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!
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!
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!
Signed, sealed, and delivered? How about mixed, baked, and devoured? Now we’re talkin’!
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
- Super Chunky Chai-Spiced Granola
- 3-Ingredient Applesauce (No Sugar Added)
- Vegan Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls
- Mini Sopapilla Pancakes
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!
Fluffy Cinnamon Swirl Muffins (Vegan + GF)
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.
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?
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!
ujwal meka says
Hey, I was wondering if I can make this recipe oil-free!
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!
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!
Sounds delicious! Thank so much for sharing, Jenny. xo
Ashley says
For those who are grain free, I sub the rice flour with cassava flour and the muffins turned out yummy. Family approved :)
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modification, Ashley!
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?
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.
Gila Goldberg says
If I want to use eggs, how many does the recipe call for?
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!
Shelley Haefner says
These sound delicious! Thoughts on using silicone baking cups instead of the paper ones?
That should be fine! Hope you love these muffins! xo
Veronique says
Delicious!!
Yay! Thanks Veronique!
Will says
Can I use the minimalist baker flour mixture instead of the almond and brown rice flour?
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!
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, William!
Nancy derhammer says
What can I use in place of potato starch.?
Hi Nancy, we think corn starch could possibly work, but we haven’t tried it in this recipe. Let us know how it goes if you try any subs!
Katie says
I made it with cornstarch instead of potato starch and they turned out lovely.
Yay! Thanks so much for the great review and for sharing your modifications, Katie!
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”?
Dalila says
Also, do you preheat?
We preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. xo
Hi Dalila, we just use our normal bake setting for these! No fan and we don’t steam bake either. Hope this helps! xo
Sofia Josefine Zarnowiecki says
Can I use something else in place of potato starch?
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!
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!!
Yay! Thanks so much for the great review, Kat, so glad you enjoy these muffins!
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.
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Jenell!
Lizzie says
Can I use one egg in place of flax meal and water?
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!
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 😊
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Irenka!
Margaret says
I made these today and they were delicious, but they came out a bit dry. What could have caused this? Thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them overall, Margaret! Did you make any modifications?
Margaret says
No, I didn’t change anything at all!
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!
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.
Lizzie says
How many eggs would I use instead of the flaxseed meal and water? Thanks!
Hi Lizzie, we’d suggest 2 eggs, but it may make them more dry.
Sharon says
What can I use in this recipe instead of the rice flour. I am allergic to rice.
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!
Michelle says
Hi. Can I use Bob’s Red Mill GF flour instead of potato starch and brown rice flour?
Hi Michelle, we haven’t tried it that way, but it might work! Let us know how it goes. xo
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?
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!
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 😍
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!
Amanda White says
Do you think that a sub out for the potato starch with either a corn starch or tapioca starch would work?
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!
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Christine!
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!
Hi Amy, we think that should work!
Liberty says
What could I use to substitute the rice flour?
Hi Liberty, we haven’t tried this without brown rice flour, but you could try all-purpose flour, sorghum flour, or maybe oat flour!
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!
Hi Mili, we think oil should work!
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!👍🏼
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Diane. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Lee says
Can you use something other than almond flour?
Hi Lee, you can try cashew flour or tigernut flour!
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.
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
Bea says
hi! they look delicious! can i make this in a bread tin or loaf pan? if so, do i have to make any modifications?
Hi Bea! We haven’t tried it, but we think it should work! You will just have to bake it for longer.
marie says
Can you use another egg replacer like Bob’s brand or aquafaba? Also can this be made in a pan instead of muffins.
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!