Easy Cinnamon Roll Muffins: The Best No-Yeast Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting
Imagine waking up to the irresistible aroma of warm cinnamon rolls, but without all the fuss of yeast, kneading, and long proofing times. Sounds like a dream, right? Well, it’s a dream come true with my incredibly easy-to-make Cinnamon Roll Muffins! These delightful muffins pack all the gooey, warmly spiced goodness of a traditional homemade cinnamon roll into a convenient, fluffy muffin form, complete with tantalizing cinnamon sugar swirls and a generous drizzle of tangy cream cheese frosting on top.
Tender, buttery, and unbelievably moist, these muffins are an absolute game-changer for busy mornings or whenever a craving for something sweet and comforting strikes. They come together in a fraction of the time compared to their yeast-risen counterparts, making them a perfect addition to your breakfast rotation. My advice? Bake a full batch, freeze the extras, and you’ll have a warm, homemade cinnamon muffin ready to enjoy every day of the week. You can thank me later for this simple breakfast indulgence!
The incredible success and deliciousness of these muffins inspired me to create another cinnamon roll “dupe” recipe. If you love the concept of cinnamon roll flavors with minimal effort, you’ll also adore my soft cinnamon roll cookies. They capture that same comforting vibe with absolutely zero effort!
Why You’ll Fall in Love with These Cinnamon Roll Muffins
These aren’t just any muffins; they’re a revolutionary way to enjoy the beloved flavors of a cinnamon roll without the typical time commitment. Here’s why they’ll quickly become a favorite in your kitchen:
- No Yeast Required: Forget about proofing times and waiting for dough to rise. These muffins use baking powder and baking soda for a quick and reliable lift.
- Effortless Preparation: With simple ingredients and straightforward steps, you won’t need a stand mixer or any specialized equipment. A few bowls and a whisk are all it takes!
- Irresistible Flavor: Each bite is bursting with warm cinnamon sugar swirls and a sweet, creamy cheese glaze that perfectly mimics the experience of a classic cinnamon roll.
- Perfect Texture: Expect super moist, tender, and fluffy muffins every single time. The secret is in the gentle mixing and the strategic use of buttermilk and sour cream.
- Quick & Convenient: From prep to oven, these muffins are ready in a fraction of the time, making them ideal for breakfast, brunch, or a last-minute treat.
- Freezer-Friendly: Bake a big batch and freeze them for later! They reheat beautifully, ensuring you always have a delightful breakfast option on hand.
Essential Ingredients for Your Cinnamon Roll Muffins
While the full recipe card below lists all the specifics, understanding the role of a few key ingredients will help you achieve the best possible results for these easy cinnamon roll muffins.
- Buttermilk: This acidic ingredient reacts with baking soda to create a light and tender crumb. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a substitute by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring cup and filling the rest with whole milk; let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it slightly curdles.
- Melted Salted Butter: Using melted butter simplifies the process and contributes to a rich, moist texture. Salted butter adds a nice balance to the sweetness.
- Dark Brown Sugar: For the cinnamon crumb, dark brown sugar provides a deeper molasses flavor and creates that signature gooey, caramelized swirl when baked.
- Sour Cream & Canola Oil: These ingredients are crucial for ultimate moisture. Sour cream adds a slight tang and incredible tenderness, while canola oil keeps the muffins from drying out. Ensure both are at room temperature for smooth incorporation.
- Room Temperature Eggs: Eggs at room temperature emulsify better with other ingredients, resulting in a more uniform and consistent muffin batter.
Ensuring your wet ingredients, especially buttermilk, sour cream, and eggs, are at room temperature is a small step that makes a big difference in the final texture and rise of your muffins.
How to Make Them: Step-by-Step Guide for Perfect Muffins
1
Craft the irresistible cinnamon sugar crumb. This step is key to those luscious swirls. Combine brown sugar, melted butter, cinnamon, and a touch of flour until a crumbly mixture forms. Spread it out on a lined baking sheet and chill it in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. This chilling process is vital as it prevents the crumbs from melting too quickly into the batter, allowing them to create distinct, gooey pockets of cinnamon sugar. Once chilled, break it into pea-sized pieces, ready to be folded into the batter.
2
Gently whisk the wet and dry ingredients. In one bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another larger bowl, combine the buttermilk, granulated sugar, melted butter, eggs, sour cream, oil, and vanilla extract. Then, add the dry ingredients to the wet. The trick here is to stop mixing just as there are still a few pockets of dry flour visible. Overmixing the batter is the number one culprit for dry and tough muffins, so mix only until just combined.
3
Fold in the chilled cinnamon crumb mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the chilled cinnamon sugar crumbs into the muffin batter. Be careful not to overmix here! The goal is to incorporate the crumbs while still preserving distinct swirls of cinnamon sugar throughout the batter. Overmixing will cause the crumbs to fully dissolve, and you’ll lose those beautiful, gooey pockets.
4
Scoop and bake your magnificent muffins! For those coveted tall, bakery-style muffin tops, you’ll want to slightly overfill your muffin liners so the batter sits a bit taller than the liner itself. This is a pro-tip for achieving that professional look. Don’t forget to sprinkle some of the extra cinnamon sugar crumb on top of each muffin before baking for an extra burst of flavor and texture! Bake them, let them cool slightly on a wire rack, and then comes the best part: dunking their tops into the luscious cream cheese frosting. Enjoy every warm, sweet bite!
