15-Minute Mini Cinnamon Muffins

Easy mini cinnamon muffins made with brown sugar and whole milk, rolled in cinnamon sugar, and ready in about 15 minutes.

These Mini Cinnamon Muffins are soft, tender, full of cinnamon flavor, and rolled in cinnamon sugar while they’re still warm. Even better, they really can be on the table in about 15 minutes.

I recently went back and retested this recipe several times. About six batches later, I made a few small changes that made a noticeable difference in the texture and flavor. I switched to brown sugar, added a little more cinnamon, used whole milk, and changed the way I mix the wet ingredients. I also adjusted the baking method so the bottoms don’t get too dark before the centers are finished.

The result is a much softer, more flavorful little muffin that still keeps the thing I love most about this recipe: it is incredibly fast.

One morning, my daughter needed to leave at 8:25 and I didn’t start making these until around 8:10. That is exactly the kind of morning this recipe was made for. There’s no mixer, no complicated prep, and mini muffins bake so quickly that you can make a warm breakfast even when you’re short on time.

Why You’ll Love These Mini Cinnamon Muffins

These have been one of my favorite quick breakfast recipes for years, but after retesting them, I think they’re even better now.

They’re:

• Ready in about 15 minutes
• Soft and tender inside
• Rolled in cinnamon sugar while warm
• Made with simple pantry ingredients
• Easy to mix by hand
• Perfect for busy mornings
• Great for breakfast, brunch, snacks, or little lunchbox treats

The cinnamon sugar coating makes them taste a little like a cinnamon sugar donut hole, but you don’t have to fry anything.

Ingredients for Mini Cinnamon Muffins

You only need basic baking ingredients for these muffins.

All-purpose flour: Regular all-purpose flour works perfectly here. Measure it lightly so you don’t end up with too much flour, which can make small muffins dry very quickly.

Brown sugar: I originally made this recipe with granulated sugar, but during my recent testing I switched to packed brown sugar. The molasses in brown sugar adds a little more flavor and helps the muffins hold onto moisture.

Cinnamon: There is cinnamon in both the muffin batter and the cinnamon sugar coating. I increased the cinnamon in the batter during testing because I wanted the muffin itself to have more cinnamon flavor, not just the outside.

Baking powder and baking soda: Using both helps these little muffins rise quickly and stay tender.

Salt: A small amount balances the sweetness and brings out the cinnamon flavor.

Egg: I like to beat the egg before adding it to the milk and oil. That way the wet ingredients are already well combined before they go into the flour, so I don’t have to stir the finished batter as much.

Whole milk: Whole milk gave me the best texture during testing. The extra fat helps keep the muffins soft and tender. You can use another milk if that’s what you have, but the texture and moisture may be slightly different.

Canola oil: Oil keeps these muffins moist without adding a strong flavor.

Cinnamon sugar: The warm muffins are rolled in a mixture of granulated sugar and cinnamon right after baking.

How to Make Mini Cinnamon Muffins

Mix the dry ingredients

Add the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon to a mixing bowl.

Whisk everything together, making sure there aren’t any large clumps of brown sugar.

Mix the wet ingredients

In a separate bowl or measuring cup, beat the egg first.

Add the whole milk and canola oil and whisk until everything is well combined.

This small step makes a difference. If you add an unbeaten egg directly to the dry ingredients, it can take more stirring to get the egg completely incorporated. Muffin batter is better when it is mixed as little as possible.

Combine the batter

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently stir just until everything is combined.

A few small lumps are completely fine.

Try not to keep stirring until the batter looks perfectly smooth. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour and can make muffins tougher instead of soft and tender.

Fill the mini muffin pan

Lightly grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan and divide the batter between the muffin cups.

Fill each cup about 2/3 full.

I really recommend using a small cookie scoop if you have one. It makes this much faster, but more importantly, it keeps the muffins close to the same size.

That matters because the amount of batter in each cavity changes how quickly the muffins bake. If some are much fuller than others, the smaller muffins may start getting too dark before the larger ones are finished.

Mini Muffin Bake Time Is Important

Bake the muffins at 350°F for about 9 to 10 minutes.

After making multiple test batches, I found that placing my oven rack one position above the center of the oven worked better. My muffin bottoms were getting darker than I wanted when the pan was lower in the oven.

Every oven is a little different, though, so start checking your muffins around 7 to 8 minutes, especially the first time you make them.

Mine are usually ready at about the 9-minute mark.

The tops should look set and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Mini muffins can go from perfectly baked to dry surprisingly quickly, so I would rather check them early than add extra baking time automatically.

Let the muffins sit in the pan for only about 1 minute after they come out of the oven.

Then remove them.

The metal pan stays very hot and continues cooking the bottoms of the muffins even after it comes out of the oven. This was another small change that helped me get a softer muffin without overly browned bottoms.

Roll the Warm Muffins in Cinnamon Sugar

While the muffins are still warm, roll each one in cinnamon sugar.

