These Cinnamon Swirl Muffins are incredibly soft, wonderfully fluffy, and feature a delightful ribbon of sweet cinnamon streusel woven throughout. They are finished with an absolutely irresistible cream cheese glaze that makes every single bite decadent and truly delicious. I love how they capture the cozy feeling of a classic cinnamon roll but in an easy, portable muffin form perfect for busy mornings or a special treat. You can whip them up relatively quickly, and they are always a crowd-pleaser for breakfast, brunch, or anytime a sweet craving hits.
Simple Muffin Batter
Creating the vanilla-infused muffin batter for these treats is exceptionally straightforward. It follows a very classic approach where you combine the wet ingredients and then gently incorporate the dry ones.
The essential wet ingredients include:
- granulated sugar
- melted butter (you can substitute a neutral-flavored oil if you prefer)
- large eggs
- sour cream and milk (a great alternative here is using buttermilk)
- vanilla extract
For the dry components, you will need:
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder, baking soda, and salt
Honestly, I often skip whisking the dry ingredients in a separate bowl before adding them to the wet mixture. You absolutely can if that is your preferred method, but I find adding them directly works just fine. The one truly crucial rule for these muffins, which honestly applies to pretty much all muffin recipes ever, is to mix the batter just until everything is combined. Avoid overmixing it. Overmixing can lead to tough muffins, and we are aiming for that soft, fluffy texture.
Buttery Cinnamon Streusel Core
This buttery, crumbly cinnamon streusel mixture is really the heart and soul of these fantastic muffins. It is what infuses so much flavor, strongly bringing that cozy cinnamon roll feeling to the table. It elevates an otherwise simple vanilla muffin into something truly special.
The components are:
- lightly packed brown sugar
- all-purpose flour (aim for roughly equal parts flour and brown sugar)
- ground cinnamon, and plenty of it for that classic taste
- melted butter
The consistency of this mixture is more on the dry side rather than being overly wet. This specific texture is quite important. It helps ensure that sweet cinnamon ribbon stays right in the center of the muffin as it bakes and does not sink down to the bottom of the cup.
Putting the Cinnamon Roll Muffins Together
This recipe yields approximately 15 or 16 muffins. I know this might be a little annoying for some of you who prefer recipes that fit perfectly into a standard 12-cup muffin tin. I completely understand that desire for neatness.
However, I promise that baking a slightly smaller second batch of 3 or 4 muffins is entirely worth it for this particular recipe. Several rounds of testing did not produce the same stellar, light, and fluffy result when attempting to adapt it strictly for a 12-muffin batch. So, this is the recipe we have ended up with, and I think you will agree it is worth the minor inconvenience.
For the assembly process, first line your muffin tin cups with paper liners. (I have some thoughts on muffin tins in the notes section of the recipe, you might want to check those out).
Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the prepared muffin batter into the bottom of each lined muffin cup. A #40 cookie scoop works absolutely brilliantly for this, giving you a consistent amount each time.
Gently crumble about 2 to 3 teaspoons of the cinnamon streusel mixture over the batter layer in each cup.
Scoop another approximately 2 tablespoons of muffin batter (you might need a slightly heaping 2 tablespoons if you are using USA brand muffin tins, which I highly recommend) directly on top of the streusel layer.
Finish by sprinkling a small amount more of the cinnamon streusel lightly over the very top of the second batter layer.
When assembled, the cups should be filled about three quarters of the way full with the batter and streusel mixture combined.
These muffins are designed to dome beautifully as they bake and should not overflow, assuming you are using a standard muffin tin and filling level. As a small disclaimer though, varying brands of muffin tins can behave differently, and factors like living at a high elevation might require minor adjustments. I personally use USA brand muffin tins and honestly cannot recommend them highly enough for consistent results.
If you are concerned, you could always bake just one test muffin first. This will show you if you need to make any modifications to how much batter you use in each cup for the remaining muffins.
Finish with that Creamy Glaze
Once your delicious muffins have completely cooled on a wire rack, it is time for the final touch: that luscious cream cheese glaze. Simply whisk together the ingredients for the easy glaze and then drizzle it generously across the tops of the cooled muffins.
I think you could easily skip the drizzle technique if you prefer. You could instead dip the entire top of each muffin into the glaze for a different look and application. I am personally quite partial to the pretty striped effect the drizzle creates, but you should absolutely do whatever you like best.
Combining the lightly sweet vanilla muffin base with that fantastic cinnamon streusel ribbon and the sweet, tangy cream cheese glaze truly results in muffin perfection.
