Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins
Soft nutmeg-scented muffins dipped in melted butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar while still warm, in the style of an old-fashioned cake doughnut.
- Measurements grams + cups
- Cuisine American
Why You'll Like This Recipe
- Nutmeg is the flavour that makes an old-fashioned cake doughnut taste like a doughnut rather than a plain sweet cake.
- Baked rather than fried, so no oil, no thermometer and no disposal problem afterwards.
- The butter dip and sugar roll happen while they are warm, which is what makes the coating stick.
Recipe
Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins
Nutmeg muffins dipped in butter and cinnamon sugar while warm.
Ingredients
Ingredients scaled. The method below still refers to the original quantities.
For the muffins
For the coating
Instructions
- Step 1. Heat the oven to 175 C / 350 F and grease a 12-cup muffin pan.
- Step 2. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt together in a large bowl.
- Step 3. In a second bowl, whisk the egg, milk, melted butter and vanilla.
- Step 4. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry just until combined. A few lumps are fine.
- Step 5. Divide among the muffin cups and bake for 16 to 19 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Step 6. While still warm, brush or dip each muffin in the melted butter, then roll the top in the cinnamon sugar.
Notes
- Coat them warm. Once cool the butter sets on contact and the sugar slides straight off.
- Do not overmix. Lumps in muffin batter are correct — smooth batter means developed gluten and tunnels through the crumb.
- Grease the pan properly rather than using liners if you want the sugar coating to reach the sides. With liners only the top gets coated.
- Fill each cup about three-quarters full so the tops dome above the pan and give you a surface to roll.
Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins — Simple Table Recipes · https://simpletablerecipes.com/recipes/cinnamon-sugar-donut-muffins/
Ingredient Notes
- Ground nutmeg
- The defining flavour. Old-fashioned cake doughnuts are nutmeg-scented, and without it these are simply cinnamon sugar muffins. Freshly grated is noticeably better.
- Melted butter in the batter
- Melted rather than creamed gives a denser, more doughnut-like crumb and means no mixer is needed.
- Melted butter for coating
- The glue for the sugar. A dry muffin takes almost no coating at all, which is why the butter step is not optional.
- Milk
- Whole milk gives the richest crumb. Any milk works, and buttermilk gives a slightly tangier, softer muffin.
Equipment
- 12-cup muffin pan
- Two mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Two shallow bowls for coating
Substitutions
- Nutmeg
- Mace is the closest and slightly milder. Leaving it out entirely gives a plain cinnamon sugar muffin, which is a different recipe.
- All-purpose flour
- A cup-for-cup gluten-free blend containing xanthan gum works. Rest the batter 10 minutes before baking.
- Milk
- Buttermilk works with no other change. Unsweetened plant milks are fine.
Storage & Freezing
Storing: Best on the day they are made, while the coating is still crisp. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days — the sugar softens and absorbs into the crust.
Freezing: Freeze uncoated muffins for up to 2 months. Thaw, warm briefly in the oven, then dip and roll fresh.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are these different from your cinnamon sugar muffins?
The other recipe has cinnamon in the batter and a lighter crumb. These lean on nutmeg for an old-fashioned cake doughnut flavour and have a denser crumb from melted butter. Same coating method, different muffin underneath.
Why did my sugar coating fall off?
The muffins were too cool when they were dipped, or they were not brushed with enough butter. Coat them within a few minutes of leaving the oven.
Can I use paper liners?
You can, but only the top will take the coating. Greasing the pan directly gives you a coated crust all the way round.
Why are my muffins tough?
Overmixed. Fold only until the flour disappears — lumpy batter is what you want.
Can I make mini muffins?
Yes. Bake at the same temperature for about 10 to 12 minutes and coat the same way. Expect around 24 from this batch.
Do these taste like real doughnuts?
They taste like an old-fashioned cake doughnut, which is the nutmeg doing the work. They are not a substitute for a yeast-raised doughnut, which is a different thing entirely.
Did you make this?
Let other people know how it went. One tap, nothing to fill in.
Thanks — that helps.
