For years, any food that was rolled up always gave me the impression that it was complicated and difficult to make. Then I tried a pumpkin roll. It’s really quite easy, and it makes a great fall dessert. They freeze well, and in the past I have made a couple of these rolls a few weeks before Thanksgiving and frozen them. It’s always nice to have some things prepared ahead of time.
This is a standard pumpkin roll recipe substituting gluten-free flour and adding xanthan gum. I think it will work well with any gluten-free flour mix or regular wheat flour. I used Carol Fenster’s sorghum blend with corn flour.
Pumpkin Roll
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 3/4 cup gluten-free flour mix
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
- powdered sugar for dusting the towel
For the Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- In a mixer bowl beat the eggs on high for several minutes.
- Add the sugar and beat until light in color.
- Add the pumpkin and lemon juice. Mix until blended.
- In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add to the pumpkin mixture and mix just until blended.
- Pour batter into a sprayed 10 x 15 inch jelly roll pan. Spread the batter to the edges of the pan and try to even it out. Sprinkle the walnut pieces over the top.
- Bake at 375° for 15 minutes.
- Let the pan cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn the cake (walnut side down) onto a towel that has been sprinkled with powdered sugar. Roll the cake and towel lengthwise. Leave it to cool.
- Combine the filling ingredients and beat until smooth. Unroll the cake and spread the filling over the surface.
- Use the towel to help roll the cake back up, but do not roll the towel with the cake as before.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour before serving.
To freeze it, I wrapped it twice with plastic wrap and once with wax paper. I then put two rolls together and put a zip lock bag on each end (they didn’t fit into one bag).
How to Be Gluten Free: 10 Steps to a Gluten-Free Life (affiliate link) is a very practical guide to getting started on a gluten-free diet. Learn to successfully buy gluten-free food, supplements, and personal care products as well as eat out safely, cook, connect with others, and more. Learn more about How to Be Gluten Free
This post is linked to A Gluten-Free Holiday at Gluten Free Easily, the Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life as Mom and the Holiday Food Fest at Hoosier Homemade.
I’m impressed! This is beautiful!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
I always wanted to make a roll cake. You make it look easy! I am thinking chocolate and cream filling, lol!
Toni
I love pumpkin rolls! Mine never look this pretty, though. I agree with Toni–you make it look so easy!
I love cake rolls… I will have to try this. 🙂
Cheers!
Cinde
Very Nice!
Looks delicious! I've never made anything like this. I'll have to try it.
Oh my gosh! That looks wonderful! I have a question about "gluten-free flour". Is there a standard GF flour that everyone uses? I've seen many different brands, but not sure if they are all created equal. Thanks for the recipe!
Bob’s Red Mill makes an all-purpose baking flour that works very nicely in every recipe I have used so far!
JulesGlutenFree.com has an all purpose flour mix that is the best I’ve tried. Check her website out.
Jill, That's a very good question. Not all flours are created equal and usually you can't use just one flour to replace wheat flour.
I usually link to my post about gluten free flours, but forgot to do that. You can view it here:
http://www.glutenfreehomemaker.com/2009/03/gluten-free-flour-mixes.html
The pumpkin roll looks great. I made several of these last year. I can't wait to start making them again.
Linda – thanks for the great resource on GF flours!!
This sounds like a great idea.
I may go for a visit. Thanks for posting it.
Joyful
I've never tried a roll before. You make it look easy. Thanks for joining in the fun at the Holiday Food Fest!
~Liz
Beautiful! What a great presentation, perfect for serving at holiday functions!
Made this today, going to try it this evening- can;t wait. Thanks for the recipe!
Linda, I remember you sharing this recipe before and drooling over it! I think you should consider making some cashew cream that so many dairy-free folks make for recipes to give it a go dairy free. I'll be waiting with baited breath if you do. 😉 Thanks so much for sharing this as a Thanksgiving favorite for out Gluten-Free Holiday event!
Hugs,
Shirley
Thanks, I love cashew cream and was trying to figure out how to make this without using cream cheese! Now I will try this one.
Oh wow, this looks good. I need to try my hand at a rolled cake like this. Never done it – gluten-free or not!
has anyone used the king arthur glutenfree multi purpose flour… this is my first holiday season without gluten and i'm trying to figure how versatile some of these flours are for baking… any cookie ideas? My daughter (with celiac's) loves sugar cut outs…!!
