Vegan Cinnamon Muffins for Freezing-Cold Days

I love cinnamon in the winter.

The colder and rainier it gets outside, the more I want to sprinkle ground cinnamon on absolutely everything.

I add it to my morning oatmeal, stir it into baked goods, and even sneak a little into my tofu marinade.

Along with that wonderful, unmistakable flavor, cinnamon contains vitamins and minerals.

Cinnamon may help support healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and it has anti-inflammatory properties.

For some people, its flavor also makes it easier to cut back on sugar in baked goods.

This recipe, for example, packs a big cinnamon punch but uses just 1/4 cup of sugar.

The muffins themselves aren't very sweet, but the cinnamon makes them taste sweeter than they actually are.

If you prefer a sweeter muffin, you can add another tablespoon or two of sugar to the batter.

A Few Recipe Notes

I used brown sugar simply because it gives the muffins a lovely, deep color. You can use coconut sugar, which has a slightly nutty flavor, or another sweetener you like.

If cinnamon isn't your thing, replace it with half as much cocoa powder, or leave it out entirely. The muffins will still taste great. But come on—no cinnamon?

You can swap the whole wheat flour for whole spelt flour or rye flour.

You can also replace all the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour, but the muffins will be denser and heavier. Your call.

Try dried fruit instead of the chocolate chips, or leave the chips out altogether.

When Do I Eat These?

One muffin is a great answer to that 4 p.m. sweet craving. It can also work as an energy snack at least an hour before a workout.

I like having 2 for breakfast. But that's just me. 🙂

Nutrition Information from Noam Bachar (an Israeli Fitness Trainer and Clinical Dietitian)

Each muffin, from a batch of 12, contains:

160 calories

20 g carbohydrates

3 g protein

10 g fat (including 1 g saturated fat)

In the mood for vegan banana muffins? Click here