These easy cinnamon streusel muffins are moist and delicious with a heavenly buttery, crunchy topping! They're perfect any time of the day!
I can never resist a good streusel topped muffin, especially with with my morning coffee! These cinnamon streusel muffins (aka coffee cake muffins) are absolutely divine!
They're light, fluffy, incredibly moist, and topped with a generous amount of cinnamon-sugar streusel. I also like to call them cinnamon swirl muffins, because there's a luscious layer of cinnamon sugar in the center! The cinnamon streusel topping is buttery, sweet, and crunchy.
If you love coffee cake, these cinnamon muffins with streusel topping are sure to become a favorite.
Love muffins? Try my Oreo Muffins, my Blueberry Chocolate Chip Muffins, or my Chocolate Chip Muffins.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Easy to make. Just a few simple ingredients, quick prep, and minimal effort required.
- Perfect texture and flavor. These muffins are especially moist, soft, and tender and full of flavor.
- Cinnamon sugar filling. Each muffin has a swirl of cinnamon sugar in the middle for more cinnamon goodness!
- Buttery cinnamon topping. The crumbly streusel topping adds the perfect sweetness and crunch.
- Great any time of day. Enjoy them as a morning treat or as a snack (they're phenomenal with coffee!).
- Freezer-friendly. You can make a batch and freeze some for later!
What you'll need
Ingredients for the muffins
- Flour - I use all purpose flour.
- Sugar. I use both granulated sugar and packed, light brown sugar. The brown sugar adds moisture and boosts the flavor. I also love the slightly caramel flavor of packed brown sugar!
- Butter. I use unsalted butter.
- Oil. I like adding vegetable oil to my muffins. Together with the butter, it creates a beautiful, soft texture.
- Greek yogurt. Plain Greek yogurt not only helps make these muffins moist, but it also adds a lot of flavor.
- Eggs. You'll need 2 medium eggs.
- Baking powder & baking soda. Both are essential for helping the muffins rise and become fluffy.
- Milk. This helps add moisture and flavor, too.
- Ground cinnamon. I love cinnamon!
- Vanilla. I use pure vanilla extract.
- Salt. It enhances the overall flavor.
Ingredients for the streusel topping
- Brown sugar. I use light brown sugar, packed.
- Unsalted butter. Make sure it's cold and cut into cubes.
- Flour. You'll need all purpose flour.
- Ground cinnamon. It gives the streusel topping that signature flavor.
- Salt. It balances out the sweetness.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for quantities.
Equipment you'll need
- mixing bowls
- whisk
- muffin pan or a standard 12-cup cupcake pan
- rubber spatula
- fork, pastry cutter or food processor
- tulip liners (optional)
How to make cinnamon streusel muffins
Step-by-step Instructions
I like using a food processor to make the streusel, but you could use a fork, a pastry cutter or even your fingers to combine everything until you get big and small chunks of butter.
- Put all the ingredients for the streusel topping in a food processor.
2. Pulse 3-5 times until it's crumbly with some big and small pieces.
3. Spread the streusel on a plate and put it in the refrigerator.
4. Combine all the filling ingredients in a small bowl.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
6. In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients with the yogurt and vanilla.
7. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.
8. Add a tablespoon of batter into each muffin liner.
9. Top with a generous teaspoon of the cinnamon sugar filling.
10. Add the remaining batter on top
11. Sprinkle the tops with the streusel topping.
12.Then bake!
Recipe notes
Storage tips & freezing instructions
- Store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you want them to last longer, you can store them in the fridge for up to a week.
- These muffins freeze really well! To freeze, place the completely cooled muffins in a freezer-safe bag or container. I usually freeze them for up to about 2 months. When you’re ready to enjoy them, let them thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- I have found that the streusel topping is still crunchy after it has thawed in the fridge! The SECRET is to freeze the muffins as soon as they have completely cooled. You can reheat them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. The topping is still crunchy, even after reheating them!
Substitutions
- Plain Greek yogurt. If you don’t have plain Greek yogurt, you can use equal amounts of sour cream, instead. It works just as well and keeps the muffins moist.
- Packed brown sugar. If you’re out of light brown sugar, you can substitute it with granulated sugar, though the muffins will be slightly less rich.
Variations
- Chocolate chip streusel muffins. Add ½ cup of chocolate chips to the muffin batter for a sweet, chocolatey twist.
- Pumpkin spice muffins. Swap the cinnamon with pumpkin pie spice and add ½ cup of canned pumpkin to the batter for a seasonal flavor.
- Nutty streusel. Mix chopped pecans or walnuts into the streusel topping for a crunchier texture.
