Home > Desserts > Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes February 20, 2015 | 38 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Yellow cupcakes with cinnamon-sugar swirls throughout and a sugary streusel on top. These cinnamon roll cupcakes are drizzled with a cream cheese glaze. The base is a yellow cake mix, doctored-up to taste great. The additions are simple – oil, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla pudding, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Adding a few extra ingredients to a cake mix really jazzes it up in a simple way. These cupcakes are super moist, chewy, and have a depth of flavor you can’t get from plain cake mix cupcakes. Cinnamon, brown sugar, butter, and a tad bit of flour get mixed together to become the cinnamon-sugar swirl. That gets swirled in between the layers of cake mix and on top just for good measure. I did one scoop of batter, a spoonful of the cinnamon-sugar mixture swirled in, one more scoop of batter, and one more spoonful of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. And then comes the streusel. My personal favorite. This streusel will be pretty thick almost like a thick dough. I just put a few small spoonfuls of the streusel on the very top of the cupcakes and then put them in the oven. The streusel doesn’t need to cover the entire top (unless you want it to), but just put small bits of it throughout the top. Also, the streusel is totally optional. If you aren’t feeling it, definitely feel free to leave it out and nothing changes about how you bake these cupcakes. Last, but never least, comes the cream cheese glaze. A very simple and traditional cinnamon roll glaze, and perfect for these cupcakes. You can drizzle the glaze over the cupcakes or cover the entire tops – both are great! More Delicious Dessert Recipes: Bundt Cake Pumpkin Cupcakes Mini Fruit Tart Cake Mix Cupcakes Best Chocolate Cake Recipe FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes 4.60 from 5 votes - Review this recipe Yellow cupcakes with cinnamon-sugar swirls throughout and a sugary streusel on top. These cupcakes are drizzled with a cream cheese glaze. SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes 4.60 from 5 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Yellow cupcakes with cinnamon-sugar swirls throughout and a sugary streusel on top. These cupcakes are drizzled with a cream cheese glaze. Course Dessert Cuisine American Keyword Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes Prep Time 15 minutes minutes Cook Time 18 minutes minutes Total Time 33 minutes minutes Servings 24 cupcakes Calories 162kcal Author Chelsea Cost $6.24 IngredientsCupcakes▢ 3 large eggs▢ 3/4 cup full fat sour cream▢ 3/4 cup vegetable oil▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract▢ 1 package (15.25 ounces) super moist yellow cake mix▢ 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix, dry, not prepared▢ 1/2 cup waterCinnamon-Sugar Swirl▢ 1/4 cup brown sugar▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamonStreusel▢ 1/2 cup all-purpose flour▢ 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed▢ 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamonCream Cheese Glaze▢ 1 ounce cream cheese softened▢ 1/4 cup butter, softened▢ 1 cup powdered sugar▢ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla▢ Pinch of salt▢ 2 tablespoons heavy cream InstructionsCupcakesPREP: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C) and line a cupcake pan with liners. This recipe makes 24 cupcakes. Set asideBATTER: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with a fork. Add in the sour cream, canola oil, and vanilla extract. Stir until completely combined. Add in the cake mix and pudding mix, stirring a few times to moisten. Add in the water and mix until just combined. FILL MUFFIN TINS: Fill cupcake liners 3/4 the way full. (The batter should yield a full 24 cupcakes so divide evenly.) Cinnamon-Sugar SwirlCombine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Mix until combined. Sprinkle this cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly between each cupcake. Use a toothpick to swirl the mixture into each cupcake.Streusel:Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Divide the streusel evenly among each cupcake.Bake only 1 tray at a time for 18-23 minutes or until a toothpick (or fork) when inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. When lightly touching the top of the cupcake, it should bounce back. Remove and let the cupcakes cool in pan for 5-10 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling completelyCream Cheese FrostingCombine the cream cheese and butter. Using hand mixers or a stand mixer, beat until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Mix. Add in 2 tablespoons heavy cream. Mix until smooth. Transfer the frosting to a frosting bag and cut off the tip. Pipe a swirl on top of each cupcake dividing the frosting evenly between the 24 cupcakes. Nutrition FactsCalories: 162kcal We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
