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Donut Muffins

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Sweet, cake-like and scented with cinnamon and nutmeg, these muffins taste remarkably like donuts.

Doughnut muffins on a wire rack.

Sweet, cake-like, and scented with cinnamon and nutmeg, these muffins taste remarkably like donuts. Kids love them because they’re deliciously plain, and adults love them because they’re just plain delicious. Unlike donuts, they’re baked not deep-fried so you can feel more virtuous eating them. They’re a perfect accompaniment to coffee, tea, or milk and if you need one more reason to try them, they’re easy to make with ingredients you probably have on hand. If these are a hit with your family and you want to mix things up a bit, give this powdered donut cake a try. It’s sure to vanish in no time.

“These muffins were perfect! Loved how easy they were to make and that they taste like a doughnut and a muffin at the same time!”

Margaret

What You’ll Need To Make Donut Muffins

ingredients you'll need
  • Milk: Provides moisture and richness to the muffins’ batter. Low-fat milk is fine.
  • Lemon Juice: Adds acidity to react with the baking soda, helping the muffins rise.
  • All-Purpose Flour: Forms the base of the muffin batter, providing structure.
  • Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Leavens the muffins, causing them to rise and become light and fluffy.
  • Nutmeg: Infuses the batter with warm, aromatic flavor reminiscent of classic donuts.
  • Butter: Incorporates richness and flavor into both the batter and the topping.
  • Sugar: Sweetens the muffin batter and creates a delicate, slightly crisp topping.
  • Eggs: Act as a binding agent, holding the muffin batter together and providing structure.
  • Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall flavor profile with its aromatic sweetness.
  • Cinnamon: Adds a warm, spicy flavor to the muffin topping, reminiscent of cinnamon-sugar donuts.
  • Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements

Step-by-Step Instructions

Begin by combining the milk and lemon juice. This is essentially making your own buttermilk (since you only need 1 cup), which reacts with the baking soda in this recipe to give these muffins a nice, open crumb.

Milk and lemon

Next, combine all of the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. All that nutmeg is what makes these muffins taste like donuts.

Bowl of unmixed dry ingredients.

Whisk to combine and then set aside.

Whisk in a bowl of dry ingredients.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, a few minutes.

Electric mixer with a bowl of creamed butter and sugar.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined.

Egg in a bowl of creamed butter and sugar.

Mix in the vanilla extract.

Vanilla added to a bowl of creamed butter and sugar.

Add a third of the dry ingredients.

dry and wet ingredients

Mix well, then add half of the milk mixture.

Milk with batter in a bowl.

Continue alternating the dry and wet ingredients until the batter is well combined. It will be quite thick.

Bowl of muffin batter with an electric mixer.

Scoop the batter into a greased muffin pan, filling the tins to the rim.

Muffin tin of doughnut muffin batter.

Bake until firm to the touch, 25 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the toppings: melt the butter and whisk the cinnamon and sugar together.

Doughnut muffins in a muffin tin.

When cool enough to handle, brush the muffins with melted butter and roll in the cinnamon-sugar.

Person brushing doughnut muffins with melted butter.

Serve warm out of the oven or reheated in the microwave. I especially love them slathered with jam.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make mini donut muffins? What changes should I make?

Sure, these would be great as minis! The baking temperature will remain the same, but the baking time shorter. Start checking them for doneness at about 12 minutes. All ovens are different though, so keep a close eye on them.

Can I use a non-dairy milk in the donut muffins?

Definitely! The donut muffins will work with any kind of non-dairy milk like soy, almond, or oat milk.

Can I freeze donut muffins?

For sure — the muffins can be frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to 3 months. Thaw for 3 to 4 hours on the countertop before serving. To reheat, wrap individual muffins in aluminum foil and place in a preheated 350°F oven until warm.

Doughnut muffins on and next to a wire rack.

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Donut Muffins

Sweet, cake-like and scented with cinnamon and nutmeg, these muffins taste remarkably like donuts.

Servings: 12 muffins
Total Time: 45 Minutes

Ingredients

For Muffin Batter

  • 1 cup milk (low-fat is fine)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
  • 2½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

