Cinnamon Sugar Muffins
Soft vanilla muffins finished with melted butter and a generous cinnamon-sugar coating.
- Measurements grams + cups
- Cuisine American
Why You'll Like This Recipe
- Butter and cinnamon sugar on top, so they taste like cinnamon doughnuts.
- No mixer, no creaming, two bowls.
- Under thirty-five minutes from cupboard to plate.
Recipe
Cinnamon Sugar Muffins
Soft vanilla muffins in a buttery cinnamon-sugar coating.
Ingredients
Ingredients scaled. The method below still refers to the original quantities.
Instructions
- Step 1. Heat the oven to 190 C / 375 F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan or lightly grease it.
- Step 2. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and 2 g cinnamon in a large bowl.
- Step 3. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla.
- Step 4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just until no dry flour remains.
- Step 5. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups.
- Step 6. Bake for 16 to 19 minutes, until the tops spring back lightly and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Step 7. Mix the 70 g sugar and 5 g cinnamon in a shallow bowl.
- Step 8. While the muffins are still warm, brush the tops with melted butter and dip or sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar.
Notes
- Do not overmix the batter. A few small lumps are fine and help keep the muffins tender.
- Coat them warm but not hot. Straight from the oven the butter soaks in and disappears; fully cool and nothing sticks.
- Grease the pan rather than using liners if you want the whole muffin coated in cinnamon sugar.
- Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears.
Cinnamon Sugar Muffins — Simple Table Recipes · https://simpletablerecipes.com/recipes/cinnamon-sugar-muffins/
Ingredient Notes
- Melted butter for coating
- Brushed on while the muffins are still warm so the sugar sticks. Cold muffins shed the coating.
- Neutral oil in the batter
- Oil keeps the crumb soft the next day. The butter flavour comes from the coating instead, which is where you actually taste it.
Equipment
- 12-cup muffin pan
Substitutions
- Coating
- Add a pinch of nutmeg or cardamom to the cinnamon sugar. Caster sugar sticks better than granulated if you have it.
- Milk
- Buttermilk gives a slightly tangier, softer muffin. Any plant milk works.
- Additions
- A spoonful of jam pressed into the centre of each before baking makes them jam doughnut muffins.
Storage & Freezing
Storing: Best on the day they are made — the sugar coating softens overnight. Keep in a loosely covered container for 2 days.
Freezing: Freeze uncoated for up to 2 months, then warm and coat after thawing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my cinnamon sugar not sticking?
The muffins were too cool when brushed, or the butter had soaked in. Coat them warm — a few minutes out of the pan — and brush generously.
Do these taste like doughnuts?
Close. The buttered cinnamon-sugar coating is what gives that impression, and the soft crumb helps. They are not fried, so the texture is lighter.
Why are my muffins tough?
Overmixing. A few lumps in the batter are correct — continuing to stir develops gluten and makes them chewy.
Should I use liners or grease the pan?
Grease the pan if you want cinnamon sugar all the way round. Liners are tidier but leave the sides bare.
Can I make them ahead?
They are best fresh, since the coating softens overnight. Bake and freeze them uncoated, then warm and coat after thawing.
Did you make this?
Let other people know how it went. One tap, nothing to fill in.
Thanks — that helps.
