Cinnamon Roll Muffins

These Cinnamon Roll Muffins are the perfect breakfast treat. Warm, fluffy muffins with delicious cinnamon running through them and a pretty cinnamon swirl on top of each muffin. 

A traditional cinnamon roll is a classic, but sometimes it can be a bit too heavy. These cinnamon muffins provide the perfect way to get your cinnamon roll fix in muffin form for a lighter (and easier to eat) way.  They come together so easily, I love to whip them up for a quick breakfast on Christmas morning or enjoy one on my way into the city with a hot cup of coffee on a weekday morning.

These cinnamon bun muffins were my Mum's favorite recipe that we made in the bakery.  We served all kinds of muffins, such as Raspberry Crumble Muffins and Pistachio Muffins, but this muffin recipe was one of the most popular.  So next time you have a hankering for homemade cinnamon rolls but want to make something quicker and easier, give these easy cinnamon roll muffins a try.  Besides, does anything beat the smell of warm cinnamon wafting through your kitchen first thing in the morning? I think not! 

P.S. If you love the idea of hybrid cinnamon roll desserts, check out my Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake recipe too!

Ingredients

• Flour - All-purpose flour (plain flour) is perfect for these muffins, it makes a super soft muffin while providing enough structure to hold the cinnamon sugar filling. 

• Sugar - This recipe uses three kinds of sugar, the first is regular white granulated sugar (caster sugar) for a base sweetness and structure.

• Light Brown Sugar - The muffins themselves also use light brown sugar, which is the soft kind that looks a bit like wet sand - not muscovado or demerara sugar. 

• Eggs - Use large eggs and always free-range if you can.  Make sure the eggs are at room temperature. 

• Vegetable Oil - The fat in the muffins is vegetable oil, which will keep them super moist and help them to stay fresh for longer. 

• Milk - Full-fat milk is best, but you can use whatever milk you have on hand.  Make sure it is room temperature. 

• Dark Brown Sugar - The cinnamon filling uses dark brown sugar for a deeper color and flavor.

• Cinnamon - Of course, we need cinnamon, use ground cinnamon - you should be able to find this in any grocery store. 

• Butter - The butter is for the cinnamon filling - you can use salted or unsalted butter, whatever you prefer.  There is no need to use softened butter, as we will be melting it anyway. 

• Vanilla - To provide a tasty base for the cinnamon, the muffin itself will be vanilla-flavored.  Use vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. 

See recipe card for quantities.

What You'll Need

• Large Bowl
• Whisk
• Muffin Pan
• Muffin Liners
• Cooling Rack
• Piping Bag

How To Make Cinnamon Roll Muffins

This cinnamon roll muffin recipe has all the flavor of cinnamon buns but is a lot easier with just a few basic steps that take way less time! 

Whisk Sugar and Eggs

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C and line a muffin tin with muffin liners. 

In a large bowl, add the white sugar, light brown sugar, and eggs.  Whisk together until combined. 

Wet Ingredients

Pour in the wet ingredients, including the milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla.  Whisk until incorporated. 

Dry Ingredients

In a medium bowl, sift together the dry ingredients, including flour, baking powder, and salt.

Mix together, then add to the muffin batter and whisk until there are no lumps of flour.

Cinnamon Roll Filling

Now for the best part - the cinnamon roll filling!  In a separate bowl, melt the butter in the microwave in 30-second increments.  

Add the dark brown sugar and cinnamon to the melted butter and use a spoon to mix it into a runny paste.  If it is too runny to work with, let it cool for a few minutes, then stir and try again.  

Fill Muffin Pan

Scoop, pour, or spoon your muffin batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each cavity about ⅔ full. (If you are using the tulip liners, you can fill them fuller - see note below).  I like to use a cookie scoop to ensure an equal amount of batter in every muffin. 

Add Cinnamon Roll Filling

Spoon your cinnamon swirl mixture into a piping bag and cut a small hole in the tip.  If you don't have a piping bag, you can use a thick plastic bag like a freezer bag and snip the corner off.  Squeeze roughly a teaspoon of cinnamon mixture into the center of each muffin.  Use a toothpick to swirl it around into the muffin batter slightly. 

Add More Batter

Top off the muffins with the remaining batter - about 1-2 tablespoons per muffin. 

Pipe Swirl

Pick up your bag of cinnamon filling again and use it to pipe a swirl on top of each muffin. For best results, don't let the swirl go all the way to the edge of the muffin case.  The tighter the swirl the more of your muffin will be covered in cinnamon as it bakes.  

Bake

Bake for 20-24 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool. 

Cinnamon Roll Icing

You really can't have cinnamon buns without cinnamon roll icing, can you? This cream cheese glaze is so good, I smother it on everything.

You can either put the glaze on while the muffins are still hot and let it kind of melt into the top, or if you want to be able to see the glaze, wait until the muffins cool down and pipe it on. You don't want to go crazy with it, as you still want to be able to see that beautiful cinnamon swirl on top of the muffin, and a little cream cheese glaze goes a long way!

It's the perfect finishing touch to these delectable cinnamon swirl muffins!

To make the glaze:

1. Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature, and mix it with a spoon to soften it up a little.
2. Add the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla and beat until there are no lumps.
3. For a more runny glaze, add 1-2 tablespoons more milk, or as much as it takes to get the desired thickness.

Variations

Alternative Icing - If you would like a glaze but don't want to use cream cheese, you can make an easy vanilla icing instead.

Nuts - For some extra crunch, throw a cup of chopped nuts into your muffin batter.  My favorite is pecans. 

Toppings - To add some extra crunch or sweetness, try adding a crumble topping!

Storage

Store your muffins in an airtight container at room temperature; they should be good like this for 5 days.  

If they have cream cheese glaze on them, you'll need to store them in the fridge. I advise letting them sit out at room temperature for at least an hour before serving, as you'll be able to taste the delicious muffin better when it's not cold. 

More Muffins

If you love making desserts that are passable as 'breakfast', check out some of my other muffin recipes: