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Hello! I’m Anjali. I’m a board certified health coach, author, wife, mom and food lover from the SF Bay area (now living in Seattle, WA!); with a passion for delicious food and a desire to make healthy eating easy, tasty and fun! Learn more about me here and stay for a while!

Anjali Shah

Cinnamon Muffins Filled With Raspberry Jelly

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These cinnamon sugar muffins stuffed with raspberry jelly are the perfect treat for brunch, dessert, or an afternoon snack! Made with 100% whole grains and secret healthy swaps, these lightened-up muffins are a recipe the whole family will love.

cinnamon muffins stacked on top of each other against a white background

No matter the season, weekend brunch is one of my favorite meals. Filling my kitchen with yummy, warm smells of freshly baked goods makes waking up early on the weekend with two little ones so much easier! The warm scents of these cinnamon raspberry muffins are sure to wake everyone up. The smell is almost as good as the taste!

Plus, it’s always fun to get my kids involved in the kitchen and bake together on Sunday mornings. 

These delicious, hearty cinnamon muffins have been a star at my brunch table recently they also make an excellent low sugar dessert.

Latest Recipe Video!

The delicious flavor and warmth of the cinnamon make these muffins seem a lot more filling. Plus, by making a few swaps for healthier versions of traditional ingredients, these cinnamon sugar muffins don’t come with any guilt for eating them!

The gooey raspberry preserves ooze out of each muffin when you bite into it, and the cinnamon sugar topping adds an element of decadence without any of the extra fat.

They take about an hour to make (including baking time), and it is so, so worth it! Plus, that shorter baking time means that even busy parents can make this a regular part of their family’s diet.

How to make The Best Cinnamon Muffins

Tools and Equipment You’ll Need

Recipe Ingredients and Notes

ingredients for cinnamon muffins
  • Flour: I recommend using whole wheat pastry flour for a light and fluffy muffin (while still getting all the goodness of whole grains). For a gluten free option, use gluten free oat flour or Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Flour.
  • Butter: You can substitute this for vegan butter to make these vegan friendly!
  • Eggs: You can use flax eggs here to make these vegan friendly
  • Applesauce: A great way to cut down on the amount of butter you need while still keeping these muffins rich and satisfying
  • Raspberry Preserves: I recommend finding a no-sugar-added preserve at your local store or making your own preserves so you can control the sugar content!
  • Sugar: Feel free to cut the sugar in this recipe by half to get a muffin with less than 10 grams of sugar per serving. It will still taste slightly sweet, even if you reduce the sugar!

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a standard muffin tin or line with 12 muffin cups. This recipe doesn’t work quite as well as a loaf, so it’s best to stick to muffin tins. These cinnamon raspberry muffins are perfectly portioned to satisfy though. They’ll be a family favorite in no time.

Step 2: In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter, apple sauce, and sugars with a hand mixer until smooth. Then add the eggs, egg whites, and vanilla. Mix to combine.

wet ingredients being mixed in a bowl

Step 3: 

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. 

Stir about one-third of the flour mixture into the butter mixture until incorporated, then stir about one half of the buttermilk into the butter mixture.

dry ingredients beginning to be mixed into wet ingredients

Step 4: Continue adding flour mixture and buttermilk until you’ve mixed in all of the flour mixture and buttermilk (so you begin and end with the flour mixture).

Step 5: Spoon about 2 Tbsp of your muffin batter into each cup of the prepared pan.

batter in cupckae liners in a muffin tin

Step 6: Then put 1 tsp of raspberry preserves in the middle of each cup. It’s okay to be a little generous here, especially if you really love the raspberry taste in these cinnamon sugar muffins. 

raspberry jam spooned onto the batter in the muffin tin

Step 7: Top each muffin cup with another 2 Tbsp of batter (by the end of this process, the cups should be nearly full).

additional batter covering the raspberry jelly in a muffin tin

Step 8: Melt the butter for the topping in the microwave and mix the melted butter with the cinnamon and sugar. 

Top each muffin with the melted butter mixture before baking, using 1/2 tsp per muffin max.

cinnamon sugar topping spread on top of the batter before baking

Step 9: Bake the muffins for 14-17 minutes, or until they’re a pale golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle of one of the muffins comes out without any unbaked dough on it. Remove pan from the oven, and let muffins cool for a couple of minutes, or until you can handle them.

cinnamon muffins pictured both in a muffin tin and cut in half on a tray

What Makes These Cinnamon Muffins Healthy?

  • Low Fat: This recipe has only 5g of fat per muffin. This is a treat you can feel good eating! 
  • Low Calorie: Each muffin is only 200 calories. That’s half the calories of a traditional muffin!
  • Whole Grains: This recipe is made with whole wheat flour! Whole wheat flour has more fiber, iron, protein, and calcium than white flour.

Will Kids Enjoy These Cinnamon Muffins?

These muffins have a wonderful nutty flavor and the cinnamon sugar crumble on top is every kids’ dream! Your kids will love this recipe – and healthy cinnamon raspberry muffins make a great snack, dessert, or breakfast option. 

Since they are healthy and tasty, you and your kids both win!

cinnamon muffins cut in half with the raspberry jelly filling pictured

Recipe FAQs

How to Store and Freeze Cinnamon Raspberry Muffins

To Store: Let the muffins cool completely and then transfer to an airtight container. They will keep in the fridge for up to 5-7 days. These Cinnamon Muffins are great as a grab-and-go breakfast option with a glass of milk, or as part of a bigger brunch spread.
To Freeze: Let the muffins cool completely, then wrap each one in foil or plastic wrap. Transfer to an airtight ziptop bag and freeze. They will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: Thaw in the fridge overnight, then in the microwave (for about 30 seconds-1 minute) until warm.

