Joy the Baker

Easy Cinnamon Roll Muffins

September 12, 2008

Just the thought of cinnamon rolls-  warm, gooey, soft, sweet- makes me literally swoon.  I love them.  If I were a baking superhero (I’m working on it) my weakness would be cinnamon rolls.

As much as I love the little devils (and I hate to say this) I hate to bake them.  The problem is not the sweet yeast dough or the rolling or the slicing.  I simply have no patience for the waiting that is required of me during the proofing, rolling, slicing and proofing again process.  I realize this is totally unreasonable, but it’s just the truth.

Nicole at Baking Bites seems the understand my need for instant, yet stubbornly homemade cinnamon roll goodness.

I’d like to introduce you to Cinnamon Roll Muffins-  add the yeast, subtract the long rising.

Imagine my glee when I had cinnamon roll-esque goodness coming out of my oven in well under an hour.  These muffins rise for a short 15 minutes in the bowl and then are placed into a cold oven to cook as the oven preheats to 350 degrees.  After 20 minutes in the oven, they’re risen and golden and bubbling with cinnamon and brown sugar.

Easy Cinnamon Roll Muffins

Baking Bites

Print this Recipe!

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
4 tsp active dry or rapid rise yeast
2/3 cup warm milk (100-110F; low fat is fine)
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg

Filling/Topping

2 tbsp butter, room temperature
2/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch ground cardamom

Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tbsp milk or cream

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Dissolve the yeast in a measuring cup filled with the warmed milk, then stir milk mixture, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and egg into the flour mixture. Mix well, until very smooth. Pour into prepared pan and let rest for 15 minutes.
While the dough rests, mix together butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and cardamom in a small bowl using a fork until all the butter has been incorporated into the sugar and mixture is crumbly.  Divide the batter between 12 greased muffin cups. Sprinkle evenly on top of rested dough and press the mixture down into the dough with your fingertips (or swirl in with a spatula.)
Place pan into a cold oven, then set the oven temperature to 350F.
Bake for about 20 minutes, until bread is lightly browned at the edges and the center of the bread springs back when lightly pressed. Some of the sugar mixture on top may still be bubbling.
Cool for at least 30 minutes before whisking the powdered sugar and milk together to form an icing and drizzling it onto the bread.
Serve warm. Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave.


175 Comments Add A Comment

  • This is just a wonderful idea! I also lack pacience sometimes. Horray for the instant gratification!

  • OH. MY. !!!

    I was thinking about getting up and making pancakes for the kids tomorrow before going to class, but to heck with that – it’s cinnamon roll muffins, baby! If mine turn out half as good as your pictures look (and I LOVE your photography!), then I will be able to die happy.

    *drools for the rest of the day in anticipation of tomorrow’s breakfast*

  • Your pictures are the greatest! Can I ask what lens you use to take the pictures?

  • making these tomorrow! my gran and i used to make cinnamon rolls together (although ours were a yeast and rising free afair). now i live in her house, and cook in her kitchen. i think she’d be very pleased if i cooked these.

  • Joy: I am so with you on the impatience! These looks incredible. Your photos are beautiful.

  • Absolute Joy…bookmarked to make soon. They look wonderful Joy…really really nice. I’m a HUGE cinnamon fan.

  • These look perfect for a crisp Fall morning! Bookmarked!

  • These look sinfully delicious!

  • OMG, these look amazing! What a fabulous idea, I’m often put off by the work involved of cinnamon rolls, but I do so love them!

  • I’m with you, I lack the patience to make proper cinnamon rolls although I do love them. The smell of cinnamon rolls baking could bring me to my knees. I will definitely be giving these a try.

  • I’m going to have to try these – they are just too cute to pass up!

  • Your photos look OUTSTANDING! I so want warm cinnamon rolls NOW with a huge glass of cold milk! YUM!

  • I love making cinnamon rolls but I LOVE the speed of these-and oh the cinnamon-ey (is that a word???…Is NOW!) goodness! I’ve gotta try these and soon!!!!

  • These look wonderful, actually better than a cinnamon roll. I love scones and muffins partly because they are one handed. Thanks for the comment about people, I sometimes wonder if I am almost alone in this thought. I forgot about where you live…both of my daughters are in C.M. Orange County, so depending on traffic, 45 minutes or 3 hours from you.

  • Fabulous idea! All pleasure, no pain!

  • Does the 20-minute baking time begin as soon as you put the muffins into the cold oven, or after the oven has preheated to 350 (with the muffins inside the oven while it’s preheating)?

  • OH man, these look dangerous. Reminds me of a fabulous coffeecake recipe I need to make…NOW.

  • These look wonderful… by the way,…my starter stinks… what should I do?
    not yeasty…. it smells musty….

  • This is so genius! Thanks for the recipe!

  • Oh man, these look especially delicious with it being all cloudy and overcast here today.

  • These look delish! Any recommendations for high altitude adjustments for this recipe? I’m at about 6,000 ft and have a hard time with getting things to rise.

