Cinnamon Toast and I go way back. I remember coming home from school as a kid and toasting bread, slathering it generously with butter and then pouring cinnamon sugar over every inch of surface space.
When I say that I love cinnamon toast, I truly mean that I LOVE cinnamon toast. It’s one of those simple pleasures that never fails to delight, no matter how old you get.
Cinnamon Toast
To this day, I’ll never pass up a slice of toast spread thick with warm butter and covered in crystals of brown sugar and cinnamon. It’s the ultimate quick nostalgic breakfast or afternoon snack. Some of my tastes have gotten more sophisticated over the years, but my love for this classic childhood food remains steadfast.
The key to cinnamon toasts appeal, in my eyes, is in the butter. All the cinnamon toast inspired recipes I make are rich with real buttery taste.
Cake Bites
When I partnered with Finlandia® to share a fun new recipe for Easter, a recipe that would highlight the butter’s legendary flavor and truly make the most of it, I immediately thought of my Cinnamon Toast Cake.
I think I was about 10 years old when I made my first Cinnamon Toast Cake. In the years since, I’ve made versions of that cake dozens of times. This recipe turns the cake into petite cake bites perfect for popping in your mouth whenever you “just happen” to walk by the tray.
(It’s amazing how many times I found myself needing to walk through the kitchen the day I made Cinnamon Toast Cake Bites for the first time.)
Cinnamon Toast Cake along with these Cinnamon Toast Bars and will forever be dessert favorites for me, despite the fact that I have hundreds of dessert recipes that I love here on the blog. However, these Cinnamon Toast Cake Bites are giving their family-size sidekicks a run for their money.
Cake bites have the bonus of being ultra easy to transport. Tuck them into your lunch box or grab one for the morning commute. It’s never a bad time to enjoy a cinnamon cake bite!
I admit that these cake bites are never going to win a beauty contest, but they are my current top pick for a simple dessert every time I need one.
Once I’d settled on using this butter in cake bites, I could hardly wait to make them. However, before I got started baking, I had a little tasting session with my family to taste Finlandia®™ imported butter for the first time.
One bite was all it took to convince me that I have been missing out by using other butters. This premium butter has a creamier texture and richer flavor than the usual butter we buy. Spread on your morning toast, a warm Hawaiian Muffin, or a stack of our Favorite Pancakes this butter is well worth it.
Now that I knew how delicious the butter tastes on its own, I was ready to try baking with it! The results did not disappoint.
Cinnamon Toast Cake Bites
For this recipe, I wanted the buttery cinnamon sugar topping to take center stage. I used a muffin tin to make the cake bites as shallow as possible.
Reducing the baking powder keeps the tiny cakes nice and level instead of domed, allowing more of the topping to rest on top and soak into the cake. This gives the cake bites less of a cupcake or muffin look and feel. Instead they really look like regular cakes only in miniature.
These Cinnamon Toast Cake Bites are rich, buttery sweet treats that are sure to make you sigh with happiness. My littlest taste-tester was so happy to take the first bite, I couldn’t resist snapping his grin as he posed with his cake.
After making these with regular flour, I also tried a batch with a gluten free substitute. The results tasted wonderful! I’m so excited to get to share this favorite dessert with my family members who can’t have gluten.
Check out all of the Gluten Free Dessert Recipes on this website!
Kitchen Tip: I use this 2-tablespoon scoop and this muffin tin to make this recipe.
Cinnamon Toast Cake Bites
The batter for these cake bites couldn’t be any easier. Melted butter, vanilla and milk are added to a mixture of flour (or a gluten free substitute), cinnamon and nutmeg with just a touch of baking powder.
The buttery cinnamon topping is just more butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, melted together and poured over top of the finished cakes. As the topping cools it forms a thin crisp layer of cinnamon goodness on top of each cake bite. They’re ready to eat after just a few minutes of cooling.
Cake bites make a great dessert, party food or afternoon snack but I’ve been known to enjoy a couple with my coffee in the morning, too. If you enjoy these, be sure to check out these other mini-sized desserts, Mini Coconut Pound Cakes and Miniature Vanilla Bean Cheesecakes.
Cinnamon Toast Cake Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour*
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅔ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons Finlandia salted butter melted
Topping Ingredients
- ¼ cup Finlandia salted butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
*Gluten-Free Alternative
- ½ cup, plus 2 tablespoons brown rice flour
- ¼ cup tapioca starch
- 3 tablespoons potato starch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F degrees. Thoroughly grease a muffin tin with butter. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Stir in the milk, vanilla and butter.
