Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins are the perfect combination of a donut and a muffin! These delicious treats are perfect for dessert, with your morning coffee or tea or as an afternoon pick-me-up.
The outside of the muffin is slightly crispy and coated in cinnamon and sugar, while the light and fluffy inside is like a traditional cake donut.
Get that old fashioned donut flavor with a regular or mini muffin pan. A great alternative when you don't want to add a specific donut pan to your kitchen.
How to Make Cinnamon Sugar Muffins
These delicious cinnamon sugar donut muffins are actually easy to make. Here I will walk you through the step-by-step directions, complete with pictures. Jump down to the printable recipe card if you prefer.
The recipe makes 12 muffins (standard full-size muffins).
Prep time: 15 minutes | Bake time: 25 minutes | Total time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
Here is everything you will need to make the cinnamon sugar muffins.
Donut Muffin Batter
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup half and half
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350℉. Grease your muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray or use cupcake/muffin liners.
To make the muffins, cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a hand or stand mixer. Beat the mixture for about two minutes.
Add the baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt and mix just until combined.
Add eggs, one at a time and mix just until combined.
Add about half of the flour and half of the milk and mix just until combined. Add the remaining half and half and flour and mix while scraping edges until well combined.
Spoon the muffin batter into your paper liners or greased muffin cups until they are about ¾ of the way full.
Place the muffin pan in the preheated oven and bake the muffins for about 22-27 minutes. The muffins are done when you can insert a toothpick to the middle of a muffin and have it come out clean.
Allow muffins to cool in pan about 5 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling to room temperature.
Coating the Muffins in Cinnamon and Sugar
In a medium bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon together for the topping. In a separate small bowl, melt the butter.
Dunk the cooled muffins into the melted butter.
Roll each muffin in the cinnamon sugar mixture until the entire muffin is coated.
Return the cinnamon sugar donut muffins to the wire rack to set.
Variations on the Recipe
Here are a few simple changes you can make to the recipe.
- Size: For mini muffins, use a mini muffin tin and reduce the baking time. Conversely you can make oversized donut muffins with a large muffin pan and increased time in the oven.
- While standard white sugar is the classic coating for these donut muffins powdered sugar could be used, even without the butter it should stick.
- Add a ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg with the cinnamon for more flavor. If you are feeling adventuresome, swap 2 teaspoons of apple pie seasoning or pumpkin spice for the cinnamon.
Storing
Place the donut muffins in an airtight container. They will be good at room temperature for up to 2 days or store in the fridge for 3-4 days.
They can also be frozen for up to 3 months if well sealed in freezer bags.
I hope you enjoyed this cinnamon muffin recipe, be sure to try out my Baked Apple Fritters as well. They are also made in a muffin pan.
Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins
Ingredients
Donut Muffin Batter
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup half and half
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 6 tablespoons butter melted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease your muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray or use cupcake/muffin liners.
- To make the muffins, cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a hand or stand mixer. Beat the mixture for about two minutes.
- Add the baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt and mix just until combined.
- Add eggs to the butter mixture, one at a time and mix just until combined.
- Add about half of the flour and half of the milk and mix just until combined. Add the remaining half and half and flour and mix while scraping edges until well combined.
- Spoon batter into your paper liners or greased muffin cups until they are about ¾ of the way full.
- Place the muffin pan in the preheated oven and bake the muffins for about 22-27 minutes. The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin pulls out clean and edges of muffins are golden brown.
- Place the muffins on a wire rack to cool.
- In a medium bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon together for the topping. In a separate small bowl, melt the butter.
- Once the doughnut muffins cool to room temperature, dunk them into the melted butter and then roll them in the cinnamon sugar mixture until they are nicely coated.
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