Fluffy Cinnamon Swirl Muffins (Vegan + GF)

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Stack of vegan and gluten-free muffins dusted with cinnamon sugar

The satisfaction of a cinnamon roll with the ease of coffee cake? Oh yeah, we went there. These FLUFFY cinnamon swirl muffins are perfectly moist, easy to make, and the ideal companion for your holiday or weekend mornings. Mmm, cozy!

Tender, sweet, and undetectably vegan and gluten-free, plus just 10 ingredients required. Let’s make muffins, friends!

Flaxseed meal, baking powder, potato starch, brown rice flour, melted vegan butter, salt, almond flour, cane sugar, water, and cinnamon

How to Make Gluten-Free Cinnamon Swirl Muffins

These super snack-able cinnamon swirl muffins start with a sweet yet wholesome batter. Almond flour, potato starch, and brown rice flour combine for a fluffy, undetectably gluten-free texture.

Melted vegan butter and vanilla add comforting flavor while cane sugar adds classic sweetness. And don’t forget the baking powder for rise and salt for overall flavor!

Bowl of vegan gluten-free muffin dough

Then, it’s swirl time! Cinnamon and sugar combined? Yes, please. We top the muffins with the cinnamon sugar mixture and also add some in the middle of the muffins for a sweet and spicy layer. Hubba hubba!

Sprinkling cinnamon sugar into muffin tins of dough

Signed, sealed, and delivered? How about mixed, baked, and devoured? Now we’re talkin’!

Freshly baked cinnamon sugar muffins on a cooling rack

We hope you LOVE these cinnamon swirl muffins! They’re:

Fluffy
Sweet
Tender
Classic
Quick & easy
& Perfect for sharing!

Enjoy for an indulgent holiday or weekend breakfast, or as a satisfying snack or healthier dessert. They’d be especially amazing paired with coffee or tea made with a splash of our Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer (Dairy-Free!)!

More Cinnamon-Spiced Treats

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

Muffin cut open to show the swirls of cinnamon on the inside

Fluffy Cinnamon Swirl Muffins (Vegan + GF)

Fluffy and tender cinnamon swirl muffins, like perfect little coffee cakes! Undetectably gluten-free and vegan, with just 10 ingredients required!
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Close up shot of two stacked cinnamon swirl muffins
4.67 from 12 votes
Prep Time 12 minutes
Cook Time 33 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 12 (Muffins)
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly 1 month
Does it keep? 4-5 Days

Ingredients

CINNAMON SUGAR

  • 1/4 cup cane sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon

MUFFINS

  • 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal (ground flax seeds)
  • 1 cup filtered water
  • 1/3 cup organic cane sugar (or sub coconut sugar, but the muffins will be darker and taste more wholesome)
  • 1/4 cup melted vegan butter (we like Miyoko’s or Earth Balance)
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups almond flour (we like Wellbee’s)
  • 3/4 cup potato starch (NOT potato flour)
  • 1/3 cup brown rice flour
  • 2 ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and line a standard muffin tin with paper baking cups. (We find the unbleached, brown paper liners work best — they don’t stick to the muffins when peeled away).
  • In a small bowl combine the cane sugar and cinnamon and mix until evenly combined — this creates the “swirl” mixture. Set aside.
  • In a medium mixing bowl combine the flaxseed meal and water, and set aside for 5 minutes. Add the sugar to the flax mixture and whisk to combine. Then add the melted butter and vanilla and mix again.
  • Add the almond flour, potato starch, brown rice flour, baking powder, and salt. The mixture should be smooth and somewhat thick. Scoop 1 Tbsp amounts of muffin batter into each muffin cup and spread slightly. Then sprinkle 1/2 tsp of cinnamon sugar evenly over the batter. Evenly divide the remaining batter into the muffin tins, and top each with another 1/2 tsp of cinnamon sugar.
  • Bake for 28-33 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, or with very few crumbs. Remove from oven and let cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Then remove from the tin and let cool completely on a cooling rack. The wrappers peel away more easily and the muffin texture is best when completely cooled.
  • Once cooled, muffins will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days, in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, or in the freezer for 1 month.

Video

Notes

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.