- Scoop the batter into the greased muffin cups, filling each cup with 2 tablespoons of batter. Make sure the cups are no more than half full. Bake for 20 minutes.
- While the cake bites are baking, combine the topping ingredients in a large glass measuring cup or bowl. Melt in the microwave for 1 minute, until the butter has melted and the ingredients whisk together smoothly.
- Remove the cake bites from the oven after they have baked for 20 minutes and spoon the topping across them. Bake an additional 8-10 minutes until the cinnamon layer is bubbling. Let cool a few minutes before carefully removing from the pans. Enjoy!
Nutrition
{originally published 4/5/17 – recipe card updated 6/13/22}
Looking for even more cinnamon recipes? Check out this Cinnamon Crunch Popcorn from Rachel Cooks and this Cinnamon Pie from A Spicy Perspective, too.
Disclosure: I’ve partnered with Finlandia® to share this recipe with you for #finlandiaeaster and @finlandiacheese. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Barefeet In The Kitchen possible. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Patsy Krejci says
Is the butter that goes into the batter melted? I was wondering because it is just stirred in.
Mary says
Yes, the butter is melted.
Rebecca {foodie with family} says
Oh man. These look so snack-able. Cinnamon + sugar+ great butter = heaven! And I love Finlandia butter. I like to eat it on radishes with a sprinkle of sea salt!
fran says
Thank you, Mary….is this all the way from Finland?? You really CAN SEE Russia, no doubt. Love your Finnish blond hair and you son’s, too.
Blue says
I , too, used to enjoy cinnamon toast– oh my gosh– truly comfort food, I’ll have to look for Findlandia butter, already get the cheese at Costco! But so far, they don’t have the butter”’
ps, your wee son modeling the wee cakes– made my day– I found my heart smiling– a wonderful gift, thank you
Mary says
awe, thank you! He makes my heart happy as well.
Sherry Franks says
How do I get to preparation directions for recipes when click on it doesn’t go there.
Mary says
Hi Sherry, the directions to the recipe are at the bottom of the blog post, the same as always. They are directly above the comment section.
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet says
What a brilliant idea! I need to make these with my kiddos!
NIcki says
Seeing that adorable face trying these, made me ready to get out the muffin tins and give these a try. He’s so precious.
Mary says
I hope you love them as much as we do!
MaryEllen Cox says
Can you clarify the baking time?
“Bake for 18-25 minutes….
Remove the cake bites from the oven after 20 minutes and spoon the topping across them. Bake an additional 8-10 minutes….”
Mary says
The cake bites should be baked for a total of 28-30 minutes. Remove from the oven after 20 minutes, pour the topping over them, and then bake the remaining 8-10 minutes. I hope that helps!
Katharine Busby says
I made these yesterday and the batter was really liquid and not like what appears in the video so the “muffins” were really dense and almost looked uncooked. I had to pour the batter into the muffin tins rather than use my scoop. What could I have done wrong? I measured ingredients as listed in the recipe.
Mary says
Hi Katharine, Unfortunately, without having been in your kitchen with you, it’s hard to guess what might have gone wrong. I’ve never had the batter turn out that liquid in all the times I’ve made these cake bites. I actually made these again this past weekend for friends and the batter was the same thickness as always. Were you making the traditional version of this recipe or the gluten free version? I wish I could be of more help. Blessings, Mary
Kathy says
Just made the Cinnamon Toast Bites
They came out great!
Delicious!
Jean says
These sound delicious. I am going to make some for this weekend, when the kids are out of school.
Daisywulf says
Just made these. Easy, delicious. Only got 10 out of the batter, and they’re pretty small. Also, cleaning the muffin pan is not going to be pretty. Regardless, I’d make these again. Maybe with metallic or silicone cupcake papers. Perfect for brunch. Hot or cold. Thank you!
Mary Younkin says
oh! liners are a great idea! I’m glad you like the recipe.
Mona says
Hi Mary, thank you so much for this recipe, mine are still in the oven but we all can’t wait to try them, the smell is extraordinary!
I was wondering, if I wanted to bake them in a mini muffin tin (24) what would be the baking time for both steps?
Thank you!
Mary Younkin says
While I haven’t tried that myself, Mona, my best guess is about twenty minutes, but check for doneness.