A family favorite, these Cinnamon Muffins are tender and sweet and filled with lots of cinnamon flavor.
You can expect to find muffins on the table at our house weekly. Along with these Cinnamon Muffins you can find these Brown Sugar Muffins, Chocolate Chip Muffins, or Banana Muffins.
We are a muffin loving family, and these Cinnamon Muffins are one of the most loved muffins in our house. I can always see my kids’ eyes light up whenever they smell these baking in the oven!
I found this recipe in an old family cookbook years and years ago, and they have continued to be a go-to for us.
I love that they are easy, fast, and that they always disappear. And that they are made with pantry staples! When all else fails, I know that I’ll have the ingredients on hand to make up a batch of these muffins.
Ingredients
- Flour: I use all-purpose flour.
- Sugar: You will need sugar for both the muffins and the cinnamon sugar topping.
- Baking Powder: For years, I made this recipe as I found it in an old family cookbook – with 4 teaspoons of baking powder. But I recently retested with cutting out a teaspoon, and they worked great, so only change to the recipe is the amount of baking powder.
- Cinnamon: You will also use cinnamon in both the muffins and the cinnamon-sugar topping.
- Salt: This is to balance the flavors – I like to use sea salt, but table salt will work as well.
- Milk: You can use what you have on hand – I usually use 2%. 1% or whole will work, and you may even be able to get away with skim milk or a nut milk, although I have not tested those. For an extra moist muffin, you could also use buttermilk.
- Oil: I will typically use vegetable oil, but any light oil should work. You could even use melted butter for more flavor.
- Eggs: You’ll need 2 large eggs. If you have time to set them out for about 30 minutes so that they are room temperature, it is best.
How to Make Cinnamon Muffins
In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients and whisk them together.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, and eggs.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients in.
Gently stir it all together. You don’t want to over mix.
Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray, or line with paper liners, and divide the batter evenly.
Combine the remaining cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle that over the top of the batter. Bake until the muffins are cooked through and a tester comes out clean.
Cinnamon Muffins Video
If you want to see how these muffins are made, watch the video above.
Storing and Freezing
Storing: Store any leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature. They are best if you eat them within a couple of days, but they should be good for up to 5 days.
Freezing: Don’t want all of the muffins now? These freeze well. I like to place the cooled muffins on a baking tray and place this in the freezer for about an hour. Once the muffins are frozen, transfer them to a freezer safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. You can remove them one at a time and let them thaw at room temperature or place them in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
Variations
Want to make this cinnamon muffins recipe a little extra special? I’m not going to lie – I think they are pretty perfect the way they are, but here are some changes you can make if you want to change them up.
- Add raisins or dried cranberries
- Instead of sprinkling the cinnamon sugar on top, make a streusel topping
- Add a couple teaspoons of vanilla extract to the batter.
- Replace the cinnamon with pumpkin pie spice.
- Make a simple glaze from powdered sugar and milk and drizzle it over the tops.
Looking for more easy muffin recipes?
Classic Bran Muffins
Apple Cinnamon Muffins
Oatmeal Muffins with Applesauce
Pumpkin Muffins with Chocolate Chips
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins with Coconut
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Cinnamon Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder*
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Grease 18 muffins cups.
- In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
- In another bowl, beat together the milk, vegetable oil, and eggs. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Stir just until combined – don’t over mix.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared muffin cups.
- In a small bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the tops of the batter filled cups.
- Bake the muffins until a toothpick instead in the center comes out clean, 13-15 minutes.
A says
I have a question, what happends if you forget the salt and it is already in the oven?
Deborah says
They should still be fine! The salt helps to balance and enhance the flavors, but the recipe will still work without it.
Chelsea says
I literally just made these muffins and they taste soooo good. They had my whole house smelling delicious! I can’t wait to make these again over the holidays!!!
Michaela says
Very good. I am thinking that the one entire tablespoon of baking powder is excessive, however. If you read the notes, there were originally four tablespoons and that cannot have been a good thing. Go with the author’s sub-note that suggests that two teaspoons of baking powder is sufficient. Otherwise, this is an easy and tasty recipe. (Yes to all of the butter comments).
Natalie says
Hello so the recipe says 1 teaspoon of baking soda but you also say you used 3 instead of 4 teaspoons so do I use 1 teaspoon of bp or 3?
Deborah says
Hi Natalie – the recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of baking powder (which is 3 teaspoons). Make sure you are using baking powder, not baking soda. 🙂
Roger says
Super easy! Whipped up in no time flat with ingredients I already had (no special grocery trips) and made my home smell wonderful! The muffins taste like if cinnamon rolls and coffee cake had a baby. Yummy! Thanks for sharing!
Kathy Robins says
This recipe fantastic. I am eating one as we speak and it is light, perfect balance of flavors, and so delicious. Thank you.
Kesha B says
I have a question. Is there any chance that I could substitute the two eggs for buttermilk? If so, how much would I need to size down on the milk?
Deborah says
I have not tried this, so I’m not sure how it would turn out, but feel free to experiment!
Mel says
My kids loved these! I used 2 cups of SR flour and left out the baking powder as I was running low on plain flour. I also swapped veg oil for coconut oil and didn’t bother with the cinnamon & sugar topping. They made 12 large muffins and took exactly 15 mins. Thanks for a great recipe 😊
Dani says
I followed this recipe except I substituted the eggs with apple sauce (4 tablespoons per 1 egg) and they came out beautifully! They make exactly 16 muffins, too. I’m going to save this recipe so that I can make them again!
Jann says
Do you think I can add raisons?
Deborah says
That should be fine 🙂
Question of the day says
Why is sugar and cinnamon put twice
Deborah says
The top amounts go in the muffins and the bottom go on the top of the muffins.
Marry bumble says
How big should the pan be?
Deborah says
You’ll just need a pan for standard sized muffins. This recipe makes 16 muffins, and more pans hold 12 muffins, so you’ll need 2 pans.
Jhon Doe says
I’m a big “Skeppy” fan so i’m always trying to make new muffins 🙂
Evangeline says
These muffins are excellent! They are easy to make and are delicious.
Carol says
I didn’t love these… Mine turned out really dry, but I didn’t over bake them. I used a scale to measure the ingredients and did not make any substitutions. Aside from the cinnamon, these are kinda bland.
Mrs Miriam Thornton says
I would love to make this recipe but am not familiar with cup measurements. Could you please let me know the equivalent weights in ounces or grams?
Thanks very much.
Deborah says
Here is the most accurate weight conversions I have found: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/ingredient-weight-chart
Alicia S says
These were a hit with my littles. I didn’t use the sugar topping but the muffins themselves are great; moist, fluffy and so easy to make!