- Decadent cinnamon muffins. Drizzle the tops with a simple glaze or this amazing salted caramel sauce.
Tips for success
- Weigh your ingredients for accuracy. Using a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients ensures you get the right measurements every time, leading to more consistent results.
- Cold butter. I've tried making streusel with melted butter, but I found that when the butter is really cold, it holds its shape when baked. That's why I put the streusel in the fridge while I make the muffins
- Make the streusel topping by hand. If you don't have a food processor, you can make the streusel topping by hand. Use a pastry blender or a fork to cut the butter into the flour, sugar, and cinnamon until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. You could also use your fingers to pinch the butter to combine it with the other ingredients. Then refrigerate it until you're ready to use it.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Overmixing can lead to dense muffins, so gently fold the ingredients together until just combined.
- Use tulip liners. I love using tulip liners for these muffins because they're pretty and the muffins are tall and they keep their shape. I also don't get any batter in the pan. If you don't have any tulip liners, just use regular cupcake liners.
- Check for doneness. Insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin. If it comes out clean, they’re done!
Frequently asked questions
Streusel and crumb topping are very similar and people often use the terms interchangeably. Typically, streusel and crumb topping use varying proportions of flour and sugar, resulting in distinct textures and flavors for baked goods. Crumble, for example, usually has more sugar than streusel.
Yes! The streusel topping should be added before baking so it becomes golden and crisp as the muffins bake.
Cinnamon streusel is made of flour, light brown sugar, cinnamon, and cold unsalted butter mixed together to form a crumbly topping.
More muffins to try
Happy Baking!
Did you make this recipe? If so, please let me know how it turned out and leave a rating and review below! I'd love to hear from you! ❤️
Recipe
Easy Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
Equipment
- mixing bowls
- whisk
- muffin pan or a standard 12-cup cupcake pan
- rubber spatula
- fork, pastry cutter or food processor
- tulip liners (optional)
Ingredients
For the streusel topping
- ⅓ cup (70g) light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (62.5g) all purpose flour
- ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt (optional)
For the filling
- ¼ cup (50g) light brown sugar, packed
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
For the muffins
- 2 ¼ cups (230g) all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 medium eggs at room temperature
- ¾ cup (150g) sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) light vegetable oil
- ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ½ cup (125g) plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup (125ml) milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Note:
For best results, please read through the full post before beginning the recipe.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉ / 218℃. Line the pan with the liners. Set aside.
Make the streusel topping
- Put the brown sugar, flour, ground cinnamon, salt and cold butter in a food processor. Pulse about 3-5 times until the mixture becomes crumbly with some big and some small pieces. Alternatively, you can use a fork, a pastry cutter or even your fingers to combine everything until you get big and small chunks of butter.⅓ cup (70g) light brown sugar, packed, ½ cup (62.5g) all purpose flour, ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, pinch of salt (optional)
- Spread the streusel on a plate and put it in the refrigerator.
Make the filling
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and the cinnamon and stir together with a teaspoon. Set aside.¼ cup (50g) light brown sugar, packed, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Make the muffins
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.2 ¼ cups (230g) all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, oil, melted butter, yogurt, milk, and vanilla.2 medium eggs at room temperature, ¾ cup (150g) sugar, 2 tablespoons (30ml) light vegetable oil, ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, ½ cup (125g) plain Greek yogurt, ½ cup (125ml) milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk everything together until just combined.
- Add one tablespoon of batter into each muffin liner. Then top with a generous teaspoon of the cinnamon filling. Then top the cinnamon filling with the remaining batter, about one tablespoon for each.
- Take the streusel topping out of the refrigerator and sprinkle it over the batter, about a tablespoon each. Very gently press the streusel so it sticks to the batter.
- Bake at 425℉ / 218℃ for five minutes without opening the oven door. Then lower the temperature to 350℉ / 180℃ and continue to bake for another 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Avoid opening the oven door while the muffins are baking, so that they don't sink.
- When the muffins are done, take them out of the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Weigh your ingredients. Use a kitchen scale for accurate measurements and consistent results.
- Use cold butter. Cold butter in the streusel holds its shape better during baking.
- Make streusel by hand. No food processor? No problem! Use a fork, a pastry cutter, or your fingers to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Try to get big and small chunks of butter.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Gently fold the ingredients to avoid dense muffins.
- Use tulip liners. These liners make tall, pretty muffins and keep the pan clean. Regular cupcake liners work fine too, but it will be a bit messier.
- Check for doneness. A toothpick should come out clean from the center of the muffin when it's ready!
- Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
For longer storage, refrigerate them for up to a week. - To freeze, place cooled muffins in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw frozen muffins overnight in the fridge.
- Reheat the thawed muffins in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
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