These are the BEST cinnamon muffins you will ever eat! They are not only easy to make, but pack a strong cinnamon punch. There's cinnamon in the batter, as well as a swirl of cinnamon brown sugar running through the middle of the muffin. And, there's cinnamon sugar baked on top too, of course!
Note: this post was originally published in 2021 and updated in 2024 with improved instructions and photos.
Cinnamon may be considered somewhat of a "common" flavor, but I think it deserves to be celebrated! And in this cinnamon muffin recipe, cinnamon really is at the forefront. The muffin batter has cinnamon, plus there is a nice crunchy topping of cinnamon and brown sugar. And, there is a ribbon of cinnamon brown sugar running right through the middle of the muffin.
I hope you can see that this easy cinnamon muffin recipe is a match made in heaven for all you cinnamon lovers out there!
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Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Oil: you can use any neutral oil you have in your cabinet for these muffins. I used canola oil, but any vegetable oil would work fine, or even grapeseed oil if you have it.
- Milk: I used 2% because that's what I had in my fridge, but whole milk or skim milk would also work well.
- Brown sugar: I used dark brown sugar for these cinnamon muffins because I prefer the extra molasses-y flavor. But, light brown sugar would be ok to use too.
Equipment needed
In addition to the basics (bowl, whisk, measuring cups/spoons), a few additional pieces of equipment will come in handy for this cinnamon muffin recipe:
- 12-cup muffin tin: you just need the standard-size cupcake/muffin tin that makes 12 muffins.
- cupcake liners (optional): you can use any type - either paper, foil, or reusable silicone. If you don't have liners, you can just grease the muffin tin very well.
- kitchen scale (optional): in the recipe card, I provide both volume and weight measurements, so a scale is optional. But, if you have a kitchen scale, I prefer to use the weight measurements because it's more accurate and efficient.
Step by step photos
Here is a step by step breakdown on how to make this cinnamon muffin recipe. If you would like to see a brief slideshow of these steps, you can check out my web story. Or, keep scrolling to see a quick video where you can see all the steps in action!
1. First, fill a 12-cup muffin tin with liners, or grease the muffin tin well. Set aside. Also, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).
2. Then, mix together the cinnamon and brown sugar for the cinnamon sugar topping. Set it aside for now.
3. Next, whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
4. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients with the brown and granulated sugars.
5. Then, add the dry ingredients to the wet. Whisk just until the flour is incorporated - don't overmix! There will be a couple lumps still and that's ok.
6. Retrieve the prepared muffin tin. Fill each muffin tin about ⅓ of the way full.
7. Then, sprinkle some of the cinnamon sugar mixture across the surface of each partially-filled cinnamon muffin.
8. Now just top off the muffins with the rest of the batter.
9. Distribute the rest of the cinnamon sugar mixture on top of the muffin batter.
10. Bake the cinnamon muffins until the tops are firm, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with no wet batter (a few moist crumbs are ok). The muffin tops should look a little crackly and nicely browned, like this!
Recipe video
Watch the video below to see how to make the cinnamon muffins recipe, step by step!
Tips and tricks
How to measure flour for baking
One of the best ways to baking success, for cinnamon muffins or any baked good, is to properly measure the flour. If you add too much, this can result in dry baked goods. There are two good ways to measure flour: by weight, or using the spoon and level technique.
- Measuring by weight, using a kitchen scale, is the easiest and most accurate way. And, you don't even need to dirty a measuring cup!
- To measure by weight, just place the mixing bowl on the scale, zero it out, and add in the flour until it reaches the correct amount in grams. For this recipe, you need 248 grams.
- If you don't have a kitchen scale, use the spoon and level technique to measure by volume. Just place spoonfuls of flour into the measuring cup until it's full, then sweep the excess off with a flat edge (like a butter knife).
- If you use the measuring cup to scoop the flour out of the container, the flour will compress and you will get too much flour in the recipe.
