This is the Best Gluten-Free Muffin recipe out there! Made with warming spices and a buttery streusel, these Gluten-Free Cinnamon Muffins are tender, sweet, and have no weird aftertaste.
Need more gluten-free recipes? Don't miss my gluten-free lunch ideas, our favorite gluten-free banana oat pancakes, and the best gluten-free Eggplant Parmesan.
Perfect Gluten-Free Muffins
Gluten-free baked goods have the reputation of being dried out or having a weird texture. In the worst of cases, the final product also has a weird taste. It can be a nightmare to try to perfect gluten-free baking.
This gluten-free muffin recipe defies everything you THINK about gluten-free baked goods. These cinnamon streusel muffins are tender, light, moist, and do not have a weird aftertaste. They are bursting with sweet cinnamon flavors and are everything you crave in a quality muffin--whether you are gluten-free or not.
Notes on Key Ingredients
- Gluten-Free Flour: Look for a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, like Bob's Red Mill, for best results. If you are not gluten-free, you can use all-purpose flour.
- Milk: Use regular milk or unsweetened dairy-free milk in the muffins.
- Butter: Use unsalted, softened butter to create the streusel topping.
- Eggs: These muffins turn out delicious when made with eggs OR a flaxseed egg substitute, meaning you can enjoy these muffins even if you have an allergy to eggs.
- Oil: Use melted coconut oil or canola oil, whichever you prefer.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar pairs well with the warming spice of cinnamon and helps the muffins retain their light and airy texture. I also use brown sugar to create the streusel.
How to Prepare the Best Gluten-Free Muffins
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Prepare Streusel Topping
Begin this recipe by making the streusel topping for the cinnamon muffins. This streusel gives these gluten-free muffins added flavor, texture and a feeling of decadence. Not int the mood for a streusel topping? Skip this step. Combine the gluten-free flour, cinnamon, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
Prepare Muffin Batter
Just as with any traditional muffin batter, it is best to mix the wet ingredients and dry ingredients in separate bowls, then combine them gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. This will help prevent over-mixing the muffin batter, which can cause dense, tough gluten-free muffins.
Portion out Muffin Batter
Divide the batter evenly between muffin tins. You will need about ¼ cup batter per muffin. I love to use an ice cream scoop to evenly scoop out my muffin batter into the prepared muffin tin. If using the streusel, sprinkle ½ to 1 tablespoon of the reserved crumb mixture over each muffin.
Bake Until Set
You can tell these gluten-free muffins are fully baked, when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The tops will be slightly golden as well.
Storage Instructions
- At Room Temperature: Once cooled, you can store these Gluten-Free Cinnamon Streusel Muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature in a cool, dark space.
- Refrigerate: Once cooled, transfer the muffins to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Allow the muffins to cool fully. Once cooled, transfer the muffins to a freezer-safe bag or container, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
∗ More Gluten-Free Muffin Recipes ∗
Not in the mood for Cinnamon Streusel Muffins? I have tested my recipes for Cinnamon Applesauce Muffins, Pumpkin Muffins, Pumpkin Banana Muffins, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins, Chocolate Zucchini Muffins, and Peanut Butter Banana Muffins using a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour blend in with success.
More Gluten-Free Snack Recipes
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
- Flourless Almond Butter Cookies
- Homemade Granola Bars
- No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
- Homemade Larabars
- DIY Yogurt Tubes
- Homemade Fruit Roll-Ups
If you enjoyed these Gluten-Free Muffins, I would love for you to leave a comment or review below.
Gluten-Free Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
Ingredients
Cinnamon Muffins
- 1 ½ cups 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup milk any variety
- ⅓ cup canola oil or melted coconut oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 teastpoons vanilla extract
Crumb Topping
- ½ cup 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
Instructions
For the Crumb Topping
- Combine flour, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon together in a small mixing bowl. Mix in the butter until just crumbly, using 2 forks or your fingers. Set aside to top muffins.
For the Gluten-Free Muffins
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line muffin tin with muffin liners or grease really well.
- In a large bowl, gently whisk flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk milk, oil, eggs and vanilla until completely combined. Make a well in the center of dry mixture and pour in liquid. Mix until just combined, being cautious to not overmix the batter.
- Scoop ¼ cup of the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the muffin, gently pressing the crumble into each muffin.
- Bake the muffins for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center come out dry.
- Cool on a rack for 10 minutes and then remove muffins from pan. Allow to cool fully before storing.
EMMA
Best gluten free recipe yet. Hard to keep the rest of the family away from them. Im going to put some finely chopped apple in next time.
Kristen Chidsey
LOL! It is great when you find a gluten-free muffin everyone loves! And thanks for taking the time to leave a review---it is appreciated!
Michelle
This is my new favorite gluten-free muffin recipe!! Thank you!
Kristen Chidsey
Thrilled to hear you love these muffins, Michelle! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and review 🙂
Allison
Followed this recipe perfectly and they had a weird taste. Too much brown sugar for me. I would swap out the brown sugar for regular sugar in the topping and add a little more butter. It wasn’t enough to get it super crumbly so it ended up being more just flour on top in some parts.
Kristen Chidsey
Hey Allison! I wouldn't recommend using white sugar in the topping as it won't get at all crumbly. But you can increase the butter by 1 tablespoon if desired. As for the weird taste, it may have been the gluten-free flour. What brand did you use?
Chrissy
Very, very dry and hard!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Chrissy! I am sorry to hear these muffins did not turn out for you. This is the first complaint I have had about the muffins being "hard" or dry. Can you let me know what brand of flour you used and if you made any substitutions? I want to ensure this does not happen again for anyone.
Darlene
I I would like to substitute the whole eggs for egg whites. How many do I need?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Darlene. You would need to use 4 egg whites.
Angela
I only had a 1/2 cup of glisten free baking flour substituted the rest with almond flour. Added extra to make it a batter texture, added extra cinnamon too.
Was soooo good!
Liz
These were super moist and the texture was great but I found them too be too bland for my taste.
Kristen Chidsey
I am sorry to hear that Liz. Did you add the streusel topping as well? That topping has a lot of flavor.
Judi
This recipe was good. I used 1 1/2 tsp of vanilla and 1/2 tsp of Almond.
Kristen Chidsey
I love hearing you enjoyed Judi! Thanks for sharing.