These homemade Cinnamon Chip Muffins are simply scrumptious. Infused with warm cinnamon spice, these tender muffins are the perfect start to any day.
Why you will love these muffins
These muffins are filled with warm and cozy vibes. Cinnamon is one of those spices that invokes comfort and warmth... and it's simply delicious. These muffins have a double dose of cinnamon from both ground cinnamon and cinnamon chips.
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 ice cream after dinner. A drizzle of icing adds another touch of sweetness - optional, of course - but so delicious!
These muffins are addicting with their soft, tender crumb. The combination of ingredients gives these muffins a wonderful texture. And with the bursts of cinnamon, these will become a family favorite.
Ingredient notes
- Cake flour - Cake flour is much finer than all-purpose flour. It has less protein so it develops less gluten. And less gluten means the muffins will have a softer, more tender crumb.
- Oil and butter - Using both oil and butter provides flavor (from the butter) and moisture (from the oil).
- Sour cream - Sour cream provides both fat and acidity. The fat adds moisture and richness. The acidity helps to keep the muffins tender.
- Whole milk - 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 - I like the extra touch of warm spice and sweetness these chips add. Some supermarkets may only carry these chips seasonally, but cinnamon chips are readily available at Target, Walmart, or on Amazon. Chocolate chips - or white chocolate chips - can be substituted. Or you can omit the chips if you prefer. The muffins are delicious both ways.
Step-by-step instructions
See the recipe card for complete instructions and ingredient amounts.
These cinnamon chip muffins come together in just a few easy steps.
- Add the dry ingredients to a fine-mesh strainer and sift into a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients starting with the oil, melted butter, and sugars. When well combined, add the eggs and vanilla and stir to incorporate. Then add the sour cream and milk and mix well.
- 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.
- Gently fold in the chips and scoop the batter into a muffin pan lined with paper liners.
- Bake until the muffins are slightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Let the muffins cool. Mix together the glaze and drizzle over the muffins, if desired.
Tips for making 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 just combined. Be careful not to overmix which will 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.
Serving
These warm-spiced muffins can do double duty as either breakfast or dessert.
- Enjoy a warm muffin with your morning coffee or tea.
- Add to a breakfast or brunch buffet.
- Skip the glaze and top the muffins with Almond Cinnamon Sugar Butter.
- Serve for dessert with homemade cinnamon ice cream.
Storing
Cinnamon chip muffins keep well and will stay moist in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
FAQ's
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 great additions. Their fat content will contribute moisture to the muffins.
Eggs provide structure to the batter and help to hold the muffins together.
It's best to mix the eggs together with the other wet ingredients before combing the mixture with the dry ingredients. This prevents overmixing which can lead to tough muffins.
Equipment
Mixing bowls | Measuring cups and spoons | Liquid measuring cup | Mesh strainer | Butter warmer pot | Muffin pan | Muffin liners | 4 tablespoon cookie scoop
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Best Homemade Cinnamon Chip Muffins
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 slightly)
- ¼ cup canola oil (or vegetable oil)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon 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 cream (plus extra as needed to achieve the desired consistency)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a muffin pan with liners. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside. (Note 1)
- In another mixing bowl, stir together the melted butter, oil, and sugars. Stir in the eggs. Add the sour cream and milk and stir until the mixture is well-combined.
- Fold in the dry ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix or the muffins will be tough.
- Toss the cinnamon chips with a teaspoon of flour. (Note 2) Fold the chips into the batter.
- Using a ¼ cup (4 TBSP) cookie scoop, fill the muffin pan with the batter.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool.
- For the glaze, in a small combine, stir together the powdered sugar and cream until smooth. Add more cream, if necessary, to achieve the desired drizzling consistency.
- Drizzle the glaze over the muffins. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Mix the eggs thoroughly with the other wet ingredients before combining the wet mixture with the dry ingredients. This prevents overmixing the batter which can result in tough muffins.
- Sifting the dry ingredients removes any lumps and lightens the flour. This also ensures the ingredients are evenly combined.
- 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.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary depending upon the exact amounts and specific ingredients used.
This post was originally published in October 2020 and has been updated.
Ree
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
Thank you so much, Ree! I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe. I appreciate the review and the rating!
Linda G.
Can I use all purpose flour?
Abbey
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.