Call these what you want: cinnamon bun muffins, cinnamon muffins, cinnamon rolls. The bottom line is, they are gluten-free and contain a lot of cinnamon. I thought I had posted this recipe eons ago, but when a reader mentioned cinnamon bun muffins recently and I went to look for it, I couldn't find it.
I haven't made these muffins in quite a while, but they are so good, and they were one of the first muffin recipes I made when we started the SCD diet way back when (probably in 2006). A sweet, cinnamon-like aroma fills your home when you bake these. It's quite intoxicating if you like cinnamon.
One thing I sometimes do, that is not SCD legal, is use maple syrup instead of honey. But they taste great either way. So, your choice. And if you prefer baking with coconut flour, you might prefer this version of cinnamon bun muffins.
Also, I like to use a generous amount of topping, inside and on top of the muffin. It gives the muffin an authentic cinnamon-bun taste. Again, your choice. If you don't want as much topping, just make half the amount of topping my recipe calls for.
Cinnamon Bun Muffins {almond flour}
Ingredients
Muffin
- ½ cup almond milk or coconut milk, or other dairy-free milk, or yogurt
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 large eggs
- 2 ½ cups almond flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Cinnamon topping
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Instructions
Muffin
- Preheat oven to 310º F.
- Combine all the wet muffin ingredients into a bowl and blend well with a spoon.
- Add the dry muffin ingredients and blend well with a spoon.
- Place cupcake liners in a baking pan, and fill the liners halfway with batter.
- Add about a tablespoon of topping to the center of each muffin.
- Put another scoop of batter on top of each muffin until the batter just about reaches the top. Add nuts now if your adding them to the top of the muffin.
- Evenly distribute the remaining topping over the top of each muffin. Optionally, use a toothpick, fork, or spoon to blend the topping int the batter.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick placed in the center of a muffin comes out clean and the tops are starting to brown.
- Cool and enjoy! Store for a few days covered, in the refrigerator for 2 weeks, or seal and freeze for a few months.
Topping
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well-blended.
Georgene says
Is it possible to replace the honey with stevia or monk fruit? Will it change the texture?
Hi Georgene, I haven't tested either of these but I know others have used stevia with some added liquid with good results.
Amy Lara says
I make these muffins often and I love them! My bday is this weekend and I was wondering how it would be to make it in a small square pan for a cake. Would I need to double the recipe? Grease the pan? Etc? Any help would be great! Im not amazing at experimenting.
Erica says
Hi Amy. Happy almost Birthday! You can make a single batter cake in an 8 inch by 8 inch pan or to get a fuller cake I would double the batter and use a slightly larger single pan. Another option is to make to a round layer cake by doubling the batter and baking in two 8 inch round pans. I would definitely place parchment paper on the bottom of the pans and oil the pans.
Lizzy says
I just wanted to drop by and say I have been making these muffins for over 5 years for my family and am making them again today on a very cold February day. Thank you for this recipe. It's excellent.
Erica says
Thank you, Lizzy! It's still one of my favorites. Stay warm 🙂
Donna says
Love these muffins, They’re so easy to make and delicious!
Erica says
Thanks! So good to hear 🙂
Pam says
Hello! Do you think your recipe would still turn out ok if I prepared the muffin batter a day ahead and stored in a bowl in the fridge? Would love to bake them fresh on Christmas morning. Thanks!
Erica says
Yes, it should be fine. Just cover or seal the batter well so it doesn't dry out. Merry merry!
Marianne says
Love these! Just made them this morning for my 12 year old daughter who just got diagnosed with mild crohn's disease. They made her so happy and for that, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. We could really use some happiness lately. I used about half the amount of honey in the cinnamon sauce and they were just the right about of sweetness. Also, I used coconut oil instead of butter. They were done after 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
Erica says
So good to hear! I used to use more sweetener in my older recipes so feel free to bring it down a notch. Yes to happiness 🙂 Best wishes!
