Warm Gluten-Free Cinnamon Roll Muffins with Gooey Swirl

All the flavor of cinnamon rolls in muffin form! These yeast-free, gluten-free cinnamon roll muffins are a sweet breakfast treat that comes together much faster than traditional cinnamon rolls.

These muffins combine the warm, familiar taste of a cinnamon roll with the quick, tender crumb of a muffin. They have a cinnamon swirl throughout and are finished with a simple, five-ingredient cream cheese frosting.

The texture is soft and tender, and the cinnamon swirl gives each bite a delicious contrast. These may be the best gluten-free muffins you’ll bake in your muffin tin.

Notes on ingredients for these gluten-free cinnamon muffins:

• Gluten-free flour: Use a quality all-purpose gluten-free flour blend for best results. Popular choices include blends labeled 1:1 or measure-for-measure. If your blend already contains xanthan or guar gum, omit the additional xanthan gum called for in the recipe.
• Xanthan gum: Only add xanthan gum if your flour blend does not include it. Many commercial blends already contain a gum to provide structure.
• Milk: I used 1–2% milk, but any dairy or unsweetened non-dairy milk can be substituted.
• Butter: The recipe uses a total of seven tablespoons of butter: three tablespoons in the batter, three in the cinnamon filling/topping, and one in the frosting.
• Cinnamon: Use a fresh, high-quality ground cinnamon for the best flavor—cinnamon makes a big difference in this recipe.

Most of these ingredients are the same as you would use for a yeast-free cinnamon roll, but adapted for a simple muffin method.

How to make gluten-free cinnamon roll muffins:

Start by preheating your oven to 400°F and prepare a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray or liners.

In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients: gluten-free flour blend, xanthan gum (if needed), granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients: milk, melted and cooled butter, and egg. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined; do not overmix.

For the cinnamon filling, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, melted butter, and vanilla in a small bowl. Stir three tablespoons of this brown sugar mixture into the batter, leaving visible swirls. Reserve the remaining mixture for the muffin tops.

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups—about three tablespoons per cup. I use a #20 cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) to make this easy. Drop small dollops (about 1 teaspoon each) of the remaining brown sugar mixture across the top of each muffin. You can press a few spots to encourage a swirl on top.

Bake at 400°F for 14–15 minutes, or until the muffins spring back lightly when pressed and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean of wet batter. The brown sugar topping will melt and spread a bit; most of it peels off easily from the pan after baking.

Allow muffins to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Then gently loosen them with a thin plastic spreader or plastic knife and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting. Cooling on a rack prevents sogginess and makes frosting easier.

Cream cheese frosting:

• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2–4 teaspoons milk (adjust for desired consistency)

Beat the frosting ingredients together until smooth. Add more milk if you want a thinner, drizzleable frosting, or use less milk for a thicker spreadable frosting. I like to scoop about one tablespoon of frosting onto each muffin and spread it slightly so it stays on top without running down the sides.

These muffins are excellent warm, and they also keep well into day two. Rewarm for about 10 seconds in the microwave for that fresh-baked feel.

Recipe Summary

Yield: 12 muffins. Prep time: 25 minutes. Cook time: 15 minutes. Total time: about 45 minutes.

Ingredients

• 2 cups gluten-free flour blend
• 3/4 tsp xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains a gum)
• 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk
• 3 Tbsp salted butter, melted and cooled (for batter)
• 1 egg

Topping and Filling

• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon
• 3 Tbsp melted butter
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting

• 3 ounces cream cheese (softened)
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 Tbsp melted butter
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 2–4 tsp milk

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin with spray or liners.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. Mix milk, melted butter, and egg in a separate bowl and add to the dry ingredients; stir until just combined.
4. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, melted butter, and vanilla. Stir three tablespoons into the batter and reserve the rest for the tops.
5. Spoon batter into muffin cups (about 3 tablespoons each). Add small dollops of the reserved brown sugar mixture on top of each muffin.
6. Bake 14–15 minutes, until muffins spring back lightly and a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
8. Beat frosting ingredients until smooth, adjust consistency with milk, and spread or drizzle over muffins.
9. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store covered for up to two days or refrigerate if storing longer.

I hope your family enjoys these cinnamon roll muffins as much as mine does. They make a great weekend breakfast or a sweet addition to brunch.