Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
Muffins are a tried and true staple that is perfect at any time of the day. I am a huge fan of a light and airy muffin that is sweet but not too sweet. These Cinnamon Streusel Muffins fit that description perfectly.
A light cinnamon swirl muffin with a crispy cinnamon streusel topping this is the perfect best friend for your morning coffee. I highly recommend grabbing one if not two of these Cinnamon Streusel Muffins along with that cup of coffee and curling up in your favorite chair.
Starting my morning with this type of indulgence is definitely one of the best ways to start my day. So if you are looking for an easy recipe for muffins read on to discover these sugary cinnamon muffins for yourself.
What Makes These Cinnamon Streusel Muffins The Best
I just love the idea of having breakfast for dinner, I don’t know very few people who do not like it. And I also love the idea of having something sweet for breakfast. And this cinnamon muffin recipe is the perfect option for that sweet breakfast craving.
Not too sweet, these muffins are definitely a family favorite. I like having them for those early mornings when we are in a rush or as something to take to a brunch or get together.
When making these Cinnamon Streusel Muffins part of the delicious appeal is that they have a layer of cinnamon filling in the middle. And for me that crispy streusel topping in every bite is the number one thing that adds to the sweetness we all know and love.
What You Need For Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
When it comes to baking muffins keeping the wet and dry ingredients separate until the last minute is key. Doing this helps to keep the amount of time the batter is mixed to a minimum.
Because muffins are a quick bread one of the secrets to keeping them light and prevent dry hard muffins is to reduce mixing time. By preparing the two ingredient groups separately it helps to prevent this.
It is important to make sure that all of the dry ingredients are sifted together completely. My favorite tool to mix ingredients is a Wooden Mixing Spoon. It is light, sturdy, and easy to hang on to.
Dry Ingredients
1/2 Cup Softened Butter: Best at room temperature
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Large Eggs: Best at room temperature. Place in a bowl of warm not hot water for 5-8 minutes prior to using.
1/2 Cup Whole Milk: Best at room temperature. This can be microwaved for 15 seconds and set aside a few minutes before using.
1/2 Cup Sour Cream: Best at room Temperature. This can be microwaved for 15 seconds and set aside a few minutes before using.
2 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
Dry Ingredients
I like to sift the dry ingredients together to ensure that all of the ingredients are evenly dispersed throughout the muffins. This creates a more uniform muffin that will literally rise to its full potential.
2 Cups Flour
2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Salt
Topping Ingredients
Toppings will be used in layers throughout the muffin to create that swirled coffee cake look and taste. When placed between the layers of muffin batter this streusel topping creates a cinnamon filling. And it is that cinnamon filling that adds so much flavor and texture to these muffins.
1/2 Cup Flour
1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar Firmly Packed
1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
6 Tablespoon Butter
How to Make Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
Making the Streusel Topping Mixture
This topping will be used layered throughout the Cinnamon Streusel Muffins so do not be alarmed that there is a lot of it. It also provides the perfect crumble top for muffins.
In a small sized bowl I will mix together the dry ingredients for the topping.
Make sure that the flour, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and ground cinnamon are mixed together completely before adding the butter.
Add the softened butter to the dry ingredients and mix completely. Set aside the topping mix in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.
Mixing The Wet Ingredients
For the best results the ingredients need to be at room temperature. This results in lighter, fluffier, Cinnamon Streusel Muffins that are not hard as a rock.
*For the eggs I will set them into a bowl of warm water for 5-8 minutes while I prepare my ingredients. I prefer to use a hand mixer to mix my ingredients. This allows me to better control the consistency of the ingredients.
I also find that using a hand held mixer is easier when it comes to clean up and using multiple bowls when baking.
*For the milk and sour cream I will microwave the milk and the sour cream for 15 seconds and set aside as I prepare all of my ingredients.
Take the 1 cup of granulated Sugar and the 1/2 cup of softened butter and blend them together using a hand mixer.
Beat the mixture until it is light and fluffy with a creamy look to it. This takes about 3 minutes.
Eggs will be added one at a time to the butter and sugar mixture. Add one egg to the sugar and butter mixture. Then using the hand held mixture mix the egg and sugar mixture completely. Add the other egg to the mixture using the hand held mixer.
Take the milk, sour cream, and pure vanilla extract and add them to the mixture, Use the hand held mixer to completely mix the ingredients. This tends to take about 30-60 seconds.
Mixing the Dry Ingredients
To mix the dry ingredients take the flour, salt, ground cinnamon, and baking powder and mix them together in a medium sized mixing bowl.
It is possible to use a whisk to mix the dry ingredients together. This is a simple tool to use, and my go to when I do not have a sifter.
If baking is a passion of yours and something that you want to explore more of then I would recommend using a sifter to mix the dry ingredients together. This is a tool that I use often when baking and I know that it does a good job ensuring that all of my dry ingredients are evenly distributed.
Combining the wet and Dry Ingredients
Add the wet ingredients to the dry mix.
Using a spatula I gently fold the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients.
I will continue mixing them together until all of the dry and wet ingredients are combined. The final result will be a muffin batter that is thicker than a cake batter.
Do not over stir the ingredients, it will result in a dense muffin that does not rise very well.
Layering Muffin Batter and Streusel Topping
In a muffin pan place paper liners or use cooking spray to keep the muffins from sticking.
I like to layer the Cinnamon Streusel Topping throughout the muffin giving these more of a coffee cake taste and look.
I place a spoonful of the streusel topping into the bottom of each muffin liner. Then place a spoonful of the muffin mix on top of the streusel layer.