Other tips and tricks
- Before adding it to the rest of the wet ingredients, inspect the brown sugar. If it has a lot of firm lumps, break them up first with your fingers or a fork. Once the brown sugar is in the batter it will be really difficult to break up those lumps.
- If you really like cinnamon, you can up the amount of cinnamon in the cinnamon sugar topping from 1 ½ teaspoons to a full 2 teaspoons. I've made the cinnamon muffins both ways, and I kind of like the lesser amount while my husband prefers the more cinnamon-y version!
- To create a pleasing "ribbon" effect of cinnamon sugar running through the center of the muffin, it helps to apply the center layer of cinnamon sugar evenly across the surface of the batter, rather than just in the center. But, it will taste amazing either way so don't sweat it too much!
Storage and reheating instructions
- These muffins will keep for 2 - 3 days at room temperature, stored in an airtight container.
- After about a day, the brown sugar cinnamon topping on the muffins can lose some of its crispiness. To bring back some of that delicious crunch, you can re-heat the cinnamon muffins in a toaster oven for 1 - 2 minutes.
- If you want to keep the muffins for longer, you can freeze them! They will keep for 2 - 3 months in the freezer. I like to wrap them individually, or store them in a quart or gallon zip-top bag. Here is a good resource on how to freeze muffins.
Substitutions and additions
- I like using oil in muffins because it gives a nice soft texture to the muffins. But, if you like the flavor of butter, you can replace half or all of the oil with melted and cooled butter. If using butter, use room-temperature eggs and milk in the batter.
- If you don't like or don't have nutmeg, feel free to leave it out. Or, you can replace the pinch of nutmeg with another warm spice, such as ground ginger, cloves or allspice.
- To take your cinnamon muffin experience to the next level, try mixing a handful of raisins, mini chocolate chips, or chopped nuts into the batter.
Recipe FAQs
For some of my baking recipes, like this one for Brown Butter Apple Muffins, I call for the eggs and milk to be at room temperature. While that certainly won't hurt anything here, I did use the eggs and milk straight from the fridge for this cinnamon muffin recipe.
Usually adding cold milk and eggs to anything with butter will cause the batter to curdle, but since oil is used in this recipe instead, I was still able to get a smooth batter that rose well, even with cold milk and eggs.
First, make sure to measure the flour accurately. Too much flour in the muffin batter can make the muffins dry. So, spoon the flour from the container into the measuring cup, rather than using the measuring cup to scoop the flour out of the container. Or, better yet, use the weight measurement provided in the recipe card. I talk more about these techniques in the Tips and tricks section above.
Also, do not overmix the muffin batter. Overmixing the batter can make the muffins tough. Stop mixing once the flour is all moistened, even if there are a few lumps left.
Finally, do not overbake the muffins. Overbaking the muffins can also make them dry.
I prefer to use liners - it takes the stress out of wondering whether you greased the tin enough for the muffins to come out! But, I have been able to remove these cinnamon muffins fairly easily from a well-greased, unlined tin (unlike my recipe for blackberry buttermilk muffins!).
If you don't want to use liners, just grease the tin well with non-stick cooking spray, including the top of the tin. This is to prevent the edges that puff up over the top of the cup from sticking.
Yes, you can very easily double the recipe. This cinnamon muffin recipe makes 12 large muffins. If you have two muffin tins, you can bake them at the same time (if you have the oven space). If not, you can mix up the double batch of batter, and then bake them in two batches.
Related recipes
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Print📖 Recipe
Cinnamon Muffins
This muffin puts cinnamon front-and-center! There's cinnamon in the batter, plus a cinnamon brown sugar topping, and even a ribbon of brown sugar cinnamon in the center!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
- Category: dessert, breakfast, snacks
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
For the cinnamon sugar topping:
- 3 tablespoons (40 g) packed brown sugar (dark or light)
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon (see note 1)
For the muffin batter:
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled, or measure by weight)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch nutmeg
- ½ cup (105 g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (71 g) packed brown sugar (dark or light)
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cups (158 ml) neutral oil (vegetable, canola, etc.)
