Here’s an update on my cinnamon muffins!
I wanted to share a little update to this recipe—just to show that it’s totally okay to experiment with baking, especially if the first go doesn’t give you quite what you’re after. I made these muffins again recently for a casual morning tea at home, and this time, I switched things up a bit. Instead of baking six giant muffins like before, I used the same recipe but divided the batter into 12 more modestly sized ones. And I think I might like this version even better.
They were still everything I love about this recipe: soft, fluffy, warmly spiced with cinnamon, and just the right amount of crunch from the toasted walnuts. But the smaller size made them perfect for morning tea—easy to eat, easy to share, and just enough sweetness to go with a hot cup of coffee or tea.
Luckily there were no kitchen disasters this time! All twelve muffins came out of the oven in one piece (a small personal victory after last time’s tray-dropping incident… the birds appreciated that one, at least).
How Did it Work?
These are easy to make, hold up well if you want to bake ahead, and they taste great! I was tempted to skip the baking paper cut-outs—who really has time for that? But I’d just invested in a new muffin tray and didn’t want to scratch it like my old one, so I took the extra few minutes. Bit of faffing around, but worth it.
If you’re feeling fancy, a little cream cheese icing on top makes a lovely touch—but honestly, they’re delicious just as they are.
Recipe Card
To print the recipe, simply click the ‘Print’ button below and save your PDF for easy reference!
🍩 🍊 🧁 ✨ ⋆ ₊ ˚ ⊹ ♡ ✨ ♡ ⊹ ˚ ₊ ⋆ ✨ 🧁 🍊 🍩
Cinnamon Walnut Muffins
These soft and fluffy cinnamon walnut muffins are swirled with warm spices and topped with a crunchy walnut streusel. With a hint of orange zest and a tender crumb, they’re perfect for breakfast, brunch, or afternoon tea.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups plain flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup caster sugar
- 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
- ½ cup neutral oil, such as rice bran oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
Muffins:
Topping:
Directions
- Prepare the Muffin Tin: Grease a 12-hole standard muffin tin and line with paper cases. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F, regular bake).
- Make the Topping: In a bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon, walnuts, and melted butter to form a damp crumb-like texture. Set aside.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the plain flour, baking powder, sea salt, and caster sugar.
- Whisk Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, egg, vanilla extract, and orange zest.
- Combine the Two Mixtures: Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture. Stir gently until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Fold in Half of Cinnamon and Walnut Topping Mix: Sprinkle in half of the cinnamon and walnut topping mix. Gently fold through the batter to create a swirl effect.
- Assemble Muffins: Spoon the batter into the muffin tin, filling each muffin cup about ¾ full. Sprinkle the remaining topping on top of each muffin for that crunchy, sweet finish.
- Bake: Bake for 22–25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Let them cool for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- Serve: Once the muffins have cooled, serve with butter or optional cream cheese icing… or just as they are.
Nutrition
Per Serving: 225 calories; 11 g fat; 30 g carbohydrates; 3 g protein; 18 g sugar.Optional Cream Cheese Icing
- 50 grams cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup icing sugar, sifted
- 2–3 teaspoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Prepare the Icing: In a bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, icing sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. If needed, add more milk to achieve a spreadable consistency.
- Drizzle and Serve: Once the muffins have cooled, drizzle the cream cheese icing over the top and serve.
🧁🍫🍦🧀✨🍯🥄🍯✨🧀🍦🍫🧁
📌 Don’t lose it — Pin it! Save this recipe to Pinterest or share it with a friend so you can find it again. ♡ Janet
Discover more from Life With Janet
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
