If you love cinnamon rolls but want something quicker and easier for busy mornings, these cinnamon roll muffins are the perfect solution. They capture the warm, gooey cinnamon-sugar swirls and a cream cheese glaze, but require no yeast or long rising time. Soft, tender, and buttery, they bake up moist and fluffy and are simple enough to make any day of the week.
Make a full batch and freeze the extras so you can enjoy a warm cinnamon muffin whenever you like. These muffins combine the classic flavors of a homemade cinnamon roll—brown sugar, cinnamon, and cream cheese icing—into a portable, breakfast-ready treat.
These muffins are a cinnamon roll dupe made easy. If you enjoy cinnamon roll flavors with minimal effort, you’ll also appreciate other easy cinnamon desserts that deliver rich cinnamon flavor with less fuss.
How to Make Cinnamon Roll Muffins
1
Make the cinnamon crumb. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, a little flour, and melted butter, then chill the mixture until firm. Break it into small, pea-sized crumbs—these will melt into the batter and create cinnamon swirls throughout each muffin.
2
Mix wet and dry ingredients. Whisk the wet ingredients separately and the dry ingredients in another bowl, then combine them gently. Stop mixing when a few streaks of flour remain to avoid overmixing and producing dense muffins.
3
Fold in the chilled cinnamon crumbs. Gently fold the crumb pieces into the batter to preserve visible swirls of cinnamon sugar. Use a flexible spatula and handle the batter lightly.
4
Scoop and bake. For tall, bakery-style tops, overfill the liners so the batter sits higher than the paper. Bake the muffins until golden and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool, then dip or drizzle the tops with a simple cream cheese glaze.
If you’re hosting brunch or want an extra cinnamon kick, other cinnamon-forward recipes like cinnamon coffee cake are great options. These muffins deliver the same comforting flavors in a faster, handheld form.
If you try this recipe, please share how it turned out in the comments and consider leaving a star rating. Tag the creator on social media if you share photos—bakers love seeing your results!
Cinnamon Roll Muffins with Cream Cheese Icing
These easy cinnamon roll muffins deliver the gooey cinnamon-sugar layers and tangy cream cheese glaze you expect from a classic cinnamon roll, but they come together much faster. No yeast, no rising—just simple mixing, a chilled cinnamon crumb, and a quick bake for soft, swirled muffins perfect for mornings or brunch.
Equipment
- 12-cup muffin pan
- Mixing bowls
- Cookie scoop (optional)
Ingredients
For the Cinnamon Crumb
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 3 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
For the Muffin Batter
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup salted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the Cream Cheese Glaze
- 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 4–5 tablespoons whole milk
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line a 12-cup muffin pan with six liners and set aside. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Make the cinnamon crumb: combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and melted butter until the mixture forms clumps. Spread the crumb mixture on a lined baking sheet, freeze for at least 30 minutes, then break it into pea-sized pieces.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the buttermilk, granulated sugar, melted butter, eggs, sour cream, oil, and vanilla. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet until almost combined—stop when a few streaks of flour remain. Fold in the chilled cinnamon crumbs carefully to keep visible swirls.
- Using a scoop, portion about 1/3 cup of batter into each lined muffin cup, allowing the batter to rise above the liner for tall tops. Bake at 425°F for 8 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C) and continue baking for 10–18 minutes, until the tops are golden and a toothpick shows a few moist crumbs.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove and finish cooling. Repeat with remaining batter.
- Make the glaze by beating the softened cream cheese with powdered sugar, then whisking in milk and vanilla until smooth. Dip the muffin tops into the glaze or drizzle it over them before serving.
Notes & Tips
Measure your flour properly. Fluff the flour, spoon it into the measuring cup, then level it off. For best accuracy, weigh ingredients with a kitchen scale.
Portioning: A cookie scoop makes portioning batter quick and even, producing uniform muffins.
Tall muffin tops: Overfill the liners so the batter sits higher than the paper—this encourages bakery-style domes.
Storage: Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for 3–4 days.
Freezing: Wrap individual muffins and freeze up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 288 kcal | Carbohydrates: 44 g | Protein: 5 g | Fat: 11 g | Sugar: 18 g
Nutrition information is an estimate and should be used as a guideline only.
This recipe was created and tested by a real person
These muffins were developed and refined with real testing to ensure a reliable, delicious result.