Current high angular resolution electron backscatter diffraction (HR-EBSD) methods are successful at measuring pure elastic strains but have difficulties with plastically deformed metals containing orientation gradients. The strong influences of these rotations have been systematically studied using simulated patterns based on the many-beam dynamic theory of EBSP formation; a rotation of only 1 can lead to apparent elastic strains of several hundred microstrains. A new method is proposed to correct for orientation gradient effects using a two-step procedure integrating finite strain theory: (i) reference pattern rotation and (ii) cross-correlation; it reduces the strain errors on the simulated patterns to tens of microstrains. An application to plastically deformed ferritic steel to generates elastic strain maps with significantly reduced values of both strains and residual errors in regions of rotations exceeding 1 degrees.