Cinnamon roll muffins are wonderfully soft, light and fluffy no yeast muffins filled with ribbons of sweet cinnamon roll filling. Once baked, these cute cinnamon rolls muffins are topped with a sweet and tangy cream cheese glaze. These cinnamon bun muffins are quick, easy to make and are perfect for breakfast or as a snack.
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
I absolutely adore a delicious muffin recipe. Especially moist and fluffy muffins filled with cozy spices. My Cinnamon Muffins, Pumpkin Banana Muffins, Sweet Potato Muffins and Cinnamon Streusel Muffins are just a few of my favorites from the blog. These easy cinnamon roll muffins are filled with the coziest flavors and textures that will remind you of a cinnamon roll in muffin form.
- Layers of flavors and textures: From the moist and fluffy buttery muffins with sweet cinnamon roll filling swirled throughout, to the creamy cream cheese glaze, these cinnabon muffins will delight your tastebuds.
- Easy to make, bake and eat: Unlike regular cinnamon rolls, these cinnamon bun muffins are no yeast and can be made in a mixing bowl with a whisk, a spoon and a muffin tin. Just mix everything in a bowl, rest while the oven preheats, bake and enjoy.
Ingredients
These easy to make cinnamon rolls muffins require only a handful of simple ingredients to make and you probably already have them in your pantry and fridge. Here’s what you’ll need.
Cinnamon Roll Muffins
- Dry Ingredients: Gather all purpose flour, baking powder and salt.
- Wet Ingredients: Gather melted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, milk, sour cream and vanilla extract.
- Cinnamon Roll Filling and Topping: Gather flour, light brown sugar, cinnamon and melted butter.
Cream Cheese Glaze
Gather cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and heavy cream.
Substitutions
These cream cheese glazed muffin tin cinnamon rolls are as easy to make as they are delicious. Here are my recommended substitutions if you need them.
- All purpose flour: To make this muffin recipe gluten free, use a good 1-1 gluten free flour. I recommend using the one from Bob’s Red Mill. Measure based on weight in grams rather than cups.
- Baking Powder: This is a leavener in this muffin recipe. Baking powder is the preferred leavener.
- Ground Cinnamon: This wouldn’t be a cinnamon roll inspired muffin recipe without ground cinnamon. If you just ran out, feel free to use a blend like apple pie or pumpkin spice.
- Granulated Sugar and Light Brown Sugar: These muffins with cinnamon roll filling can be made refined sugar free by using maple sugar.
- Melted Butter: Feel free to use an equal amount of salted butter in place of the unsalted butter. Just make sure to omit the added salt. Vegan butter or plant based can also be used in place of regular unsalted butter.
- Eggs: This recipe has not been tested without eggs.
- Sour Cream: However, a thick and creamy greek yogurt works well in this recipe.
- Milk: Use your preferred milk.
- Vanilla Extract: This adds a lovely background flavor that pairs really well with cinnamon and sugar.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: The homemade cream cheese frosting for cinnamon rolls is completely optional, but highly recommended.
Variation
Mini Cinnamon Roll Muffins: Prepare the muffin tin cinnamon rolls recipe according to the recipe directions. Use a 24 ct. mini muffin pan with mini cupcake liners. Use a tablespoon sized cookie scoop to scoop the batter into the lined mini muffins wells. Bake the muffins at 375 (190 C) for 14 - 16 minutes or until the sides of the muffins are lightly golden and the tops bounce back quickly when lightly pressed. Cool the muffins in the pan for 10 - 15 minutes. Gently remove them from the pan, dip in the cream cheese glaze (or drizzle on top), set and enjoy.
Make the Cinnamon Roll Filling and Muffins
- Make the cinnamon roll filling and topping. In a mixing bowl, whisk the light brown sugar, ground cinnamon and flour together until well combined. Mix in the melted butter with a fork. Work the melted butter into the dry ingredients until a crumbly, sand like texture forms, with some larger pieces mixed in. Transfer the cinnamon bun filling to the fridge or freezer.
- In another mixing bowl whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together until well combined. In another bowl whisk the melted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, milk sour cream and vanilla extract together until well combined. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel, lid or plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the fridge for up to 8 hours. While the cinnamon bun muffin batter rests, preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C).
Bake the Cinnamon Roll Muffins
- When it’s time to bake, mix in ? of the cinnamon roll filling into the muffin batter. Reserved the remaining ? of the cinnamon bun filling to top each of the muffins.
- Line 1 or 2 12 count muffin pans with muffin or cupcake liners. For the tallest muffin tops, alternate each muffin cup. Use a 3 tablespoon sized cookie scoop to scoop the muffin cinnamon roll batter into each of the muffin cups. Top each of the muffins with the remaining cinnamon roll filling. Bake the muffins at 375 F (190 C) for 18 - 22 minutes. The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes about with a few moist crumbs or when a finger pressed gently into the center of the muffins quickly bounces back. Be careful as the sugar on top will be very hot. Cool the cinnamon muffin rolls in the muffin pan for 5 - 10 minutes.