Becky says
This is the best scd friendly muffin recipe that I've ever tried! I love cinnamon but didn't have yogurt or almond milk so I used applesauce. The texture and flavor is perfect. It's my new favorite dessert. Thank you!
Erica says
Thank you! So glad applesauce worked. I'm going to be testing some recipes to replace oil with applesauce so this is great to hear.
Peter Cobb says
I used sugar free blueberry syrup it was great!
Erica says
Great idea! What brand did you use?
A says
Hey! These are sooo yummy and moist (slightly undercooked them at 350 for 22 mins so they're how I like them).
Wondering if these would work with all-purpose flour too, without changing anything else in the recipe?
Erica says
I haven't tried so not sure. Let me know if you do try it!
Sharon Cogburn says
These are so delicious! Made them with Almond milk and a combination of almond flour and coconut flour.
I store them in the refrigerator and that makes them just the right amount of moist :). I accidentally added 2Tbsp of melted butter to the recipe and they still turned out perfectly. (My eyes went to the topping ingredients) Nothing about these says I'm missing out on anything. Thank you for this recipe!!
Erica says
Thank you! Yes, this recipe is very forgiving 🙂 Here is the version with both flours: https://comfybelly.com/2013/12/cinnamon-bun-muffins-using-almond-coconut-flour/
Rena says
I’ve made this 3 times now. The first time as muffins. Other times doubled and baked as “coffee cake” in a 9x13 pan. One time I used almond milk because I did not have yogurt. It’s good with almond milk but much, much better with yogurt. The times I’ve used yogurt it’s turned very moist, not nearly as moist with almond milk.
Erica says
I agree, yogurt is the best. Another option is dairy-free yogurt. I'm also wondering if mayonnaise would be moister than almond milk. Thanks for sharing what you tried!
Cynthia Stark says
How CB long do I bake if I mSke in a pan like a cake?
Cynthia says
Whoops! I meant how long do I bake if I make it in a pan like a cake?
Erica says
I'm estimating about another 10 minutes, but use a toothpick in the center where there is just cake to see if it's baked through.
Terri Lynn says
I've made these several times on the last year and I love them..I'm trying to find out how many carbs are in them,.I made me a little smaller and got 12
Anna says
Just made these for my son who is 18, 2 years on SCD and suffering in college on this diet. He really just wanted a muffin to have in the morning with his tea or coffee to feel like a human again. He has texted me about 10 times to tell me how good they are. I'm making a huge batch to take to him and I'm going to try the banana bread and blondie recipe as well.
I think this is going to make the difference between sticking with SCD and not.
Erica says
Yay! Best wishes to both of you 🙂
Diana Hanna says
I love these muffins! They are such a treat. I did want to ask you, by changing the temperature to 350, how long do you bake them now? Thanks so much!!
Erica says
I wouldn't cut the time much more than 5 minutes. I use about the same time and it works well.
Shayna says
Hi there! These look so amazing. I just started the SCD diet a month ago, and was wondering if you knew of a SCD-compliant almond milk or yogurt that I could buy? Thanks in advance!
Erica says
I don't believe there is an SCD-compliant brand of almond milk, so you'll have to make that yourself, or use or make coconut milk. For SCD yogurt, the brand I know of that is legal is Dannon's plain. Here's the info on SCD yogurt with some commercial brands (Dannon makes a version that is SCD legal): http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/knowledge_base/detail/yoghurt-what-kind-of-yoghurt-starter-to-use/
Sara says
Hello! Trader Joe’s sells an scd compliant almond milk in their refrigerated dairy section! Only ingredients are almonds and water!
Sarah says
These muffins came out delicious! One of the tastiest muffins I've made on SCD so far! Thank you for this recipe!
Erica says
Always good to hear. Thanks!
Robert Herrington says
We made minor changes: Heavy Cream, Sugar Free Honey (Walmart)
These are wonderful!!!!!!!!! Thank you.
Erica says
You're welcome. Yum to your additions!
