Grain-Free Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll in a Mug Recipe (Paleo, Gluten-free)
Last updated on March 12, 2026 by Jessica Healey
Originally published on September 21, 2015
It’s fall, y’all!
The bewitching time of year when we pumpkin spice all the things and grocery stores and shopping malls turn into autumn wonderlands. Everywhere smells of cinnamon sticks, cider, and cinnamon rolls with glittering pumpkins and country apple candles bamboozling their shelves.
It’s glorious, isn’t it?
Being from Charleston, SC, I never really experienced the changing of seasons and, more times than not, I went trick-or-treating and bobbing for apples rocking flip flops every Halloween. Because of this my family has always had to make the season come to us, creating in-home fall forests with fake foliage and faux scents.
My mom was always wonderful about decorating the house as soon as Labor Day was over, and I lived for the day when we would pull the boxes out of the garage so we could set up her tiny ceramic village. We would arrange the houses and shops over a long layer of green felt which we would then sprinkle with tiny orange and red falling leaves.
This year my 2-year-old son will get to feast his eyes upon her masterpiece, and I can’t wait to see his excitement and hear his giggles when she points out every teensy detail of the township down to the couple strolling hand in hand through the pine forest or the miniature dog looking at the cakes in the bake shop.
These sweet memories on warm September mornings make me ooze with happiness, and when I add a piping hot mug of coffee and a super quick, warm and gooey pumpkin cinnamon roll to the mix, the joy of the season is ingrained in my brain…even if it’s 4,000 degrees outside.
Most people forget pumpkin is a squash, so this cinnamon roll in a mug is actually quite good for you.
Nowadays, people overladen the fruit with refined sugars, chemicals, and other things you can’t pronounce and it’s taking away the homemade nostalgia pumpkin flavors are supposed to bring.
These pumpkin cinnamon rolls in a mug are the complete opposite of that! They’re gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free, and super quick to make so you don’t have to feel any guilt when feeding them to your family.
I love this recipe because it pulls together so quickly. You could even prep the ingredients in advance and save yourself even more time on busy days. I don’t know about y’all, but I have a toddler who likes to cling to my legs in the morning and repetitively say, “Mama. Mama. Mama” until his breakfast is on the table so lightning fast recipes are key for me.
It most certainly doesn’t hurt that these cinnamon rolls in a mug replicate dessert so your kids will be engrossed in their meal from start to finish. Lucky for us, they’re packed with protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and fiber so we can feel good about what they’re eating.
Paleo (or Gluten-Free, Grain-Free) Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll in a Mug
Equipment
- Large mug - microwaveable
Ingredients
- 3 T Almond Meal - organic if possible
- ½ t Pumpkin Pie Spice - organic, non-irradiated
- 1 T Coconut Sugar - organic
- ½ t Baking Powder - aluminum-free
- 1 pinch Sea Salt - this sea salt is the best bang for your buck
- ½ c Pumpkin Puree - organic
- 1 Egg
- 3 T Unsweetened Applesauce - or homemade
- 1 t Vanilla Extract - organic
- 1 T Coconut Butter - coconut cream concentrate &/or mana, melted (organic)
- Roasted Pumpkin Seeds - optional
Instructions
If eating now:
- Combine all of the pumpkin cinnamon roll ingredients in a large mug and stir until completely combined. Microwave for 2½ minutes, or until cooked through.
- Once roll is cooked, drizzle melted coconut cream icing over cooked cinnamon roll in a circle, then sprinkle on roasted pumpkin seeds.
Prep the night before:
- Combine almond flour, pumpkin pie spice, coconut sugar, baking powder, and sea salt in large coffee mug. Cover with plastic wrap then set aside until morning.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, egg, unsweetened applesauce, and vanilla extract then cover and refrigerate until morning.
- When ready to eat, mix wet ingredients into the dry ingredients then microwave for 2½ minutes, or until cooked through.
- Once cooked, drizzle melted coconut cream icing over cooked cinnamon roll in a circle, then sprinkle on roasted pumpkin seeds.
Coconut butter (manna) is also featured in these yummy Raw Brownie Bites!