- 1 cup (237 ml) milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).
- Place cupcake liners in the cups of a 12-cup muffin tin, or, spray the muffin tin well with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together the 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar and 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon to make the cinnamon sugar topping. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, ½ teaspoon cinnamon and pinch of nutmeg. Set aside.
- Place the brown sugar for the batter into a separate large bowl. If there are any hard lumps in the brown sugar, break them apart with your fingers or a fork. Then, add in the granulated sugar, eggs, oil, milk and vanilla. Whisk together until evenly combined.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk just until combined (some lumps are ok - do not overmix).
- Fill each muffin tin about ⅓ full with the batter. Then, sprinkle about ½ teaspoon of the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the surface of each layer of batter. Then, top off each muffin with the remaining batter. Sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly on top of each muffin.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 22 - 26 minutes, or until the top of the muffin is firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (a couple crumbs are ok, but no wet batter).
- Let the muffins cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to continue cooling.
Notes
- For extra cinnamon flavor in the cinnamon sugar topping, feel free to increase the amount of cinnamon from 1 ½ teaspoons to 2 teaspoons!
- You can store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 - 3 days, or keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- The nutrition information below was calculated using 2% milk. The nutrition counts of your dish will vary based on the brand, type, and exact amounts of ingredients used. This nutrition information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical, health, or nutritional advice. See our full disclosure policy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 274
- Sugar: 18.4 g
- Sodium: 122 mg
- Fat: 13.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 35.1 g
- Fiber: 0.8 g
- Protein: 3.9 g
- Cholesterol: 33 mg
Michelle Pikel says
Ok, so how hungry was I if I made these within 15 minutes of receiving the recipe! I had them ready when my kids arrived home from school! Warm cinnamon muffins and a glass of ice cold milk was the perfect end to their school day. The muffins were moist and flavorful! Since we love cinnamon, I did up the cinnamon to 2 teaspoons as you suggested. Kids and I both give the cinnamon muffins a full five star rating!! They were so easy to make too!! Thanks for starting our week off with a delicious treat!! Happy Valentine's Day!!
Kate says
Michelle I am so happy that you and your kids enjoyed the cinnamon muffins and that you found the recipe easy to make, this comment made my day! 🙂 Happy Valentine's Day to you too! <3
AM says
Excellent recipe. Rivals Costco's cinnamon butter coffee cake. My husband loves them. I made recipe as written except I added a bit more topping. I used parchment cupcake cups, however when I make them next I will spray the top of the muffin tin as the topping stuck to the tin and I had to work a little to nudge the muffins out. Thanks for sharing.
Kate says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!! And more topping is always better I agree 🙂 Thanks for the tip about spraying the top of the muffin tin, that's a great idea!
Mikayla says
I was wondering if I could make them with more fall spice flavor by using pumpkin pie spice in them?
Kate says
Hi Mikayla thank you for your question! You can definitely use pumpkin pie spice in place of the cinnamon, just replace the cinnamon with an equal amount of the pumpkin pie spice, either in the batter, or both the batter and the brown sugar cinnamon topping!
Jodie says
Just made these, I used melted butter, added almonds cut down the sugar by half and they are SO good. Will be making them again for sure
Kate says
Jodie I'm so happy that you enjoyed the muffin recipe, and I'm glad to hear that it worked well using melted butter in place of the oil. Almonds also sound like a delicious addition!
Amily says
Can I substitute butter for oil? Never like oil in pastry.