Morgan says
These are AMAZING!! I used part honey and part maple syrup in mine when making these. Still can't believe how great they turned out! Thank you
Erica says
great combo! thanks 🙂
Cyndi says
I just made these a couple days ago and they are fantastic. I used agave instead of honey and it worked brilliantly. They were light and fluffy (and my husband and son can't stay out of them)! I can't wait to use this batter as a base for other types of muffins. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes!
Erica says
So good to hear, even after so many have endorsed it. It does make a great base for all kinds of muffins 🙂
Anne says
Just made these but they did not rise at alll. Not sure why. Followed recipe exactly. Super bummed!
Erica says
Did you add baking soda? Sometimes if your baking soda is old/damp/open to the air for a while it won't work.
nj says
Someone gave me some sourdough starter. So, I fed it for a few weeks with bean flour as I'm scd or paleo. Bean flour was as close as I could come. So by now the wheat flour is gone from it. So now I'm looking for cookie or coffee cake recipes to use it in. What do you think of this concept?
Yvette Anton says
Followed your recipe to the letter...used slivered almonds and raisins...oh, my gosh, they were amazing!! I used the batter for two including blueberries and they were also delicious. Thank you.
Debbie says
I have made these muffins as a Sunday morning treat many times since I found the recipe. I can't believe that I have never thanked you for one of my all time favorite recipes. They are absolutely delicious!
Erica says
thanks for thanking me 🙂
Alt Food Guy says
So of course I had to try and make this version of the muffin as well. And I think I might like this one even better. Might be because I made sure to add the topping last but even the one I didn't use any topping was so light and fluffy.
Also this time I actually had cupcake paper to bake them in so it cool to be able to easily eat them.
Now I just have to try the version where you use coconut and almond flour.
Wendy R. says
Soooooo good! I made these today as mini muffins, using almond milk, coconut oil, and maple syrup. I don't adhere to any specific diet, but I like treats that feel a bit healthy. I like that these are something I can share with my baby and with my GF/DF best friend...if I can resist eating them all myself. 😉 Perfect afternoon snack with an iced coffee.
Christine says
Do you think i can make these in a small square pan instead of muffins?
meena says
what could i use instead of eggs?
oli says
omg, I just made these, and they are awesome! I ate 4 in a row and now I'm looking at the 5th one.. don't know if I can resist… thank you so much for this wonderful recipe :)!!
Erica says
You're welcome!
Sherri says
Can I use coconut flour instead of almond flour and also what is the difference of almond meal and almond flour. my apologies if this has been asked before. Looking forward to having my home smelling with the awesome aroma of cinnamon. thank-you for your wonderful recipes. Blessings to You.
Erica says
see the link at the top for the version with coconut flour
Mary Schroeder says
The muffins are wonderful, after being on G F for a year and still having problems, I have gone ob SCD and how wonderful to have a muffin that does not have the grit taste or texture.
Thank you,
Mary
Erica says
You're welcome!
Anne L. Texas says
These muffins turned out absolutely perfect! I didn't want the honey in the batter so i subbed 3/4 c erythritol. I used coconut milk instead of yogurt. I added 1 tsp of vanilla and another 1 TBSP of coconut milk to replace honey moisture. thanks for the excellent recipe!
Vidya says
Hi!
I made these a few days ago and they tasted amazing but were very dense and heavy. I used almond milk instead of yogurt and I used an egg replacer.
Any ideas what could have gone wrong?
Im new to gluten free baking so im not sure how to figure out what to do differently.
Thanks!
Erica says
Did you add the baking soda so it can rise?
Jeanntte says
Soooo good! Just started eating paleo 1.5 weeks ago. This was my official, maiden voyage, grain free baking. Thank you! They turned out amazing!
