These cinnamon mini muffins are brushed with melted butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar for a crisp, sweet finish. Small, bite-sized, and impossible to stop eating, they’re made in one bowl and require no mixer—perfect for holidays, brunch, or an everyday treat.
These mini muffins were inspired by the cinnamon-sugar maple muffins my mom used to bake every holiday season. I adapted that memory into a simple, one-bowl mini muffin that’s dunked in butter and rolled in a homemade cinnamon sugar—resulting in tender, moist centers and a lightly crisp cinnamon exterior.
I used the same muffin base as my cinnamon swirl muffins but reduced the baking powder so the minis stay compact rather than rising into tall muffin tops. If you’d like a pumpkin twist, consider using a pumpkin muffin base instead, or turn the batter into a loaf cake using a cinnamon pound cake recipe.
Only 12 Ingredients!
- Buttermilk: Keeps the muffins extra moist and tender.
- Neutral oil: Use sunflower, vegetable, or canola oil for a light crumb.
- Butter: Unsalted butter is melted and brushed onto the warm muffins for the cinnamon sugar to adhere.
- Sugar: Both granulated sugar for the batter and additional sugar for the cinnamon coating.
Let’s Make This Recipe!
- Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the oil, buttermilk, granulated sugar, and vanilla until combined.
- Step 2: Add the dry ingredients—flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt—and fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined. A few small lumps are okay.
- Step 3: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a mini muffin pan and fill each cup about 3/4 full with batter.
- Step 4: Bake for 12–14 minutes, then let the muffins rest in the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. While still warm, brush each muffin lightly with melted butter and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Tips, Tricks, & Storage
- Brush, don’t dunk: Brushing warm muffins with melted butter prevents them from becoming overly saturated and keeps their structure intact. Dunking can make them soggy or cause them to fall apart.
- Scale it down: If you don’t need 40 mini muffins, this recipe halves easily.
- Storage: These are best on the day they’re made because of the butter and cinnamon sugar coating. If you must store them, place them in a loosely covered bag or container—don’t seal it completely, or they may become soggy.
Want More Muffin Recipes?
-
Banana Mini Muffins
-
Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
-
Double Chocolate Espresso Muffins
-
Mini Pumpkin Muffins
Made This Recipe?
If you try the recipe, please leave a rating and review. Tag the creator on social media if you’d like to share your photos.
Thank you!
Ella
Recipe
Cinnamon Mini Muffins
Ella Gilbert
Equipment
-
1x mini muffin pan
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (227 ml) buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 ml) neutral oil
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch ground nutmeg
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- 4 tbsp (56 g) unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
-
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, buttermilk, sugar, and vanilla.
-
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir with a rubber spatula until just combined.
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a mini muffin pan.
-
Scoop the batter into the prepared mini muffin cups so each is about 3/4 full.
-
Bake for 12–14 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
-
Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly.
-
Combine the cinnamon sugar in a shallow bowl. Brush each warm muffin with melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar to coat.
-
Serve warm and enjoy.
Notes
Oil: Use a neutral oil such as sunflower, vegetable, or canola for the best flavor and texture.
Storage: These muffins are best the day they’re baked due to the butter and cinnamon sugar coating. Store in a loosely covered bag or container to avoid sogginess.