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These cinnamon roll muffins are moist, fluffy, and have a gorgeous glaze on top! No eggs needed, they make a delicious dessert recipe that come together in no time!
As someone who loves cinnamon rolls, making them as muffins has been a game changer.
This cinnamon roll muffin recipe is the perfect baked good to satisfy ALL your dessert cravings. The muffins are moist and fluffy, and there is a cinnamon swirl throughout and drizzled with a glaze. It’s sweet, cinnamon-y, and straight up delicious.
For such a fabulous looking muffin, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at just how easy they are to make.
Ingredients to make these muffins
For the muffins.
- Milk. I used unsweetened almond milk, but any milk works.
- Apple cider vinegar. Mixed with the milk to create a mock buttermilk.
- Cake flour. While all-purpose flour works, cake flour helps these muffins achieve a lighter and fluffier texture.
- Sugar. White or raw sugar.
- Baking powder. Gives the muffins some rise and fluffiness.
- Salt. Balances out the sweet ingredients.
- Oil. I used canola oil, but any neutral flavored oil works.
- Vanilla extract
For the cinnamon swirl.
- Brown sugar. Choose dark brown sugar if possible.
- Cinnamon
- Butter. When adding the cinnamon swirl, the butter must be piping hot.
For the glaze.
- Powdered sugar. Sifted to ensure there are no clumps.
- Vanilla. Adds a subtle vanilla flavor that works so well with the muffins.
- Milk or water. To thin out the glaze.
How to make cinnamon roll muffins
Muffins are easy to make and these are not the exception: the only thing you’ll need to do is monitor the cinnamon swirl temperature. It should be warm when whisking it into the batter. If your batter has cooled down, simply reheat it. Here is how you’ll make them:
- Make muffin batter: Whisk together the milk and apple cider vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes to curdle. Add the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl, followed by the wet ingredients, including the curdled milk. In a separate bowl, whisk the cinnamon swirl mixture.
- Fill and swirl: Line a 12-count muffin tin with muffin liners. Fill half of each muffin tin with the batter. Carefully drop about a half teaspoon of the cinnamon sugar liquid into each muffin, then use a fork to make a few swirls. Add the remaining muffin batter on top. With the remaining cinnamon sugar liquid, carefully add a swirl to the top of each muffin.
- Bake the muffins for 18-20 minutes, or until they are puffed up, and a skewer comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the oven. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, drizzle a glaze over the top of each muffin.
Tips to make the best recipe
- The muffins should be completely cooled before adding the glaze on top.
- Do not over-bake the muffins as they continue to cook as they are cooling down.
- Add some chopped nuts (walnuts and pecans are great!) or swap out the glaze for frosting.
Storage instructions
What is the best way to store these cinnamon roll muffins? Here are the best practices for muffin storage:
- To store: Leftover muffins can be stored at room temperature, covered, for up to five days. If you’d like them to keep longer, store them in the refrigerator.
- To freeze: Place the muffins in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to six months.
More muffin recipes to try
Frequently Asked Questions
Using a combination or oil/butter and sugar in the batter guarantees muffins remain moist and fluffy.
If you use vegan butter and dairy free milk, these muffins are perfect for a vegan diet.
Replace the cake flour with all purpose flour.
Switch out the butter for one of these substitutes.
Cinnamon Roll Muffins
Ingredients
For the muffins
- 1 1/2 cup milk I used unsweetened almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 2 3/4 cup cake flour gluten free, if needed
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the cinnamon swirl
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
For the glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons milk or water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a 12-count muffin tin with muffin liners.
- In a small bowl, whisk the milk and apple cider vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes, to curdle.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the curdled milk mixture, oil, and vanilla extract. Stir until no large clumps remain. Fill each muffin until half filled.
- In a small bowl, mix hot melted butter, cinnamon and brown sugar.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon of the mix into each muffin and swirl it a few times into the batter with a fork, careful not to let it completely mix. Add the remaining muffin batter.
- With the remaining cinnamon swirl mix, drizzle on top of each muffin and use a skewer to swirl through.
- Bake the muffins for 18-20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out mostly clean.
- Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool completely. While cooling, prepare the glaze. Drizzle a spoonful over each muffin and let it set.
I’ve heard of udi’s everywhere! I would love to try their English muffins! Anyways, I laughed so hard at the balls reference! Gotta love the chocolate ones 😀 these muffins made me salivate so much! I can’t get over that glaze!
I am a bit confused here……this recipe is called flour-less cinnamon muffins but there is both oat flour and coconut flour in the recipe. That is not flour-less. While they may be flour-less in the sense that there is no conventional wheat flour there is still a form of flour in them. They look delicious don’t get me wrong, but the recipe itself seems a bit misleading.
Hi Jamie! I do apologise for that oversight- When I say ‘flourless’, I did mean white flour free. I do consider oat flour to not be a standard flour on my blog- My other flourless recipes all use oats but no coconut/white flour.
Cheers!
I made sticky buns tonight with a blueberry cream cheese filling. They need to rest overnight so tomorrow I’ll find out if they’re any good. Wish me luck.
What other flour can I use if allergic to oats? These look amazing ?
Hi Jill! Can you use standard wheat or white?
I do tend to have that problem where food just falls into my mouth… especially while I’m baking and/or shooting. Or writing. Or browsing the internet. Or watching YouTube. Or… always? 😆
You and me both! Touche!
This muffin looks so yummy.
Thanks so much, Jennifer!
This recipe looks awesome. I need to find myself some coconut flour and get myself in the kitchen!!
Thanks for hosting WIAW!! 🙂
YESSSS. Coconut flour is my absolute STAPLE!
Rest up my friend, you totally deserve it! These cinnamon bun muffins are like dessert for breakfast! Love it!
🙂 Thanks so much, Lisa!
Say what?! Cinnamon sticky bun?! I may or may not have drooled all over my keyboard. 🙂
Hahaha yay! Cheers, Jenn!
WOWWWW! I think one thing I have been missing since going gluten free a couple years ago has been cinnamon buns. I think these are going to seriously hit the spot!! Thanks for sharingthis recipe!
Thanks so much, Amber! 😀
I’m going to lose any last scrap of HLB status I had, but I hate cinnamon. I love Udi’s, however – I miss their GF bagels! Good luck trying to find GF products in Croatia, though…
Ohhh they have these new bread varieties- The rye is so fluffy!
Hi Arman. Happy Wednesday to you, and I agree that it should be the weekend. Monday and Tuesday wore me out! 🙂 I like the carb-fest you’ve got going on here, my friend. Well done. Have a lovely day, and thanks for hosting!
Thanks friend- Hope you’ve been well!
Gah these are amazing looking! Must make soon. My favorite muffin is the classic blueberry, just so good!
I’m the opposite regarding weekends, I love to be on the go it is how I recharge 🙂
Oh nice! I wish I was more like you!
I love butter rum muffins! I really wish I could find a vegan recipe, probably easy to do but I haven’t thought about it. Have a restful week!
Thanks so much, kind friend!
Clean eating, portable cinnamon rolls? Be still my heart!
I am also looking forward to nothing on the schedule this weekend, before 4 weekends back to back in class or working! It’s so important to recharge when we can. Hope you’re weekend is splendid!
YES! You poor thing- Having such packed days lately- Hope you took good care of yourself, friend!