Cinnamon Roll Muffins | Vegan & Gluten Free

As soon as I put these Cinnamon Roll Muffins in the oven, I knew they would be a game changer. They are vegan, gluten free, and the ingredients are truly bananas (no pun intended, I promise!) All you need for this recipe is a few ingredients and a blender. The batter itself is just oats, cashews, dates, almond milk and banana. Whip up a healthy cinnamon streusel and you’re done! These muffins are perfect for a quick breakfast, meal prep snacks or a fast muffin on-the-go.

This recipe is filled with great ingredients and is truly crave-worthy. The cinnamon streusel is mixed in with the batter, and it melts in the oven as the muffins bake. Creating an ooey-gooey pull apart bit in every muffin. It’s like every single breakfast muffin is the middle of a cinnamon roll (AKA, the BEST part).

I’ll give you all the details of these muffins, as well as tips and tricks on substitutions, hacks and time-saving in the blog post below. But if you have any questions please feel free to drop them in the comments! I’m always happy to help.

Ingredients you will need for this recipe

The craziest part about this cinnamon roll muffin recipe is the simplicity of the ingredients. You only need a few, and if you’re like me, these are ingredients you probably have lying around.

For this particular recipe you will need:

• 130 grams raw cashews – this is about 1 cup, and if you are using a blender, you don’t even need to soak these!
• 50 grams pitted medjool dates – this is about 1/2 cup or 9 dates. I love these dates because of their rich, caramel-like flavor. They add a natural sweetness to any recipe and are truly delicious!
• 2 ripe bananas or 220 grams of banana – bananas can GREATLY vary in size, so it’s always good to measure your bananas on a scale if you have one!
• 60 grams rolled oats – about 2/3 cup. These will be blended into oat flour when you make the batter, and they are a crucial part of getting the muffins light and fluffy!
• 1/2 cup almond milk – or any plant-based milk will work here! I love cashew milk, hemp milk, oat milk or soy milk. Really whatever you have on hand!
• 1 tbsp baking powder – this is a lot of leavener, but it’s necessary for a recipe like this that uses a large amount of ingredients that will need the lift!
• 1/8 tsp salt – you’ve heard me wax poetic about salt in sweet recipes for a while, you just gotta have it!

And for the cinnamon streusel you will need:

• 2 tbsp flaxmeal – make sure this is ground flaxmeal, and not flax seeds! If you only have flaxseeds on hand, you can either blend them up or crush them with a mortar and pestle.
• 2 tbsp brown sugar – as opposed to white sugar, this gives a richer, more distinct flavor that will play off the cinnamon. It will help make you feel like you are eating cinnamon rolls in a muffin pan!
• 2 tbsp avocado oil – this can also be coconut oil or olive oil, it just depends on what you have on hand and what you feel comfortable cooking with!
• 1 tsp cinnamon – Since this is a cinnamon roll recipe, you gotta have the cinnamon included!

how to make these cinnamon roll muffins with a blender

For this cinnamon roll muffin recipe, it is NOT necessary that you have a blender. However it does make the job a lot easier! I did this recipe on TikTok in partnership with Nutribullet, and they hooked your girl UP. You can find the blender I used here.

I love this blender because it is so powerful that you don’t need to soak your cashew or dates before blending. The purée function on the blender takes care of everything!

Here’s how to use your blender to make this batter:

• Preheat your oven to 350F.
• In a large, high powered blender, add the cashews, dates, bananas, oats, almond milk, baking powder and salt. Blend until a smooth batter forms.
• ***If your blender is not as high powered as the one I linked above, it helps to soak your dates and cashews in a bowl of water for at least 1 hour before blending. When you are ready to use them, strain out the excess water and add them to your blender.
• In a small bowl, mix together the flax meal, cinnamon, brown sugar, and avocado oil until you get a smooth paste. Set that aside.
• In a muffin-lined tin, pour the batter about 2/3 of the way up the muffin cups. Add a scoop of the cinnamon swirl mix to the top of each muffin.
• Top off each muffin with one more spoonful of batter so that the cinnamon swirl is slightly covered, but not completely.
• Use a toothpick to swirl the top of each muffin in a circular motion so that the cinnamon mixture looks like a swirl on top.
• Bake the muffins at 350F for 18-22 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick and it comes out clean.
• Serve warm!

You can also do this with a food processor, but I just find a blender lends to a more creamy, smooth consistency. You want it to look like a smoothie!

how to make these cinnamon roll muffins without a blender

Now if you don’t have a blender, don’t sweat it! With just a few simple swaps we can make this batter happen in no time.

The four ingredient changes you will need to make

• Switch the cashews out for cashew butter. You’ll want to use 130g of the butter, about 1/2 cup and 1 tbsp.
• Use oat flour instead of rolled oats! You can either find it at a grocery store or use a food processor to make it yourself.
• Mash the bananas until nice and smooth!
• Soak your dates in hot water for 1 hour, then drain them and mash them into a paste with a fork or whisk.

How to follow the recipe without a blender

Now that the ingredient swaps are taken care of, here is what you will need to do:

• Preheat the oven to 350F.
• Add the cashew butter, mashed bananas, mashed dates and almond milk to a bowl. Whisk until smooth and there are no clumps from the bananas or the dates.
• In another bowl, whisk together the oat flour, baking powder and salt.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet and continue to whisk until a batter forms.
• In a small bowl, mix together the flax meal, cinnamon, brown sugar, and avocado oil until you get a smooth paste. Set that aside.
• In a muffin-lined tin, pour the batter about 2/3 of the way up the muffin cups. Add a scoop of the cinnamon swirl mix to the top of each muffin.
• Top off each muffin with one more spoonful of batter so that the cinnamon swirl is slightly covered, but not completely.
• Use a toothpick to swirl the top of each muffin in a circular motion so that the cinnamon mixture looks like a swirl on top.
• Bake the muffins at 350F for 18-22 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick and it comes out clean.

Tips, tricks and substitutions

Hate banana? Have a nut allergy? Don’t worry, I got you! This recipe is a little bit finicky, but here are some substitutions and tips for you.

• If you are allergic to cashews – you can use any other nut OR you can opt for tahini and use the non-blender method! Be warned, tahini is slightly more bitter, but will still give you that nutty, rich taste.
• Not a fan of banana? Mashed sweet potato is a great substitute. Try to avoid using any other alternate (like pumpkin) because it might be too watery with the dough.
• No flax meal for the top? You can also opt for oat flour here! You just want something to give your streusel a little texture and a little lift.
• No plant based milk? Regular milk should work just fine!

And that’s about everything! If you loved making this recipe, please tag me on Instagram or Pinterest so I can see what you made! I love seeing everything over there. And if you have any questions please pop into my comment section! I’m always happy to help. Now happy baking!