I created this easy gluten free jam roly poly treats recipe after my 4 year old came back from his school baking class. They had made a gluten version and it was sad that we weren’t able to bake it together at home, so I decided to accept the challenge and create a gluten free recipe.
The result, such a delicious treat of sweet shortcrust pastry swirled with strawberry jam – we all thoroughly enjoyed it! Perfect as an afternoon treat or as a dessert with custard or yoghurt. These bakes are different to the traditional jam roly poly pudding, but rather an easier bake to create and a lovely one to do with kids.
I used my sweet almond shortcrust pastry as the base pastry for these, as the texture is short and the flavour is the perfect balance of buttery sweetness. The almond flavour is very subtle, so you don’t notice it in the overall flavour of the end bake, but it really helps create a fantastic texture.
Can I Make This Nut Free?
Yes absolutely, just use my classic gluten free shortcrust as the base pastry and then follow the recipe below using it. It will have a slightly less crumbly texture but it’s still a lovely pastry.
Ground Almonds vs Almond Flour
This recipe calls for ground almonds, which are finely ground almonds rather than a milled flour. Almond flour is finer and has a lower fibre content. I would recommend sticking to using ground almonds for this recipe for the best results.
Can I Make This Pastry Ahead of Time?
Yes – if you need to make this pastry in advance and chill overnight that is fine. You will find it may be a little crumbly when you start working with it, after a long chill. To recover the correct texture (i.e. easy to work with and roll), simply break it into pieces, sprinkle with a few drops of water and knead the dough until pliable again.
Do I Have To Chill The Pastry?
It makes it much easier to work with, but if you are in a rush you can roll out and bake straight away. If you can bung it in the freezer for 5-10 minutes first that will really help. I did this with my son the first time we tried this recipe, as he was not in a patient mood that day!
The dough will be a bit stickier, so roll it our on a piece on non stick baking paper then lay a piece of cling film on top of the pastry. Rolling it out between these two layers will stop it getting stuck to your worktop or rolling pin.
Gluten Free Jam Roly Poly Treats Recipe
This recipe makes 8 gluten free jam roly poly treats.
You’ll find a full method below, plus some photos to help guide you through the recipe. However, feel free to email me any questions or comments you might have. You can contact me at laura@mygfguide.com or message me on Instagram/Facebook @myglutenfreeguide.
Lastly, if you enjoy my gluten free jam roly poly treats recipe, I would be really grateful if you could leave a star rating or review on the recipe card below. Thank you!
Laura xxx
Gluten Free Jam Roly Poly Treats
Swirls of sweet gluten free shortcrust pastry and strawberry jam, these lovely roly polys are great as an afternoon treat or a dessert with custard. Easy recipe, especially fun for making with kids.
Ingredients
- 200g gluten free plain flour (I used FREEE by Doves Farm)
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- 40g ground almonds
- 1.5 tbsp caster sugar
- 120g butter, chilled
- 1 large egg
- 1-2 tbsp water
- Strawberry jam (a quarter of a jar, approx 100g)
Instructions
- Add the 200g flour, 1 tsp xanthan gum, 1.5 tbsp sugar and the 40g ground almonds to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Grate in 120g chilled butter (using the large grater setting on a cheese grater) and then toss the butter strands through the flour with a spoon. Once the butter is coated with flour, use your finger tips to rub the butter into the flour until you have a coarse breadcrumb-like texture.
- Add one beaten egg to the bowl, along with a tbsp water (you may not need the secon) and stir to mix through. Then, use your hands knead the dough until to comes together. It should come away from the sides of the bowl and be a slightly sticky, but will form into a ball. If it is still a bit crumbly, add the second tbsp water and work to combine.
- Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes (if you are in a hurry, chill in the freezer for 10 minutes instead and see my notes in the intro about how to roll without it sticking).
- Once chilled, lay a large sheet of baking paper on your work surface and place the dough on top. Roll it out to a rectangle shape, approximately 30cm x 20cm in size. Then start preheating your oven to 180C (fan).
- Spread the jam over the pastry in an even layer, right to the edges. Then roll the pastry loosely, from the long edge, to create a roly poly swirl. Don't press down too hard while rolling, else the jam will be squeezed out.
- Cut the roly poly into 8 pieces, using a serated knife and a sawing action (rather than pressing straight down). Arrange these on a lined baking tray and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 20-25 minutes at 180C (fan), until golden.
- Enjoy hot or cold, as a solo treat or with custard!
For more tasty bakes, why not check out some of my other gluten free recipes while you are here:
Happy baking! Laura xxx
