Cinnamon Pancake Mix Muffins

by Gayle on Aug 22, 2022 (updated Apr 4, 2023) 6 comments »

Swirled with cinnamon and topped with a streusel topping, you’d never guess that these muffins are made out of pancake mix! Pancake Mix Muffins are quick and easy to prepare, and they make for wonderful breakfast meal prep.

Close up of a cinnamon streusel pancake mix muffins in a towel-lined basket.

Can You Make Muffins with Pancake Mix?

If you’ve only tried making pancakes with that box of pancake mix, you’ve seriously been missing out! Pancake mix can be used in a multitude of ways, including as a base for waffles, a batter for various fried foods, and — yes! — for making muffins.

These pancake mix muffins are light, fluffy, and taste 100% homemade. By using pancake mix, you skip having to measure out the flour and leavening agents separately.

The pancake mix is doctored up with a little sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla for flavor. Eggs help bind everything together, while milk and oil provide moisture.

Once you start making muffins out of pancake mix, you won’t be able to stop! Use this as a base recipe for all sorts of muffin creations. I’ve given some suggestions later in this post.

An overhead view of cinnamon streusel muffins made with pancake mix in a muffin tin.

Ingredients in Pancake Mix Muffins

For this recipe, I made simple cinnamon muffins and topped them with a streusel topping. The topping is technically optional, but I love the texture it adds!

Here’s what you’ll need to make muffins with pancake mix:

Milk (any kind)
Eggs
Oil
Pancake mix (any kind)
Granulated sugar
All-purpose flour
Light brown sugar
Unsalted butter

How to Make Muffins with Pancake Mix

Making muffins from pancake mix is as simple as you’d expect. The streusel topping adds an extra few minutes to the prep time, but otherwise it’s a one-bowl affair.

Here’s a look at how the pancake mix muffins are made:

Make the muffin batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, oil, and vanilla.
Add the pancake mix, sugar, and cinnamon.
Fill each muffin cup about ¾ full.
Make the cinnamon streusel topping: In a medium bowl (feel free to use the same one you made the batter in), combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
Cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse sand.
Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the tops of each muffin.
Bake at 350ºF until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.

A pancake mix muffin with a bite missing on a white plate.

Recipe Variations to Try

This is a very flexible recipe that can be adjusted as you see fit. Here are some ways to make the muffins your own:

Amp up the cinnamon: As written, the muffins have a mild cinnamon flavor. Use up to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon if you love cinnamon.
Add fresh fruit: Fresh blueberries, diced strawberries, raspberries, chopped peaches, or finely chopped pieces of apple can be stirred into the batter.
Add dried fruit: Likewise, dried fruit can also be mixed into the batter. Be sure to chop up larger pieces of fruit into bite-sized chunks.
Add nuts: Chopped nuts (any kind) can be added to the batter.
Add chocolate chips: Dark, milk, or semi-sweet chocolate chips would all work.
Make it gluten-free: There are so many gluten-free pancake mixes available. Buy your favorite if you need to keep this recipe gluten-free.
Omit the streusel topping: I adore streusel topping, but if you’re short on time or simply don’t want it on your muffins, you may omit it entirely.
Make mini muffins: Note that the baking time will need to be significantly reduced if making mini muffins.

What’s the Best Pancake Mix for Muffins?

Any pancake mix will work for this recipe! Use your favorite, noting that you are NOT preparing the batter as it instructs on the side of the box. The pancake mix is added as a dry ingredient in this muffin recipe.

A stack of muffins from pancake mix on a white plate.

Tips for Making Muffins Out of Pancake Mix

Add the pancake mix as a dry ingredient: Do NOT prepare the pancake mix as the box instructs. Simply scoop it straight from the box and into your mixing bowl.
Add mix-ins, if desired: I kept this recipe simple, so feel free to add mix-ins as you see fit. You’ll likely wind up with more than 12 muffins if you add mix-ins, so be sure to not overfill the muffin tins.
Make a big batch to freeze for later: These muffins freeze incredibly well. Let them cool to room temperature before freezing. To thaw, place on your countertop; they should thaw within an hour or so.