Cinnamon Roll Muffins

Getting my family to church on time on Sunday mornings is often a challenge. I recently discovered that muffins can help us make it there before the service begins.

Eating breakfast is often a time-consuming part of our preparations. However, my girls move pretty quickly if I have something novel and tasty to offer them as soon as they get out of bed! One thing they really enjoy is muffins, so I’ve made several types of muffins recently, including these flavorful cinnamon roll ones.

Ingredients

(Adapted from this recipe.)

For the muffin batter

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg

For the cinnamon mixture

• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon flour

For the frosting

• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2-3 tablespoons milk
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

For the muffin batter

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a muffin pan or place cupcake liners in it.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. In a smaller glass bowl, melt the butter, then stir in the milk and vanilla. Add the egg and whisk it in. Pour this mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir a few times, but not enough to thoroughly mix the ingredients (you will stir more after adding some cinnamon mixture).

For the cinnamon mixture

Melt the butter in a small mixing bowl. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon. Fold half of this mixture into the batter. Stir just until there are no streaks of flour. Set the remaining cinnamon mixture aside.

Fill the muffin pan with the batter. Each muffin cup should be just a bit more than halfway full.

Stir the flour into the remaining cinnamon mixture. Sprinkle a little of this mixture over the batter in each muffin cup, pressing down gently so the mixture sinks slightly into the batter.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the muffin pan.

For the frosting

Combine the melted butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar in a small mixing bowl. Whisk in the milk in small increments, stopping once the frosting is smooth and thin enough to be drizzled. Drizzle the frosting over the muffins. Yield: 12 muffins.

Notes

With these muffins, you get a rich flavor similar to that of cinnamon rolls, but without all of the work required to make cinnamon rolls! They aren’t quite the same, of course, but their delicious flavor does take the edge off of a craving for cinnamon rolls. My girls love that they have frosting on them!

When preparing to bake these, be sure you don’t overfill the muffin cups and that you press down gently on the cinnamon mixture after topping the muffin batter with it. This is because it will slide right off the top of the muffins if they become too domed or if it isn’t pressed into the batter.

What muffins have you made recently? Perhaps I can try them next!

Shared at the following:

Farm Fresh Tuesdays, Encouraging Hearts and Home, Weekend Potluck, Over the Moon, and Tuesdays with a Twist.