Start your morning with these cozy Cinnamon Chip Muffins. They are soft and fluffy with warm cinnamon spice in every bite. Enjoy them while sipping coffee or on the go for a quick breakfast.
Abbey's tip: Spread cinnamon sugar butter on these muffins for an indulgent treat.
This post was originally published in October 2020 and has been updated with process photos, additional tips, and a revised baking method.
- One reader, Karen, commented: "Best muffins ever! ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆"
- Another reader, Ree, commented: "I tried this recipe out, and it turned out perfectly. They were delicious! ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆"
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Recipe Highlights
- A warm, cozy vibe. Cinnamon is one of those spices that invokes feelings of comfort and warmth. Ground cinnamon adds a warm, spicy note to every bite, while cinnamon chips provide sweet pockets of flavor.
- A wonderfully soft, tender crumb. The combination of ingredients gives these muffins a delightful texture.
- Breakfast or dessert? You decide! These muffins are a wonderful treat any time of day. Serve with coffee in the morning or with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream after dinner. A drizzle of icing adds another touch of sweetness; it's optional but so delicious!
Ingredient Notes
- Cake flour has a finer texture than all-purpose flour, which yields a more tender crumb in baked goods. It also contains less protein, which results in less gluten development, which means the muffins will have a softer, more tender crumb.
- Oil and butter: Using a mixture provides both flavor (from the butter) and moisture (from the oil).
- Sour cream provides both fat and acidity. The fat adds moisture and richness. The acidity helps to keep the muffins tender.
- Whole milk also provides fat and moisture. If you don't have whole milk, you can substitute ½ low-fat or fat-free milk with ½ cream or half-and-half.
- Cinnamon chips add an extra touch of warm spice and sweetness. Some supermarkets may only carry these chips seasonally, but they are available year-round at Target, Walmart, or Amazon.
Refer to the recipe card for complete instructions and ingredient amounts.
Cake Flour Substitute
Cake flour can be substituted with a combination of all-purpose flour and cornstarch. To substitute 1 cup of cake flour, start with 1 cup of AP flour. Remove two tablespoons of the flour and replace it with two tablespoons of cornstarch. Whisk together.
Variations
- Cinnamon and chocolate are a delicious combination. Add chocolate chips in place of cinnamon chips. White chocolate chips can also be used.
- Pumpkin pie spice can be added to enhance the warm, cozy flavors of these muffins.
- Add a crumb topping for a special touch in these Apple Cinnamon Crumb Muffins.
How to Make Cinnamon Chip Muffins
Step 1: Add the dry ingredients to a fine-mesh strainer and sift them into a bowl. Set aside.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, mix the oil, melted butter, and sugars. Stir in the eggs and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined. Then add the sour cream and milk and mix well.
Step 3: Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet. Stir until the flour mixture is just combined. Toss the cinnamon chips with a small amount of flour and fold them into the batter.
Step 4: Portion the batter into a muffin pan lined with paper liners. Bake at 425℉ for 5 minutes, then 15-18 minutes at 350°F until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool the muffins before topping with glaze, if desired.
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Expert Tips for Tender Muffins
- Sift the dry ingredients to remove any lumps and lighten the flour. This also ensures the ingredients are evenly combined. Combine the wet and dry ingredients separately. Then, fold the dry ingredients into the wet.
- Mix the dry and wet ingredients until they are just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can create a dense, tougher muffin.
- Toss add-ins (cinnamon chips) with a small amount of flour to keep them suspended in the batter. Add-ins can be baking chips, fresh berries, dried fruit, or nuts.
- Bake the muffins at a higher temperature initially to lift the tops of the muffins. Then, lower the temperature to finish baking. This creates a bakery-style muffin with a domed top.
Recipe FAQs
Cinnamon chip muffins will stay moist in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.
For moist muffins, use a combination of oil and butter. The butter adds flavor, while the oil provides moisture. Sour cream and whole milk are also excellent additions due to their high-fat content.
Eggs provide structure to the batter and help to hold the muffins together.
It's best to mix the eggs with the other wet ingredients before combining the mixture with the dry ingredients. This prevents overmixing, which can lead to tough muffins.
