Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Cinnamon Bun “French Toast” Muffins

Sometimes I wonder where my head is at these days. I mean, it's been a year since I first made these muffins and only now am I getting around to posting about it! 

When my sister is home from school over the summer, she always has one of two things for breakfast: pancakes or French toast. While she likes her pancakes plain (and ready for copius amounts of chocolate chips), the caveat for actually having some protein in her morning routine is that the bread is cinnamon-raisin. Up until recently, that bread was the only "spicy" thing her supertaster palate liked, but now she's beginning to develop a taste for cinnamon buns too! When I first found this recipe in Cooking for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet: Over 100 Easy, Healthy, and Delicious Recipes that are Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free, and Grain-Free, I had to admit I was curious - can you actually make clones of the to-die-for mall cinnamon buns in muffin form, without refined sugar, grains or dairy?
Cinnamon Bun Muffins
Well, call me convinced - these muffins smelled and tasted almost like "real" Cinnabons, but better - think cinnamon roll French toast. Because there are a lot of eggs in the batter, that “French Toast” / "custard" flavour and texture comes through. The topping bakes into the batter - if it gets that far, since it is to-die-for on its own and has become a staple recipe for other "crumb fillings" around here. The rich honey adds plenty of sweetness but also a slightly bitter edge, and combining coconut flour and almond milk you get a hint of nuttiness too. To further gild the lily, I made a glaze for my first batch, which was admittedly not for the SCD followers, but I have another recipe to go to if the need arises (and I've included it below). 

Cinnamon Bun Muffins

Whether you are craving a piece of French toast, a cinnamon roll or both, these will fit the bill - and many dietary restrictions too.

Shared with Waste Not Want Not Wednesday
Cinnamon Bun “French Toast” Muffins
Makes 8

½ cup coconut flour
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp nutmeg
4 eggs, beaten
⅓ cup unsweetened almond milk
⅓ cup dark amber honey

2 tbsp cinnamon
3 tbsp dark amber honey
2 tbsp coconut butter, melted

Icing (NOT SCD friendly)*:
¼ cup powdered sugar
½ - 1 tbsp unsweetened almond milk, warmed
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line 8 muffin cups.
  2. Whisk together the coconut flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in a large bowl.
  3. Add the eggs, almond milk and honey, beating until smooth.
  4. Fill the cups ¾ full with the batter.
  5. In another bowl, mix the cinnamon, honey and melted coconut butter. Spoon over each cup of batter (you may have a bit left over - spread it on toast!)
  6. Bake for 25 minutes.
  7. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then carefully turn out and let cool completely.
  8. Meanwhile, whisk together the sugar and warm almond milk.
  9. Drizzle over the cooled muffins and let set.
**For an SCD friendly icing, puree:
1 tbsp soft coconut oil
1 tbsp dark amber honey
3 tbsp coconut butter
until smooth. This does not set as firm. 

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 172.6
Total Fat: 5.5 g
Cholesterol: 93.0 mg
Sodium: 64.1 mg
Total Carbs: 28.1 g
Dietary Fiber: 3.7 g
Protein: 4.5 g