Cinnamon Roll Muffins (Soft And Fluffy Muffin Recipe)

I reimagined classic cinnamon rolls into Cinnamon Bun Muffins that hide ribbons of cinnamon filling beneath a cream cheese glaze and a clever shortcut you’ll want to try.

I won’t pretend these Cinnamon Roll Muffins are subtle. They bake up ridiculously soft and fluffy, with ribbons of sweet cinnamon hiding in every nook.

The batter leans on simple all purpose flour and the finish gets a tang from cream cheese, which makes the whole thing feel just a little fancy. They puff into irresistible Cinnamon Muffin Tops and basically read like Muffins With Cream Cheese Frosting, perfect for when you want a treat but not a project.

I always end up making extra because they vanish fast, and honestly I still can’t figure out how something so easy tastes so grown up.

Ingredients

• Main carbohydrate, give structure and chew, low in fiber and modest protein.
• Pure carbs, makes muffins sweet and tender adds browning but not nutrients.
• Adds molasses flavor, more moisture than white sugar, makes filling sticky sweet.
• Warm spice low calories, gives aroma and depth, makes everything smell cozy.
• It’s sour tang, tenderizes crumbs, reacts with baking soda for lift, adds moisture.
• Binds ingredients, adds protein and richness helps muffins rise and brown.
• Rich, tangy, adds creamy sweetness to glaze, high fat and indulgent.
• Fat adds moisture and tenderness carries flavor, helps shelf life.
• Makes smooth sweet glaze, dissolves easy, mostly empty calories, very sweet.

Ingredient Quantities

• 2 cups (250 g) all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon (for batter)
• 1 large egg, room temp
• 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, room temp (or 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp vinegar if you dont have it)
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) vegetable oil or melted unsalted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar (for filling)
• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon (for filling)
• 3 tbsp (45 g) unsalted butter, melted (for filling)
• 4 oz (115 g) cream cheese, softened (for glaze)
• 1/4 cup (56 g) unsalted butter, softened (for glaze)
• 1 1/2 cups (180 g) powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (for glaze)
• 2 to 3 tbsp milk or heavy cream, to thin glaze
• pinch of salt

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C) and grease or line a 12-cup muffin tin; let egg, buttermilk and butter come to room temp while you work. If you don’t have buttermilk mix 1 cup milk with 1 tbsp vinegar and wait 5 minutes.

2. Whisk together 2 cups (250 g) all purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar and 1 tsp ground cinnamon in a big bowl.

3. In another bowl beat 1 large room temp egg with 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, 1/3 cup (80 ml) vegetable oil or melted unsalted butter and 1 tsp vanilla until smooth.

4. Pour wet into dry and stir gently until just combined, there will still be small lumps do not over mix or muffins will be tough.

5. Make the filling: mix 1/2 cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar, 2 tbsp ground cinnamon and 3 tbsp (45 g) melted unsalted butter into a sticky paste; taste it if you want, its sweet.

6. Spoon about 1 heaping tablespoon of batter into each cup, add a dollop (about 1 tsp) of the cinnamon filling in the center, then top with more batter until cups are about two thirds full; for ribbons swirl a knife or toothpick through the filling once or twice, don’t over swirl.

7. Bake at 375 F for about 18 to 22 minutes until tops are puffed and golden and a toothpick in the cake part comes out cleanish (avoid testing through the filling).

8. Let muffins cool in the tin 5 to 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing, or the glaze will melt off.

9. Make the cream cheese glaze by beating 4 oz (115 g) softened cream cheese with 1/4 cup (56 g) softened unsalted butter until smooth, add 1 1/2 cups (180 g) sifted powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and a pinch of salt, then add 2 to 3 tbsp milk or heavy cream to reach a drizzling consistency; warm a sec in the microwave if it’s too stiff.

10. Drizzle or spread glaze over cooled muffins, let set for 10 minutes, then enjoy; store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and warm briefly before serving for that fresh baked feel.

Equipment Needed

You’ll need:

1. 12-cup muffin tin (lined with paper liners or well greased)
2. Large mixing bowl and a medium mixing bowl
3. Measuring cups and spoons plus a kitchen scale if you like weighing ingredients
4. Whisk (for dry ingredients and smoothing the batter)
5. Rubber spatula and a wooden spoon (spatula for scraping, spoon for folding)
6. Small bowl or ramekin and a spoon for the cinnamon filling
7. Toothpick or small knife for gentle swirling and testing doneness
8. Wire cooling rack and oven mitts; a microwave safe bowl if you need to loosen the glaze quickly

Quick tip: have everything ready on the counter so you dont have to hunt while baking.

FAQ

Cinnamon Roll Muffins (Soft And Fluffy Muffin Recipe) Substitutions and Variations

• All-purpose flour: swap for cake flour for a lighter crumb — for each cup, remove 2 tbsp AP and add 2 tbsp cornstarch, sift. Or use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose blend (with xanthan) to go gluten-free. You can also replace up to half the AP with whole wheat pastry flour for a nuttier taste but itll be a bit denser.
• Buttermilk: if you dont have it use 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice (this is in the recipe). Other options: 1 cup kefir 1:1, or 1 cup plain yogurt thinned with ~2 tbsp milk for same tang and acidity.
• Light brown sugar (filling): make your own by mixing 1/2 cup granulated sugar + 1 tbsp molasses (use 2 tbsp for dark brown). Coconut sugar works 1:1 too but gives a different, less moist flavor.
• Cream cheese (glaze): swap with mascarpone 1:1 for a milder, silkier glaze, or use vegan cream cheese 1:1 if you need dairy-free. If you want a simpler glaze skip the cheese: whisk 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar + 2 to 3 tbsp milk + 1/2 tsp vanilla until smooth.

Pro Tips

– Measure your flour right, dont scoop straight from the bag into the cup or youll pack too much and get dense muffins. If you have a scale use it, if not spoon the flour into the cup and level it off with a knife.

– Let the egg, buttermilk and butter really come to room temp, they mix together easier and give a lighter crumb. If one thing is cold the batter can look curdled or overworked fast when you mix it.

– Dont overmix the batter, small lumps are fine. When you add the cinnamon filling only swirl once or twice with a toothpick, over-swirl and the filling sinks and the texture gets gummy.

– If your cinnamon paste seems too soft to hold shape chill it for 10 minutes so it sits in the center while baking, that helps keep nice ribbons. And bake until the cake part is just set, test the batter not the filling.

– For the glaze make sure the cream cheese is fully softened and sift the powdered sugar, then add milk a little at a time till it drizzles. Glaze cooled muffins only, otherwise it will melt off; if it gets too thin chill briefly to firm it up.