I’m heading to Chicago later this week and I’m trying to think warm thoughts… It’ll be all of 1 degree when I land… and, (brr), my skin just isn’t that thick anymore.
These muffins are a variation of my absolute favorite childhood breakfast: my Grandma Kissel’s coffee cake. On cold snowy mornings, there was nothing better than waking up to smell of warm cinnamon-ey cake wafting through the house.
Of course these are slightly healthier and also vegan – using almond milk instead of sour cream and coconut oil instead of butter. But this is cake after all, so whatever you do, don’t skimp on the best part – the crumbly walnut topping.
vegan coffee cake muffins
Author: Jeanine Donofrio
Serves: 12 muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups spelt flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- ⅓ cup cane sugar
- 1¼ cup almond milk, at room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
crumbly topping:
- ⅓ cup crushed (unsalted, raw) walnuts
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon (hardened) coconut oil
- frozen blueberries, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners or cooking spray.
- Make the crumbly topping by crushing walnuts and mixing them with brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Using your hands, work in the hardened coconut oil until incorporated but still very crumbly. Set aside.
- Make the muffins, first sift together the dry ingredients.
- In a separate bowl, by hand, whisk together the wet ingredients.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Don’t overmix.
- Scoop a heaping tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup (just enough so the batter covers the bottom. Sprinkle in some of the crumbly topping, and a few blueberries each.
- Add the remainder of the batter, more crumbly topping and a few more blueberries.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out (nearly) clean.
I was skeptical that these would work without any flax gel or other egg replacement, just baking powder as leavener, but have loved other recipes of yours I recently tried, so I got past my doubt and went for it. So glad I did- they were tasty and light and not too sweet. The blueberries all rolled to the outsides though, so next time (and there WILL be a next time) I think I will gently smooth out the mound of batter before adding the berries. YUM and thanks!
So glad you decided to try! You could also fold the blueberries into the batter before you scoop it into the muffin cups (the muffins just turn more blue that way).
I would love to try these! Any suggestions what can I use in place of coconut oil?
canola or vegetable oil would work just fine…
Yum, yum and yum. I’m running to the kitchen now. <3
My gosh, these are so good! I devoured two of them at once, and I don’t usually do that. They were so good warm.
thanks Debbie! That’s the best compliment ever 🙂
What can I use besides spelt flour?
Hi Kayla, you could use whole wheat pastry flour or a 50/50 mix of white & wheat flour… (or just regular all purpose flour)
Thank you for such a quick response…I am going to try the whole wheat pastry flour!
These look amazing! Coffee Cake is one of my favorite treats and I thought I’d given it up when I stopped eaten dairy, so thank you for this. Looking forward to trying them! 🙂
i have been eyeing that muffin pan as well – its too adorable.
I love these muffins. Healthy portable breakfasts are the best. Perfect for a farmer!
I’m a huge muffin fan. Maybe because it’s cake you can eat for breakfast! 😉
These look so tasty.
Love me some cinnamon-ey, crumble-y warm morning breakfast muffins! Not loving the cold temps though. Good luck staving off the bitter chill in Chicago.
Would be great with gluten free flour as well! Great recipe, thank you for sharing!
http://lifeandcity.tumblr.com
These look delicious! Love the crumbly topping idea- will have to give that a try!
Mmm just what I feel like right now. Might just have to turn the oven on and get baking.
Just discovering your site today and these muffins look scrumptious! That topping would get picked off first in my case but I love that hidden layer of a second tasting of the brown sugar and walnuts!
Yes, those muffin tins are just too cute for comment.
Back to searching your other posts again…♥
Hi Angela – thanks & welcome!
this looks amazing, but my husband is allergic to nuts – any ideas for a substitute for the almond milk? thanks!!
Hi Leah, you can use regular milk, soy milk, rice milk… and use this recipe for the crumbly topping instead of the walnut one above:
3 tablespoons butter or hardened coconut oil
1/2 brown sugar
1/3 cup oat flour (or flour of your choice)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
These are delightful! I absolutely can’t wait to try!
Thanks Katrina!
I agree – I must know about that muffin pan!
Hi Margo, it’s from Anthropologie: http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/home-kitchen/29587680.jsp
I need to know about that muffin pan! Chances are good that it’s one of your favorite vintage store finds, but if you bought it some place where I might be able to find one of its sisters, would you pretty-please let me know?
ha, I wish it was lucky vintage find – but not to worry, you can find many of it’s sisters at Anthropologie 🙂 Here’s the link: http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/home-kitchen/29587680.jsp
Yay! Thanks for the info!
It looks great 🙂 Grandmothers’ cakes are the best.
The muffin pan is beautiful!
This looks so delicious, Jeanine. Grandma would be proud.