Nutrition (1 of 12 servings)

Serving: 1 muffin Calories: 232 Carbohydrates: 26.1 g Protein: 4.5 g Fat: 13.2 g Saturated Fat: 3.4 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.6 g Monounsaturated Fat: 6.1 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 223 mg Potassium: 167 mg Fiber: 2.7 g Sugar: 10.7 g Vitamin A: 0 IU Vitamin C: 0 mg Calcium: 110 mg Iron: 0.9 mg

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  1. Nisha says

    I made this and subbed the vegan butter for 1/4c coconut oil and made them in a mini muffin tray. It took 30 min to get a bit of a golden touch to the top and bottom. The flavor was good but it was a bit of a stiff texture, it had a nice looking crumb but was kind of chewy. I’d like to play with it more to get the fluffy texture.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Nisha, Sorry to hear the muffins didn’t turn out right! Did you make any adjustments to the flours? We’re a little stumped on why they would be chewy.

      • Nisha says

        I didn’t change the flours but I did let the batter sit in the fridge overnight since I didn’t have time to bake it right away. Next time I’ll try to bake it as soon as it’s mixed and see if that makes the results closer to yours!

  2. Teresa says

    Do you know if this (or any of your other amond flour based recipes) would work with ground walnuts or pecans? Due to food sensitivities neither almonds nor cashews work for our family.
    I know walnuts can turn quite oily, but maybe i could adjust for that by using slightly less oil/butter.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Teresa, we think the flavor of both might be too strong, especially the walnuts. Can you have cashew flour? That would be the next best option!

  3. prashanthi atluri says

    Sucess!! I subbed out the vegan butter and cane sugar . I used a mixture of sun butter and cashew cream for the butter and maple sugar for the cane sugar. Definitely a keeper. Only 2 muffins left!

  4. Terri C says

    I loved this recipe! My flax meal didn’t gel, though. I added about a T of psyllium husk and let it sit a minute longer because the batter was so wet. Any thoughts about why the flax meal didn’t gel?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Terri, we assume the flax seeds were ground (not whole) since you are saying flax meal, but just want to confirm! Another possibility is that because of the amount of water in this recipe, it doesn’t look like it is getting gel-like, but it still has a mucilaginous property that helps with binding. We’ll revisit the recipe and see if we can adjust it to avoid confusion. We’re glad the muffins still turned out well!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi, Possibly dairy-free yogurt, but the butter is helpful for the best flavor and texture. Fat/oil helps the texture of the muffins stay more fluffy and crumby, rather than overly dense and moist. Let us know if you do some experimenting!

  5. Jenny says

    I am a long time huge fan of your blog thank you for all your amazing work!! I made these this morning they are delicious- I’m glad I can share some adjustments I made. I read others comments about issues with dryness which was so helpful to be mindful of. I wanted to use eggs instead of flax so I adapted accordingly.
    I used 2 eggs and I also added approx 3/4 C of homemade cashew milk. At first I just added 1/2C not wanting to overdo it but I could tell the batter wasn’t overly hydrated so I added a bit more- I feel like I could have even added 1C total with the 2 eggs, I will try that next time. These muffins are delicious and fluffy and flavourful- great texture for gluten free. I added small amounts of batter to the muffin cups at a time so I could layer the cinnamon sugar more than once in the middle and once on top- I did 3 layers!
    Thank you for the yummy recipe!

  6. Ashley says

    For those who are grain free, I sub the rice flour with cassava flour and the muffins turned out yummy. Family approved :)

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modification, Ashley!

  7. Emma Brady says

    Hello, My batter came out really dry. I substituted Potato Starch for Corn Starch, and Brown Rice Flour for regular all-purpose flour. Is there a way to make the batter less dry at this point before cooking?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Emma, it’s likely the all purpose flour swap, though both could be making a difference! You could try adding a little dairy-free milk.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Gila, we haven’t tried this with eggs but we think using 2 in place of the flaxseed meal and water could work! Let us know how it goes!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Will! The gluten-free flour should work to replace the brown rice flour and potato starch, however we would still suggest keeping the almond flour in to achieve the right texture! Hope this helps. xo

      • William Stokes says

        I made it using your suggested comments (replacing the brown rice flour and potato starch while keeping the almond flour). I can’t compare it to the original recipe but it turned out well! Thanks for following up with the comment!

  8. Dalila says

    I want to make these asap! Could you tell me more precisely the oven settings you use? Fan or not? Heat from the top or both top and bottom? Do you put a little dish with water in the oven to kind of “steam bake”?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Sofia, potato starch is key for a light, fluffy texture in GF baked goods! The next best option would be corn starch, but we can’t guarantee it will turn out the same. Let us know if you try it!

  9. kat says

    Such a lovely recipe!! I made a small batch of these :) Shocked at how delicious these are even though they are vegan. Dessert recipes with almond flour can sometimes be a miss due to how nutty and dense they can get….but these were the perfect balance of nutty and fluffy with the addition of potato starch and brown rice flour. Mine took the full 33 min to bake through. Yum!!

