Cinnamon Sugar Mini Donut Muffins – Part cinnamon-sugar donut hole, part mini-muffin, no matter what you call them, they’re fast and easy to make, and so tasty and pop-able. Because they’re baked rather than fried, I don’t feel guilty when I pop more than a couple.
I grew up eating fried mini donuts at fairs and carnivals and loved every greasy, cinnamon-sugary second.
These mini donut muffins are the next best thing.
I couldn’t decide if they were more like a donut hole or a mini muffin, so I’m calling them donut muffins.
They come together from start to finish in under 30 minutes. Having warm, fresh donut muffins for breakfast sure beats a bowl of cold cereal.
And yes, plan to eat muffins, plural. They’re tiny, but oh so pop-able. But because they’re baked rather than fried, I don’t feel too guilty when I’m popping away.
Four of these mini muffins are still smaller than 1 bakery-style coffee shop muffin. I’ve noticed that bakery and coffee shop muffins keep getting bigger and bigger, and they’re now about the size of a softball. These are about half the size of a golf ball.
If you don’t have mini muffin pans <–I love that pan, you can bake them in a standard-sized muffin pan
, or bake them as donuts
or mini donuts
and adjust baking times accordingly.
Buttermilk keeps them soft, light, tender, and fluffy. It also serves to add moisture, which is important because I find that mini muffins and baked donuts are prone to dryness, but the buttermilk protects against it.
No buttermilk? Cheat and make some with regular milk.
A hefty dose of cinnamon in the batter as well as in the cinnamon-sugar coating, makes for well-spiced muffins. The cinnamon is noticeable and distinct, but not overpowering. If you’re a cinnamon fiend and prefer to be over-powered, it’s easy to add more to taste.
I also added ground nutmeg because I find it rounds out flavors, especially cinnamon. It gives depth in a can’t-quite-put-your-finger-on-it kind of way.
They bake quickly, in just about 10 minutes. Because they’re small, they can go from raw to dried out and crisp in the span of about 90 seconds, so watch them closely.
Ten minutes with my two mini muffins pans was the magic number, but due to variance in pan size, oven, and climate, watch your muffins not the clock. If you’re baking them as full-size muffins, I’d estimate 17 to 20 minutes, but haven’t tested it.
After they bake, dip the tops in melted butter and then in cinnamon-sugar. The cinnamon-sugar coating is key. It adds so much extra cinnamony flavor and the sugar granules add donut hole authenticity.
I almost put them in a gallon-sized ziplock, and wanted to pour butter into the bag, then douse with cinnamon-sugar, and shake. But I used restraint and simply dipped the tops. Next time I’ll live dangerously and use the bag, butter, and shake method because it’s faster, and why say no to more butter and more cinnamon-sugar.
The flavor and the speed in which these little puffballs went from idea to reality to half a dozen in my belly makes them a total win.
Once you pop, you can’t stop.
This is my second mini food recipe this week.
It’s cute, it’s fun, and it clearly tastes better.
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Cinnamon Sugar Mini Donut Muffins
Ingredients
Muffins
- 1 large egg
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
Coating
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 to 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- For the Muffins – Preheat oven to 350F. Spray two 12-count mini muffin pans with floured cooking spray; set aside. (You can make as full-size muffins and will likely yield about 1 dozen; or make as donuts or mini donuts; adjusting baking times accordingly)
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large bowl and hand mixer), combine egg, butter, sugars, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed to cream ingredients until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the buttermilk. Beat momentarily to incorporate.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just incorporated; don’t overmix. Batter will be fairly thick.
- Using a spoon sprayed with cooking spray so the batter slides off easily, drop rounded tablespoons into prepared pans. Fill each cavity about 3/4-full. (I made 28 mini muffins and some were on the skimpy side. In order to keep the yield at an even 24 muffins, I recommend dividing batter equally among 24 wells)
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes (mine took 10 minutes exactly), or until muffins are domed with set centers, are springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Because they’re small, they cook quickly and 1 minute can drastically effect taste; don’t overbake and watch them closely. Allow muffins to cool in the pans on top of a wire rack for about 10 minutes before removing. While the muffins cool, prepare the coating.
- For the Coating – In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power; set aside.
- In a separate small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon; set aside.
- After the muffins have cooled, dip each muffin top briefly in melted butter, then in cinnamon-sugar, and repeat until all muffins have been coated. Optionally, the entire muffin could be buttered and coated similar to traditional cinnamon-sugar donut holes, and in doing so, you’d need to melt more butter and use more cinnamon-sugar. Serve immediately. Donut Muffins are best fresh, but will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 4 days (noting that the cinnamon-sugar coating may liquify a bit), or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Thanks for the entries in the Peanut Butter Comfort and KitchenAid Handheld Blender Giveaway
What’s your favorite donut or muffin recipe? Mini food fan?