Brenda Galloway says
My husband has probably missed cinnamon rolls more than anything since switching to paleo. He loves these & they are super amazing!! I did combine almond and coconut flours (1.5 c almond & .5 c coconut). Added an egg, & 1 tsp vanilla. We will be making these weekly!!❤️
Erica says
Thanks! If you like combining coconut and almond flour, try these: https://comfybelly.wpengine.com/2013/12/cinnamon-bun-muffins-using-almond-coconut-flour/#.Ut32oKWtsUE
susan linck says
These are great. I wanted to try something other than the SC diet muffins and wow what an upgrade. I kept them SC legal and only used almond meal and they are great. A new staple in my recipe book ! Thanks
Debbie says
I have been making these for ages now as a Sunday morning treat and kept forgetting to thank you for one of our favorite recipes. LOVE them!
Erica says
aw, thanks Debbie!
venus says
Have made these twice in 10 days...cant tell you how great they are and how many cravings they satisfy. YUMMY in my TUMMY. added justs a touch of cinnamon to the dry ingredients and a touch of good ole' vanilla in my wet.
Susannah says
Made this tonight. So amazing I cried!
3 changes:
1. I poured it into a greased baking dish , coffee cake style.
2. I added one egg white to wet ingredients and whisked it all together. (Kept from being to heavy/flat)
3. After the first 25 min, increased oven temp to 350, baked 10 extra min.
Ehm_GT says
I made this just now! They came out of the oven about 10 minutes ago and I've already eaten two. That's how good they are!!!
I am diabetic so I always substitute ingredients. For the muffin, I used 3/4 cups Danone Peach Yogurt (sweetened with Sucralose) and skipped the honey. And for the topping, I used E.D. Smith syrup (also sweetened with Sucralose) instead. Sweet enough for me and smells heavenly. Thank you!
Erica says
you're welcome! great subsitutions! thanks for sharing what worked.
Jen says
I made this this morning for a bake sale, they are delicious! And the baked goodness aroma in the house...amazing! And a great gluten free option! But I do need to make a few changes next time, maybe use some stevia or xylitol,to reduce the caloric load....I used plain non fat yogurt, but maybe some apple sauce also? I doubled the recipe and didn't quite get 16 muffins = cal 340, carbs 25, fat 23, protein 11, sodium 200, sugar 17. That's definitely a meals worth of nutrition! Does anybody think these would be good with bananas...sort of a banana foster muffin? Maybe mashed banana as sweetener in batter instead of honey/maple syrup? OMG, I think I might have just brainstormed a master piece...lol!
Bonnie says
OK...I just made these! First of all, they smell amazing!
I couldn't resist and had to have one BEFORE my dinner.
Oh. My. Goodness. These are unbelievable. The best thing I have made since learning how
to cook with almond flour. Seriously. No, really! LOL
I used maple syrup in the batter and raw honey in the topping, along with walnuts.
Wow, is all I can say.
Tricia says
I made the cinnamon bun muffins yesterday....I love them! My husband loves them. For the honey it called for...I added a little bit of maple syrup to the 1/4 cup honey and for the topping I added 1 TBS maple syrup to the 3 TBS of honey. Hey why not mix the 2 flavors together? Came out awesome!!
Jennifer says
Okay I really need to learn to read. I made these, but spread it out over a 12-muffin tin instead of 8-10. Oops! I wondered why they looked so small. Oh well. I'm sure they will taste great. The house smells amazing! Thanks for all you do!
Erica says
Thanks! they do smell great thanks to the cinnamon.
Jenny Huesby says
My family & I love these muffins! Have made them several times now. I really like the results of almond flour better than coconut flour. The texture of these is just like some coffee cake & muffin recipes I remember from the old days of cooking with wheat flour. I'm going to use the batter recipe to make blueberry muffins and see how that turns out.
Linda says
Ok, just made these. They are ridiculously good!! I have been wanting a nice piece of coffee cake and found this recipe very satisfying!
Thank you, once again, Erica!
lahealthyliving says
Amazing recipe! Making these two day in a row! thanks
Mae says
Would brown rice flour be alright to use in this recipe? I really want to make these in the morning but brown rice flour is all i got in my pantry.
Debbie says
I added a little vanilla extract. These are amazing! Just the right amount of cinnamony sweetness. Definitely a keeper.