  10. Jenell says

    Great recipe! I used almond flour and Trader Joe’s gluten-free flour because that’s what I had at home. Not quite as fluffy, but the muffins still taste amazing. My daughter loved them. I will definitely make them again.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Possibly! It’s hard to say without testing it, but we think eggs could make it more dry. Let us know if you try it!

  11. Irenka says

    These were delicious! I made two substitutions (all purpose flour instead of brown rice flour and cornstarch instead of potatoes starch) and the appearance wasn’t as plump and toasted looking as the picture here despite adding baking time (not sure why?). But the results were sooooo delicious! We ate them with some iogurt and blueberries for breakfast and this was a really perfect winter holiday start of the day 😊

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

          Is it possible you used superfine brown rice flour – that would be more absorbent and cause drying. Otherwise, maybe overbaked?

          • Margaret says

            I used the Bob’s Red Mill stone ground Brown Rice Flour, so not a super fine one. But maybe I overbaked them a little bit… who knows! 🤷‍♀️. Regardless, they were very tasty and I’ve already passed the recipe on to my friend whose son loved them (he is particular about what he eats!) So I call that a win! I will try baking them again and will bake them for a little less time to see if that helps. Thank you!

          • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

            We’re so glad he enjoyed them! That flour should work! Let us know how it goes next time with a little shorter bake time.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Sharon, we haven’t tried this without brown rice flour, but you could try all-purpose flour, sorghum flour, or maybe oat flour. Let us know if you do some experimenting!

  12. Nikki Evans says

    Could I sub in white rice flour for the brown as I currently have that on hand and the grocery was out of the brown rice flour? Would it be an equivalent amount?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Nikki, we wouldn’t recommend that because brown and white rice flour have very different textures. Some other options might be all-purpose flour, sorghum flour, or maybe oat flour, but we haven’t tested with these variations so can’t guarantee it will turn out the same. Our guide to gluten-free flours might also be helpful!

  13. Amanda C. says

    Hello! Do you think 2 eggs would work in the place of the flax? And could I perhaps sub coconut oil for the butter? These look delicious 😍

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Amanda, oil should work! We think eggs could be too drying, but it’s hard to say without testing it. Let us know if you try it!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Amanda, potato starch is key for a light, fluffy texture in GF baked goods! The next best option would be corn starch, but we can’t guarantee it will turn out the same. Let us know if you try it!

      • Christine W says

        Actually I used tapioca starch and these were super fluffy and delicious! I was shocked that they were fluffy and moist even the next day. I did change a lot so not sure if it counts: coconut oil instead of vegan butter, and cinnamon chips instead of the sugar/cinnamon mix. And Trader Joe’s Allulose instead of can sugar. So, except for the cinnamon chips, these were almost sugar free! My teenager loved too – I will make these OFTEN! Oh, I also sprinkled chopped pecans on top!

  14. Amy says

    Do you think a gf all purpose blend, like king arthur measure for measure, would work instead of the rice flour? Thank you!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Liberty, we haven’t tried this without brown rice flour, but you could try all-purpose flour, sorghum flour, or maybe oat flour!

  15. Mili says

    Hi! Thanks for aleays sharing so delicious recipes! Is it possible to replace butter for oil or a nut butter maybe?

    Thank you!

      • Diane says

        Hi! Thanks for sharing this recipe! Just made it with the winds howling outside. Smells so wonderful inside the house now before heading to bed. Yes, I had to taste one…sooo yummy! I look forward to sharing with a friend tomorrow who is GF also. These muffins are moist…need to get plain paper muffin cups as mine had the dough sticking to it. Easy and quick to make….as described!👍🏼

  16. Judy says

    I realize the recipe is gluten-free… Can you suggest one type of flour to replace the almond flour, potato starch and brown rice flour since I don’t use any of these types of ingredients, and don’t require gluten-free. Appreciate your input. Thanks.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Judy! We haven’t tried this recipe with all-purpose flour but you could probably substitute all three flours for it. You will most likely need less since almond flour is not as absorbent as all-purpose flour! Let us know if you try it. xo

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Bea! We haven’t tried it, but we think it should work! You will just have to bake it for longer.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Marie, we haven’t tested that, but the flax in this recipe is primarily for binding, not fluffiness so egg replacer would probably work better than aquafaba. Or if you have ground chia seeds, we think that would be the next best option, but we’d recommend using half the amount as they’re more absorbent. Let us know if you try it!