Such a fun idea! I feel the same way about my grandma’s cinnamon rolls. She has the magic touch! Reply
It’s like everyone has that special cinnamon roll maker in their life! My grama makes the BEST, but she doesn’t even have a recipe so I can’t copy it! Wah. These look deeelish girl! Reply
Isn’t that the worst?! Haha and I totally agree – everyone has someone special that can make the best cinnamon rolls haha!! Thanks! Reply
These look so good! I love cinnamon rolls, and I love that these are in convenient mini muffin form! Cute! Reply
Chelsea! So crazy, I was thinking about making cinnamon rolls in a muffin tin this week! Send some my way girl! Reply
Oh my gosh, Chelsea. There are so many amazing things about these cupcakes! I absolutely love those swirls of cinnamon! Also cinnamon swirl AND streusel? Genius. 🙂 I think I could put cream cheese glaze on anything and I love how it looks dripping down the sides of the cupcakes. Yum! Reply
Oh my goodness….these look soooo good. And I am betting they taste even better! I could eat cinnamon rolls for breakfast every day (for the rest of my life) so if these can kick the cinnamon roll cravings, I am up for it. Thanks for sharing 🙂 Reply
Cinnamon rolls are my #1 weakness, I was just dreaming about them a few minutes ago. I totally love that you did them in cupcake form! Reply
Wooooow, these look to die for! Love the easy batter and I’m dying over the amazing streusel and CREAM CHEESE GLAZE. That deserves all caps. Because it looks so amazing! 🙂 Have a great weekend! Reply
can you believe I’ve never had a homemade cinnamon roll? I think I’m seriously missing out!! honestly I love how this recipe’s base is a basic cake mix – People want to throw shade when absolutely everything isn’t done from scratch, but I always feel like who has the time!? This is a custom recipe with a little shortcut along the way, which for me is the perfect baking balance 🙂 love! Reply
Cinnamon rolls … how I love you. I only made them homemade for the first time last year and am now utterly and completely obsessed! I love this spin on cupcakes .. and with the cream cheese glaze and streusel. I mean seriously – some of my favorite things right there! haha Reply
Love the cream cheese glaze! You’ve made cinnamon rolls even better by making them in cupcake form! Reply
These look amazing, Chelsea! I love cinnamon rolls and combining them into cupcakes is genius! 🙂 Reply
These look incredible Chelsea! I love homemade cinnamon rolls but there are days I really don’t want to put in the effort or time and these cupcakes sound perfect! Oh boy, totally loving that glaze and streusel – looks heavenly girl! Reply
Love these! You’ve taken my favorite breakfast treat and turned it into a delicious cupcake, yummy! Reply
Hi Chelsea! Stopping by from Tuesday Talent Show. Had to come check out these amazing little treats. I’ve already decide I’m going to make them, but in my mind call them a muffin, ’cause I want to eat them for breakfast. 🙂 They look so good! Have pinned! ~Erin Reply
These look so good! I would love to have some of these for breakfast..and lunch…and dinner! yum Reply
Thanks so much for the pine Jocelyn! I hope you are having a great weekend 🙂 PS totally stalking you on IG and you and your hubby are SO cute! Reply
The picture looks heavenly. Can’t wait to make them this weekend as part of our Easter brunch. The recipe calls for vanilla pudding mix. Is it instant or cook & serve? Reply
Hi, Chelsea! I made these cupcakes today for Easter breakfast and found that they might actually work better as a sheet cake. I had a great deal of streusel topping left over even though I mounded them on the cupcakes. I also halved the icing recipe. But overall these are quite delicious! Reply
Hi Chelsea. Thank you for this recipe. I made these today and they are delicious and very sweet. How can you go wrong with cream cheese frosting. Yummy!! Reply
Haha I totally agree! 🙂 Thanks so much for your comment and trying these out! Glad you loved them! Reply
I made these for my coworkers and they were a huge hit. Thanks. tip: microwave them for about 5 seconds. Reply