Snickerdoodle Muffins

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Snickerdoodle muffins have all the flavor of the classic cookie, but for breakfast. You’ll love the crunchy cinnamon sugar top!

The main issue with muffins in my house is that they’re hard to keep in stock.

Whenever I make a batch, I (and whoever else is home at the time) can’t resist eating one or two right out of the oven.

I made blueberry muffins with fresh berries from the market when we were in Minnesota a few weeks ago, and I ate three in a flash. I  just can’t help myself.

It’s hard for me to get tired of muffins because there’s so many things you can do with them. Now, I know some people think muffins are just glorified cake, and I suppose that’s true, but I don’t care for cake the way I do muffins. It’s so much easier to snack on muffins, especially when it comes to these snickerdoodle muffins.

Are you a fan of snickerdoodle cookies? They’re a step above sugar cookies, with a nice crunchy exterior but a soft interior. These muffins are just like that! With a layer of cinnamon-sugar sprinkled onto the batter just before baking, these muffins rise with a crinkly top. You’re gonna love them!

Ingredients for snickerdoodle muffins

Full list of ingredients with quantities is located in the recipe card.

You’ll need:

Butter – I recommend unsalted butter for baking. Make sure your butter is softened to room temperature, or it won’t blend with the sugar properly.

Granulated sugar – We’ll need some sugar both for the batter and the trademark snickerdoodle topping.

Egg – A standard large egg.

Vanilla – Use pure vanilla extract if you can!

Sour cream – Sour cream helps make these muffins incredibly soft and tender! If you prefer, you can use plain yogurt instead. If you use thick Greek yogurt, you’ll need to add a bit of extra milk.

Milk – Just a little milk to help thin the batter.

Flour – Use all-purpose flour. If you want to use whole wheat flour, swap in up to half.

Baking powder – For leavening

Cream of tartar – Cream of tartar is a classic ingredient in snickerdoodles and helps create lift along with the crunchy top.

Cinnamon – I add ground cinnamon to the batter as well as the topping.

Salt – A little salt helps balance the sweet flavors.

How to make this recipe

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grab a 12-cup muffin pan and add paper liners. If you just use nonstick spray and not papers, the muffins can stick.

In a large bowl, combine the softened butter and sugar and beat until completely combined and fluffy. Add the sour cream, egg, milk, and vanilla, then beat until smooth.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, cinnamon, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well, until there are no dry bits left. Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, but don’t overmix.

Now, this muffin recipe is thicker than you might be used to, but don’t be tempted to add more liquid!

Divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups. using a cookie scoop or two spoons.

Mix together the remaining sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle about 1 teaspoon over each bit of muffin batter. Don’t worry if some of it falls off the batter and onto the paper liner; it will bake into the muffin.

Bake the muffins for about 18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let the muffins cool briefly in the pan, then remove to a wire rack.

Storage and reheating

I highly recommend eating these while they are still warm from the oven. You can store them in an airtight container once cooled, just pop them into the microwave for a few seconds to warm them up and get them ready for a pat of butter. Because all muffins are better with butter, right?

Muffins will keep for about 3 days at room temperature, but they can dry out OR get soggy if stored for too long. For these snickerdoodle muffins, I recommend storing them in an airtight container.

If you don’t plan to eat all of the muffins within the first couple of days, I recommend freezing them.

Simply pop them into a freezer bag, seal, and label. Freeze for up to 3 months.

You can thaw the muffins at room temperature, in the fridge, or in the microwave heated for about 30 seconds.

More muffin recipes you’ll love

I bet you’re just craving muffins now! Wash that pan up because I’ve got a few recommendations.

For fruit lovers, try peach muffins, strawberry muffins, or raspberry bran muffins. You’re covered for every season once you throw in maple apple muffins!

Banana muffins and lemon poppy seed muffins are both classics. My kids love chocolate zucchini muffins and chunky monkey muffins, while I tend to gravitate toward whole wheat apple cinnamon muffins.

Want even more snickerdoodle? Try my snickerdoodle cake!

This recipe was retested and updated February 2024.