Can These Cinnamon Muffins be Made Gluten-Free?

Yes! If you want them to be gluten-free, replace the whole wheat flour with gluten-free oat flour or Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Flour. They’ll still be super tasty!

Are Muffins Healthier Than Cupcakes?

While some cupcakes have more butter and sugar than muffins (thanks to the frosting, etc.); traditional muffin recipes tend to have just as many calories as a cupcake would (and some have the same amount of sugar!) 

My cinnamon raspberry muffins, however, are much healthier than a cupcake thanks to all of the ingredient swaps. These muffins are a much healthier option, especially for breakfast!

Top Tips For Making The Best Cinnamon Muffins

  • Use an aluminum-free baking powder for a better taste (and a healthier muffin!)
  • Try whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour for a lighter, fluffier muffin.
  • If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own by adding 2 tsp of white vinegar to your milk of choice, stir and let sit for 10 minutes. This also makes a great vegan option (using a plant based milk!)
  • Remove the muffins from the oven when they are just done: insert a toothpick in the center of the muffin – if it comes out clean, they are ready to be taken out!
  • This recipe makes 12 large muffins, but you can also make these into 24 mini muffins. Follow the same directions, but cut down the baking time (I’d start checking to see if the mini muffins are done around the 9-minute mark).
  • These muffins are higher in sugar and are more of a healthy treat. To turn them into a true breakfast meal, cut the sugar in this recipe by half. You’ll still end up with a slightly sweet muffin that can be eaten every day for breakfast!
cinnamon muffins fresh out of the oven against a white background

Check out these other healthy sweet treats!

If you have tried these cinnamon muffins, or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family friendly food!

cinnamon muffins cut in half with the raspberry jelly filling pictured

🎥 Watch How to Make It

https://youtu.be/Ef2AR0uQtV0
cinnamon muffins fresh out of the oven against a white background
Print Recipe
5 from 13 votes

Cinnamon Muffins filled with Raspberry Jelly

These cinnamon muffins are the perfect treat for brunch, dessert, or an afternoon snack! Made with 100% whole grains and secret healthy swaps, these lightened-up muffins are a recipe the whole family will love.
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Baking, Breakfast, Brunch
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 large muffins
Calories: 195.5kcal
Author: Anjali Shah

Ingredients

For the muffins:

For the topping:

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a standard muffin tin or line with 12 muffin cups.
  • In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter, apple sauce, and sugars with a hand mixer until smooth. Then add the eggs, egg whites, and vanilla, beating to combine.
  • In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt.
  • Stir about one-third of the flour mixture into the butter mixture until incorporated, then stir about one half of the butttermilk into the butter mixture.
  • Continue alternating between the two until you’ve mixed in all of the flour mixture and buttermilk (so you begin and end with the flour mixture).
  • Spoon about 2 Tbsp of the batter into each cup of the prepared pan. Then put about 1 tsp of raspberry preserves in the middle of each cup, and top each with another 2 Tbsp of batter (by the end of this process, the cups should be nearly full).
  • Melt the butter for the topping in the microwave and mix the melted butter with the cinnamon and sugar. Top each muffin with the melted butter mixture before baking, using 1/2 tsp per muffin max.
  • Bake the muffins for 14-17 minutes, or until they’re a pale golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle of one of the muffins comes out without any unbaked dough on it. Remove pan from the oven, and let muffins cool for a couple of minutes, or until you can handle them.

Notes

Top Tips For Making The Best Cinnamon Muffins
  • Use an aluminum free baking powder for a better taste (and a healthier muffin!)
  • Try whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour for a lighter, fluffier muffin.
  • If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own by adding 2 tsp of white vinegar to your milk of choice, stir and let sit for 10 minutes. This also makes a great vegan option (using a plant based milk!)
  • Remove the muffins from the oven when they are just done: insert a toothpick in the center of the muffin – if it comes out clean, they are ready to be taken out!
  • This recipe makes 12 large muffins, but you can also make these into 24 mini muffins. Follow the same directions, but cut down the baking time (I’d start checking to see if the mini muffins are done around the 9 minute mark).
  • These muffins are higher in sugar and are more of a healthy treat. To turn them into a true breakfast meal, cut the sugar in this recipe by half. You’ll still end up with a slightly sweet muffin that can be eaten every day for breakfast!

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 195.5kcal | Carbohydrates: 36.8g | Protein: 5.4g | Fat: 4.9g | Saturated Fat: 2.7g | Sodium: 184.7mg | Fiber: 3.3g | Sugar: 17.2g

Posted In…

Plant Based Breakfast Recipes ·

These healthy, plant based breakfast recipes are delicious, filling, and so easy to make!

Whether you want a quick smoothie or a more indulgent breakfast spread, we’ve got you covered.

Try some of our favorites like this blueberry pineapple smoothie, these vegan protein waffles, our silken tofu scramble, this avocado toast with honey, or our lightened up oat milk pancakes!

62 responses to “Cinnamon Muffins Filled With Raspberry Jelly”

  1. These muffins are a hit in my house! We love the cinnamon flavor, and I love that we can freeze some for later!5 stars

  2. These are so good and my kids loved them. They like them better than those fruit flavoured granola bars I cringe at giving them. Looks like I have a new recipe for school. Yay!5 stars

  3. Wow! The raspberry filling was so delicious in these muffins! Paired perfectly with the cinnamon muffin flavor.

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