Mini Gluten Free Cinnamon Roll Pavlovas

These were definitely one of the messiest desserts I’ve ever made. So much so that I nearly thought the photoshoot was going to be one giant, dripping disaster. But they’re decent! And they taste fantastic. I’d never made cinnamon meringue before so was worried how it was going to turn out, flavor wise, but with a light cinnamon touch in the pavlovas themselves, and a heavier cinnamon glaze, it balances out. The cream cheese custard is perfectly satisfying – much heavier and creamier than the airy, marshmallowy pavlova, and creamier than the heavily-spiced glaze. They’re a bit of work, but worth it for a messy treat.

And! They’re part of a giant Instagram baking challenge that we’re a part of! Huge thanks to the organizers (check out our post on Instagram with more information) for pulling together #thegreatinstabakecollab – that’s drawn together dozens of home and semi-professional bakers from the UK, US, and beyond! Honestly, things like this are some of the better reasons to be a part of social media: there is huge potential for connecting with others and making new friends who you can commiserate with if a bake goes particularly sideways, or draw inspiration and ideas from when you’re stumped and needing to figure out what to do for this “something with cinnamon” challenge. We’ll be posting another entry for this collective baking collaboration on Friday the 18th for the layer cake challenge!

We had lots of other ideas for this cinnamon challenge, so eventually we’ll have to get to those and actually make them, but for now, we’ll keep munching through these cinnamon meringue pillows topped with endless scoops of custard and cinnamon glaze. If you’re a cinnamon fan, check out our cinnamon roll cupcakes, or these chocolate, chile, cinnamon cupcakes, or if you’re looking for something marshmallowy, definitely make these s’mores cupcakes with homemade marshmallow fluff (essentially meringue with a sugar syrup).

Print Recipe

Mini Gluten Free Cinnamon Roll Pavlovas

Marshmallowy pillows of cinnamon meringue topped with cream cheese custard and cinnamon glaze

Prep Time1 hour hr

Cook Time1 hour hr

Cooling/rest time2 hours hrs

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Australian

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: cinnamon, cinnamon roll, cream cheese, custard, glaze, gluten free, meringue, pavlova

Servings: 10 people

Calories: 500kcal

Author: Amelia Farber

Equipment

• Cookie sheets
• Parchment paper
• Medium saucepan
• Electric mixer

Ingredients

For the mini pavlovas:

• 6 large egg whites (absolutely no yolk) room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 1/2 Cups white sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp corn starch
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• pinch salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

For the cream cheese custard:

• 3 large eggs
• 1 Cup milk
• 1/2 Cup cream
• 1/3 Cup white sugar
• 1/3 Cup corn starch
• 1 8 oz pack cream cheese room temperature, cut into chunks
• pinch salt

For the cinnamon glaze

• 1 Cup sifted powdered sugar
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp milk

Instructions

To make the pavlovas:

• First, preheat oven to 275° Fahrenheit, and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper (do not grease the paper). In a medium bowl, sift together the corn starch, sugar, salt, and cinnamon, then set aside. In a large, clean, dry bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites on medium speed with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. While still beating on medium high, slowly sprinkle in the sifted sugar/starch/cinnamon/salt (about a tablespoon at a time) until it is all added. Continue to beat on high until the meringue is thick and marshmallowy, about 4-5 minutes, and stiff peaks form.
• Using two soup or dinner spoons, scoop out about baseball-sized heaps of meringue into mounds on each cookie sheet (about 4-5 per sheet, with 3-4 inches in between them), shaping them how you'd like. Bake for one hour, only opening the oven once to turn pans front to back and switch layers. Once the hour is up, turn off the oven with the pavlovas still inside and let cool for 2 hours. While the pavlovas are cooling, make the toppings.

To make the cream cheese custard:

• In a medium saucepan, heat the sugar, corn starch, eggs, milk, and cream on medium until simmering, stirring constantly so the custard won't burn. Continue to simmer on low for 10-15 minutes until the custard has thickened and is smooth. Remove from heat and add in the vanilla and the room temp cream cheese chunks and stir until cream cheese is melted (I recommend whisking to ensure small bits are combined). Once smooth, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To make the cinnamon glaze:

• In a small bowl, combine the sifted powdered sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and milk and stir together until completely smooth. If you want a thinner glaze, add a bit more milk. If you want it thicker, add more powdered sugar. Set aside or scoop into a small pitcher to serve.
• Once pavlovas are cool, place on serving platter or plates, top with custard and pour over cinnamon glaze. Dust with additional cinnamon for optional decoration, then serve!

Tag @sisterssansgluten on Instagram if you snap a photo of your pavlovas!

Food photography and styling by Amelia Farber