These Cinnamon Roll Muffins have all the flavors of traditional cinnamon rolls packed inside of a moist and fluffy muffin. The center of the muffins have a cinnamon sugar filling that's also the streusel topping. Plus, a vanilla icing is drizzled over the top!
This post is sponsored by Lifeway. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Ginger Snap's Baking Affairs possible!
These easy cinnamon roll muffins will remind you of your favorite homemade cinnamon rolls! The muffins are soft, fluffy, and have plenty of cinnamon flavor.
Not only do they have a brown sugar mixture that's in the center of the muffins, they're also topped with it too!
Looking for more cinnamon recipes? Then check out these: cinnamon roll donuts, Oreo cinnamon rolls, and cinnamon brownies.
Why You'll Love These Muffins
- They have cinnamon swirls in the middle.
- Each bite is soft and moist.
- They're perfect for any weekday morning.
- They have a crunchy cinnamon topping.
- All you need are mixing bowls; no hand mixer needed!
These fluffy muffins bake up to have beautiful muffin tops.
Making homemade muffins is a quick breakfast option that you can easily grab throughout the week!
Lifeway Kefir
Lifeway Kefir is a cultured dairy product that contains probiotics and many health benefits. Not only is each serving packed with protein, calcium, and vitamin D, but it's also easy on your digestive system.
Baking with Lifeway Kefir is a game changer! It adds an incredible amount of moisture and flavor to baked goods, which is why I used Lifeway Kefir Organic Vanilla Whole Milk in the muffin batter.
At this point, I can't imagine baking without Kefir! They have so many different flavor options too. You can find their selection here.
Check out these chocolate raspberry cupcakes and strawberry banana cake where I also used Kefir milk.
Expert Baking Tips
- Muffin Pan: Prep your 12-count muffin pan by lining it with muffin liners. If you don’t have liners, spray each muffin cups with cooking spray. Here are the paper liners I use for both cupcakes and muffins.
- Cinnamon Filling: This will be used in both the muffins and as the topping.
- Muffin Batter: Add 1.5 tablespoons of batter to each muffin cup. Then sprinkle on the cinnamon mixture. Add another 1.5 tablespoons over the filling and top each muffin with the cinnamon mixture. The muffin pan will be filled almost to the top.
- Baking Time: Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 400 degrees. Then reduce the oven temperature to 350 and bake for an additional 13-15 minutes. Baking at that higher heat initially will help the muffins to rise taller.
Ingredients Needed
Here are some notes on the ingredients we'll be using. For the full ingredients list, look at the recipe card below.
- Flour: I used all purpose flour.
- Leavening Agents: Both baking soda and baking powder are used so that the muffins will stand tall and have muffin tops.
- Lifeway Kefir Organic Vanilla Whole Milk: Adds moisture to the muffins. You could also use Lifeway Kefir Plain Milk.
- Oil: I used vegetable oil. Canola oil would also work.
- Unsalted Butter: I used cold butter instead of melted butter for my filling. It makes the streusel crunchy.
Instructions
Here are the step by step instructions on how to make this cinnamon roll muffin recipe.
Step 1: Dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Step 2: Wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the kefir, brown sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.
Step 3: Combine the ingredients. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and use a rubber spatula to gently fold everything together until combined.
Step 4: Cinnamon sugar mixture. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Use a fork or pastry blender to cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Step 5: Assemble. Add 1 ½ tablespoons of the muffin batter to each muffin cup. Sprinkle on 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon mixture and then top that with another 1 ½ tablespoons of batter.
Then add the remaining cinnamon mixture to the top of the muffins.
Step 6: Bake. Bake the muffins at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 13-15 minutes.
Step 7: Cool. Allow the muffins to cool in the muffin pan for 10 minutes. Then transfer them over to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
Step 8: Vanilla icing. In a small bowl, mix together the powdered sugar, kefir, and vanilla extract.
Drizzle the icing over the top of each muffin.
Storing Tips
Keep any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes you can! Once the muffins have completely cooled, place them in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat in the microwave.
Yes! If you have a jumbo muffin tin you can definitely use that instead. Just note that the bake time might be longer.
I personally think the glaze is the best part and really give me my cinnamon roll fix. But, you can either leave it off or you could even make a cream cheese glaze!
If you made this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below. I love hearing from you! Also, please tag me on Instagram and check out my Pinterest for even more recipe ideas.
It brings me so much joy to see you make my recipes. 🙂
Happy Baking!
More Muffin Recipes
📖 Recipe
Cinnamon Roll Muffins
Equipment
- 12-count muffin pan
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
- Rubber Spatula
Ingredients:
Cinnamon Muffins
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup Lifeway Kefir Organic Vanilla Whole Milk room temperature preferred
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil (or canola)
- 2 large eggs room temperature preferred
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon Filling/Topping
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Vanilla Icing
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon Lifeway Kefir Organic Vanilla Whole Milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners or non-stick spray.
Cinnamon Muffins
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the kefir milk, brown sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and use a rubber spatula to gently fold everything together until combined.
Cinnamon Filling/Topping
- In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon with a fork. Add the cold and cubed butter and use a fork or pastry blender to mix until coarse crumbs.
- Add 1 ½ tablespoons of muffin batter to the pan. Sprinkle on about 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon filling and then top that with another 1 ½ tablespoons of batter. Repeat with the rest of the muffin batter until all 12 muffin cups are assembled.
- Sprinkle on the remaining cinnamon topping over each muffin. Bake for 5 minutes at 400 degrees. Then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake for another 13-15 minutes. Use a toothpick to check the center of the muffins for doneness.
- Allow the muffins to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring them over to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Vanilla Icing
- In a small bowl combine the powdered sugar, kefir milk, and vanilla extract. If the glaze is too thick, add ½ teaspoon of the milk. If too thin, add ½ teaspoon of powdered sugar.
- Once the muffins are on the wire rack, drizzle on the vanilla icing.
- Keep any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Leave a Reply