Cinnamon Sugar Breakfast Muffins

Delicious, easy Cinnamon Sugar Breakfast Muffins. These popable bites are perfect paired with your morning coffee–and they freeze beautifully, too! Rolled in butter and cinnamon sugar, they make the tastiest breakfast.

Love cinnamon and sugar? This delicious Snickerdoodle Banana Bread is a reader favorite! Perfectly moist and flavorful. Or give our Sopapilla Cheesecake a try. We love it for breakfast, but it’s also a great dessert.

Stack of mini cinnamon muffins on a piece of parchment paper covering a wooden serving board.


All about the Cinnamon

A little bit like a donut, a little bit like a muffin. These easy breakfast treats are little bites of cinnamon heaven.

  • Rolled in butter and dredged through cinnamon sugar, cinnamon muffins almost melt in your mouth.
  • I love these for a breakfast you can eat on the go or a snack anytime of day.
  • Fast and easy, freezer friendly!

These mini muffins remind me of cinnamon sugar donut holes, only they’re baked instead of fried.

Homemade donuts are great, but I rarely have the time or energy to mess with frying. All that oil and mess is a huge deterrent no matter how much I want a sweet breakfast baked good!

When you want something with the crunch of cinnamon sugar that come together easily, these muffins are gold!

You bake them in a mini muffin tin and then send them right into a bath of butter and cinnamon sugar.

The miniature size is especially nice because you get to eat a LOT of muffins without feeling weighed down afterward.

Any fellow cinnamon lovers in the house? Whether it’s a classic Cinnamon Roll or a Snickerdoodle cookie, any baked good that features cinnamon is hard to resist.

All the ingredients needed for cinnamon breakfast donuts.

Ingredient Notes

  • Just a basic muffin recipe with flour, butter, milk, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking powder, and eggs.
  • The key ingredient to get the best texture for these muffins is the butter flavored Crisco. I know you’ll ask. Can I use all butter?

The answer is yes, but the texture won’t be the same!

The shortening is what makes the muffins moist and fluffy. Then you roll the baked muffins in melted butter before adding the cinnamon sugar topping.

How to Make Cinnamon Muffins

Step by step photos showing how to make cinnamon muffins.

Mix Shortening. Mix one cup sugar with shortening until well blended. Add eggs.

Add dry & wet Ingredients. In separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and nutmeg. Add flour mixture alternately with milk to the creamed mixture. Beat well after each addition.

Bake. Lightly grease mini muffin tins. Fill muffin cups half full (I use a 1 Tbsp scoop). Bake in a 350 degree oven for 13-15 minutes.

Roll in sugar. While baking, melt 2 sticks of butter. In a small bowl, mix sugar with cinnamon. Dip baked muffins in butter, coating thoroughly, then coat with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Eat, enjoy, and eat some more!

Don’t forget to enjoy a cup of cold brew coffee to have with your doughnut muffins!

Step by step photos showing how to dunk cooked muffins in cinnamon sugar mix and butter.

Tips and Tricks

Can you make mini muffins into regular sized muffins?

You can use this recipe to make big muffins instead (using a regular sized cupcake pan).

However you would have less cinnamon/sugar to muffin ratio. You’ll also need to adjust the baking time by adding a couple of minutes.

I personally prefer them mini sized so I can eat more of them!

Mess free rolling:

To roll the muffins in cinnamon sugar without getting your hands sticky, you can use a large slotted spoon. Just be gentle with the muffin so you don’t accidentally break it while rolling!

You could also just dunk the tops in butter then the cinnamon sugar.

Use shortening:

When it comes to these muffins, you really need to use shortening in the dough. It gets the muffins fluffy and keeps them moist!

The butter flavored shortening gives these the best taste but regular Crisco will work, too.

Wooden board topped with parchment paper and a stack of cinnamon muffins.

How to freeze muffins:

Once cooled, you can transfer the muffins right away to a ziploc freezer bag. They’ll keep in the freezer for several months.

Thaw at room temperature for a few hours or pop them in the microwave!

How to store mini muffins:

If you won’t be freezing these muffins, keep them tightly covered at room temperature.

They’re best eaten within a day or so; I love them especially when they’re still warm from the oven.

