These fluffy cinnamon roll muffins are filled with cinnamon-sugar swirls and topped with a vanilla glaze. They look just like cinnamon rolls but in a muffin form.

close-up photo of a Cinnamon Roll Muffin

I have to confess, I’m pretty pleased with how these turned out. They are so darn cute.

overhead photo of Cinnamon Roll Muffin

I had a picture in my mind when I started making these, and to my delight, they came out just as I wanted them to. That doesn’t happen often.

photo of three Cinnamon Roll Muffins

These aren’t quite as heavy and cinnamon rolls and are much easier to make too. You can make everything without a mixer.
step by step photo showing how to swirl the cinnamon in the batter.

These would also make a great brunch idea, especially for Easter, which is just around the corner. I can’t believe it’s already the last day of March!

Cinnamon Roll Muffins on wood board

More Cinnamon Roll-Inspired Recipes

4.75 from 4 votes

Cinnamon Roll Muffins

These fluffy muffins are filled with cinnamon swirls and topped with a vanilla icing. They look just like cinnamon rolls, but in a muffin form.
Servings: 12 muffins
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
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Ingredients

muffin base

  • 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking power
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup fat free milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

cinnamon swirl

  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp butter, melted and hot

vanilla glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • 1-2 tbsp milk

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a regular muffin tin with cupcake liners (12 total).
  • In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and egg until combined. Add in remaining muffin base ingredients and whisk until batter is smooth.
  • Fill each muffin cup about 1/2 full. You will have leftover batter which you will add later
  • In a small bowl, mix hot melted butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. The mixture should have the consistency of a thick liquid. Add a small dollop of mixture into each muffin cup (about 1/2 tsp each) and swirl it a few times into the batter with a fork, careful not to let it completely mix. You want the cinnamon sugar mixture to remain as swirls in the batter. You should only use less than 1/2 of your cinnamon sugar mixture for this step, reserving the rest for later. Add remaining muffin batter to muffin cups, covering the swirled mixture. Each muffin tin should be about 2/3 full and you should have enough batter for 12 muffins.
  • At this point, your cinnamon swirl mixture is likely getting a little more solid. If this is the case, heat it in the microwave for a few seconds, so it becomes very fluid again. Add mixture into something with a narrow spout to pour out of, like a syrup dispenser, a beaker, or a small liquid measuring cup. You want something that will control the flow and pour just a thin line of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Make a cinnamon spiral on top of each muffin (like in photo). If your mixture gets too thick, you can always reheat it again for easy pouring.
  • Bake for about 20 minutes until muffins are puffy and knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let muffins cool in baking pan.
  • While muffins are cooling, make the glaze. In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar, vanilla and 1 tbsp milk. Whisk until smooth. If glaze is too thick, add a little more milk, careful to not add too much at once. Once your glaze reaches the consistency you desire, drizzle on top of muffins. Serve once glaze is set.
Serving: 1muffin, Calories: 247kcal, Carbohydrates: 41.9g, Protein: 2.8g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 5.7g, Sodium: 16.9mg, Fiber: 0.6g, Sugar: 29.1g, NET CARBS: 41
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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