Kate says
Hi Amily! Yes you can substitute melted butter that has cooled down slightly for the oil. The texture of the muffin may be a little drier but I think it will still work well! I found some more info on subbing butter for oil in this article, hopefully this will be helpful! https://www.nigella.com/ask/using-butter-instead-of-oil-in-muffins
Karen says
I made these today and I think I ate 2 and my husband ate the rest he has fallen in love with them and has asked me to make some so he can take to work
Kate says
Karen I'm so happy that you and your husband enjoyed the muffins! Thank you for sharing your feedback 🙂
Rei says
it's very good overall, but I've made this twice and both times my muffins had these tiny spots that tasted bitter. not every muffin had them, I'm just confused to what may have caused this
Kate says
Hi Rei, thank you so much for your feedback on the recipe, I'm happy that overall you enjoyed the muffin recipe! I think the tiny bitter spots may be baking powder that did not get fully mixed in to the batter. I suggest that you check your canister of baking powder - is it a bit clumpy? Next time you can try breaking up any clumps of baking powder with your fingers so it's nice and smooth before adding it to the dry ingredients. This should help it mix in fully. I hope this helps, thank you for trying my recipe and leaving your comment 🙂
Karen says
I made these today and I think I ate 2 and my husband ate the rest he has fallen in love with them and has asked me to make some so he can take to work
Mia says
I made these this morning and my batter turned out really thick. I'm not sure if that was right, I followed the recipe all the way through, and double-checked measurements as I went. but the batter turned out quite thick (maybe two cups of flour is too much?). I only managed to get 11 cupcakes and I barely had batter left to cover the top (thankfully, I managed to spread it out to cover it all).
i have yet to try them, but I'm hoping they still turn out good/okay
Kate says
Hi Mia thank you for trying the recipe! One thing that could have happened is that you had too much flour - if you used the measuring cup to scoop out the flour from the container instead of spooning it into the measuring cup, that could result in extra flour being added. On my newer recipes I have been including weight measurements for the ingredients to ensure accuracy, so I will make a note to update this one with weight measurements as well. I could have also done a better job explaining the "spoon and level" technique in the post itself, so I will go back and do that when I update.
It's also possible that the eggs you were using could have been a little on the small side? Either way, I hope the muffins still taste delicious, and I appreciate you giving me your feedback on the recipe!
Nickole says
Amazing!! 2nd time makings them this weekend. This time I decided to add some chai to the milk. So yummy! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Kate says
Wow adding chai to the milk sounds like an amazing way to "spice" up these muffins (haha sorry for the bad pun!). So glad you like the recipe Nickole! 🙂
TheresaBecker says
I consider myself a terrible baker, but even I could make these muffins. They are so easy and delicious. I added cut up apple which really took the recipe to the next level.
Kate says
Theresa I am so happy that you enjoyed the muffins and that you found the recipe easy to work with 🙂 Adding chopped apple sounds like a wonderful addition that would pair so well with the cinnamon, yum!!
Alfonsina says
So good!! I just made them. So happy I found this recipe. I didn’t have eggs so I used flaxseeds as a substitute and still came out great. Thanks.
Kate says
Alfonsina I'm so glad that you enjoyed the muffins! And thank you for letting me know it works with a flaxseed egg, my MIL is vegan so I can try making these with soy milk and flax egg for her 🙂
L says
Could you substitute applesauce instead of oil in this recipe? Maybe it would give it a hint of apple/cinnamon muffin?
Kate says
I haven't tried it myself, but I think you could! And I bet the flavor of the apple would go nicely with the cinnamon as you say 🙂 I did some quick research, and it looks like you can either try subbing half the oil for applesauce, or even all the oil. So try either 2/3 cup applesauce (and no oil), or 1/3 cup applesauce and 1/3 cup oil. If you do try it please let me know how it turns out for you!
L says
Could you substitute applesauce for the oil?
Debra Dabkowski says
They were wonderful and easy. My grandson loved them so much he hid 3. I made large muffins so doubled recipe . Yum thanks
Deb D
Kate says
Awww that is the highest praise Debra thank you for sharing!! When my girls love something I cook or bake for them, feel like I am winning at life that day. Thank you for your lovely comment 🙂
Rebecca says
These muffins are so good. They are also light and fluffy. I added some apple pie spice to mine. YUM! Thank you for this recipe!!!
