Cinnamon Coffee Cake Muffins Gluten-Free Dairy-Free

I love the smell of cinnamon in the kitchen. I wanted to make a quick and easy recipe for a breakfast muffin to go with coffee. And, I wanted it to give me that cinnamon filling and crumbly top of a coffee cake. I like the ease of muffins in the morning (or really any time). This recipe can be made vegan, if you use an egg replacer.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 24

Ingredients

FILLING
1 cup LIGHT BROWN SUGAR - PACKED (For a sugar-free recipe use coconut sugar instead)
1 Tbsp GROUND CINNAMON

TOPPING
1 cup LIGHT BROWN SUGAR - PACKED (For a sugar-free recipe use coconut sugar instead)
1 cup GLUTEN-FREE ALL PURPOSE FLOUR (with Xanthan Gum) - I used Bob's Red Mill 1-1
1 Tbsp GROUND CINNAMON
1/2 cup VEGAN BUTTER - softened and chopped up

MUFFIN BATTER
3 cups GLUTEN-FREE ALL PURPOSE FLOUR (with Xanthan Gum)
2 tsp BAKING POWDER
1/4 cup LIGHT BROWN SUGAR - PACKED (For a sugar-free recipe use coconut sugar instead)
3/4 cup GRANULATED SUGAR (For a sugar-free recipe use coconut sugar instead)
1 tsp GROUND CINNAMON
1/2 tsp SALT
1 cup VEGAN BUTTER - melted
1 tsp VANILLA EXTRACT
3 EGGS, at room temperature (To make VEGAN - use egg replacer like FLAX eggs)
3/4 cup unsweetened NON-DAIRY MILK (I used Cashew Milk)

Directions

  • PRE-HEAT oven to 350 degrees F
  • Prepare 24 standard muffin tins with paper liners
  • FILLING: In a small bowl, WHISK all the filling ingredients until there are no brown sugar lumps. Set aside.
  • TOPPING: In a medium bowl, COMBINE all the topping ingredients and mix until it forms small crumbles. If you have a pastry blade that might help.
  • REFRIGERATE the topping until later
  • BATTER: In a large bowl, MIX together the flour, baking powder, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
  • ADD the melted butter and vanilla, and using a hand mixer on low, completely combined with the dry ingredients.
  • BEAT in the eggs and mix until smooth.
  • POUR the milk in, about a 1/4 cup at a time, and BEAT until smooth. Set aside.
  • ASSEMBLE: FILL muffin cups about 1/4 full with batter.
  • SPRINKLE the filling on top of the batter in each muffin cup; cover from side to side.
  • FILL muffin cups with the rest of the batter (about 1/2 full – do not overfill)
  • SPRINKLE topping evenly over muffins in each cup and pat down so that it covers nicely
  • BAKE: 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the muffins
  • COOL in the pans for 10 minutes before serving or moving muffins to a cooling rack
  • STORE in an air-tight container for a few days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and heat in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. These muffins are awesome when warm – I have been spreading vegan cream cheese on top.