SMM says
Wow, I was really impressed how well these turned out. Delicious!!! I even put a little marmalade in the topping because I ran out of honey. Thanks!!
Rebecca in GA says
I have to comment on this recipe. We recently switched to the primal diet (about 5 months ago) and I came across this blog via Pinterest. This recipe made my primal-skeptic of a husband say "that's even better than non-primal muffins... when are you going to make more" and my not-so-verbal toddler said "yummy yummy c'est bon".Definitely try this recipe. I had to increase the temp to 350.
Caiti Jayne says
I made this yesterday and it was delicious. I used half yogurt/half homemade applesauce, maple syrup instead of honey, added 1 sliced apple and 6oz blueberries and turned it into a loaf (cooked it all in a 9x5 pan instead of muffins). it took about 50mins for most of it to cook, then i had to cover it with foil and cook it again for another 30mins.....it turned out soooo good! actually i found out the best way to eat it would be a slice under some vanilla yogurt and topped with strawberries. its like a shortcake 🙂
Joan says
absolutely amazing...yummmmmmm
A says
These are absolutely delicious! I made one small change and did equal parts cinnamon and nutmeg. It takes a lot not to want to eat these all in one sitting!
Mollie Frances says
I recently made Sinful Cinnamon Cakes and linked to this recipe of yours- which look so cozy and delicious! I want to make them right now with a cup of tea.
http://www.thealmondflower.com/2011/11/sinful-cinnamon-cakes.html
Andrea says
i am wondering if hazelnut flour would be okay to use in addition/substitution for almond flour? does it cook the same? i have enough of each flour to complete the recipe! 🙂
Erica says
Yes, it bakes pretty much the same - just a slightly different flavor.
Bridget says
Absolutely LOVE these!!! I just made them with subbing applesauce for the yogurt and 2 chia 'eggs' for the eggs. Aside from them being a little undone in the center(starving little girls rushed me to get them out of the oven!) They are a new 'special occasion' favorite!!!!! thank you for sharing this recipe.
Kellie says
I just found your website last night and made these this morning. They are amazing! What an awesome recipe, thank you!
Erica says
thanks. yes, they have turned out to be quite popular 🙂
Evelyne says
Just made the recipe yesterday. Instant classic! Instant favorite in our house! I am on a low carb version of SCD/GAPS. Did not add any honey and still delicious! For the topping, just mixed ghee, cinnamon and added hazelnut flour from Bob's Red Mill together. Didn't use muffin tins either. Just placed batter on parchment paper of baking tray. Picture posted on my Facebook page got raves! Thank you for posting! Always enjoy your recipes!
Erica says
Thanks. Feel free to post your picture here too!
Samantha says
Made them today, taste amazing! So light and moist! Thanks for a great recipe!!!
Julie says
I just made these with applesauce instead of yogurt and 3/4 almond flour to 1/4 coconut flour. They came out great. Thanks for a new recipe to add to my repertoire.
Erica says
ok, I need to try them with applesauce too!
Wendy says
How many will this make?
Sheri says
I did half the recipe and it made 5 muffins. So probably 8-10 total.
hobby baker says
Delicious! Everybody, even the picky hubby loved these.
Annie says
I just made these with coconut milk instead of yogurt and melted bacon grease in place of the butter - delicious!
Heather V says
These were great! They taste like heaven.
Erica says
I agree!
Fiona Elliott says
Hi there,
Have just come across your site and are very excited. I made these delicious muffins last night and they were to die for. Batter only stretched to make 9 and was a little short on the cinnamon syrup so might double that for next time. Will make these again. Thank you
Fiona
Brisbane, Australia
Theresa S. says
I'm on a slow-carb diet that doesn't allow any use of sugars (honey and artificial included in that ban). Would these be okay without that ingredient?
Fiona Elliott says
Hi Theresa,
I think you could add apple sauce instead. I might try that for next time
Fee
Kristy says
what would you use to replace the yogurt if that was an issue? these look awesome! drooling over here!
