I don’t know about you, but I love cinnamon buns. It’s not something that one regularly gets to eat being gluten free, and unfortunately I have never found the perfect replacement. I made these paleo treats last year and while they were good (and I mean really good), they weren’t exactly what I was looking for.

Then I decided this morning, because it was slightly cooler outside, and I woke up at 5:30 am (ugh), that  I would give the cinnamon buns another whirl. I didn’t spend hours looking for the perfect recipe, I just grabbed my BabyCakes cookbook from the shelf and opened to the Wonder Buns recipe.

I was skeptical. Only 20 minutes in the fridge? This is really going to roll up in a log and hold together? Let me tell you… it does and wow. This is exactly what I’ve been looking for!

Here’s what you need:

• 1 1/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose GF baking flour
• 1/2 cup brown rice flour + extra for dusting
• 1/4 cup arrowroot
• 1 3/4 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/3 cup agave nectar
• 3 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup of warm water (NOTE: you will not need this all)

Combine the all purpose GF flour, brown rice flour, arrowroot, xantham gum, baking powder and cinnamon in a bowl. Add coconut oil, agave and vanilla. Stir with a rubber spatula until the dough resembles a course sticky crumble. Slowly add the warm water to the dough, stirring between intervals until you have a ball that is slightly sticky. I only ended up using a 1/2 cup.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and pop into the fridge for 20 minutes. Preheat your oven for 325 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Tear off a large piece of wax paper and sprinkle it with brown rice flour to prevent sticking. Remove the dough from the fridge and form a lumpy sort of rectangle and place on the wax paper. Sprinkle more brown rice flour on top and begin rolling it out into a rectangle that is 1/2″ thick.

Now it’s time to fill! Here’s what you need:

• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil (split in half)
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 3 tbsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 – 1/2 raisins (optional)

Brush half of the melted coconut oil onto the rolled out dough. Then combine the agave and cinnamon in a separate bowl (this takes a few minutes to come together). Spread on top of the dough, then sprinkle the raisins on top. Carefully, using the wax paper and a spatula to help you along the way, roll the dough from the short end until you have a 12″ log.

With a sharp knife, cut roll in half and then each half into 6 equal pieces. Place 6 buns on each baking sheet and put into the oven for 12 minutes. After the first round of cooking, remove and brush the remaining coconut oil on top of the buns. Put back in the oven for 4 – 5 minutes, but remember to reverse the pans.

Remove and let sit for ten minutes. Then combine 1/2 cup of powdered sugar with 1 tbsp of vanilla almond milk. Drizzle on top of the buns. Inhale.