Cinnamon Roll Muffins

These cinnamon roll muffins are so soft with tons of cinnamon flavor, a caramelized brown sugar cinnamon swirl on top, and a warm pocket of gooey brown sugar cinnamon filling.

This post is sponsored by Amoretti. All opinions are my own – thank you for supporting the brands that make Sturbridge Bakery possible!

These muffins have all of the yummy cinnamon roll flavor, but in muffin form! This is an easy alternative to homemade cinnamon rolls but just as flavorful and delish. The crunch from the crystalized brown sugar cinnamon swirl, paired with the gooey brown sugar cinnamon filling, makes these muffins a cinnamon roll lover’s dream!

The real cinnamon roll flavor comes from Amoretti’s Natural Cinnamon Bun Artisan Flavor. Used in the batter, it perfectly captures the flavor of fresh, warm, cinnamon buns straight from the oven!

Why you’ll love these cinnamon roll muffins

• Easy alternative to cinnamon rolls. These muffins give the yumminess of cinnamon rolls, but with much less work!
• Brown sugar cinnamon swirl. Made to mimic the swirl of a cinnamon roll, the brown sugar cinnamon swirl piped on top of the batter crystalizes in the oven, giving these muffins a delightful crunch!
• Gooey brown sugar cinnamon filling. The same mixture that is used to pipe the swirl is also used to fill the muffins! After they’re done baking, we pipe the mixture into the warm muffins, making a pocket of melty brown sugar cinnamon right in the muffin’s center.

Ingredient notes

• All purpose flour: all purpose flour provides the best texture for these muffins.
• Baking powder: baking powder is used to give these muffins that beautiful domed top.
• Fine sea salt: salt is just as important in baking as it is in cooking! Salt enhances flavor, so omitting it would definitely make a difference in the final result.
• Ground cinnamon: a critical ingredient! It’s used in both the muffins & the swirl/filling mixture.
• Butter: butter contributes to the incredibly soft texture of these muffins. Unsalted butter is preferred to avoid adding too much salt to the recipe.
• Sugar: light brown sugar and granulated sugar are used in the muffins for sweetness and moisture. Brown sugar is also used in the swirl/filling.
• Eggs: the eggs act as a binding agent for the ingredients.
• Natural Cinnamon Bun Artisan Flavor: Amoretti’s artisan flavor is added to the muffin batter for the ultimate cinnamon roll flavor!
• Vanilla: good quality vanilla extract is key for the best flavor.
• Greek yogurt: yogurt adds moisture to the muffins. I used greek yogurt, but regular could also be used.
• Whole milk: adds moisture and thins out the batter.

See the recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients & their quantities.

Recipe summary

Below is a condensed version of the recipe steps. See the recipe card at the end of this post for the full recipe instructions.

1. Whisk dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
2. Beat wet ingredients. Separately, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until combined. Add the eggs, vanilla, and Cinnamon Bun flavor and mix.
3. Combine. Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until almost fully incorporated. Then add half of the yogurt and half of the milk and mix until almost incorporated. Repeat with the other halves of the dry ingredients, yogurt, and milk.
4. Rest the batter and make the swirl/filling. Cover the bowl tightly and let the batter rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. For the filling, mix together the softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Transfer to a piping bag.
5. Prep the pan. Preheat your oven to 425F and line a jumbo muffin tin with liners leaving every other one empty. This will ensure the muffins bake evenly and form domed tops.
6. Bake. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Pipe a swirl on top. Bake for 8 minutes at 425F. Then decrease the temperature to 350F and bake for an additional 13-16 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
7. Fill the muffins. Use a sharp knife or cake dowel to poke a hole through the bottom of the muffin liner. Pipe a bit of the filling into the muffin. Repeat with the rest of the muffins and enjoy!

FAQ

Muffin baking tips

1. Use a kitchen scale. I cannot stress this enough – a kitchen scale is the only way to ensure accurate results. They are cheap and will make cleaning up SO much easier.
2. Accurately measure the flour. One of the most common mistakes in baking is over-measuring flour. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level it off with a knife. This will prevent the flour from being over-packed.
3. Let the batter rest. Letting the muffin batter rest at room temperature will give the baking powder time to activate, resulting in tall, domed-top muffins. You should notice while scooping that the batter is nice and fluffy.
4. Leave every other muffin cup empty. While not necessary, I find that muffins are taller and more evenly baked when doing this little trick. Doing this also gives the muffins room to expand without baking into each other.

Baking in grams

I rely on gram measurements when testing recipes because they offer the highest level of accuracy (and less cleanup!). Unlike volume measurements, which can vary, grams provide a reliable and consistent standard. I carefully test all of my recipes using this kitchen scale, therefore I cannot guarantee the outcome when using volume measurements. However, volume measurements are available in the recipe card.

Other breakfast recipes to try

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