Kate says
Thank you Rebecca! I'm really happy you enjoyed the cinnamon muffins. And apple pie spice sounds like a delicious addition! 🙂
Kay says
Very good 😊
Kate says
Thank you Kay I'm so happy that you liked the muffin recipe! 🙂
Andy says
SO GOOD!!! My whole family loved it! Is there anyways I can make it less sweet? This recipe is 100% a keeper!
Kate says
Hi Andy, I am so happy that you and your family enjoyed the cinnamon muffins! If you want it a little less sweet, I would try reducing the granulated sugar in the recipe to 1/3 cup instead of the full 1/2 cup. You could also reduce the brown sugar in the muffin base by a tablespoon or so. But, I wouldn't reduce the amount of sugar in the swirl in the center and on the top because to me that is the best part! If you try the recipe with the lower amount of sugar please let me know how it turns out 🙂
Katlego says
Wow I made these yesterday but without the nutmeg and I can't get enough and my kids are going crazy on them, I love it, I love it, I looovvveeee it 🙂
Kate says
Aw that is wonderful, I am so delighted that you and your kids enjoyed the cinnamon muffins. When I make something my kids enjoy it really makes me feel good, so I'm glad you had a cooking win with these muffins!
dots says
the only change i made was to add finely chopped apple, it worked super well. i recon it would have been just as good with pears, plums or even peaches.
also, i managed to squeeze 17 muffins out of this recipe, maybe because i use silicon cups.
great recipe, thanks!
Kate says
Dots thank you so much for your comment! The finely chopped apple sounds like it would pair so well with the cinnamon. And I agree that the other fruits would taste delicious as well. Thank you so much for trying my recipe and sharing your feedback 🙂
Shakiyla says
I made a loaf cake out of this recipe and i have to say, out of all the cake recipes I made from scratch this was the best! Even the batter was delicious!
Kate says
Shakiyla I am really happy that you enjoyed the cinnamon muffins recipe and I think it's so cool you were able to switch it up and make it into a loaf cake instead, I will have to try it that way also! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Jacqueline Debono says
I was thinking of making this recipe into a loaf cake instead of muffins. How much longer do you think I ould need to bake it?
Kate says
Hi Jacqueline, thank you for your question! I haven't baked it in a loaf pan myself but another reader did and said it came out well! I would try baking it at 350 degrees F for 35 - 40 minutes, and then start checking on it because it may take up to 45 - 50 minutes depending on your oven and the pan you are using. If the top is getting too brown, you can loosely cover it with a piece of aluminum foil. And, don't forget to grease the loaf pan well before adding the batter! If you make this recipe in a loaf pan I would love to hear how it came out for you!
Sherrill Mulkearns says
Be careful if you print the recipe from the print screen. When I did, it cut off the oil and milk! Fortunately, I went back to the website and found them. Making them now.
Kate says
Oh no!! Sherrill thank you so much for letting me and the other readers aware, I am so glad that you were able to go back and find those 2 ingredients. The muffins would not have turned out very well without those! I hope you enjoyed the muffins 🙂
Megan MacDonald says
I made these and also made a cinnamon streusel for the top.. they were mind-blowing!
Kate says
Oooo Megan!! A cinnamon streusel on top sounds like it would take these muffins to the next level for sure! I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe thanks for sharing!
Lauren Luddine says
These barely have any sweetness in the muffin itself, next time i will add more than 1/3 cup
Kate says
Sorry the muffins were not sweet enough for your tastes, but I hope you liked them overall. Did you add the granulated sugar as well as the brown sugar? The brown sugar is 1/3 cup, but there is also an additional 1/2 cup of granulated sugar called for. But either way, adding more sugar is always an option! Thank you for your feedback Lauren!
Zhen says
Looks so good! If I use a non stick pan can I skip the muffin liners? Also, how do I adjust the baking time if I decide to bake it in a cake tray instead? Thanks!