As these muffins bake, that wonderful cinnamon streusel layer transforms into a decadent path of buttery sweet cinnamon goodness that trails right through the middle of the soft, fluffy muffin interior.
These muffins are just incredible. They are not overly sweet, making them absolutely wonderful for a proper breakfast, a relaxed brunch, or even just a simple after school snack. Honestly, they are perfect for truly anytime you want a delicious treat.
How to Store Your Muffins: The cream cheese glaze on these does not set up firmly, it stays soft and creamy. Because of this, it is best to store the cooled muffins in a container with a lid that provides plenty of clearance above the tops. They can get a bit messy if they are squished into something like a ziploc bag. (Take it from me, I know this from experience). Despite any potential mess, they still taste absolutely delicious. The muffins can be stored covered at room temperature for a couple of days. Any leftover muffins are truly fabulous if you warm them up for just about 8 seconds in the microwave before you enjoy them.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is generally best to use room temperature ingredients, especially for things like eggs and sour cream. This helps everything combine more smoothly and can result in a better texture.
The most common reason is that the streusel mixture was too wet or you overmixed the muffin batter. Ensure the streusel is crumbly and only mix the batter until just combined.
Yes, you can bake the muffins the day before. Store them plain and glaze them just before serving for the freshest result.
Store them in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. A container with ample head space is best due to the soft glaze.
You can freeze the plain baked muffins before glazing. Once cooled, wrap them tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and then apply the glaze.
Yes, you can substitute the sour cream and milk combination with 1 cup of buttermilk. This is noted in the recipe for convenience.
A light colored metal muffin tin is recommended for even baking. If using a dark coated tin, you may need to reduce the oven temperature slightly to prevent the bottoms from overbaking.
Easy Cinnamon Swirl Muffins Recipe
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 15 muffins
- Category: Muffins
- Method: Oven
Description
These Cinnamon Roll Muffins are incredibly soft, fluffy, and swirled with a sweet cinnamon streusel. They are finished with an irresistible cream cheese glaze that makes every bite decadent and delicious!
Ingredients
For the Muffins
- 1 cup (215 g) white sugar
- ½ cup (115 g) melted butter
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup (110 g) sour cream (see note)
- ½ cup (120 ml) milk
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups (320 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) salt
For the Cinnamon Streusel
- ⅓ cup (45 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (70 g) lightly packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon (7 g) ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons (40 g) melted butter
For the Glaze
- 3 tablespoons (40 g) softened cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) softened butter
- ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) milk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin by lining the cups with paper liners. This recipe makes about 15 muffins, so you may need a second tin or bake the remaining muffins in a second batch.
- Start the muffin batter. In a medium size bowl, whisk together the sugar, melted butter, eggs, sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract until everything is smoothly combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Gently whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until the ingredients are combined and you don’t see any dry spots. Be careful not to overmix the batter. Set the batter aside.
- Prepare the cinnamon streusel. Get a small bowl and stir together the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pour in the melted butter and mix everything until it is combined and the streusel starts to form small clumps.
- Fill the prepared muffin cups with the first layer of batter. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the muffin batter into each liner. Take the cinnamon streusel and gently crumble it with your fingers into smaller pieces. Sprinkle about 2 to 3 teaspoons of streusel over the batter in each cup.
- Add the second layer of batter. Scoop another 2 tablespoons of muffin batter on top of the streusel layer in each cup. Sprinkle a little bit more of the cinnamon streusel over the top of the second layer of batter.
- Bake the muffins for 15 to 17 minutes. The muffins are done when the tops spring back softly when you touch them lightly.
- Remove the baked muffins from the oven. Transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before glazing.
- Make the glaze while the muffins cool. In a small bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, softened butter, and vanilla extract. Use an electric mixer to beat these ingredients until they are light and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and mix on a low speed until it is fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Pour in the milk and mix until the glaze is well combined and has a thick but pourable consistency. If needed, you can add a tiny bit more milk or powdered sugar to get the right consistency.
- Drizzle the finished glaze evenly over the cooled muffins.
Notes
- Muffin Tin: For best results, I highly recommend using a light colored metal muffin tin instead of a dark coated one. If you only have a dark coated muffin tin, you should reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F to prevent the bottoms from overbaking.
- Batter Amount: The muffin cups in this recipe are designed to be filled about three quarters of the way full. If you live at a high altitude or are using a muffin tin that has shallower cups, you may want to use slightly less batter per cup than the amount stated in the recipe instructions.
- Sour Cream Substitution: You can substitute the sour cream and milk called for in this recipe with 1 cup of buttermilk if you prefer.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 30g
- Sodium: 250mg
- Fat: 18g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
