Do my eggs and milk have to be at room temperature?

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.

How do I make sure the cinnamon muffins are moist and fluffy?

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.

Do I need to use cupcake liners for this recipe?

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.

Can I double this recipe?

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.

Cinnamon Muffins

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4.9 from 16 reviews

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!

Author: Kate
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

Scale

For the cinnamon sugar topping:

3 tablespoons (40 g) packed brown sugar (dark or light)
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon (see note 1)

For the muffin batter:

2 cups (248 g) all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled, or measure by weight)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
1/2 cup (105 g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (71 g) packed brown sugar (dark or light)
2 large eggs
2/3 cups (158 ml) neutral oil (vegetable, canola, etc.)
1 cup (237 ml) milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

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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 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon to make the cinnamon sugar topping. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, 1/2 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 1/3 full with the batter. Then, sprinkle about 1/2 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 1/2 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

Find it online: https://nibbleanddine.com/cinnamon-muffins/