These cinnamon streusel muffins are topped with a buttery brown sugar streusel, nuts, and a sweet glaze for a bakery-style treat that's easy to make at home.
Made with simple pantry ingredients, they're ready in about 30 minutes and can be baked as either standard muffins or jumbo bakery-style muffins.
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😊 TL;DR — Recipe Summary
What is it? Cinnamon streusel muffins are soft homemade muffins topped with buttery brown sugar streusel, nuts, and a sweet glaze.
Why you'll love it: They use simple pantry ingredients, have optional walnuts or pecans for extra crunch, and are ready in about 30 minutes. You can make them as 12 standard muffins or 6 jumbo bakery-style muffins.
How to make it: Mix the dry and wet ingredients separately, combine them, fill the muffin pan, add the streusel topping, and bake until golden brown. Drizzle with glaze after cooling briefly.
🧁 Ingredients
Dry ingredients — flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt
Wet ingredients — milk, vegetable oil, egg
Optional nuts — walnuts or pecans
Streusel topping — brown sugar, cinnamon, nuts, butter
Glaze — powdered sugar, milk, vanilla
👨🍳 Quick Overview: How to Make Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
1. Mixing ingredients
In separate bowls, combine the dry ingredients, wet ingredients, and streusel topping.
2. Combine batter, fill tin and top
Combine the wet and dry ingredients just until mixed. Fill the muffin cups about ½ to ⅔ full and top with the streusel topping.
3. Bake
Bake until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
4. Add a glaze topping
Mix the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla for the glaze. Let the muffins cool for a few minutes, then drizzle with the glaze.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
✔️ When Are the Muffins Done?
Standard-size muffins will take about 15 minutes to bake at 400°F. Do not rely on baking time alone. There are three easy ways to tell when your cinnamon streusel muffins are done:
- The touch test: Lightly press the top of a muffin. If it springs back quickly and leaves no indentation, it is done.
- The toothpick test: Insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin. If it comes out clean, the muffins are done. Yes, it's old-school, but it still works.
- Temperature: The most reliable method is an instant-read thermometer. The muffins are done when the center reaches about 200°F.
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🧁 Make Jumbo Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
This recipe can be baked as either 12 standard muffins or 6 jumbo bakery-style muffins. Prepare the batter the same way and fill the jumbo muffin cups about ½ to ⅔ full.
Jumbo muffins will usually need 3 to 4 additional minutes of baking time. Since oven performance and muffin pan size vary, check for doneness rather than relying on time alone.
An instant-read thermometer is the most reliable method and should read about 200°F in the center. The touch test and toothpick test also work well.
🍽️ Serving
Enjoy these cinnamon streusel muffins for breakfast with your favorite coffee, plus sides like Convection Oven Bacon and Baked Breakfast Sausage Patties.
If you enjoy homemade muffins, try Apple Fritter Muffins, Strawberry Cinnamon Muffins, Banana Nut Muffins, or Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins.
🧊 Storage
Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
For longer storage, wrap the muffins individually in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
If you use a cream cheese glaze instead of the simple glaze, store the muffins in the refrigerator.
❓FAQs
No. A good coating of cooking spray is usually enough to prevent sticking. Muffin liners are optional but make cleanup, serving, and storing leftovers easier.
Yes. A cream cheese glaze works well with these cinnamon streusel muffins and can be used instead of the simple powdered sugar glaze. Because cream cheese is perishable, leftover muffins should be refrigerated.
Yes. The walnuts or pecans add flavor and texture, but the muffins can be made without them. Simply omit the nuts from both the batter and streusel topping.
📖The Recipe Card
Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder - aluminum-free
- ½ cup chopped nuts-optional - walnuts or pecans
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup chopped nuts
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 teaspoons milk
- 2 drops vanilla
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 °.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 1½ cups of flour, ⅓ cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon of baking powder, ½ cup of chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans), ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon of salt.
- In a second bowl, combine ½ cup milk, ½ cup vegetable oil, and 1 egg. Whisk until the egg is blended.
- In a small bowl, combine 4 tablespoons of butter, ¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup chopped nuts, and a pinch of salt.
- Mix wet into dry and only mix enough to combine. Prep a muffin pan. You can make 12 standard-size muffins or 6 jumbo-size muffins. Spray generously with PAM or add cupcake papers.
- Fill the muffin tin with the batter about ½ to ⅔ full. That will be a heaping ¼ cup into the six cups. Top with the brown sugar mixture.
- Bake until the top is brown and a toothpick comes out clean. It takes about 15 minutes for standard-size muffins or about 18 minutes for jumbo muffins. If not sure, you can check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer for 200° or a little more. Remove the muffins from the pan as soon as they are removed from the oven.
- Mix ⅔ cup of powdered sugar with 1-2 teaspoons of milk and a few drops of vanilla. Allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes, then top them with the frosting.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Do not overmix the batter. Stir just until the wet and dry ingredients are combined.
- This recipe makes either 12 standard muffins or 6 jumbo bakery-style muffins.
- Standard muffins take about 15 minutes to bake. Jumbo muffins usually need 3 to 4 additional minutes.
- For the most reliable doneness check, use an instant-read thermometer and bake to about 200°F internal temperature.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Originally Published March 29, 2014. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Veena says
Delicious. Substituted flax seed powder most mix for egg ..
Gina says
These look absolutely delicious! Quick question, do you think they could be made in the same way without any nuts? I'd like to make them later, but I have a friend with nut allergies.
Gina says
Oh and one more question, sorry, is that 400 convection or conventional?
DrDan says
conventional. I rarely use convection baking unless another recipe I trust does.
DrDan says
Yep just leave them out.
Dan
Gina says
Perfect, I'm going to have to try these later this week I think. Thanks for the easy recipe!