Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

5 from 36 votes

These cinnamon streusel muffins are super easy to make, and they are ready in just 35 minutes. My recipe creates soft and moist muffins with a buttery cinnamon streusel on top that adds the perfect crunch. They are great for weekend brunch, and for grab and go snack. You can even make them vegan or gluten free with a couple of simple swaps.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Baking, Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: large muffins

Calories: 305kcal

Author: Anjali Shah

Equipment

Ingredients

For The Streusel Topping

⅔ cup all purpose flour
⅓ cup brown sugar firmly packed
1 tsp cinnamon ground
¼ cup butter melted

For The Muffins

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ cup butter softened
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1½ cup buttermilk

Instructions

Preheat the oven top 350 degrees F / 180 C. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with muffin liners.
In a small mixing bowl combine all of the streusel topping ingredients except the butter, whisk to combine.
Pour the butter into the flour mixture and mix well. The streusel topping is ready when its crumbly and sticks together when squeezed. Place in the fridge while preparing the muffin batter.
To prepare the muffin batter whisk together the all purpose flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl, set aside.
Add the softened butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer, beat with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy.
Next, add one egg at a time along with the vanilla extract, beating until well combined.
Remove the bowl from the stand mixer.
Add half of the buttermilk and then half of the dry ingredients, gently mix until just combined.
Next, mix in the remaining buttermilk and dry ingredients until just combined. Set aside.
To assemble the muffins sprinkle a teaspoon of the streusel topping over the base of each muffin liner.
Fill each muffin liner half way with batter.
Sprinkle another teaspoon of streusel mixture.
Cover the filling with another scoop of batter.
Finish each muffin with a layer of topping mixture.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
When cooked remove from the tray and cool completely on a cooling rack.

Video

https://youtu.be/9gGxNwIaC1I

Notes

My #1 Secret Tip for making these cinnamon streusel muffins is to make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature before you start. When the butter is soft, it blends easily with the sugar and creates a fluffy base for the muffins, while room temperature eggs mix in smoothly. I also beat the butter and sugar until it looks pale and creamy around 3 minutes, which helps the muffins rise nicely and stay tender.
Alternative tools: If you do not have a stand mixer, grab your electric hand mixer instead. It works just as well for mixing the batter and making the streusel.
Keep oven closed: I resist the urge to open the oven door before the muffins are done baking. It helps them rise evenly and bake properly.
Toothpick test: I check if the muffins are ready by inserting a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean, they are done; if not, I bake for a few more minutes.
Even scoops: I use a cookie scoop to portion the batter into the liners so all the muffins bake evenly and look uniform.
Do not overmix: Overmixing will result in a tough and chewy muffin. And trust me, you don't want that!
Vegan or gluten free: To make these muffins vegan, I create a simple vegan buttermilk by mixing one cup of non dairy milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice and letting it sit for a few minutes. I also swap the eggs for flax eggs and use vegan butter in the streusel. For a gluten free version, I replace the flour with an all purpose gluten free flour blend or oat flour, and the muffins still bake up soft and delicious with a sweet crumbly top.

Nutrition