These cinnamon streusel muffins have a sweet brown sugar + cinnamon swirl in the center, and crunchy cinnamon streusel on top. Buttermilk and softened butter in the batter keep them light & fluffy for days, ready to be eaten for breakfast, a mid-morning snack, or afternoon treat.
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Featured Review
"Tried this, it was tasty 🙂" -Lina
Everything is Better with Streusel, Including Muffins
Okay so I have a serious thing for streusel. It started when I was growing up in Germany, where it seems like half the baked goods are topped with that irresistible crumbly layer. These cinnamon streusel muffins were born out of a very specific craving, for all the comfort of a German coffee cake, but baked in half the time. The batter is actually based on my Blitzkuchen recipe, so if you love that one, these will feel like a familiar friend, just in muffin form.
But what truly makes these worth baking is that hidden cinnamon swirl filling. Every bite has this soft ribbon of cinnamon + brown sugar running through it that tastes like the inside of a cinnamon roll. Then the buttery brown sugar streusel on top adds that signature crunch that I just can't quit.
While a lot of streusel muffin recipes call for sour cream or Greek yogurt, I found that made them so soft they practically fall apart in my hand. I use buttermilk instead, which keeps the crumb moist for days without sacrificing its structure. And softened butter (rather than oil) keeps them light instead of baking up heavy and dense.
These spiced muffins are great for a weekday morning or an afternoon Kaffee und Kuchen break. And if you're a streusel devotee like me, my pumpkin streusel muffins are calling your name next!
Let's Bake Cinnamon Streusel Muffins Together!
My Baking Tips for Moist Muffins
- Fill your liners ¾ full. Filling them less with result in sad, short muffins, while filling them all the way to the top could cause them to overflow onto the pan as they bake.
- I like using a cookie scoop to portion the batter into the muffin cups, so there's less risk of spilling the batter, which can burn on the pan as it bakes.
- Make sure your streusel is actually crumbly before it goes on. If it's clumping into a paste, your butter was likely too warm, so just pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up before topping the muffins, so it doesn't melt into the batter.
- Avoid overbaking your muffins by pulling them from the oven once a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out with wet crumbs still stuck to it, but no wet batter.
Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
developed & tested by:
Equipment
Ingredients
Streusel Topping
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Cinnamon Swirl
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Muffins
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt (use table salt or fine sea salt)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with muffin/cupcake liners.
- Streusel Topping: Prepare the streusel by mixing the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter in a mixing bowl until it forms a crumbly mixture. Set aside.
- Cinnamon Swirl: Prepare the cinnamon swirl by mixing the brown sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl with a spoon. Set aside.
- Muffin Batter: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until it is pale and fluffy, after a few minutes with a hand mixer.
- Add the egg and vanilla. Beat the mixture again until it's well combined, after about 1 minute. Add the milk and mix for 30 seconds.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix with a large spoon or silicone spatula until you no longer see dry pockets of flour. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is well mixed.
- Use a cookie scoop or a large spoon to drop muffin batter into each muffin cup to fill it only about one-third to one-half full. (Don't add too much batter yet, otherwise you won't have enough to add on top of the cinnamon swirl.)
- Sprinkle the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture evenly between all the muffins.
- Distribute the remaining muffin batter evenly into each muffin cup, until each one is about ¾ full.
- Sprinkle the streusel topping on top of the muffins.
- Bake the muffins for 18 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out with a few moist crumbs still stuck to it.
Notes
- Homemade Buttermilk: If you don't have buttermilk, you can make it at home by mixing ¾ cup milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar, then let it sit for 10 minutes to curdle.
- Storing: Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up the 3 days.
Lina says
Tried this, it was tasty 🙂
Carissa Erzen says
I'm so glad to hear that! I absolutely love these streusel muffins 🙂
Maxi says
Cute cupcakes and taste really good
Carissa Erzen says