These Cinnamon Streusel Muffins are just like the classic coffee cake you know and love, just made into muffins! They’re fluffy and moist cinnamon muffins filled with a rich cinnamon swirl, topped with a quick and easy cinnamon crumble streusel topping. Grab one or two for a wonderfully delicious breakfast, snack or dessert.
These light and fluffy Cinnamon Streusel Muffins are the ultimate cozy treat! Each muffin is soft, moist, and topped with a buttery cinnamon crumble that melts in your mouth. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a mid-day snack, these muffins come together quickly with simple ingredients. Pair them with a cup of coffee or tea for a delightful start to your day!
For more cinnamon recipes try my Cinnamon roll blondies, cinnamon shortbread cookies or cinnamon crinkle cookies
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Irresistible Cinnamon Streusel Topping: The buttery, crumbly cinnamon topping takes these muffins to the next level. It adds a delicious crunch and sweet-spiced flavor that pairs perfectly with the soft muffin base.
- Soft and Moist Texture: Thanks to the buttermilk and melted butter, these muffins are incredibly tender and moist, staying fresh for days without drying out.
- Perfectly Balanced Flavor: The warm notes of cinnamon, a touch of sweetness, and a buttery crumb topping create a flavor combination that’s comforting and satisfying.
- Easy to Make: This recipe is beginner-friendly and comes together quickly with basic pantry ingredients. No fancy equipment or techniques are required, so it’s perfect for busy mornings or last minute baking.
- Versatile Treat: These easy and delicious muffins aren’t just for breakfast! They make a fantastic snack, dessert, or addition to a brunch spread. Serve them plain, or with a cup of coffee, tea, or even a dollop of butter or cream cheese for extra indulgence.
- Customizable: You can easily adapt this recipe by adding nuts, raisins, or a glaze for a personalized twist.
Ingredient Notes
- All-Purpose Flour: Forms the base of the muffins and the streusel topping.
- Light Brown Sugar: Adds moisture and a deep, caramel-like sweetness.You can use dark brown sugar as well.
- Large Eggs: I like to use room temperature large eggs.
- Ground Cinnamon: Key for that warm, spiced flavor in both the batter and topping.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter for a rich, buttery flavor in the muffins and streusel.
- Neutral Oil: The combination of oil and butter makes these muffins soft and fluffy. Any neutral oil such as vegetable, canola oil would work.
- Buttermilk: Keeps the muffins extra tender and moist. If you don’t have buttermilk, make your own by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup of milk.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall flavor of the muffins.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Ensure the muffins rise beautifully.
- Sour Cream: Use full fat sour cream. Alternatively you can also use plain greek yogurt.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here is how to make and bake these cinnamon streusel muffins. An electric mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment is recommended to mix the batter, but isn’t necessary.You can use a large mixing bowl with a whisk or spatula as well.
Step 1. Prepare the Streusel: In a small bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter until the mixture is crumbly and resembles wet sand with a few large chunks. Set aside.
Step 2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Step 3. Combine Wet Ingredients: In another bowl, mix melted butter, sugar, eggs, buttermilk, sour cream and vanilla extract until smooth.
Step 4. Combine the Mixtures: Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring gently until just combined.
Step 5. Rest the batter: Let the muffin batter rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin liners or grease the cups.
Step 1. Fill the Muffin pan: Fill each muffin half way with the muffin batter and top with a heaping teaspoon of the cinnamon sugar filling.Cover the filling with another tablespoon of muffin batter until the cups are almost full.
Step 2. Add Streusel Topping: Generously sprinkle the prepared streusel mixture over each muffin.
Step 3. Bake: Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 425 F. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 for the remaining time, about 17-20 minutes.until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean.
Step 4. Cool and Enjoy: Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips & Tricks
- Don’t Overmix the Batter: Only mix the batter until you see no dry specs of flour. Over mixing will lead to tough muffins.
- Make the Streusel First: Preparing the streusel before the batter saves time and keeps the process smooth.Place each in an airtight storage container and refrigerate until you’re ready to make the muffins.
- Use a Cookie Scoop: To ensure even muffins, use a scoop to portion the batter.
- Add a Toothpick Test: Insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin; if it comes out clean or with a few crumbs, they’re done.
- Rest the batter for about 30 -60 minutes: This is a little trick to get those beautiful bakery style domes on muffins. Allowing some time for resting allows the batter to hydrate, thicken and rise, making these the best cinnamon streusel muffins.
- Cool on a Rack: Allow the muffins to cool slightly before removing them from the pan to avoid soggy bottoms.
FAQs
Although I haven’t tested these with alternative flours you can try to substitute the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
Substitute the buttermilk with almond milk mixed with 1 tablespoon of vinegar, and use a plant-based butter alternative.
Make sure the batter is thick enough to support the topping. Chill the streusel for a few minutes before sprinkling it on top.
Mix your muffin batter as little as possible in order to achieve a light, tender crumb. Overmixing the batter not only crushes air bubbles, but also overworks the gluten, which can lead to tough, dense muffins.
Storage & Freezing
Storage:
- Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- For longer freshness, refrigerate for up to a week.
Freezing:
- Wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe bag.
- Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm in the microwave for a quick treat.
More Recipes To Try
Recipe
Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
Equipment
- 1 12-cup Muffin Tin
Ingredients
For the muffins:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup melted butter
- ¼ cup oil
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- ⅓ cup sour cream or plain yoghurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the cinnamon swirl:
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
For the streusel topping:
- ⅔ cup All purpose Flour
- 6 tablespoons white granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 tbsp unsalted Butter melted
Instructions
For the streusel:
- Combine the flour, sugars, pecans, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl. Drizzle the melted butter over top and stir to combine. The mixture will be clumpy. Set aside.
For the muffins:
- In a small bowl whisk the brown sugar and ground cinnamon together until well combined.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs, buttermilk, oil, melted butter, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring gently until just combined, being careful not to overmix
- Let the muffin batter rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin liners or grease the cups.
- Fill each muffin half way with the muffin batter and top with a heaping teaspoon of the prepared cinnamon sugar filling.Cover the filling with another tablespoon of muffin batter.Top each of the muffins with a heaping tablespoon of the cinnamon crumble. Gently press the crumble into the muffins.
- Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C) and continue to bake for 17-19 minutes until the tops are lightly golden brown and centers are set.
Notes
- Don’t Over mix the Batter: Only mix the batter until you see no dry specs of flour. Over mixing will lead to tough muffins.
- Make the Streusel First: Preparing the streusel before the batter saves time and keeps the process smooth.Place each in an airtight storage container and refrigerate until you’re ready to make the muffins. Store any extra streusel in a ziploc bag in the freezer.
- Fill the muffin cups to the brim: For bakery style muffins fill each muffin cavity with reaches the top for a beautifully domed result.
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