Cinnamon Toast Muffins are fabulously moist bouncy muffins kissed with cinnamon sugar inside and out.
Cinnamon toast has stood the test of time as a simple comforting snack. In our house it served as quick breakfast, sick day treat, and afternoon pick-me-up. In fact we loved it so much there was often a little bowl of cinnamon sugar next to the toaster. My cinnamon toast muffins expands on the treat theme a bit, and boy are they delicious. They’re actually inspired by one of my favorite recipes, Cardamom Coffee Cake.
A rich texture and buttery golden crumb sets these cinnamon toast muffins apart, they’re a must make this fall!
Layering Up Cinnamon Toast Muffins
Use a scoop to lay down a base layer of muffin batter and spread side to side. You want to cover the bottom of the muffin cup.
Sprinkle a teaspoon of cinnamon sugar over top. No need to swirl it in.
Add a second layer of batter, smoothing out slightly.
Add a final layer of cinnamon sugar.
This recipe makes exactly 12 muffins. They bake up nice and golden with a unique swirl of sweet spice throughout. The texture is delicately soft and plush ~ exactly the kind of muffin you won’t find in a bakery.
which cinnamon to use in cinnamon toast muffins?
Have you noticed? Cinnamon has gone gourmetlately, with different varieties that can be confusing! I have all these in my spice drawer and I basically use them interchangeably to keep things interesting.
Korintje (Indonesian Cassia) ~ usually just labeled “Cinnamon” in U.S. grocery stores; smooth, mellow, classic “bakery” cinnamon. If you buy McCormick, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, etc., this is what they use.
Saigon (Vietnamese Cassia) ~ often labeled “Saigon Cinnamon”; extra strong, sweet-spicy, almost hot.
Ceylon (True Cinnamon) ~ usually labeled “Ceylon” or “True Cinnamon” at spice shops; delicate, citrusy, lightly sweet.
Chinese Cassia ~ less common on labels; earthy, bittersweet, not as sweet as Saigon.
cinnamon toast muffins faqs
Can these be made as mini muffins?
If you want to make mini muffins I would leave out the swirl (not enough batter or space for that) and add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the batter. After baking (check at 10 minutes) brush them with melted butter and coat in cinnamon sugar.
Will a 1:1 gluten free baking mix work?
Yes, although these muffins are already soft, so yours will be even softer. You might want to consider using parchment muffin wrappers for easy removal from the pan.
Can I use any other spice?
Sure, you can use ground cardamom, ground ginger, or a warm fall spice mix.
How would I add nuts to these muffins?
Add finely chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds into the cinnamon sugar. Yum!
Preheat oven to 350F and butter and flour your muffin pan. I did not use muffins liners, but you can if you want.
Blend the sugar and cinnamon together well in a small bowl and set aside.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and baking soda in another bowl and set aside.
Cream the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Blend in the vanilla. Scrape down those sides!
Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the bowl, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix just until well combined. Finish with a silicone spoonula to scrape down the side and bottom of the bowl and give it a final stir.
Using about half the batter, spoon a small scoop of batter into the bottom of 12 muffin cups. Make sure the batter covers the bottom of the muffin cup and then top with a teaspoon or so of cinnamon sugar. Note: you don't want the cinnamon sugar touching the bottom of the muffin cup or it will make the muffin stick.
Scoop the remaining batter on top of each muffin and then top with another teaspoon of cinnamon sugar.
Bake for about 20 minutes until the muffins are risen and golden.
Cool for a few minutes before removing them from the pan to a rack. Note: loosen the edges with a blunt offset spreading knife or similar before trying to remove the muffins.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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Even I am surprised at how rich tasting these muffins are. I think it’s the combination of the butter and buttermilk. But interestingly buttermilk is a low fat product.
I see nowhere in your recipe that you roll your muffins in the cinnamon sugar mixture after baking, yet they clearly are coated in your pictures. Did you forget to tell us something?
The muffins didn’t get rolled in cinnamon sugar, but you could do that if you like. The outer cinnamon you see actually comes from the 2 layers of cinnamon sugar drifting down the sides of the muffin.
Hey there ~ I'm Sue. I love to make delicious food, photograph it, and write about it, but mostly, I just love to EAT. Isn't that what it's all about? My recipes are creative, vibrant, and totally approachable no matter what your skill level. Let's grab a bite together!
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