  • Be still my heart! Instant gratification cinnamon rolls! I am all over that!

  • These look delicious!!!!

  • Shauna- Thank you! I hope you enjoy them! Let me know how they turn out!

    cneil- Thank you! I use a 100mm macro lens.

    kitty- I love that you live and cook in your grandmothers kitchen. That’s so special. Let me know how you enjoy these!

    Kristin- Thank You!

    Deeba- I hope you enjoy them! I’m sure I’ll see them on your blog soon!

    Ingrid- Thank you! Yes, cold milk would be just perfect!

    Amber- You’re so right! Orange County is either 45 minutes away or an absolute eternity wit traffic! I never seem to get out there. I stay in the city.

    Glenda- Yes the 20 minute baking time starts from the time you put the muffins in the cold oven. The muffins are inside the oven cooking while the oven heats. I know… it sounds crazy!

    Sassy- lol. I know what you mean about NOW!

    Missy- You have a stinky starter? Hm… it’s hard for me to know without smelling it for myself. If it doesn’t smell like something you might consider baking with, I might suggest starting over.

    Gidget- Please forgive me. I have no experience with high altitude adjustments. I’m sorry!

    Holly- Instant gratification just feels so good sometimes, especially when cinnamon and sugar are involved.

  • Wow, just the photo of the batter had me swooning! I can almost smell them from here.

  • MMMM! I’m wishing for these right now…
    Could you adapt this recipe to use some of the starter you’ve been growing?

  • I have plans for tomorrow morning… If only we didn’t have to get to a 9am soccer game.

  • Oh my goodness! I love cinnamon rolls too… and the thought of having them (almost) in under and hour is almost too much for a girl to take, lol. They look FAN-tastic!

  • Joy, thanks for the quick reply on cooking time. These are on my “bake” list for this weekend =)

  • Joy, you are my new hero! I read this to my family and my husband got teary eyed. Cinnamon rolls without the mess on the counter and ready in an hour. You have created heaven! And finally, a recipe that uses my favourite spice, cardamom. Thank you so much!

  • these are wonderful! and they dont require a lot of *insert the f word*
    P.s. F word = fat!
    get it! :P

  • Pls excuse my lame sense of humor!

  • I am so making these this morning! I never want to wait for something to bake either – especially in the mornings when you wake up famished and want to reach for the first delicious thing you can find.

  • I just made these and ended up with accidental cinnamon and caramel buns! I think I must have goofed when I measured up the brown sugar, because I ended up with delicious doughy little muffin-buns floating in a small sea of messy yet delectable cinnamon caramel. Oops, but in a good way.

  • Well, wet my whisk! I will be making these before church tomorrow morning. What a great idea and recipe! Thank you so much for sharing. I just love your site – great recipes and the photographs are to drool over.

  • Oh my gosh! Joy! These look incredible! I’m probably one of the few people that actually get enjoyment out of making cinnamon rolls. But I ams so making these tomorrow. Thanks for all the great recipes.

  • Joy – I love your blog – you make such amazing recipes…tried a few of them so far with great results – thanks! A question for you – I’m having to stick to a dairy free diet (my 4 month old just can’t handle milk protein) so I’m having to play with recipes….do you think this recipe could be made with RiceMilk and dairy-free margarine?? (I know it doesn’t sound nearly as delicious, but what can a girl do…saw the pics of the cinnamon muffins and about fainted! LOL)

  • What a yummy concept, perfect for someone like me who doesn’t have the patience to always wait for the cinnamon rolls to rise. The muffins are so cute!

  • I’ve never made cinnamon rolls before and never would have known it was one of those hours-long-yeast-and-proof endeavors….that would be beyond torturous. I’m also glad to now know that there’s a solution…now if only I had the foresight to have these ready for breakfast tomorrow morning. They look awesome!

  • Just made them a short while ago Joy…delicious in everyway. Loved the texture too. For some reason I got just 10 out of the batter. Should I have let the dough rise more?

  • Are you supposed to let the dough rest in the muffin tins, or in the bowl after mixing? Thanks for the recipe, what a fantastic way to start off cool fall mornings!

  • These were fabulous! I made them this weekend and they were so easy and so delicious!

  • it is official…. i am drooling LOL

  • I made these the day I read your post. I did go back to the cake-like version but you were the inspiration. These turned out so heavenly. Everyone loved them.

  • http://www.buzzfeed.com/yacomink/bacon-cinnamon-rolls-v

    thought you’d find the post of interest. . . i’m not sure frosting and bacon go together

  • I whipped some of these up this morning for breakfast and I have to say I have never seen my daughter that excited about food before….

  • These are perfect for me too, as I also loooove cinnamon rolls, but rarely find the time (or patience) to make them they way they should. thanks for this!

  • Just added these to my to-do list. They look divine!

  • Okay.. I’m making these TODAY!! YUM!! I don’t have the patience to wait, roll, cut, and wait for cinnamon rolls.. These look amazing!!!

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