Have you tried this recipe? I'd love to hear it! Please leave a comment and rating below. You can also follow along on Facebook and Pinterest or sign up for my Newsletter for more recipe inspiration.
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Best Cinnamon Chip Muffins
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Ingredients
Muffins
- 2 cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (melted and cooled to room temperature)
- ¼ cup canola oil (or vegetable oil)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ½ cup whole milk
- ⅓ cup cinnamon baking chips (plus extra for topping)
- 1 teaspoon cake flour (or all-purpose flour, for coating the cinnamon chips)
Glaze (optional)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons half-and-half or heavy cream (plus extra as needed to achieve the desired consistency)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉. Line a muffin pan with liners. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.2 cups cake flour, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- In another mixing bowl, stir together the melted butter, oil, and sugars. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Add the sour cream and milk, stirring until the mixture is well combined.¼ cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup canola oil, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup dark brown sugar, 2 large eggs, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ¼ cup sour cream, ½ cup whole milk
- Fold in the dry ingredients until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, or the muffins will be tough. Toss the cinnamon chips with a teaspoon of flour and fold them into the batter. Using a ¼ cup (4 TBSP) cookie scoop, fill the muffin pan with the batter.⅓ cup cinnamon baking chips, 1 teaspoon cake flour
- Bake for 5 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350℉ and continue baking for 15-18 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool.
- For the glaze, in a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar and cream until smooth. Add more cream, if necessary, to achieve the desired consistency. Drizzle the glaze over the muffins.½ cup powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons half-and-half or heavy cream
- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Cake flour can be substituted with a combination of all-purpose flour and cornstarch. To substitute 1 cup of cake flour, start with 1 cup of AP flour. Remove two tablespoons of the flour and replace it with an equal amount of cornstarch. Whisk together.
- Sifting the dry ingredients removes any lumps and lightens the flour. This also ensures the ingredients are evenly combined.
- Mix the wet and dry ingredients separately before combining. This ensures the ingredients are evenly mixed and prevents overworking the batter, which can result in tough muffins.
- Tossing the add-ins (cinnamon chips) with a small amount of flour helps to keep the chips suspended in the batter. Add-ins can be baking chips, fresh berries, dried fruit, or nuts.
- Baking the muffins at a higher initial temperature helps them to rise, giving them a bakery-style appearance while keeping them tender on the inside.
- The glaze can be made with heavy cream, light cream, half-and-half, or whole milk.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific ingredients used.
Ivone says
Can I substitute FF milk and coconut oil?
Abbey McDermott says
Hi Ivone,
I have only tested this recipe as written. However, coconut oil can generally be substituted for vegetable oil in a 1:1 ratio. Using non-fat milk will sacrifice some of the richness that whole milk provides, but otherwise it should be fine. Let me know how this turns out!
Karen says
Best muffins ever! I used AP flour and yoghurt and there was no need for icing. I sprinkled some white decorators sugar before baking to give them a “sparkle”.
Abbey McDermott says
Thank you, Karen! I'm so happy you enjoyed these muffins!
Liz says
What type of cream is used for the glaze?
Abbey McDermott says
Liz,
Heavy cream, light cream, and half-and-half all work fine. Whole milk can also be used.
Ree says
I tried this recipe out and it turned out perfectly, they were delicious! I reduced the amount of sugar to just 1/3 cup each since I felt like 1/2 cup was too much for me, though. The muffins came out super beautifully too, they were visually the best muffins I've ever made! Genuinely picture perfect! Thank you for the recipe!
Abbey says
Thank you so much, Ree! I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe. I appreciate the review and the rating!
Linda G. says
Can I use all purpose flour?
Abbey says
Of course. Cake flour can be substituted with all purpose flour and cornstarch. To substitute 1 cup of cake flour, start with 1 cup of all purpose flour. Remove 2 tablespoons of the AP flour and replace with 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Whisk together. If you don't have cornstarch, simply use AP flour. The texture won't be quite as tender, but will still work fine. Sifting the flour will also help to lighten it up.