Erica says
they are awesome! subs: sour cream, creme fraiche, and I think someone even used just milk.
liz says
these look fantastic. . . like, i wish it were morning right now so i could make and eat them for breakfast!
Janet NZ says
I just made these, but I had to use the vanilla cupcake recipe as I'm out of almond flour (!)
DELICIOUS!
I wish you could smell my kitchen right now 🙂
I posted about it and linked back to you for both recipes - I hope that is ok?
Erica says
Yes - thanks!
Katrina says
With all my experimenting, I have a bunch of different kind of flours that I want to use up before buying more Almond meal.
Does anyone have any recommendations on how to modify this recipe to use Oat or Spelt flour? Or a combination of oat, spelt, coconut, brown rice?
Thanks!
Wendy says
Wow- this looks great! I won't be turning on my oven until September, I expect, but this recipe will be going with us when we vacation in the mountains next month!
Sheila Holland says
I don't care how hot it is outside - I have to go make these. Thanks for another wonderful recipe!
Comfy Belly on Facebook says
I recall some folks using glycerin and stevia to sweeten baked items. Can anyone chime in here to confirm that it does indeed work in baked stuff? thanks!
Lauren B says
Stevia works well in combination with other sweeteners like erythritol, xylitol, honey, etc. I haven't tried glycerin because it has quite an aftertaste and it's not much in carbohydrates than sweeteners made from sugar. Hope that helps!
Beth says
Wow, these look amazing! I'd love to make them for my diabetic hubby, what could I use to replace the honey with that would not raise his BS so much?
Sheri says
I just made them and I am not allowed to have sugar so I mixed 2 small packets of stevia with some water to make a liquid. I didn't measure the water but it was about a tablespoon per packet. I also added a touch more yoghurt. I did this using only a half recipe so if doing the whole recipe you will need to double this. I also mixed a few unsalted cashews in with the cinnamon center and put a few more on the top. This is the first recipe using non wheat flour and no sugar that actually tastes good. Hope this helps.
Faith Epp on Facebook says
Thanks - I did cut n paste to share this. It looks to yummy not to.
Amy says
Could I use coconut flour instead of the almond flour? Would they still turn out the same? Or would I use less of the coconut flour?
Erica says
not sure - you could take the vanilla cupcake recipe and use the cinnamon topping with it.
Char Hansen Vanderschaegen on Facebook says
They're in the oven now... can't wait to try!
Jess says
These look absolutely amazing!
Comfy Belly on Facebook says
Thanks Faith - just noticed that the plugin I use just added an updated feature that adds the "share" button. Next time.
Julie Johnson says
Hi Comfy belly. I used low carb brown sugar instead of the honey or maple syrup as we are low carbers. We just had this for breakfast and I feel guilty like I was cheating. Fantastic muffin. Thank you!!!!!!
Erica says
Thanks Julie! 🙂
Delphine says
Great Julie, I'm glad these worked out for you!
Just remember; for others who are new to the SCD diet and to this page, sugar of any kind (even low carb brown sugar) is absolutely forbidden on the SCD diet. I don't want newbies to SCD to suffer or give up on the diet!
Amanda Hockham on Facebook says
Faith, I was just thinking the same thing!
Guess I'll just have to make 'em and share 'em 🙂
That is, if I don't eat them all first.
Faith Epp on Facebook says
Aw man - where's the share button, I wanted to share this, I guess I'll link it.
Faith Epp on Facebook says
I like this - looks yummy. Thanks.
Andrea Mills on Facebook says
Yum! Glad you posted this, I forgot all about making SCD cinnamon rolls, can't wait to wake up and bake some! Best thing I made while on SCD!
Kelly Vincent Recktenwald on Facebook says
Thank you! I think I will make these for my Demarle party on Tuesday, but not until I try them out tomorrow morning. Yum, yum!
Alisha R. Tillman on Facebook says
Oh dear God, I cannot wait to try these!
Sarah Johnson on Facebook says
those look amazing!