Next another layer of the streusel topping followed by another spoonful of the muffin mix. And lastly one more spoonful of the streusel topping.
Baking
A secret for making these muffins with that high peak and crispy top that is associated with muffins is to start baking them at a high temperature.
To do this I bake the Cinnamon Streusel Muffins at 425 for 5 minutes. Then without opening the oven I reduce the temperature to 350 for another 12-15 minutes.
I like to use a toothpick and will poke it into the center of the muffins. If it comes out clean then I know that they are done cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cinnamon Streusel Made Of?
A Cinnamon Streusel Topping is made up of some key ingredients. Flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and cinnamon.
There are various ways to make a streusel topping. Adding a 1/4 cup of quick oats can give the topping a a crisp textured flavor that is delicious.
Is Muffin Batter Supposed to be Thick?
The thickness of your muffin batter depends on the type of muffins that you are making. One rule of thumb is that the more runny a batter is the lighter the muffins will be. A light muffin is more like a cake than the denseness that we think of in muffins.
Having a thicker batter means that the muffins will be more dense and be more substantial. The end result is in a more solid mixture that is less cake like and more bread like.
For this Cinnamon Streusel Recipe the batter is on the thicker side and can be scooped up by using a cookie scoop.
How do I Make My Muffin Mix Rise Higher?
The best way to ensure that your muffins will have that high rise in them is to start with a hot oven. This helps to activate the leavening agent within the batter and causes that high peak to form.
I like to start my Cinnamon Streusel Muffins at 425 degrees F. and cook them for 5 minutes at that temperature.
Then without opening the oven I will lower the temperature to 350 degrees F. and cook for the remainder of the time.
How Do I Make My Muffins Light And Fluffy?
The best way to ensure that the muffins are light and fluffy is to have all of the ingredients be at room temperature. And this includes the milk, sour cream, and eggs.
By placing the eggs into warm, not hot water for 5-8 minutes prior to using they will become warmer and raised to room temperature.
Placing the milk and sour cream in the microwave for 15 seconds will help to warm them up as well.
Another tip is to remember to not mix the muffin batter too much. These Cinnamon Streusel Muffins are a quick bread which means that the baking powder in them causes them to rise and bake quickly. When they are mixed to much then they become very dense and do not rise very well.
What Are The Best Ways to Keep Muffins Fresh?
Nobody likes a stale muffin. Well maybe you do, if so I won’t judge.
But if you are like me and love a Cinnamon Streusel Muffin that is light and airy then I recommend investing in a good air tight container. While it is an investment going in I find that I use these types of containers for more than just muffins.
And if keeping things simple is what you are looking for then storing muffins in a ziploc bag will also help to keep them fresh.
Other Recipes to Try
Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
Equipment
- 2 Medium Sized Mixing Bowls 1 for the wet ingredients and 1 for the wet ingredients
- 1 Small Mixing Bowl for the Cinnamon Streusel Topping
- 1 Muffin Pan
- 16 Paper Muffin Liners
- 1 Hand Held Mixer
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Spatula
Ingredients
Muffin Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Softened Butter at room temperature
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs at room temperature
- 1/2 Cup Whole Milk at room temperature
- 1/2 Cup Sour Cream at room temperature
- 2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- 2 Cups Flour
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Salt
Topping Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Flour
- 1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar Firmly Packed
- 1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon
- 6 Tbsp Butter
Instructions
Making the Topping
- In a medium sized bowl I will mix together the dry ingredients for the topping. Make sure that the flour, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and ground cinnamon are mixed together completely before adding the butter.Add the softened butter to the dry ingredients and mix completely. Set aside the topping mix in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.
Making the Muffin Mix
- The ingredients need to be at room temperature.*For the eggs I will set them into a bowl of warm water for 5-8 minutes while I prepare my ingredients.*The best way to achieve this is to microwave the milk and the sour cream for 15 seconds and set aside as you gather your ingredients.
- Take the 1 cup of granulated Sugar and the 1/2 cup of softened butter and blend them together using a hand mixer. Beat the mixture until it is light and fluffy with a creamy look to it. This takes about 3 minutes.Eggs will be added one at a time to the butter and sugar mixture.Add one egg to the sugar and butter mixture. Then using the hand held mixture mix the egg and sugar mixture completely.Add the other egg to the mixture using the hand held mixer.Take the milk, sour cream, and pure vanilla extract and add them to the mixture, Use the hand held mixer to completely mix the ingredients. This tends to take about 30-60 seconds.
- To mix the dry ingredients take the flour, salt, ground cinnamon, and baking powder and whisk them together in a medium sized mixing bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry mix.Using a spatula gently fold over the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Mixing them together until all of the dry and wet ingredients are combined.Do not over stir the ingredients, it will result in a dense muffin that does not rise very well.
Layering Muffin Mix and Streusel Topping
- In a muffin pan place paper liners or use cooking spray to keep the muffins from sticking.
- Layering the streusel topping with the muffin mix helps to create a marbled effect.Place a spoonful of the streusel topping into the bottom of each muffin liner.Then place a spoonful of the muffin mix on top of the streusel layer.Add another layer of the streusel topping followed by another spoonful of the muffin mix. And lastly one more spoonful of the streusel topping.
Baking
- Bake Cinnamon Streusel Muffins at 425 for 5 minutes. Then without opening the oven reduce the temperature to 350 for another 12-15 minutes.I like to use a toothpick and will poke it into the center of the muffins. If it comes out clean then I know that they are done cooking.
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