Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins

Did you ever just really want a donut but also really wanted a muffin at the same time and just couldn’t decide? Yeah, happens to me all the time, too.

Introducing you to one of the greatest hybrid baked goods of all time, the Donut Muffin! Has all the flavor of a donut with the ease of making a muffin.

And this donut muffin is dipped in melted butter then coated with cinnamon sugar making this recipe a must-make for any home baker and a must-eat for, well, everyone!

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Why Donut Muffins are worth making

Baking requires some work. Getting out the mixer, creaming butter and sugar, mixing, blending, stirring, baking. Then comes all the dishes that need to be cleaned. And some recipes obviously require more work than others and oftentimes it’s difficult to know for sure if a recipe is worthwhile enough to put forth such effort.

Typically, donuts can be a lot of work. Frying is usually involved. And while making them is often very rewarding, sometimes you just want a shortcut. A fast pass, if you will, to the end point when you get to enjoy the fruits of your baking labor.

Well, friends, I am here with that shortcut. Making donuts in the form of muffins not only cuts down on the prep time, it cuts out frying all together. However, these donut muffins are as indulgent as any fried donut with that melty butter and thick layer of cinnamon sugar coating.

How to make this recipe

This recipe is a simple mixture of flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and the glorious Fall spices of cardamom and nutmeg. If you do not have either cardamom or nutmeg, you can replace them with cinnamon in this recipe. Please note this recipe also calls for freshly grated whole nutmeg. You can easily substitute this in equal amounts for ground nutmeg.

Next you’ll cream together butter and sugar then the eggs all of which you can do with a hand mixer or stand mixer. Then add in to the butter sugar mixture the flour mixture, alternating it with milk and buttermilk until it’s just incorporated. This can be done with the mixer or by hand. You don’t want to overmix the batter as it’ll create tough donut muffins. No thanks to that.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the tops of the muffins have just started to turn golden brown. Allow to cool until you can handle them. For me, I always push the limits on this, so please use caution so you don’t burn yourself like I inevitably do. I just can’t wait!

Dip each donut muffin first in melted butter, being sure to swirl the top all around to get a good coating. Then dunk in a mixture of ground cinnamon and sugar. If you’re like my daughter and want an extra thick layer of cinnamon sugar coating, you can repeat the dipping process first in the butter then the cinnamon sugar to achieve such results.

How to achieve moist and fluffy donut muffins

• Measure your ingredients correctly, especially the flour. The most accurate way to weigh the flour with a kitchen scale (gram measurements are included in the recipe below). However, if you do not have a scale, use the scoop and swipe technique for measuring your flour. First, stir or whisk the flour in the bag or container it comes in. This helps loosen it up and fluff it a bit in case it was packed down. Next, scoop the flour into a dry measuring cup using a spoon, not the measuring cup itself. Mound the flour without packing it down and, using the wrong end of the spoon (the handle), swipe it across the top of the measuring cup, level with the top of the cup, to remove any excess flour. Be sure to place a plate or bowl underneath the measuring cup to catch the excess and pour back into the container to use again
• Do not overmix the donut muffin batter. It’s tempting to keep mixing or stirring the batter once all ingredients are added until it’s perfectly smooth. Resist the urge! Mix the batter just until there’s few or no streaks of dry flour in the mixture. Overmixing will certainly cause overly dense and dry donut muffins

Can these be frozen?

Yes! I would recommend freezing the muffins without the melted butter and cinnamon sugar coating. I like to wrap them individually in plastic wrap and place them all in a ziploc bag. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, leave on the counter at room temperature for 30 minutes then dip in melted butter and cinnamon sugar. Or, to thaw quickly, unwrap the muffin and place in the microwave for 1 ½ – 2 minutes at 50% power or until thawed. Then dip and enjoy!

Can these Donut Muffins be made Gluten-free?

Yes these donut muffins can easily be made gluten-free! Simply replace the all-purpose flour for 1-for-1 gluten-free all-purpose flour in equal amounts. I have not tried this recipe with other gluten-free flour variations such as almond flour, coconut flour, or cassava flour. These gluten-free flour alternatives tend to absorb moisture differently than all-purpose flour, so I wouldn’t using them in equal amounts in this recipe.

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Looking for more donut or muffin recipes? Give these a try:

• Baked Apple Cider Donuts
• Blueberry Cake Donuts
• Glazed Yeast Donuts
• Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Honey Corn Muffins

CHECK OUT MY VIDEO FOR HOW TO MAKE Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins (>1 MIN):

Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins are easy to make with the indulgent taste of a donut, dipped in melted butter and coated with cinnamon sugar.

• Author: Kim | kickassbaker.com
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 12 muffins 1x
• Category: Donuts, Muffins
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: American

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

For Donut Muffins:

• 3 cups (360 grams) all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) baking soda
• ½ teaspoon (2 grams) baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon (4 grams) kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon (½ gram) freshly grated whole nutmeg or ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon (½ gram) ground cardamom
• ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (207 ml) whole milk
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) buttermilk
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick / 112 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
• ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature

For Cinnamon-Sugar Coating:

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick / 112 grams) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon (8 grams) ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and lightly spray 12 large muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cardamom. In a medium bowl, combine the milk and buttermilk. Set aside
3. In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer on medium speed, cream the butter for 2-3 minutes until smooth. Turn the speed to low and gradually add the sugar. Continue to mix until the mixture lightens in color. Add the eggs one at a time, beating just until combined. Add the dry ingredients in thirds, alternating with the milk mixture, mixing just until smooth. Do not overmix
4. With a large ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them approximately ⅔ full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are firm to the touch and lightly golden
5. While the muffins bake, set up two bowls to dunk them in. In one bowl add the melted butter, in the other bowl whisk together the granulated sugar and cinnamon
6. Let the donuts cool enough to handle them. Dunk them in the melted butter, then coat with the cinnamon sugar

Equipment

12 cup muffin tin

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Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook

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stand mixer

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Notes

• Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days
• I would recommend freezing the muffins without the melted butter and cinnamon sugar coating. I like to wrap them individually in plastic wrap and place them all in a ziploc bag. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, leave on the counter at room temperature for 30 minutes then dip in melted butter and cinnamon sugar. Or, to thaw quickly, unwrap the muffin and place in the microwave for 1 ½ – 2 minutes at 50% power or until thawed. Then dip and enjoy!
• Recipe from The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook

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