Kate says
Thank you Zhen! If you don't want to use muffin liners, I would grease the pan with nonstick spray, even if you are using a nonstick pan, just in case. And I would also be sure to add some nonstick spray to the top of the pan as well, because the muffins are on the larger side and tend to puff up over the edges. And, you can certainly bake the muffin batter in a cake pan instead, but the size and shape of the pan will determine how long you need to bake it for. For example, if you bake it in a 9 inch cake pan, it will take less time than a loaf pan. So I would just keep an eye on it while it's baking, and you will know it's done when the top is firm and springs back, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with no wet batter on it (a few moist crumbs are ok). I hope this helps and if you make the muffins I hope you enjoy them!
Mia says
If I don’t have milk is there something else I could use?
Kate says
Hi Mia thank you for your question! I haven't made these muffins with anything besides milk, but I did find this article on ideas for substituting milk in baking: https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/whole-milk-substitutes-for-cooking-baking/ Maybe one of these suggestions would work for you. If you end up making the muffins using a sub for milk I would be really interested to hear how it turns out!
Ava says
Ummm very confused where is the measurements of the ingredients now I can no longer make these☹️
Kate says
Oh no Ava I'm so sorry you are having problems viewing the recipe! Can you tell me more about why you can't see the measurements? Did you click the "jump to recipe" text at the top (under the post title), that should take you straight to the recipe card at the bottom with all the ingredients/measurements/instructions listed. Or just scroll down to the bottom to view the full recipe. You can also hit the "print recipe" text at the top (next to the "jump to recipe" text) to see a print view if that makes it easier to see. If you are still having issues please let me know I will do whatever I can to assist you!
Claudia says
I made these with gluten free flour & the only problem I had was that my son and hubby ate them all in 1 day ❤️ most delicious, easy to make recipe! Thank you!!!
Kate says
Haha Claudia that is a great problem to have! (Well, hopefully you got to eat some as well!). And that is very helpful to hear that the recipe worked well with gluten free flour, thank you for sharing.
Colorado Girl says
These were bland.
Kate says
Aw I'm sorry to hear you didn't enjoy the muffins, thank you for your giving your feedback. If you didn't like the cinnamon brown sugar in these muffins, maybe you would enjoy this recipe for strawberry white chocolate muffins, or blackberry buttermilk muffins? The buttermilk gives the muffins a nice tangy flavor and a tender crumb.
MB says
My husband thought that this was the best muffin recipe I've ever made (and that's saying something).
Kate says
Aw MB that's awesome thank you for sharing! I'm so happy to hear that the recipe worked well for you 🙂
Dara says
I did everything instructed, except for the eggs. I used bob mills egg replacer and they were perfect.
Kate says
Hi Dara, that's great to know that this recipe will work with egg replacer, thank you for your comment! I'm glad you liked the recipe 🙂
Nicole says
Really good! I baked the minimum time at 22 mins but I feel like they are a little dry. I think I could have checked them at 18-19 minutes. Maybe taking off a few minutes next time might help. What do you think?
Cindy says
Excellent recipe. These are loved by my entire family.
Regina says
The lady was right about greasing the top of the muffin tin, that topping is quite sticky. The muffins were delicious. I added a teaspoon of cinnamon in with the flour mixture and it turned out great.
Kate says
Thank you Regina for trying the recipe and giving your feedback, I'm glad that greasing the top of the tin worked out for you! And adding extra cinnamon is always a good idea in my book 🙂
Michelle says
I tried making theses but 2x more and they came out very eggy like they smelled really eggy and had a strong taste of egg but other than that this recipe is really good and easy to follow!
Kate says
Hi Michelle, thank you for your comment and feedback on the recipe. I'm sorry the muffins were not exactly what you were looking for, in that the egg taste came through too much. To be honest, I find that very interesting because there are only 2 eggs in the recipe, which is a very standard amount of egg for a muffin recipe. I googled "muffins taste too eggy?" and a Reddit post came up where someone added too-hot melted butter, which sort of scrambled the egg in the batter. Is is possible that's what could have happened? I'm very curious please let me know!