Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes

Spring has sprung! Wildflowers are growing, the sun is shining, it doesn’t get dark at 3pm, Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes are a thing. It’s a wonderful time of year! If you follow me on Instagram I posted some stories last week about making cupcakes, but was torn on what flavor to make. So of course, I went to the people to hear their voice on the matter and their voices were heard! So many of you reached out with amazing cupcake ideas. The one that really captured my heart was a lone suggestion that read, “Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes with a Cream Cheese Frosting.” I’m sorry, did someone just come up with the best idea ever for a cupcake flavor? I think so! Ask and you shall receive.

I was in Sprouts the other day and was shopping for eggs as one does while at the grocery store, and I came across some eggs I’d never seen before. They were called Heritage Breed Eggs from Happy Egg Co. and came in blue packaging which intrigued me. So I opened them up and lo an behold the eggs were all different colors! Like real farm fresh eggs! I think I may have actually squealed in delight. I immediately swooped up a carton and thought, “I have to bake with these!” Let’s talk eggs for a sec, shall we? Eggs are one of nature’s super-foods. Not only are they an extremely versatile food to make and enjoy, (hello hard-boiled, deviled, scrambled, poached, etc. I could Forrest Gump you and go on forever) but they are high in protein and contain vitamin B2, D, B6, B12, zinc, iron, and copper. Basically that means eggs are a powerhouse for energy, digestion, immunity, and healthy bones.

So what gives these Happy Eggs Co. Heritage Breed eggs their distinct coloring? Well the beautiful pastel eggs are laid by the Speckled Legbar and the deep chocolate colored eggs are laid by the Copper Maran. These eggs also have that rich amber yolk that us Paleo aficionados live for! I call it, “Liquid Gold.” These eggs will make the best Eggs Benedict you’ve ever had because of these amazing yolks and their rich creamy taste. That is the next thing I’m going to make with these! This recipe for Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes only calls for 4 eggs which leaves me another 8 to make different recipes with! Yay!

Because the colorway is so neat on these eggs, I want to use them in my Easter decorations this year! If you have kids and dread the smell of vinegar and the mess of dye stained everything, you can totally use these eggs for mess-free Easter egg decorating! Just hard boil, let cool, and grab some cool Easter stickers to decorate them with, the cool colors are already there for you! I have this really cute basket (pictured below) where I plan to put my eggs on display. It’s the perfect Easter Centerpiece. I cannot tell you how happy I am that I came across these eggs in Sprouts. It feels good to know that I can get real farm-fresh quality eggs anytime I want! Look for the Happy Eggs Co. distinct blue packaging and you’ll know you’ve come to the right place. If you don’t have a Sprouts near you, check out this handy dandy Happy Egg Co. Heritage Breed Store Locator to find where you can grab a carton near you.

When it comes to cupcakes, I would consider myself a connoisseur. I love cupcakes. I love everything about them. They are probably my favorite dessert to make just because you can get so creative with them. I think I have about 10 different flavors in my Cookbook alone. When people were submitting flavors on Instagram I was actually shocked at how many cupcake flavors I already had! There were even some oldie-but-goodie flavors like German Chocolate. I think I’m going to make those soon with my remaining Happy Eggs Co Heritage Breed eggs. I just basically want to use these eggs in every recipe now.

I really think you are going to like these Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes. They are both gluten-free and grain-free with a dairy-free option. They have a signature cream cheese icing and glaze with a cinnamon sugar crumble sprinkled on top and inside the cupcake. I tested these cupcakes twice, once with layers of the cinnamon crumble throughout the cupcake, and once with a cinnamon crumble center. The one with the layers of cinnamon crumble throughout didn’t work because the heat caused the butter to melt, which made the cupcakes rise too much and spill over the well. It also caused them to be too watery so they didn’t look done all the way through. I tested the cinnamon crumble center by hollowing out the center of each cupcake and putting the cinnamon crumble in the middle, like traditional cinnamon rolls, but when you bit into the cupcake, the crumble was too granular and crunchy, which you definitely don’t want in your cupcake. I was not a fan. So then I tested them with less crumble sprinkled in the center of the batter and on top and they turned out perfect! So I really did test every which way for you guys! I wanted them to be awesome and I really think they are.

