Cinnamon Roll Craving

Do you ever find yourself craving cinnamon rolls?  Me too.  So, I baked a batch of these
(recipe courtesy of GingerLemon Girl's GF blog).

Serious YUM factor.

Gluten Free Cinnamon Bun Muffins:

* Yes, these are labeled GF, but you could easily substitute a wheat flour instead.
Yields: 12 muffins (mine made 15 -- score!)

Dry Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup tapioca flour
• 2/3 cup brown rice flour
• 2/3 cup sorghum flour
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
•  1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients:

• 2 egg yolks
• 2 egg whites
•  scant 1/2 cup granulated sugar (there's plenty of sugar in the swirl, so you'll want to cut back here)
• 1/2 cup applesauce
•  3/4 cup rice, soy, or coconut milk
•  1/4 cup heart healthy oil, coconut oil, butter, or vegan margarine (I used coconut oil)

• Cinnamon Swirl:
• 1-2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3-4 tablespoons melted margarine, real butter, or buttery spread

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

2. In a large bowl, whisk flours, baking powder, xanthan gum, cinnamon and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks, applesauce, milk, coconut oil, and sugar.
4. Add the flour mixture to the egg yolk mixture and fold just until combined.
5. In another bowl whip egg whites until stiff. SLOWLY fold the whipped egg whites into the muffin batter.  (If you still see streaks or clumps of egg white that is OKAY, it does NOT have to be completely incorporated!) 6. In a small bowl, mix together cinnamon swirl ingredients. 
7. Spoon muffin batter into greased or paper-lined muffin tins.  To be sure your muffins have cinnamon swirls throughout, fill the muffin tin half-full, spoon on some of the cinnamon swirl and use a small knife to swirl, fill the tin with more batter, and then spoon a bit more cinnamon swirl over the top. 
8. Bake for 18-25 minutes.  They are done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. 
9. Cool muffins on a wire rack.


Served perfectly on their own, with butter, coconut oil, or peanut butter (for a protein boost).  I recommend a natural PB (the unsweetened, salted kind)!

“I like cinnamon rolls, but I don't always have time to make a pan. That's why I wish they would sell cinnamon roll incense. After all, I'd rather light a stick and have my roommate wake up with false hopes.” 

– Mitch Hedberg