Glaze and Serve the Muffins
5. Make the cream cheese glaze by stirring the cream cheese until smooth. Then mix in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and heavy cream until smooth and well combined. For a thicker glaze add a bit more powdered sugar. Dip the muffin tops into the glaze or drizzle thick ribbons of cream cheese glaze on top of each of the cooled muffins. Set the muffin back onto a cooling rack and repeat with the remaining muffins.
How To Store, Make Ahead, Freeze and Thaw
- Store: Place the glazed cinnamon roll muffins in an airtight container in a single layer. Store in the fridge for up to 1 - 2 days. Storing the muffins in the fridge will dry them out faster. The best way to store these muffins unglazed at room temperature for 3 - 4 days. Keep the cream cheese glaze in the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy the muffins, then top and enjoy.
- Make Ahead: Prepare the cinnamon roll filling and topping, transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge or freezer. Prepare the muffin batter to the resting step. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 1-2 days.
- Freeze: Make sure the muffins are completely cooled to room temperature. Individually wrap each muffin in plastic wrap. Place each wrapped muffin in a ziplock bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. I recommend skipping the cream cheese glaze if you plan on freezing the muffins.
- Thaw: The easiest and tastiest way to thaw the homemade cinnamon roll muffins is to let them sit out at room temperature until thawed. Enjoy at room temperature or microwave the muffin for 20 - 30 seconds for that “fresh from the oven” taste.
M’s Expert Tips
- Bring cold ingredients to room temperature. This allows the ingredients to mix together more evenly which requires less mixing, resulting in soft, fluffy and moist muffins.
- Measure the flour properly. I highly recommend using a food scale for many reasons (like less dishes to clean), but the main reason is to get perfectly measured dry ingredients every time. Using too much flour can cause these buttery muffins cinnamon rolls to be dry and crumbly.
- Don’t overmix the muffin batter. Mix in the dry ingredients into the wet by hand until just combined.
- Rest the batter while the oven preheats. This is a little trick to get those beautiful bakery style domes on muffins. Allowing some time for resting allows the batter to hydrate, thicken and rise, making these the best cinnamon muffins.
- Alternate muffin wells in the muffin pan. This allows each muffin to get the maximum of amount of even heat circulating around it. The tops will still pop up, but they won’t be as high if you decide to fill all the muffin liners at once.
FAQs
Resting the batter allows the glutens to hydrate, resulting in tender, moist and taller muffins
They are a muffin version of cinnamon rolls made without yeasted dough. These light and fluffy muffins have the same sticky, sweet cinnamon roll filling and classic cream cheese glaze you love on traditional cinnamon buns.
Other Cinnamon Roll Recipes to Try
If you try this Cinnamon Roll Muffins recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! Happy Baking! - M
Cinnamon Roll Muffins
Equipment
- 1 - 2 12 ct muffin pans
- 12 cupcake or muffin liners
- 1 whisk and spoon or flexible spatula
- 1 large cookie scoop (3 tbsp, 45 ml) optional
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Filling and Topping
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons (23 g) all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter, melted
Cinnamon Roll Muffin
- 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120 g) sour cream, room temperature
- ½ cup (120 ml) milk, room temperature
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 4 oz. (113 g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 - 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Make the cinnamon roll filling and topping. In a mixing bowl, whisk the light brown sugar, ground cinnamon and flour together until well combined. Mix in the melted butter with a fork. Work the melted butter into the dry ingredients until a crumbly, sand like texture forms, with some larger pieces mixed in. Transfer the cinnamon filling to the fridge or freezer.1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon , 3 tablespoons (23 g) all purpose flour, 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter, melted
- In another mixing bowl whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together until well combined.2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour, 2½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- In another bowl whisk the melted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, milk sour cream and vanilla extract together until well combined. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted , ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, room temperature, 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract , ½ cup (120 g) sour cream, room temperature, ½ cup (120 ml) milk, room temperature
- Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel, lid or plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the fridge for up to 8 hours (overnight). While the muffin batter rests, preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C).When it’s time to bake, mix in ⅔ of the cinnamon roll filling into the muffin batter. Reserved the remaining ⅓ of the cinnamon bun filling to top each of the muffins.
- Line 1 or 2 (12) count muffin pans with muffin or cupcake liners. For the tallest muffin tops, alternate each muffin cup. Use a 3 tablespoon sized cookie scoop to scoop the muffin cinnamon roll batter into each of the muffin cups. Top each of the muffins with the remaining cinnamon roll filling.
- Bake the muffins at 375 F (190 C) for 18 - 22 minutes. The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes about with a few moist crumbs or when a finger pressed gently into the center of the muffins quickly bounces back. Be careful as the sugar on top will be very hot. Cool the cinnamon muffin rolls in the muffin pan for 5 - 10 minutes.
- Make the cream cheese glaze by stirring the cream cheese until smooth. Then mix in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and heavy cream until smooth and well combined. For a thicker glaze add a bit more powdered sugar.4 oz. (113 g) cream cheese, room temperature, 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract , 1 - 2 tablespoons milk
- Dip the muffin tops into the glaze or drizzle thick ribbons of cream cheese glaze on top of each of the cooled muffins. Set the muffin back onto a cooling rack and repeat with the remaining muffins.
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