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Roll

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If you love pumpkin roll this time of year, this gluten-free recipe is a great option!

• Author: Elise

Ingredients

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• 3/4 cup gluten-free flour mix
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan or guar gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2/3 cup pure packed pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Icing Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar, for sprinkling
• 1 (8 ounces) package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2–3 cups powdered sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

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Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375°
2. Grease a 15 x 11 inch jelly roll pan. Line it with parchment paper, then grease again. Sprinkle some extra flour on the greased paper, and tap it around to evenly distribute it. Set the pan aside.
3. Mix first seven ingredients together in a large bowl
4. In a smaller bowl, whisk eggs, and stir in pumpkin and sugar
5. Pour egg mixture over dry ingredients, and mix until well blended.
6. Pour into the prepared jelly roll pan
7. Tap pan on your counter until batter is evenly distributed.
8. Place pan in the center of preheated oven
9. Bake 15 minutes
10. While the cake is baking, sprinkle 1/4 cup of powdered sugar on a tea towel
11. After the cake is finished baking, turn it immediately onto the sugared tea towel.
12. Roll up the cake in the towel, starting at the narrow end
13. Let cool
14. While the cake is cooling, beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and powdered sugar together until smooth.
15. Unroll cooled cake and spread cream cheese icing over it.
16. Re-roll and wrap tightly in plastic wrap
17. Refrigerate at least one hour
18. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar, slice thickly, and serve