These look adorable! I have a question: Do you have any tips to making the cinnamon sugar topping even? Whenever I try to do this my sugar always clumps together. Thanks!
Just a quick dip in the butter and then a dip in cinn-sugar. Nothing too complicated but I would say be briefer with the butter dip (if you’re concerned about the cosmetic issue/clumps) but honestly, I love the buttery flavor so happily let mine linger :)
Oh my…these with the cinnamon/sugar “crunch factor” involved…and the powdered sugar mini-doughnuts and doughnut holes (…or is it donut?!) harken back to my absolute favorite items my Dad used to bring us back from the local bakery for Sunday brunch….
If I wish to replicate the “donut hole” …perfectly spherical idea…should I try to find a specific pan…Here in France I have seen a “cake pop” type pan…as well as a Japanese silicone pan with spherical imprints (with a small hole in the middle for steam release?)…One actually places another identical pan over the top to bake together forming a perfect “ball” or eyeball shape…without the grease factor!…What would you suggest..I respect the opinion of anyone with a heavy hand where cinnamon is concerned (with the magic pinch of nutmeg…bravo..)
I actually have this donut hole pan https://www.amazon.com/Wilton-2105-0868-Nonstick-20-Cavity-Doughnut/dp/B00AA5AAW8 and while it’s fine, I actually prefer the muffin pan I baked them in.
The donut holes always bake more firm/hard than the muffins. I don’t know why; I have played with cooking times and various tiny tweaks to the batter. The only advantage in my opinion of a true round donut hole is cosmetic. For taste, go with the mini muffin pan. I really prefer the results!
Haha, that is the best part of fairs and carnivals, he mini donut stand ;)
Now that I can make something as good at home, I won’t need to buy those overpriced balls of grease, thank you! Sincerely, me and my thighs ;)
Oh, yes! I would pop a couple dozen of those in my mouth. Mini means more, right? :)
What a great idea for a brunch…snack…whatever!! Perfect for any time of the day :)
The smell of mini donuts always brings me back to summers as a kid and going to the fair right before school starts. To this day, there’s something special and magical about cinnamon sugar mini donuts. I’m making these ASAP!
Why, oh why, did I open this up at almost midnight!! Lawwwd, I am going to dream about these! I bet I can stuff my face with 5 of them all at once. They look so damn good!
These are so cute and they look delish! Pinning! :)
thanks for pinning!
I love these little mini donut muffins. What a great little snack and/or addition to the breakfast table. I want to get that mini muffin pan, too. I have little donut pans but not a mini muffin one and that would be such a great thing to own…these boys could pop those little donut muffins in a matter of minutes! LOVE! :-)
One of the best pans I ever bought. Love IT! Things cook in a hurry and just the right size. Have tried others and the one I linked in my fave!
Mmmm…..reminiscent of Betty Crocker’s French Breakfast Muffins – perfect way to initiate my mini donut pan and summer break!
I almost called them French Breakfast Muffins – but didn’t know if that title would resonate. But yes, that’s what they are!
Ah, yes…first thing we made in eight home ec many moons ago! Nice way to jump start kitchen love…delicious (and such a smart teacher)! :) I remember them as ‘French Breakfast Puffs’. No matter what you call them, they’re all kinds of delicious! Off to bake a gluten-free batch to celebrate National Doughnut Day…seriously.
I know it’s donut day! What are the odds! Enjoy them and LMK how the GF version turns out!
typo up there: that would be ‘eighth grade’… I need a dougnut…now!!
Looks sooooooooooo good. I’m glad these are mini so eat a few and be done with it. I would quickly put on weight.
These look purrrrfect. I love donuts of all kinds and all shapes, so I welcome these with open arms!
Great idea to make “doughnut holes” using a mini muffin pan, these look fantastic. Cinnamon-sugar makes everything wonderful!
I actually have a donut hole pan too (I have way too many pans) but I prefer this pan to that one!
doughnuts are my BIGGEST downfall…I LOVE them, could eat them everyday easily. These look delicious Averie
I saw those turnovers of yours all over the food sites today. Makes me want one, even more!
Ooh my goodness, these look fabulous Averie! I loved those fried mini doughnuts from the carnival too but these look so much more appealing! I can almost taste the cinnamon-sugary coating just looking at the photos. Love that these are baked since I would surely pop at least half a dozen in my mouth in one sitting too.
If oyu like donuts you should try polish pączki, you’ll like it :)