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Cinnamon Roll Muffins

September 5, 2018

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Cinnamon Roll Muffins with a cream cheese icing swirl on a wooden cake stand.

Sometimes you just don’t have the time to make a yeast dough and do all the things involved in making a legit batch of cinnamon rolls.  These Cinnamon Roll Muffins are a delicious and easy shortcut to that cozy cinnamon roll taste minus a lot of the fuss.

Cinnamon Roll Muffins with a cream cheese icing swirl on a wooden cake stand.

I loved how easy these Cinnamon Roll Muffins were to make, and they were a huge hit at our house. The inspiration came from some muffins my mom had picked up at a Sprouts Bakery.

I love it when people ask me to recreate something they love and want to make at home!  Especially when my inspiration is running low – even bloggers get baker’s block sometimes.  So if you ever come across a recipe you think I’d love, send it my way please!

Cinnamon Roll Muffins with a cream cheese icing swirl on a wooden cutting board.

Let me tell you a little more about them… They have a tender, not too sweet, buttermilk cake with a brown sugar cinnamon crumble throughout the muffin and on top, and of course, a cream cheese icing swirl.  This recipe makes 12 large muffins, and you’ll love how nice and tall their muffin tops bake up.  Fill those muffins wells all the way to the top!

Cinnamon Roll Muffins with a cream cheese icing swirl on a grey plate with a fork.

These Cinnamon Roll Muffins are just the thing for slow weekend mornings, especially as the air starts to hold a tiny bit of a chill.  Do you feel that little chill?  Here in Arizona, we have to try pretty hard to feel it, but trust me, it’s coming!

A close up of a halved Cinnamon Roll Muffins with a cream cheese icing swirl.

Make these muffins and gather up all your fellow cinnamon rolls lovers!  Keep the coffee and conversation flowing as you relax into the weekend.  Enjoy, friends!

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Cinnamon Roll Muffins

★★★★ 4 from 4 reviews
  • Author: Julie
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 18 minutes
  • Total Time: 48 minutes
  • Yield: 12 muffins 1x
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

These Cinnamon Roll Muffins have a light, not too sweet, buttermilk cake with a brown sugar cinnamon crumble, and of course a cream cheese icing swirl.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup oil (canola, vegetable, or avocado)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Cinnamon Crumble

  • 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 1/2  teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons melted butter

For the Cream Cheese Icing

  • 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a standard size muffin tin with parchment paper liners and spray each one with nonstick spray for baking.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  4. Gradually mix the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture, stirring gently and being careful not to overmix.
  5. In another bowl, mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter and stir until evenly mixed and crumbly.
  6. Fill each muffin well with batter until it is 1/3 full.  Add 1 heaping teaspoon of the cinnamon crumble mixture and spread evenly.  Add another scoop of muffin batter, and then top with another heaping teaspoon of the cinnamon crumble.  The muffin well will be full.
  7. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean, and the muffin edges are a light golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a cooling rack.  Allow to cool completely before icing.
  8. To make the cream cheese icing, whisk softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together until smooth.  Spoon into a plastic zip top bag or piping bag.  Cut off a tiny piece of one of the bottom corners of the bag and pipe a swirl on the top of each muffin.  Store in an airtight container.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Muffin
  • Calories: 385
  • Sugar: 34g
  • Sodium: 265mg
  • Fat: 16g
  • Saturated Fat: 5.2g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 9.1g
  • Trans Fat: 0.1g
  • Carbohydrates: 55g
  • Fiber: 1g
  • Protein: 5.1g
  • Cholesterol: 49mg

Keywords: cinnamon roll muffins, cinnamon roll, muffins, buttermilk cake, brown sugar cinnamon crumble, cream cheese icing

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Filed Under: Breakfast, Dessert, Quick Breads, Snacks

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Comments

  1. Nancy Braun says

    September 5, 2018 at 7:35 am

    Just had one for breakfast… delish! They freeze well and can be warmed for 30 seconds and be just right. They will be a perfect glamping treat next week!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      September 5, 2018 at 8:47 am

      Glad you enjoyed them, Mom!

      Reply
  2. Chandra Persaud says

    September 10, 2018 at 7:12 am

    Hi Julie, do you have the ingredients in weight measurements please? AND how do you soften the cream cheese?? THANKS!!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      September 13, 2018 at 2:28 pm

      Sorry, I just saw your question – I don’t have the measurements in weights, but here is a helpful conversion chart I refer to often. I just leave the cream cheese out a room temperature for a few hours to soften. https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/ingredient-weight-chart.html

      Reply
  3. Shannon says

    October 14, 2018 at 1:27 pm

    These were ok but bland. The cream cheese frosting was delicious.

    ★★★

    Reply
  4. Mitzi Solomon says

    November 13, 2018 at 8:25 pm

    How would substitute all the dairy products that go into the recipe? Would you use almond milk? Coconut milk? Substitute for butter and cream cheese icing? I am dairy free but would love to make these for my kids. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      November 14, 2018 at 5:58 am

      Sorry, I don’t have a lot of experience with dairy free baking so I’m really not sure.

      Reply
    • Erin says

      April 27, 2020 at 3:46 am

      I just made these dairy free this past week. I made my own “buttermilk” by using 1 cup almond milk and 1 Tbsp lemon juice (you could use vinegar as well). I let them sit for a good 15 mins after whisking and whisked again before using. For the icing, I just used powdered sugar, a little almond milk (until I got the consistency I wanted) and vanilla. These were delicious, would definitely make again.

      Reply
    • Cat says

      September 15, 2020 at 1:25 pm

      For the buttermilk I’d probably use a fatty non dairy milk- cashew milk would probably work really well. Oat milk would also work well- add maybe a teaspoon or so (maybe you to a tablespoon) of lemon juice or white vinegar to give it a similar tang to buttermilk. Butter can be a simple vegan butter substitute… The cream cheese icing may be the trickiest part since I don’t have a favorite non dairy cream cheese. What I suggest is making a simple icing mixture with confectioners sugar and your favorite non dairy yogurt. You’d probably need to play with the consistency to get it right, but I have faith you could make a wonderful dairy free version of this recipe! Good luck!

      Reply
  5. Tawny Messina says

    December 23, 2018 at 4:38 pm

    So muffins were yummy but because of the crumb it was smoky: (

    Reply
  6. Melinda says

    April 24, 2019 at 9:15 am

    Really yummy!

    ★★★★

    Reply
  7. Dylan Counts says

    June 3, 2019 at 11:26 am

    I love that type of breakfast foods

    Reply
  8. Mowse says

    April 21, 2020 at 10:35 am

    That was the stickiest muffin dough I have ever made but they baked up so good. They are tasty and the wonderful cinnamon treat I was looking for.

    ★★★★

    Reply
    • Julie says

      April 26, 2020 at 8:39 am

      I’m glad you enjoyed!

      Reply
  9. Linda says

    July 13, 2022 at 7:48 pm

    The muffins were delicious!! My brown sugar cinnamon moisture was not crumbly but kinda like a paste. I took a knife and swirled it through the batter. Instead of drizzling o r piping the topping, I made it a little thinner and dipped my muffin top into the glaze. Yummy , yummy!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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Hi I'm Julie, and I spend a lot of time in my lovely little kitchen. I love gathering my family around simple delicious food. This is how I do it. Learn more →

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