Christmas Morning Cinnamon Roll Muffins
You are going to love Christmas Morning Cinnamon Roll Muffins.
Oh my gosh, you are going to love these Christmas Morning Cinnamon Roll Muffins. I literally woke up one morning craving a cinnamon roll. In fact, I’d been thinking about cinnamon rolls all night long.
I wanted all of those cozy cinnamon roll flavors, but I wanted something a little lighter, a little higher in fiber, and something that would actually keep me satisfied. Most importantly, I wanted it to taste good. Sometimes “macro-friendly” recipes can leave you wishing you had just eaten the real thing, and I wasn’t interested in that.
So I went into the kitchen and started experimenting, and these muffins were the result. There are actually two versions you can make. The first is the simpler version without the streusel topping, which is how I made them the first time.
That version feels like the perfect breakfast muffin to me. I love having one with my morning coffee, a handful of raspberries, and a protein shake. If you’re looking for something a little more indulgent, go ahead and add the streusel. It takes these muffins from breakfast to bakery-style treat and makes them feel even more like a cinnamon roll. The best part is that you can make these any time of year and instantly create a little Christmas morning magic.
I’m actually writing this in June, and I’ve been enjoying one with my coffee almost every morning. They’re cozy, comforting, and honestly just delightful.
Don’t let the oat flour intimidate you, either. You’re simply grinding up some oats for a few seconds. That’s it. I like to use a combination of oat flour and cake flour because it creates a soft, tender muffin while still keeping that hearty texture that makes these feel satisfying.
I ground my oats up to a flour consistency but you can play with it and leave some texture too!
And then there’s the classic cinnamon swirl. We swirl it through the center, add a little on top, and when these bake your kitchen smells exactly like Christmas morning. These muffins are light without feeling boring, cozy without feeling heavy, and they come together with simple ingredients you probably already have on hand. I think you’re going to love them.
Christmas Morning Cinnamon Roll Muffins
Ingredients
Batter
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1 1/4 cups oat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup half-and-half or milk of choice
Filling
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon soft butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cream cheese
- Splash of vanilla extract
- Pinch of sea salt
Streusel
- 1/4 cup oats
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cold butter
- Dash of cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, Greek yogurt, applesauce, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, and half-and-half until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Do not overmix.
- In a small bowl, mix together the filling ingredients: brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, cream cheese, vanilla, and sea salt until a soft paste forms.
- Fill each muffin cup about one-third full with batter. Add about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon roll filling to the center of each muffin. Cover with additional batter until the cups are about ¾ full.
- For the streusel, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, cold butter, and cinnamon. Use your fingers or a fork to work the butter into the mixture until crumbly. Sprinkle generously over the tops of the muffins.
- Bake for 16–20 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the muffin (avoiding the filling) comes out mostly clean.
- Allow the cinnamon roll muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
Optional Vanilla Glaze
Whisk together:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1–2 tablespoons milk or half-and-half
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Drizzle over slightly warm muffins for that classic cinnamon roll finish.
Twinkle Note
These are the kind of muffins that belong on a Christmas morning breakfast board beside hot coffee, fresh orange slices, and a candle flickering in the background. They have all the cozy flavor of a cinnamon roll without the wait, making them perfect for slow holiday mornings when you’d rather be opening stockings than kneading dough. 🎄☕✨
Nutrition Information
Per muffin (based on 12 muffins, without glaze)
- Calories: 185
- Protein: 8g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 2g
- Sugar: 11g
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
With Vanilla Glaze
- Calories: 195
- Protein: 8g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 2g
- Sugar: 13g
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
Twinkle Note: Nutrition values are estimates and may vary depending on the specific brands of ingredients used and the size of your muffins. These cinnamon roll muffins are made with oat flour, Greek yogurt, and applesauce for a cozy breakfast treat that feels a little more nourishing while still tasting like Christmas morning. 🎄✨
Storage Notes
I put mine in the freezer once they are cooled down in a gallon ziplock freezer bag. I swear by this technique to keep the flavors locked in. In the morning I warm one muffin up in the microwave for 15–30 seconds and it tastes even better than it did on bake day. Enjoy!
And if you’re making these for Christmas morning, make them ahead and freeze them. This is exactly how I like to do Christmas: handle the things I can before December so I’m not standing in the kitchen making breakfast while everyone else is enjoying Christmas morning.
It’s the same idea behind SLEIGH | The Holiday Edit + The Christmas Shortcut—my timelines, make-ahead ideas, menus, shortcuts, and the things I handle in October and November so I can actually be in Christmas when it gets here.
Christmas handled. December yours.
[GET SLEIGH + THE CHRISTMAS SHORTCUT →]
