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Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

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Prep Time: 15 minutes     Cook Time: 20 minutes

5 from 4 votes

The warm, earthy aroma of these cinnamon streusel muffins coming from the oven is going to bring everyone into the kitchen! Not only do these muffins smell incredible while baking, but they also taste amazing, offering a light texture with unmistakable notes of cinnamon and vanilla.

Cinnamon streusel muffins on a stand.
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Warm-baked treats like this are especially perfect for the cooler months. Muffins are also easy to transport, so if you want something to take to a picnic, add to a box lunch, or rustle up for any kind of gathering, these fit the bill.

Fans of cinnamon are sure to love these moist muffins and you're going to love how easy they are to prepare. There's absolutely no need to head to the bakery when you can make such wonderful treats in your own kitchen!

Some of my other favorite cinnamon-based desserts include these cinnamon toast crunch bars and my popular cinnamon roll cheesecake. Check them out!

Main Ingredients

The ingredients used to make cinnamon streusel muffins laid out on a table.

The streusel topping adds extra appeal to these already delicious muffins. Let's take a look at the main ingredients you need to make them:

  • Cinnamon: The main flavor in the muffins. Let's begin with cinnamon since this spice gives so much flavor to them. The cinnamon streusel topping is what sets these apart from other muffins. Ground cinnamon keeps for a while if you store it somewhere dark and cool, but get a fresh one if yours has started to lose its aroma.
  • All-purpose flour: Important for the texture. Flour is one of the main ingredients in most baked goods and regular all-purpose flour works just fine here. Cake flour would also work in this recipe or you could use half all-purpose flour and half cake flour if you want.
  • Vanilla: Adds a contrasting flavor. Vanilla is one of my favorite baking additions since it works so well in pretty much any sweet recipe. Use the real thing, never synthetic vanilla, and shake in a few extra drops if you like!
  • Baking powder: To make them rise. Muffins have a denser consistency than cupcakes, for example, but a pinch of baking powder helps get some air in there and yield the perfect texture.
  • Milk: For flavor as well as consistency. I used regular whole milk for these cinnamon streusel muffins, but I expect anything from 2% to non-dairy options like oat or almond milk would work fine too.
  • Granulated sugar: To sweeten these treats. You can use any kind of sugar. White sugar, golden sugar, or even dark brown sugar for a molasses-type flavor. You can also adjust the amount of sugar used if you want less or more sweetness. Brown sugar works best in the topping, but take your pick for the actual muffins.

Instructions Overview

First of all, you will make the streusel topping. To do this, combine the flour with cinnamon and brown sugar. Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumb-like and then refrigerate it until needed.

Now you can cream the butter and sugar then beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the milk and vanilla, and then the flour and baking powder. Scoop the muffin batter into a muffin tin lined with paper liners.

Next, sprinkle the streusel topping on each muffin and press it in gently. Bake the cupcakes and enjoy them warm.

Cinnamon streusel muffins on a white plate.

Common Questions

What is the difference between cutting up the butter and cutting in the butter?

Cutting up butter simply means cutting it into pieces. Cutting in the butter, like you do when making a streusel topping, is something different. Using a pastry cutter (or fork if you don't have one) use a mashing motion to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Keep going until the texture is crumb-like.

What does streusel mean in English?

Streusel is a crumbly fat, sugar, and flour mixture which is used as a filling or topping for baked goods like muffins and cakes. Streusel toppings vary. Some might contain cinnamon or other spices or even chopped nuts.

Why is my streusel not crumbly?

This can happen if you over-mix the crumb mixture or if your butter wasn't chilled first. Once the streusel topping looks crumbly, it's done and should be perfect on the finished cinnamon streusel muffins.

The soft and fluffy inside of a muffin.

Chopnotch Tips

  • Feel free to switch the cinnamon for nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice for a different, but still very tasty result.
  • Rewarm by giving them 30 seconds in the microwave or 10 to 15 minutes at 350°F in the oven.
  • Store them for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. Don't refrigerate them because this can dry them out faster.
A cinnamon muffin up close.

Cinnamon streusel muffins are rich-tasting, delicious, and incredibly good when served warm. They are also wonderfully easy to make. If you love coffee cake, then you'll love these too!

Let us know what you think! Give this recipe a rating in the comments section below.

Recipe

How to Make

Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

These muffins are moist and tasty, boasting vanilla and cinnamon.
SCALE THIS RECIPE
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 12 muffins

Ingredients

For the topping:

  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes

For the muffins:

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup milk
  • teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
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Instructions

To make the topping:

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and set it aside.
  • Add the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon to a mixing bowl and mix until well combined, then cut in the butter until the mixture resembles small crumbs. Place the crumb topping in the refrigerator.

To make the muffins:

  • In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Then add one egg at a time while mixing well after each addition, and then mix in the milk and vanilla.
  • Mix in the flour and baking powder until just combined, and then scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin filling each liner evenly.
  • Remove the crumb topping from the refrigerator and sprinkle it on top of the batter. Use your hand to lightly press the crumbs onto the top of the batter so it holds in place better.
  • Bake for about 20 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean from the center. Remove from oven and serve while still warm. Enjoy!
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Notes

  • Feel free to switch the cinnamon for nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice for a different, but still very tasty result.
  • Rewarm by giving them 30 seconds in the microwave or 10 to 15 minutes at 350°F in the oven.
  • Store them for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. Don't refrigerate them because this can dry them out faster.­­­­

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 290kcal (15%), Carbohydrates: 42g (14%), Protein: 4g (8%), Fat: 12g (18%), Saturated Fat: 7g (44%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 56mg (19%), Sodium: 116mg (5%), Potassium: 130mg (4%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 22g (24%), Vitamin A: 380IU (8%), Vitamin C: 1mg (1%), Calcium: 56mg (6%), Iron: 1mg (6%)
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course:
Dessert
cuisine:
American

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Comments & Ratings

  1. Can you use 2%milk?

    Reply
    • Hi Elena! Yes, you can use 2% milk. Hope you love them!

      Reply
  2. I would be so grateful if you could let me have all the ingredients in cup measurements the equivalent in ounces or grams please.

    Reply
    • Hi Miriam, thank you for the feedback. This is something I have been thinking about implementing! I just want to make sure the conversions are done accurately so that I know all my readers will still get perfect results!

      Reply