Snickerdoodle Muffins - vegan

Oh, these muffins.

I've had this idea floating around in my head for a couple of weeks for snickerdoodle muffins. It seemed like a delicious and not overly complicated idea. Unfortunately, my first attempt over the weekend didn't turn out so well. I adapted a plain muffin recipe from a food writer I trust (I'm looking at you, Bittman), but it, well, sucked. Most of the batch went into the compost bin, which is something I almost never do.

So I went back to the beginning, thought what I didn't like about the batter (tough, dry, blegh), tried to fix it (more liquids), put the muffin tin in the oven, and crossed my fingers.

Again, it smelled great. And through the oven window (yes, I was hovering), they looked great. The extra liquids smoothed the batter out and they domed nicely. It seemed the stars were aligning (or maybe I'm just awesome?); when I worked up the courage to try one, I was rewarded with a light, sweet muffin with pockets of cinnamon goodness.

These easy muffins will pair really well with a bracing cup of caffeine to get you moving in the morning. They're relatively low on sugar, and (as usual) I used white whole wheat flour in place of all-purpose, so I claim the whole grains sticker for myself, too, and call it a healthy start to the day. Win!


Snickerdoodle Muffins - vegan
A Short & Sweets original

I use these King Arthur Flour Cinnamon Flav-R-Bites, which are a bit different from the cinnamon chips you can find in the baking aisle. For one, they're diary free, which I haven't found to be true of regular cinnamon chips. For another, they need to be softened a bit pre-baking. I've got directions below to accommodate that. However, if your diet allows, feel free to use regular cinnamon chips, which, I believe, you can use much like you would use chocolate chips.

If you want to sub in whole wheat flour, I wouldn't use any more than half the total flour volume. And if you a big cinnamon fan? Increase the amount listed below.

1 Tbsp sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon (for topping)

2 1/2 C nondairy milk (I used almond)

1/4 C applesauce

3 Tbsp vegetable oil (I used olive)

1/2 - 3/4 C cinnamon chips (see note)

2 C flour
heaping 1/3 C sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp vinegar or lemon juice (I used apple cider vinegar)

Preheat the oven to 375F (350F for a dark or nonstick pan). Grease or line a standard 12-cup muffin tin. In a small bowl, mix together 1 Tbsp sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon.

Combine milk, applesauce, and oil. If you're using the KAF cinnamon bites, add them to this mixture and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Give your wet ingredients a stir to combine and then pour them into the dry mixture. Mix until just combined. If you're using regular cinnamon chips, fold them in at this point.

Working quickly, add vinegar or lemon juice and stir in. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until they test done. The top should spring back if you lightly press on it with a finger, or a cake tester should come out clean.

Allow muffins to cook in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.