I used to sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the muffins before baking, but I much prefer rolling them after they come out of the oven.

The sugar sticks to the warm outside of the muffin and gives you that sweet cinnamon coating all the way around.

You don’t need to wait for the muffins to cool. In fact, they coat better while they’re warm.

My Best Tips for Soft Mini Cinnamon Muffins

After making several batches while updating this recipe, these are the things that made the biggest difference:

Use brown sugar. It adds flavor and helps the muffins stay softer.

Use whole milk when possible. The additional fat improves the texture.

Beat the egg before adding it to the batter. This helps you avoid unnecessary mixing later.

Don’t overmix. Stir only until you no longer see dry pockets of flour.

Use a scoop. Evenly sized muffins bake more evenly.

Don’t overfill the pan. About 2/3 full works well.

Start checking early. Mini muffins bake very quickly.

Move the oven rack up if the bottoms brown too quickly. One position above center worked best in my oven.

Take them out of the pan quickly. About one minute is enough.

Roll them in cinnamon sugar while they’re warm.

What Should the Inside of the Muffins Look Like?

The inside should be soft and tender with a fine muffin crumb.

They aren’t supposed to be gooey in the center, but they shouldn’t look dry or crumbly either.

Because mini muffins are so small, even an extra minute or two in the oven can make a noticeable difference. If yours seem dry, I would check the bake time first before changing the ingredients.

How Many Mini Muffins Does This Recipe Make?

This recipe makes about 24 mini muffins, depending on how full you fill the muffin cups.

Using a scoop helps you get a more consistent yield from batch to batch.

Can I Make Regular-Size Cinnamon Muffins?

This version has been specifically retested as mini muffins.

Because I changed the sugar, milk, cinnamon, and baking method while updating the recipe, I haven’t retested this exact revised batter as full-size muffins yet. I don’t want to give you a baking time I haven’t personally verified.

For now, I recommend making them as minis.

Can I Use White Sugar Instead of Brown Sugar?

Yes. Granulated sugar can be substituted for the brown sugar.

However, after testing both, I prefer brown sugar because the molasses gives the muffins a little more flavor and helps them retain moisture.

If you use white sugar, expect the texture and flavor to be slightly different.

Can I Use a Different Kind of Milk?

Yes, although whole milk is my first choice for this recipe.

The added fat helps create a softer, more tender muffin. Lower-fat dairy milk or other milk substitutes can work, but they may change the moisture and texture slightly.

What to Serve With Cinnamon Mini Muffins

Honestly, these usually disappear straight from the bowl at our house.

For breakfast or brunch, you could serve them with:

• Scrambled eggs
• Fresh fruit or berries
• Greek yogurt
• Sausage or bacon
• Cinnamon butter
• A breakfast casserole

They also work well as a quick snack when you want something sweet but don’t want to make a full dessert.

How to Store Mini Cinnamon Muffins

Let the muffins cool completely before storing them.

Place them in an airtight container at room temperature. They are best during the first couple of days when the crumb is especially soft and the cinnamon sugar coating is fresh.

If condensation develops inside the container, place a paper towel underneath the muffins to help absorb some of the moisture.

Can You Freeze Mini Cinnamon Muffins?

Yes.

Let the muffins cool completely, then place them in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag.

Freeze them for up to a few months for best quality.

You can thaw them at room temperature when you’re ready to eat them. Because they’re so small, they thaw pretty quickly.

If the cinnamon sugar coating loses a little of its texture after freezing, you can lightly roll the muffins in fresh cinnamon sugar again after they thaw.

Mini Cinnamon Muffins FAQ

Why did my mini muffins turn out dry?

The most likely cause is overbaking. Mini muffins are small enough that even one or two extra minutes can make a difference. Start checking them around 7 to 8 minutes and remove them as soon as they’re done.

Too much flour can also cause dry muffins, so make sure you’re measuring the flour lightly rather than packing it into the measuring cup.

Why are the bottoms of my muffins getting too dark?

Try moving the oven rack one position above the center of your oven. This helped considerably during my testing.

Also remove the muffins from the hot pan after about one minute so the bottoms don’t continue cooking.

Do I need muffin liners?

No. A lightly greased mini muffin pan works well for this recipe.

Can I make the batter ahead of time?

I don’t recommend making the batter far in advance. Once the wet and dry ingredients are combined, the baking powder and baking soda begin working.

For the best rise and texture, mix the batter and bake the muffins right away.

Can I skip the cinnamon sugar coating?

Yes, but I think it’s one of the best parts. The muffins themselves have cinnamon flavor, so they’ll still taste good without it, but the coating gives them their classic sweet cinnamon finish.

More Easy Breakfast Recipes

If you love quick breakfast recipes, try some of these next:

• The Best Hotcakes
• Baked Scrambled Eggs for a Crowd
• Refrigerator Bran Muffins
• Cinnamon Apple Streusel Muffins
• Sausage Gravy

Originally published: January 11, 2019 Updated (text, photos and recipe adjustments): September 22, 2026