Mini Cinnamon Muffins

Mini Cinnamon Muffins are tender little muffins packed with buttery cinnamon flavor and coated in sugar for an easy bakery-style look. Bake them in a mini muffin pan, mist with oil spray and roll while they’re hot so the cinnamon sugar sticks.

Itty-Bitty Cinnamon Buns These are the kind of treat that disappears in a hurry — tender inside, light a bit crisp around the edges, and covered with sweet cinnamon topcoat that tastes like an itty-bitty cozy bakery snack.

They’re easy to throw together with just a few pantry ingredients and perfect for breakfast, lunchboxes or a last minute sweet nibble alongside cup of coffee.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Quick to put together with pantry ingredients
• Tender, buttery crumb (not dry)
• Mini size is great for portion control pantry and snack pack.
• Cinnamon-sugar coating provides a bakery-style touch
• Freezer-friendly for make-ahead treats

Ingredients

Dry ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (110g)
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder (approx 5g)
• 1/8 tsp salt

Wet ingredients

• 2 large eggs, at room temperature (about 55-60g each)
• 1/2 cup superfine sugar(caster sugar) (100g)
• 2 tsp neutral oil (10 mL)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract (10 mL)
• 2 tbsp milk, at room temperature (30 mL)
• 5tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled a little (75g)

For the cinnamon-sugar coating

• Canola oil spray or other neutral oil spray
• 2 tablespoons superfine sugar (caster sugar) (approximately 25g.)
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (about 2g)

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Caster/superfine sugar: Regular granulated sugar works if you don’t have caster. The crumb could be a tad less fine, but still delicious.

Milk: Whole milk provides the best texture, though low-fat will work too.

Butter: You should never use that much butter when you’re able to control the salt — check for unsalted. If using salted butter, make the additional salt minimal (a pinch).

Oil: Any neutral oil will do (canola, vegetable, avocado).

Vanilla: Real or imitation vanilla both work great (use what you have).

Cinnamon sugar: Up the cinnamon if you like, or just give that coating a light pinch of salt for sweet-salty.

How to Make (steps 1–8)

1) Mini Cinnamon Muffins Recipe Ingredients For the mini muffins: For the coating (if desired): How to Prepare Mini Cinnamon Muffins

(assuming bake temp/time are not given): 350 F (180C) for 10-12 minutes.

2) Prep the pan and oven

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray a mini muffin pan generously with canola oil spray.

3) Mix dry ingredients

In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt with the mixture.

4) Mix wet ingredients

In another bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until well combined. Whisk in oil, vanilla and milk.

5) Add butter

Whisk the melted (and cooled, just slightly) into mixture until smooth.

6) Combine wet + dry

Pour the dry into wet and stir until just combined so no more dry flour remains (do not over mix).

7) Fill + Bake

Fill the mini muffin pan. Pour or spoon batter into the cavities, filling them about 3/4 full.

Bake. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the tops lightly spring back and a toothpick comes out clean (or with a few moist crumbs).

8) Make cinnamon sugar + Coat + Serve

Make cinnamon sugar. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.

Coat while warm. Cool muffins slightly for 2–3 minutes and then remove. Spray lightly with oil and roll in cinnamon sugar while still warm.

Serve. Serve warm, or allow to cool completely and store.

Expert Tips

• Measure flour accurately: Spoon flour into the measuring cup and level (do not pack).
• Room temp eggs + milk mix together easier, and it helps the batter blend evenly.
• Let the butter cool so it doesn’t “cook” the eggs when added.
• Don’t overmix after adding flour — only until you can no longer see any dry streaks.
• Spray the mini muffin pan really well, mini pans are notorious for sticking.
• Fill till 3/4th for good rise without spillover.
• Coat warm: The cinnamon sugar adheres best when muffins are still warm and slightly damp.
• Bake to ‘just done’: Mini muffins dry out fast with too much heat.

Storage & Freezing

At room temperature

Keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

Fridge

Not recommended (they can dry out), though A-Okay for up to 5 days airtight.

Freezer

Freeze (uncoated or coated) in a freezer bag for up to 2 months.

Defrosting

Defrost at room temperature for 30–60 minutes. Warm in the microwave briefly (5–10 seconds a muffin), re-roll in some new cinnamon sugar if necessary.

Variations

• Maple cinnamon: Stir 1/4 tsp maple extract (or a splash if using syrup) into the batter.
• Orange cinnamon: Stir 1 tsp orange zest into the wet ingredients.
• Nutty crunch: Sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts over the top before baking.
• Chocolate chip minis: Fold in 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips (60g).
• And glazed instead: Forget cinnamon sugar and drizzle a basic powdered sugar + milk glaze.

FAQs

1) Can I use granulated sugar instead of caster sugar?

Yes. It may not be quite as fine in texture, but it does just the same job.

2) Can I make these as regular muffins?

Yes. You can use a normal muffin pan, and need to bake longer (start checking after 16–20 minutes).

3) Why did my muffins become dry?

Most of the time it’s because you’ve overbaked or overmeasured flour. Test early, and measure flour lightly.

4) How to the cinnamon sugar adhere better?

Roll muffins when they are still warm and lightly spray with oil spray just before rolling.

5) Can I freeze them once they are covered in cinnamon sugar?

Yes. The coating might go a bit soft once they thaw so just toss in some fresh cinnamon sugar and to take the edge off.

6) Can I double the recipe?

Yes. Double all the quantities and bake in batches, re-covering the batter between baking.