Description
These Donut Pumpkin Muffins are a delicious autumn treat combining moist pumpkin puree with warm pumpkin pie spices. Rolled in cinnamon sugar, they offer a delightful texture and flavor reminiscent of classic pumpkin donuts, perfect for breakfast or a cozy snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
For Rolling
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease with nonstick spray to prevent sticking.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar until fully combined and smooth.
- Add Eggs and Pumpkin: Add the eggs, pumpkin puree, milk, and vanilla extract to the sugar mixture. Mix thoroughly until smooth and fully incorporated.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift or stir together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice to blend evenly.
- Fold Dry into Wet: Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring gently just until no streaks of flour remain, avoiding overmixing to maintain a tender texture.
- Fill Muffin Cups: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full to allow for rising.
- Bake Muffins: Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, indicating doneness.
- Cool Muffins: Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Cinnamon Sugar: While the muffins cool, mix together the 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Coat Muffins: Once the muffins are cool enough to handle yet still a bit warm, roll each muffin in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until fully coated for a sweet, textured finish reminiscent of donut glaze.
Notes
- Do not overmix the batter to avoid dense muffins; mix until just combined.
- Use canned pumpkin puree; do not substitute with pumpkin pie filling, which contains added sugars and spices.
- Rolling the muffins while they’re slightly warm helps the cinnamon sugar stick better.
- You can store these muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute the butter and milk with plant-based alternatives.
