Cinnamon Muffins Recipe (VIDEO)

Name: Easy Cinnamon Muffins Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 ½ cup all purpose flour; ½ cup sugar; 1 ½ tsp baking powder; ½ tsp salt; ¼ tsp nutmeg; 5 Tbsp unsalted butter (melted, plus more to grease the pan); 1 egg (room temperature, lightly beaten with a fork); ½ cup warm milk (low fat or whole milk); ⅓ cup sugar; ¾ tsp cinnamon; 3 Tbsp unsalted butter (melted)

Light and fluffy Cinnamon Muffins are fresh from the oven in just 25 minutes. This easy cinnamon breakfast muffin recipe is rolled in cinnamon sugar just like Churros and makes a cozy breakfast or light dessert.

Cinnamon muffins coated in cinnamon sugar on a wire rack, with one muffin on its side with a bite missing.

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If you love easy holiday baking ideas like Cinnamon Rolls and Cranberry Bread, you need to try these perfect cinnamon breakfast muffins! They feel so special and warm during the holidays and colder months.

Easy Cinnamon Muffins Video

Watch Natasha make these rustic, sweet, and crunchy cinnamon sugar muffins. Here’s why you’ll love this easy muffin recipe:

Quick and Easy – Basic ingredients, one bowl, and a short baking time mean you can easily whip up a batch of these homemade muffins on a weekend morning.
Deliciously Spiced – My cinnamon muffins recipe is filled with the warming flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg, with a touch of buttery sugar crunch.
Versatile – These muffins are great for breakfast and just as good as a sweet afternoon pick-me-up with coffee or tea.

French Breakfast Muffins

These cinnamon muffins are seriously tasty and always disappear fast. We made four batches in two days and they got rave reviews all around. This muffin recipe also happens to be ridiculously easy. I can almost guarantee that you’ll be baking up a storm, too.

I roll the freshly baked cinnamon muffins generously in cinnamon sugar after a light dip in melted butter. Can I just say: Wowza! These have all the satisfying, sugary crunch of biting into a cinnamon sugar donut (or even a Snickerdoodle Cookie), only in muffin form.

Ingredients

These fluffy and soft cinnamon muffins come together with only a handful of pantry ingredients. Be sure to refer to the recipe card for the full ingredient amounts.

Flour – I made this recipe using regular all-purpose flour.
Sugar – You’ll need regular granulated sugar for the muffin batter as well as the cinnamon sugar topping.
Baking powder and salt – baking powder is the leavening that helps the muffins bake up light and fluffy, while salt balances the sweetness.
Nutmeg – Ground nutmeg compliments the cinnamon and really rounds out the flavors. If you’d prefer to use cinnamon instead, go right ahead.
Butter – I prefer to bake with unsalted butter, so I can control the amount of salt.
Egg and Milk – make sure egg is at room temperature and milk is warm.
Cinnamon Sugar – combine granulated sugar and ground cinnamon for dipping the muffins.

Pro Tip: If you forgot to bring the egg to room temperature, set it in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes to take the chill off.

The ingredients for homemade cinnamon muffins with cinnamon sugar coating.

Pro Tip: Use the spoon-and-level method when measuring dry ingredients like flour. Spoon the flour from the bag into the measuring cup and then level it off with a knife (instead of scooping directly from the bag). Too much flour can lead to muffins that are dense and chewy.

How to Make Cinnamon Muffins

All it takes is one bowl and 25 minutes to make these perfectly moist and tender cinnamon muffins. While your oven preheats, get started on the batter:

Dry ingredients – whisk together the flour, sugar, and the rest of the dry ingredients.
Add wet ingredients – add the warm milk, beaten egg, and melted butter. Give the batter a stir to combine, but don’t overmix. The batter should be lumpy.
Bake – Divide the batter evenly between the wells of a greased muffin pan, about ⅓ full. An ice cream scoop is helpful here. Finally, bake the muffins at 350ºF for about 20 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the muffins are set in the middle.

Photo collage showing the process for making homemade cinnamon muffins.

Pro Tip: You can grease a non-stick muffin pan with butter or cooking spray, or you can line the muffin pan with cupcake liners if you prefer.

For the Cinnamon Sugar Topping

The final touch on these tasty cinnamon muffins is a crunchy, buttery sugar and spice topping. Coating the muffins is a super simple process:

Prep the topping – stir together sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, melt the last of the butter in the microwave.
Dip and roll – One at a time, dip the tops of the muffins briefly in melted butter, then dip or roll the tops generously in cinnamon sugar. I like to coat the sides of the muffins with cinnamon sugar as well for a bit of extra, all-around crunch. Afterward, set them on a wire rack to cool.

Side by side photos showing how to dip the warm muffin tops in butter, then in cinnamon sugar.

Common Questions

What makes these muffins light and fluffy?

The room-temperature eggs, melted butter, and warm milk in this recipe contribute to a smooth batter that bakes up light and fluffy in the oven. Also, make sure you don’t add too much flour or overbake.

Why did my muffins fall flat?

This could be caused by an ingredient that wasn’t measured correctly. Too much baking powder, for example, can cause the muffins to puff up temporarily and then fall flat. Be mindful and measure accurately.

Can I double the recipe?

Absolutely. This cinnamon muffin recipe makes enough batter to fill a 12-count muffin tin, but feel free to scale up or down as needed.

Two cinnamon muffins stacked on top of one another on a wire rack.

Variations

This cinnamon muffins recipe is basic in the best possible way. But if you want to change things up with different flavors or easy add-ins, here are some ideas:

Apples – Stir in diced apples to make easy apple cinnamon muffins.
Berries – Add in blueberries, chopped strawberries, or raspberries.
Chocolate Chips – Add a handful of semi-sweet chocolate chips to the batter for spiced chocolate chip muffins.
Chopped Nuts – Stir in crushed or chopped pecans or walnuts.
Pumpkin Spice – Give these cinnamon muffins a fall twist and trade nutmeg and cinnamon for pumpkin spice.

What to Serve with Cinnamon Muffins

These spiced cinnamon muffins are a delicious breakfast treat that doubles as a dessert. They pair wonderfully with a hot cup of coffee in the morning, Hot Chocolate, Apple Cider, or with a cozy mug of tea.

Homemade muffins are a great addition to a breakfast or brunch spread. Serve them alongside Air Fryer Bacon, Poached Eggs, and Crispy Hash Browns.

Make-Ahead

Although these muffins are best enjoyed freshly baked, leftover muffins do keep well:

To Store: Your fresh cinnamon muffins can be stored airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also keep them in the fridge for up to 1 week. I like to line the container with paper towels to help absorb excess moisture and keep the muffins from getting soggy.
Freezing: These muffins can be frozen. After they’ve cooled completely, store them airtight and freeze them for up to 1-2 months. Defrost the muffins at room temperature, or in the fridge then microwave 30 seconds to soften them up.

We can’t wait for you to sink your teeth into these soft and fluffy cinnamon muffins. They’re the perfect sweet snack to cozy up with in sweater weather. You’re going to love them!

More Easy Muffin Recipes

Muffins are a treat for breakfast and double as a dessert. If you’re looking in the mood for muffins, try these other classic muffin recipes:

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.