Responding to Anonymous a year later, I just made a gluten-free pumpkin roll from a different recipe using King Arthur gluten-free multipurpose flour and it came out beautifully. It was a little dense — maybe I should have added the xanthan gum? — but I got compliments on it’s professional appearance.
can u substitute and use the pamelas baking mix
I have never tried any substitutions and I have never used that mix so I really can’t say. It might work. If you are willing to experiment, I would substitute the mix for the total amount of flour and if the mix contains xanthan gum then don’t add what the recipe calls for.
I make Pumpkin Rolls evey year using the recipe from Libby’s website. I use Pamela’s Pancake and Baking Mix as the flour. All the rest of the recipe stays the same. I use 1/2 of a 15 oz of Libby’s Pumkin. I always make two recipes to use up the other 1/2 can of pumpkin.
They aren’t hard to make, just a bit messy with the powdered sugar.
Good luck!
where do you find the Pamela’s pancake and baking mix?
Many health food stores carry it or you can find it on Amazon.
Celiac Chick Newburg said to check this out. Thanks for publishing it online.
I have always enjoyed making pumpkin rolls. My boyfriend’s father has celiac’s so I was looking for a gluten-free recipe. I didn’t think I was going to like it, as most gluten-free foods I don’t. But, I will be using this recipe for every pumpkin roll I make from now on. It was delicious my boyfrien’d family absolutely loved it. Thank you so much for posting the recipe. My baking was a hit at Thanksgiving dinner.
Heather, you made my day! Thanks for letting me know how much you all enjoyed the pumpkin roll.
What a creative and delicious gluten-free pumpkin treat!
I can’t have corn either. Any suggestions on a flour mix.
There are two flour mixes on this page that can be made without corn.
http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/gluten-free-flour-mixes/
I am looking forward to beginning new Thanksgiving traditions!
This 2013 is my second year to make this yummy roll. I use King Arthur gf flour and a pinch of xanthum is most every gf recipe. This is likely to be a yearly request. All family members like it.
“in” not “is” 🙂
I’m a little confused on what exactly are the filling ingredients? you stayed up eggs and sugar mixture then dry and pumpkin mixture are those combined and then placed into the baking pan and then what is the filling ingredients once thats baked
The last four ingredients are for the filling: 8 ounces cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Hi there!! I’m about to make this recipe using vegan cream cheese 🙂 excited!! But your flour mix links aren’t working for me at all. Can you please list the flour components and ratios? I have almost every flour on hand except Almond flour b/c it’s so expensive! Thx!!
Sorry, Emilie, I was out of town and without Internet access. I think I used this flour mix in that recipe: 6 parts rice flour (white or brown) 2 parts potato starch 1 part tapioca starch
Nice! I didn’t roll it but it came out wonderful! Delicious and helped with the sweet tooth.
Can this be made without the nuts? I cant do nuts, but am wondering if it will roll as well without them. Thank you!
Pumpkin roll was one of my favorites before going GF, so I’m excited about this. Do you think there is a way to cut back on the sugar and still have good results? Suggestions? Thanks.
I use cup for cup gluten free flours. I shouldn’t need to add more xanthium would I ?
My daughter and I made this because my grandson has celiac disease. I have made a lot of pumpkin rolls and this one was as good as the ones I made with regular flour. Everyone loved it! No one believed it was gluten free. I was surprised! Thank you for the great recipe!
Would Namaste flour blend work? It has xanthan gum. I can just not add more.
Thanks Linda Blessings to you and your family!!:)
Linda, I don’t know how it will work. I suggest giving it a trial run before planning on using it for anything special. You can also read my FAQ regarding substitutes here: http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/frequently-asked-questions/#substitutions
I’m going to use krusteaz gf all purpose flour. The ingredients says it has xanthate gum in it. Will I still need to add it?
I made this for Thanksgiving and it turned out great! Will definitely make this recipe again! Thank you!
Dear Linda, This will be my fifth year making your Pumpkin Roll for family Thanksgiving dinner, plus a few times for other holiday gatherings. More than our two gf members enjoy it. You are officially in the family tradition. Years ago I pinned it, but today I am hand copying in into my ledger of family favorites. Enjoy your own Thanksgiving. You are a Blessing.
OMgosh… bad math. This is the SEVENTH year! How time flies when one eats with such happiness.
Yay! Thanks so much for letting me know. That is exactly why I have this blog!