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All the deliciousness of a cinnamon roll packed into simple, fluffy cinnamon muffins—no yeast, no eggs, no fuss, and so satisfying with a crunchy cinnamon sugar topping!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
The next time you crave homemade vegan cinnamon rolls but don’t want to spend hours kneading, proofing, and rolling (or even just the rolling of my ‘shortcut’ crescent roll cinnamon rolls) – these cinnamon muffins are here to save the day. They’re simple yet tender and loaded with a moreish crunchy cinnamon sugar topping that’s sure to have you reaching for seconds.
Even better, these muffins are as easy to make as they are hard to resist – only 10 simple, pantry staples with no dairy or eggs and no fancy equipment; they’re truly ‘cinn-national’ (and non-vegan approved)! Once baked, they’re perfect for breakfast, with hot drinks (like tea, coffee, or vegan hot chocolate), dessert (especially slathered with vegan cream cheese frosting), or anytime.
And if you love these cinnamon sugar muffins, you’re sure to enjoy my vegan churros, easy vegan snickerdoodles, and maybe even my apple cinnamon bread. Looking for more muffin recipes? Try out these sweet potato muffins, easy pineapple muffins, chocolate chocolate chip muffins, or pumpkin oatmeal muffins!
Ingredient Notes
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients, substitutes, and quantities.
Recipe Variations
- Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 swap of gluten-free flour like King Arthur/Bob’s Red Mill.
- Pumpkin pie spice: Add a fall twist by subbing the cinnamon.
- Nutmeg: A pinch adds depth to the warm flavors of brown sugar cinnamon muffins.
- Mix–ins: Add up to 1 cup of any of the following to the cinnamon muffins recipe.
- Vegan chocolate chips (regular or mini semi-sweet or bitter-sweet choc chips)
- Nuts (toasted pecans, walnuts, almonds, pepitas, etc.)
- Dried fruit (raisins/cranberries for chewy sweetness)
- Fruit (like blueberries, strawberries, or diced apples)
- Stuffed muffins: Fill batter halfway, add a dollop of vegan chocolate spread/cream cheese (plain or sweetened), and top with more batter.
- Streusel topping: To add buttery crunch, add a vegan crumb topping from my easy blackberry crumble recipe optionally with cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top.
- Vegan glaze: Boost the cinnamon bun muffins ‘vibe’ with a basic or vegan cream cheese glaze (powdered sugar + plant-based milk/cream cheese).
How to Make Vegan Cinnamon Muffins
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350F/180C and add 10 muffin liners to a muffin tin. Then, in a large bowl, whisk the plant milk and apple cider vinegar until it thickens/curdles. Stir in the vanilla extract and oil.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon (if using), and salt. Mix the dry and wet ingredients. Be careful not to over-mix the batter.
Step 3: Divide the batter between the muffin cups, filling them to the top.
Step 4: Then, in a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon before generously topping each muffin with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Step 5: Bake the cinnamon roll muffins for 20-25 minutes, or until golden and a skewer/knife inserted in the center comes out clean (moist crumbs are fine). Remove them from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes before removing them from the tin and cooling completely on a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Enjoy cinnamon sugar muffins alone, with vegan butter, vegan chocolate spread, vegan cream cheese, a scoop of nice cream, and/or a warm cup of tea, coffee, or vegan hot chocolate.
FAQs
You may be able to get away with thoroughly greasing the muffin tin directly, though I haven’t tried it.
Yes – divide the batter into a mini muffin tray and reduce the baking time accordingly, using a toothpick to test for doneness.
Pro Recipe Tips
- Use the spoon-and-level method: Fluff the flour in its bag, spoon it into the cup, then level with the back of a knife – so you don’t use too much and produce dense, dry muffins.
- If you love cinnamon: Add cinnamon (and/or a layer of cinnamon sugar) to the batter. Or make extra cinnamon sugar and roll the entire baked muffin in it after a layer of melted vegan butter.
- Don’t overwork the batter: It’s best to mix just until the dry ingredients have been incorporated to avoid tough and/or dense cinnamon muffins.
Storage Instructions
Store: Store the cooled cinnamon sugar muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the fridge for up to a week.
Freezer: Flash freeze the homemade cinnamon muffins until solid. Then transfer them to a Ziplock/Stasher (optionally individually wrapped in plastic wrap) for up to 3 months.
Thaw overnight in the fridge, for several hours at room temperature, or about 30-50 seconds in a microwave.
Reheat: Gently warm one of these vegan cinnamon roll muffins for 20-30 seconds in a microwave. Or for several minutes in the oven at 350F.
Easy Cinnamon Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
Muffins
- ¾ cup of plain plant-based milk (soy works best)
- 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- ½ cup of neutral oil
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup of brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- ½ teaspoon of baking soda
- ½ teaspoon of salt
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- ⅓ cup of sugar
- 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line 10 muffin liners in a muffin tin. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the plant-based milk and apple cider vinegar. Whisk until it thickens and add the vanilla extract and oil. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
- In a medium bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Mix well, but do not overmix.
- Fill the muffin cups to the top and allow them to sit while you make the topping.
- In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon.
- Generously top the muffins with the sugar and cinnamon mixture.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick or knife comes out clean when inserted.
- Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Remove them from the baking tin and transfer them to a cooling rack to fully cool.
Notes
- Use the spoon-and-level method: Fluff the flour in its bag, spoon it into the cup, then level with the back of a knife – so you don’t use too much and produce dense, dry muffins.
- If you love cinnamon: Add cinnamon (and/or a layer of cinnamon sugar) to the batter. Or make extra cinnamon sugar and roll the entire baked muffin in it after a layer of melted vegan butter.
- Don’t overwork the batter: It’s best to mix just until the dry ingredients have been incorporated to avoid tough and/or dense cinnamon muffins.