I also gave you options for a refined sugar-free version. Basically you just use maple sugar in place of powdered sugar. If I’m going to keep it real with you, I prefer the powdered sugar version better. There is just something about the glaze that makes these cupcakes heavenly. I think that it makes it feel really true to real cinnamon roll form. I don’t know about you, but I personally love cinnamon roll everything. Pancakes, donuts, anything cinnamon roll inspired and I want it. And yes, I just mentioned Cinnamon Roll pancakes, that’s a thing! I’ve had them a few times now and anytime I see them on a menu, I have to order them! I mean can you blame me?

So in conclusion, (my fifth grade English teacher would be so proud of me right now) I’m seriously so obsessed with these Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes and these new Happy Egg Co. Heritage Breed Eggs that I found at Sprouts. I brought them into work for Show-and-Tell and all of my co-workers absolutely loved them! Yes and Yes, you need both of these wonderful things in your life, like right now. Also, be sure to follow along on Instagram stories where I will be talking more about these amazing cupcakes and the eggs that brought them to life. Then once you follow me on Instagram, the next time I take a flavor poll you can nominate your flavor idea and possibly have a recipe made for you! It’s kind of like the Oreo flavor contest, but with way less prize money and no eternal glory. Lucky you. With that I bid you adieu and say until next time…

Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes

2019-03-24 16:48:52

Yields 12

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

20 min

Total Time

45 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

20 min

Total Time

45 min

Ingredients

Cupcakes

1. 2 cups (185 g) sifted Bob's Red Mill Paleo Baking Flour
2. 1/4 cup (40 g) coconut sugar
3. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
5. 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
6. 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
7. 4 large Happy Eggs Co. Heritage Breed
8. 1/2 cup (115 g) palm shortening
9. 1/2 cup (120 ml) canned full-fat coconut milk
10. 1/4 cup (60 ml) light-colored raw honey, melted
11. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cinnamon Crumble

1. 2 tablespoons of melted butter
2. 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
3. 2 tablespoons maple sugar
4. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting

1. 8-ounces (226 g) cream cheese, softened
2. 4 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter, softened
3. 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar or sifted maple sugar
4. 1 teaspoon cinnamon
5. 2 tablespoons light-colored raw honey
6. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
7. 1/4 teaspoon orange extract

Glaze

1. 1/4 cup (30 g) powdered sugar or maple sugar
2. 2 teaspoons regular or dairy-free milk

Directions

Cupcakes

1. Adjust an oven rack to middle position and preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Line a standard 12-well cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a large food processor (11-cup), combine the flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Pulse until combined.
3. Add the Happy Eggs Co. Heritage Breed eggs, palm shortening, coconut milk, honey, and vanilla to the flour mixture in the bowl of the food processor and process until combined, about 30-60 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. To make the Cinnamon Crumble put the butter in the microwave-safe dish and microwave for 20-30 seconds or until the butter is melted. Then stir the coconut sugar, maple sugar, and cinnamon into the melted butter until combined. You want the texture to be crumbly and not runny. If you need to, add more sugar to get the right consistency.
5. Spoon the cupcake batter into the lined cups, filling each about halfway. Sprinkle a few of the cinnamon crumbles into the batter and then add more cupcake batter until each cup is about three-quarters full. Sprinkle a little more of the cinnamon crumbles over the top. You don't want to sprinkle too much cinnamon topping in or on the cupcakes because the butter will melt when baking causing the batter to liquify and then it will bake unevenly. Set the remaining cinnamon crumble aside to garnish the cupcakes after frosting.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.Let cool for 5 minutes and then remove and cool completely before frosting.
7. To assemble cupcakes: pipe the cream cheese frosting on top of each cupcake. Then use a spoon to drizzle the glaze on top of the frosting and then garnish with a few sprinkles of the remaining cinnamon crumble. Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Frosting and Glaze

1. Add the softened cream cheese and butter to a large mixing bowl or to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat together using a hand mixer or stand mixer, set on medium-high speed, until fluffy and combined. Gradually add the sugar, beating well after each addition. Then add the honey, vanilla, orange extract, and cinnamon and continue to mix until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a piping bag fit with desired tip. Another option is to cut the corner off of a large Ziplock bag and use that to apply the frosting.
2. To make the glaze, mix the powdered sugar and milk together until smooth and combined.

Notes

1. Dairy-Free Option: In the frosting Sub Miyoko's Vegan Butter for regular butter, sub Kite Hill Dairy-Free cream cheese for regular cream cheese and in the glaze sub dairy-free milk for regular milk. You can find these items at Sprouts, Whole Foods, Amazon, and other fine health food stores.

Clean Eating with a Dirty Mind https://cleaneatingwithadirtymind.com/

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