Cinnamon Roll Muffin 

Warm, fluffy, and oozing with sweet cinnamon flavor, these Cinnamon Roll Muffin are the perfect vegan treat for this Holiday Season. These cinnamon rolls in a muffin tin are the perfect way to start your day, with all the traditional flavors in a convenient and portable package.   

Cinnamon Rolls in Muffin Tin   

I have always been a big fan of cinnamon rolls. I love the way the dough is soft and fluffy, and the swirls of cinnamon and sugar. I was recently looking for a new recipe to try, and I came across one for cinnamon rolls in a muffin tin. The idea sounded intriguing, so I decided to make a vegan version. These cinnamon rolls are just as delicious as traditional ones, but they are a lot easier to make. Plus, you get those nice little pockets of cinnamon-sugar goodness in every bite.   

Who can resist? So go ahead and indulge in one... or two... we won't judge!  

Ingredients  

Dough: It is a simple dough made with flour, yeast, vegan butter, water, and sugar.

Vegan Butter: Is a must to make things fluffy and soft. Coconut oil or any other oil will not do justice to their traditional flavor.   

Raw Brown Sugar: Is always been my preference to make cinnamon filling. It has more flavor and makes baked goods soft.   

Substitutions  

You can get more creative and substitute water with almond milk to make the dough. This will make the cinnamon roll muffin even softer.  

To make things fancy sprinkle some chopped nuts on top of the Cinamon filling.   

Step by Step Instructions  

Make the Dough 

1. In a large bowl add water and vegan butter and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds on low to medium heat. Once it is warm and butter melted, remove it from the microwave and let it cool. It should be warm, not too hot nor too cold otherwise it will kill the yeast. Add the yeast and let it activate for 7 to 10 minutes.
2. Next, add flour and sugar and mix with the spatula. Add in ½ cup flour at a time. Add flour gradually and keep on mixing. At this stage, it will be kind of sticky.     

3. Stir in the rest of the flour. The dough will be sticky and you may have to use your hands. Mix until there are no dry lumps of flour remaining. Do not over-mix the dough. Mix it with your hands and form a ball shape.  
4. Cover and let the dough rise until doubled, about an hour or so, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.    

Rolling and Filling  

5. Sprinkle some flour on a flat surface and knead the dough for 6-7 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic.  
6. Once the dough is smooth and ready to roll slice it into four equal parts. Next, roll the dough into a 1cm thickness flat round shape.    

7. In a small bowl mix cinnamon and raw sugar for filling. Set aside.   
8. Spread soft sunflower butter on the surface of the dough.

9. Sprinkle a generous amount of sugar and cinnamon mixture. leaving an inch on the edges for easy rolling.
10. Roll tightly into a cylindrical tube.  

Pro Tip: From here you can make things easy and simply cut the tube into 2-inch thickness slices and place them in a muffin tray, let them rise again for 30 minutes, and bake. Voila all done.   

Make the Rose Shape  

As it is the holiday season and I want to make things fancier so I tried to create a rose shape muffin.

11. For that cut the cylindrical tube into 1-inch slices. Each cylindrical tube will yield around 12 slices.    
12. Flat these slices with your hands into a round shape while creating a marbling effect. You can also use a rolling pin, but I would recommend using your hands. It will be less messy and make a better marbling effect.    

13. Take 4 flattened dough discs in your hand overlapping each other, and roll them tightly into a rose shape.   
14. Put them into a greased muffin tray and let them rise again for another 30 minutes in a warm place.    

Bake and Glaze  

15. Bake in the preheated oven at 375 F for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack. Allow cooling.    

15. Meanwhile, prepare your glaze by simply mixing icing sugar, vanilla essence, and almond milk. Add 1 tbsp of milk at a time and whisk. Repeat until getting the desired consistency. Keep covered until ready to use, whisk again before drizzling on top of the cinnamon buns.    
16. Drizzle some generous amount of glaze and sprinkle some more cinnamon and sugar on top and serve.  

Expert Tips   

• Use plant-based milk instead of water to make these cinnamon roll muffins fluffier.  
• Make sure your water and vegan butter mixture are not too hot while mixing the yeast otherwise it will kill the yeast. If you have a thermometer the temperature of the mixture should be 110F.  
• Use instant yeast to help the dough rise faster. You can also use active dry yeast, but the cinnamon rolls may take longer to rise.  
• Let the dough rise in a warm atmosphere. It may be your kitchen or a sunny window.  
• If you do not have a nonstick muffin pan, use the muffin liners. Otherwise, oiling the nonstick muffin tin is just enough.  
• Add the glaze when the rolls are warm. If they are too hot the glaze will melt but if they are too cold the glaze will not spread properly.  

Recipe FAQs  

Make Ahead the Cinnamon Roll Muffin  

You can make ahead these cinnamon roll muffins in so many stages. Like   

You can make the dough in advance and refrigerate it for up to a week in an airtight container. You can also freeze the dough in cling wrap and then in sealed freezer bags for a month. Once needed simply let it rest on the countertop and bring it to room temperature roll and bake to perfection.  

Next, you can do the complete muffin process and place them in a muffin tin for a second rise. At this stage cover them with cling wrap and refrigerate overnight. When needed just take them out and bake.  

You can also refrigerate the baked muffins for up to a week and freeze them for up to three months. They are perfect for your weekly meal prep.