More Easy Dessert Recipes

Cinnamon Sugar Breakfast Muffins

4.94 from 33 votes
By: Aimee
Delicious, easy Cinnamon Donut Breakfast Muffins. These are perfect, popable bites and they freeze well too!
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 60 mini muffins

Ingredients 

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • cup butter flavored Crisco
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup milk

For the topping:

  • 2 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons cinnamon
  • 1 cup unsalted butter melted
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Instructions 

  • Mix one cup sugar with shortening until well blended. Add eggs.
  • In separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and nutmeg. Add flour mixture alternately with milk to the creamed mixture. Beat well after each addition.
  • Lightly grease mini muffin tins. Fill muffin cups half full (I use a 1 Tbsp scoop). Bake in a 350 degree oven for 13-15 minutes.
  • While baking, melt 2 sticks of butter. In separate bowl, mix sugar with cinnamon. Dip baked muffins in butter, coating thoroughly, then coat with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Eat, enjoy, and eat some more!

Notes

  • How to freeze muffins: Once cooled, you can transfer the muffins right away to a ziploc freezer bag. They’ll keep in the freezer for several months. Thaw at room temperature for a few hours or pop them in the microwave!
  • How to store mini muffins: If you won’t be freezing these muffins, keep them tightly covered at room temperature. They’re best eaten within a day or so; I love them especially when they’re still warm from the oven.

Nutrition

Calories: 118kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 20mg, Sodium: 108mg, Sugar: 12g
Course: Muffins
Cuisine: American
Did you make this recipe?Mention @shugarysweets or tag #shugarysweets!


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About Aimee

Aimee is a dessert lover (specifically rice krispie treats), workout enthusiast, self-taught foodie, and recipe creator.

Learn more about Aimee.

Affiliate Disclosure:**There may be affiliate links in this post! By clicking on them, or purchasing recommended items I may receive a small compensation. However, I only recommend products I love! Thank you for supporting Shugary Sweets! See my disclosure policy for more info**

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Posted on June 5, 2020

Comments & Reviews

  1. HI , Im from Sri Lanka and unfortunately shortenings arent available in my country. Can you tell me any other ingredient to used besides shortening? Thanks

  2. I have made these little yummies at least 5 times already. I think someone should cut me off! I could seriously eat an entire batch single handedly. They’re SO GOOD. I wouldn’t know if freezing them works well since there are never enough to freeze! Thank you thank you thank you for this recipe.

  3. with regards to freezing: do you freeze them before or after the butter and sugar dredging process. And also, what is the best technique for re heating?

    1. I freeze mine after the butter and sugar. They don’t look as pretty after removing from freezer, but my kids still devour them. I just let them thaw on my counter top for an hour or so, no need to reheat. If you want, you can freeze them BEFORE dredging, then when ready to re-use, thaw on counter. Pop in oven or microwave to warm them up and dredge them. Up to you!

  4. If frozen, Do you know how long they take to thaw? Do they fold up and taste the same after being frozen! I have to have breakfast on the table at a certain time.

    1. They don’t take long to thaw at all, depends on how warm your house is! I usually pull them out in the morning and I would say within 30 minutes they are ready. If you’re worried, you could always take them out the night before.

  5. I found these a little dry maybe because I didnt dip them in the melted butter I just made a sugar and cinnamon topping

  6. OMG…these look so good! I followed that picture all the way over from g+ 🙂 YUM

  7. I have a recipe that I have made for about 25 yrs now, that is similar, but they are called mini applesauce muffins. They obviously have applesauce in them, and are rolled in cinnamon sugar too. My daughter who is 35 ask me to make these for her when I ask her what would you like for your birthday dinner. I never realized how much she liked them till that day. I don’t make them often now that the kids aren’t home, but might make the recipe on this page and freeze them like suggested!

  8. You stated you couldn’t remember what these muffins were called. They are “French Breakfast Puffs”. My Mom got the recipe (exactly the same as yours) from her sister in law Carol when she and her husband were stationed in France. We’ve been making them for years in our house. Most espicially for holiday morning breakfasts!. They are my favorite!

  9. Ohh I want some of these! Thanks for sharing the recipe. I’d love for you to stop by and link up to my Share the Wealth Wednesday Link Party at www.laughloveandcraft.com. I’m your newest follower.

  10. Call me crazy, but I swear I can actually smell these if I sit close enough to my screen. Those look divine.

  11. I have this recipe and make these all the time. One of the first recipes I put on my blog! Make these, they are wonderful!!!
    http://thebiggreenbowl.blogspot.com

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