For Muffin Topping

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2¼ teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Spray a standard muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Combine the milk and lemon juice in a measuring cup or bowl and set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.
  4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the vanilla.
  5. Add a third of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix on low speed to combine. Add half of the milk mixture and mix well. Mix in another third of the flour mixture, followed by the remaining milk mixture, and finally the remaining flour mixture. Mix until evenly combined but don't over-mix. The batter will be very thick.
  6. Scoop the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan, filling each cup to the rim. (I like to use an ice cream scoop with a wire scraper for this.) Bake the muffins until firm to the touch, 25-30 minutes. Let the muffins cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool.
  7. In the meantime, prepare the toppings: Melt the butter in a small bowl. In another small bowl, whisk the cinnamon and sugar together.
  8. When the muffins are cool enough to handle, working one by one, use a pastry brush to paint the top of each muffin with butter, then roll in the cinnamon-sugar. If you have cinnamon-sugar left over, sprinkle muffins again. Serve warm, or cool on a rack and wrap airtight. Store at room temperature. Reheat muffins briefly in microwave for that fresh out of the oven taste.
  9. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: the muffins can be frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to 3 months. Thaw for 3 to 4 hours on the countertop before serving. To reheat, wrap individual muffins in aluminum foil and place in a preheated 350°F oven until warm.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (12 servings)
  • Serving size: 1 muffin
  • Calories: 342
  • Fat: 16 g
  • Saturated fat: 10 g
  • Carbohydrates: 46 g
  • Sugar: 21 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 5 g
  • Sodium: 234 mg
  • Cholesterol: 70 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

  • LOVE doughnut muffins!

  • These look awesome! I’ll definitely be making them soon! There goes my diet…

  • I made these muffins for breakfast yesterday and they are EXCELLENT! I did one batch following the recipe exactly and another batch substituting Splenda for the sugar because my husband is diabetic. The ones with Splenda had a slightly different consistency because of the Splenda but were still very good – he said it was a keeper! I brought some to work today & they are all raving about them! Thanks for yet another wonderful recipe to add to my collection! Everyone should try these!

  • I just found your blog and LOVE it! I love that the recipes are fresh, innovative, and family friendly!

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  • Those muffins look delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe, can’t wait to try them.

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  • just noticed how much your OXO measuring cup has been “LOVED”! :o)

  • These muffins look SUPER YUMMY!!!! Love the spatulas btw :o)

  • Excited to try these this morning….thanks for sharing.

  • Those muffins look sooo delicious and I plan on making them soon! I love to bake and could definitely use some new muffin pans. Thank you for the chance to win. Love your blog.

  • All that cinnamon on top reminds me of snickerdoodles. Man, I’m so making these muffins this week!

  • These doughnut muffins are such a clever idea, they look so good too. This giveaway is amazing, who ever wins this must bake these delicious muffins

  • These look wonderful!! I think that I will make them this evening for my family. Thanks!

  • for the past few weeks, i’ve been trying a new recipe daily! it’s getting harder without the necessary equipment..chicago metallic is next on my wishlist 🙂

  • I will try this recipe and I will use my new donut twist pan that I got on sale at Sur La Table.

  • Next weekend is my traditional birthday brunch, and I have been looking for something like this to make! I go Homer Simpson for donuts, I can’t wait to try them 🙂

  • Oooo these look so good! I’d love to win!

  • This looks so yummy and easy to make! Can’t wait to try it out

  • These look amazing and easy at the same time – those are the best kind of recipes 🙂 Love the blog. Just came across it the other day.

  • Oh My..these look so good. Im going to make these this weekend. Id love to be entered in the giveaway. THanks.

  • Oh, these remind me of snickerdoodles! Major Yum factor!

  • These look sinful 🙂

    The bakeware looks pretty great too!!

  • Look delicious!

  • These look great! And perfect for a fall brunch!

  • I always enjoy trying your receipes and will bake these tonight for a few breakfasts.:)

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  • I would love to win this set, I have really beat-up stuff that needs replacing!

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  • Love those muffins! Thanks for sharing the recipe!

  • These look SO delicious! Would love to win this wonderful set of baking equipment!

  • A friend just told me about Doughnut Muffins. I thought it sounded delicious and now I have the recipe! Thank you! I plan to treat my family this weekend to these yummy muffins.

  • Can’t wait to try these; they look delicious.

    • — Carole McKibben
    • Reply
  • Can’t wait to try these!

  • Can’t wait to try this recipe! My kids love doughnuts!

  • These donut muffins look amazing! And so does the bakeware…

  • Yummy! Looks like a treat for tomorrow after school! The kiddies will love it!

  • Oh my Goodness! Those muffins look so good!!! I will have to try this recipe, thanks for sharing.

  • Delicious – the kids were in fits over the name alone!

  • Thanks! I’ve been looking for a non-fried doughnut recipe

    • — Kris McMenamin
    • Reply
  • Looks yummy. I am going to try these this weekend.

  • These look so yummy! I can’t wait to try them this weekend.

  • I love donut muffins! Will definitely give this recipe a try 🙂

  • My boyfriend loves doughnuts, but I don’t have a doughnut pan! Hopefully these muffins can become a compromise for him =)

  • It would be great to have all these kitchen goodies!

  • These were amazing! Hope to see you next week to chat in person.

  • combining two of the best things ever, genius! can’t wait to try them!

  • Donuts are good. Muffins are good. But this combination? Wow!

  • mmmm… looks yummy. i know my family’d appreciate these when they come to visit…

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