Tips for Achieving Bakery-Style Muffins Every Time
Making delicious muffins is easier than you think, especially with these simple tips:
- Don’t Overmix the Batter: This is arguably the most important rule for muffins. Mix just until the wet and dry ingredients are combined, with a few streaks of flour still visible. Overmixing develops gluten too much, leading to tough, dense, and dry muffins.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: As mentioned, using room temperature eggs, buttermilk, and sour cream helps create a smooth, emulsified batter that bakes evenly and results in a lighter texture.
- The High-Heat Trick: Baking at an initial high temperature (like 425°F/220°C) for the first few minutes, then lowering it, creates a sudden burst of steam that helps the muffins rise quickly, forming those beautiful, tall domes.
- Measure Flour Correctly: Always use the “spoon and level” method. Fluff your flour in its container, then spoon it into your measuring cup until it overflows, and level it off with a straight edge. Better yet, use a kitchen scale for precise measurements.
- Don’t Skip the Chilled Crumb: The freezer-chilled cinnamon crumb is essential for maintaining distinct swirls and preventing it from dissolving entirely into the batter during mixing and baking.
- Overfill the Liners (Slightly): For generous, domed muffin tops, don’t be afraid to fill the liners a little higher than you normally would. This, combined with the high initial heat, is the secret to a professional look.
Serving Suggestions and Delicious Variations
These cinnamon roll muffins are fantastic on their own, but here are some ideas to elevate your experience:
- Classic Breakfast: Pair them with a hot cup of coffee, tea, or a glass of cold milk for a comforting morning treat.
- Brunch Highlight: They make an impressive addition to any brunch spread, sitting proudly alongside fruit salads, scrambled eggs, and bacon. When I’m on brunch duty and craving something extra moist and cinnamon-heavy, I often make my cinnamon sugar coffee cake. It’s another bakery classic that always receives rave reviews!
- Dessert Upgrade: Warm them slightly and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a simple yet decadent dessert.
- Add Nuts: Fold in a handful of chopped pecans or walnuts into the muffin batter for extra crunch and a nutty flavor.
- Chocolate Chips: For a chocolatey twist, add some mini chocolate chips to the batter alongside the cinnamon crumb.
- Citrus Zest: A little orange or lemon zest in the muffin batter or even the cream cheese glaze can add a bright, fresh note that beautifully complements the cinnamon.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
These easy cinnamon roll muffins are fantastic for making ahead or enjoying throughout the week. Proper storage ensures they stay fresh and delicious:
- Storage at Room Temperature: Store any leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. While they’ll still be good for 3-4 days, their optimal freshness is within the first few days.
- Storage in the Fridge: If you want to extend their life a bit longer, especially due to the cream cheese frosting, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You might want to warm them slightly before eating for the best texture.
- Freezing for Later: These muffins freeze beautifully! Once cooled completely, wrap individual muffins tightly in plastic wrap, then place them in an airtight freezer-safe bag or container. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 1 month.
- Reheating Frozen Muffins: To enjoy a frozen muffin, you can thaw it at room temperature for a few hours or overnight in the fridge. For a quick warm-up, microwave for 30-60 seconds, or heat in a preheated oven at 300°F (150°C) for about 5-10 minutes until warmed through.
Having a batch of these freezer-friendly cinnamon roll muffins on hand means a delicious, homemade breakfast is always just minutes away, perfect for those busy weekday mornings!
If you tried this or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments below; I love hearing from you! Also, please leave a star rating while you’re there to help other bakers discover this recipe! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check out your delicious creations!
Cinnamon Roll Muffins with Cream Cheese Icing
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Equipment
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12-cup muffin pan
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, *See notes below for measuring*
- 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 whole 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 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
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Line a 12-cup muffin pan with 6 muffin liners and set it aside. Preheat the oven to 425 F/220 C.
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Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and melted butter until combined and crumbs form. Spread onto a lined baking sheet. Chill in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, then break into pea-sized pieces before using.1 cup (200 g) dark brown sugar, 3 tablespoons (42 g) salted butter, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.3 1/4 cups (415 g) all-purpose flour, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
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In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sugar, melted butter, egg, sour cream, oil, and vanilla. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until almost combined, with some flour streaks still remaining. Then fold in the cinnamon crumb mixture.1 1/4 cups (300 g) buttermilk, 1/2 cup (113 g) salted butter, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, 2 (100 g) large whole eggs, 1/4 cup (60 g) sour cream, 1/4 cup (50 g) canola oil, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
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Scoop about 1/3 cup of the batter into each cup of the lined muffin tray. The batter should fill higher than the muffin liner. (see photo in the post for reference) Bake at 425F for 8 minutes, then without opening the oven door, decrease the temperature to 350F/180C and bake for another 10-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs and the tops are golden brown.
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Let the pan cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the muffins from the pan. Repeat with the remaining batter (6 muffins).1/3 cup (40 g) powdered sugar, 3 ounces (3 oz) cream cheese
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To make the cream cheese icing, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar. Whisk in the milk and vanilla until smooth. Dunk the tops of the cinnamon roll muffins with the glaze or drizzle it over the top.3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract, 4-5 tablespoons whole milk
Video
Notes
Use a cookie scoop to portion the batter; it’s a game changer because it’s way easier than a measuring cup!
For tall muffin tops—overfill the liners. The muffin batter should sit taller than the liner.
Storage: Keep leftover muffins in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the fridge or at room temperature.
Freezing: Wrap the individual muffins in plastic wrap, then store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. You can defrost them at room temperature or in the fridge overnight!
The calorie information provided for the recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.