Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins are a simple, healthy snack that is already made gluten-free and can be easily made vegan. Made with avocado oil, cinnamon, coconut sugar, and gluten free flour, these delicious treats pack a nutritious punch.
The perfect sweet treat for any occasion
Did y’all ever have that one sweet treat growing up that you could only eat on special occasions? The one or two things that you wanted all the time, but could only get in random moments? My bothers and I had a bunch of those special moments growing up. One, when we went on road trips as a family. My dad would drive us the whole way and we would get to stop at a gas station along the route and get those unhealthy bags of chips.
The second, was fast food. Whether it was on those long road trips, or after a long day of school and after school sports, my parents would agree that fast food was just easy and we deserved it. I loved those salty McDonalds fries.
Lastly, for me, it was the morning donut. A few times a year, after a early morning doctors appointment, my mom would drive me to Dunkin to grab a donut on my way back to school. I would feel so cool coming to school with my favorite donut in tow. I loved all kinds, but my favorite was the cinnamon sugar donut. The texture, the flavor, the size. Everything about it was perfect.
A lot has changed since those days. For one: I am an adult now and when I want those “unhealthy” foods, I’ll go get them for myself and not let anyone tell me otherwise. But second: I can’t eat a lot of those sweet treats or special moment foods. I eat gluten free and diary free, but that doesn’t mean I don’t treat myself like 99% of the week. That’s why I made these cinnamon sugar donut muffins! The texture, the flavor, the size is just perfect and reminds me of those amazing moments growing up.
These muffins are gluten free, dairy free, and can be made vegan if you need them to be. Find all the ways how below! Hope y’all love this healthier donut recipe as much as I did. Happy baking!
Ingredients used to make cinnamon sugar donut muffins
Donut muffins require 10 ingredients, many of which we use in most of my baking recipes. Grab your gluten free flour, baking soda, coconut sugar, and vanilla, and let’s get to baking!
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1 to 1 Baking flour
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Avocado oil
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Coconut sugar
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Egg
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Almond milk
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Cinnamon
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Vanilla
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Sea salt
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Baking powder
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Baking soda
Tools needed to make this recipe
The fewer tools needed, the smaller the cleanup! I love to keep recipe tools to a minimum, always combining or double-using when I can. For this recipe, you’ll only need five items: a muffin tin, liners, a mixing bowl, a mixing utensil, and a small plate.
A recipe that’s delicious and clean up friendly? It’s a win-win!
How to make cinnamon sugar donut muffins
Donut muffins require only a few simple steps and are ready to bake in less than 10 minutes. Throw all of the ingredients into one big bowl for fast and easy mixing.
To start making your donut muffins, begin by preheating the oven to 350F and line a muffin tin with muffin liners.
Then, in your large mixing bowl, combine all your wet ingredients first. Add your avocado oil, egg, almond milk, and vanilla into the bowl and whisk until well combined.
Once mixed, add in your dry ingredients and mix super well. These are: coconut sugar, cinnamon, baking soda/powder, sea salt, and Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 baking flour.
Using an ice cream scoop, or a spoon, measure out even amounts of batter to fill up 8 muffins. Leave a little room at the top for the muffins to rise while baking.
Bake for about 30 minutes at 350F or until the tops are nice and golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool.
Optional: Once they’ve cooled, spray a little avocado oil on the tops of the muffins and coat the top in a cinnamon sugar mixture. Do this by pouring about 1/2 tbsp cinnamon and 2 tbsp coconut sugar onto a plate and mix them together. Dip the tops of the muffins gently down into the plate to coat. ENJOY!
Tips for achieving the perfect healthy donut muffins
Here are some little tricks for making the best muffins ever!
Preheat the oven
Make sure your oven is fully heated before putting the batter in the oven. If it’s not, it may cause the muffins to cook poorly as it heats up. If you’re like me you’re probably often tempted to throw the batter in as soon as it’s ready. However, it pays to hold off!
Measure the ingredients
Be sure that you measure out your ingredients closely, as too much or too little of something can completely change the end result. If you use too much liquid, for example, your muffins may wind up feeling dense and “heavy.”
Avoid over mixing
Be sure your muffin batter is mixed just enough, but not too much. As long as everything is incorporated, they’ll turn out just fine. Over mixing can result in hard muffins.
Storing muffins
These muffins can be stored in an airtight container and kept at room temperature for up to 4-5 days. Similarly, they can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
How to make vegan cinnamon sugar donut muffins
As long as you use a plant-based milk, the only non-vegan ingredient in these muffins is the egg. As an egg substitute, you could try a number of things. Here are some ideas:
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Applesauce: You can use 1/4 cup of applesauce in place of one egg. You’ll need just 1/4 cup for this recipe. As a bonus, applesauce adds a dash of sweetness that tastes great.
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Flax seeds: To use flax seeds, you’ll need to mix them with water until they’ve absorbed all or most of it. Mix 1 tbsp of seeds with 3 tbsp of water for the one egg.
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Chia seeds: These seeds work the same way as flax seeds. Mix 1 tbsp of chia seeds with 3 tbsp of water for the one egg, and stir until the seeds fully absorb the water. You may need to let them sit for a few minutes.
Try these muffin recipes from Chen’s Plate!
Everyone loves a great muffin recipe. That being said, I thought I’d include some more ideas below. Enjoy!
Cassava Flour Blueberry Muffins
Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking flour
- 3 tbsp avocado oil
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- Avocado or coconut oil spray
Instructions:
- To start making your donut muffins, begin by preheating the oven to 350F and line a muffin tin with muffin liners.
- Then, in your large mixing bowl, combine all your wet ingredients first. Add your avocado oil, egg, almond milk, and vanilla into the bowl and whisk until well combined.
- Once mixed, add in your dry ingredients and mix super well. These are: coconut sugar, cinnamon, baking soda/powder, sea salt, and Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 baking flour.
- Using an ice cream scoop, or a spoon, measure out even amounts of batter to fill up 8 muffins. Leave a little room at the top for the muffins to rise while baking.
- Bake for about 30 minutes at 350F or until the tops are nice and golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool.
- Optional: Once they’ve cooled, spray a little avocado oil on the tops of the muffins and coat the top in a cinnamon sugar mixture. Do this by pouring about 1/2 tbsp cinnamon and 2 tbsp coconut sugar onto a plate and mix them together. Dip the tops of the muffins gently down into the plate to coat. ENJOY!
Calories
174.78
Fat (grams)
7.84
Sat. Fat (grams)
2.24
Carbs (grams)
23.73
Fiber (grams)
0.63
Net carbs
23.10
Sugar (grams)
11.46
Protein (grams)
2.48
Sodium (milligrams)
60.07
Cholesterol (grams)
23.25
Do you think almond flour would work the same? Can’t wait to try!