With a texture and flavor similar to cake donut holes, these Donut Muffins are seriously easy and so delicious. Start to finish, you can be enjoying these with the kids in under 30 minutes!
Donut Muffins
I make so many mini muffins, but when I heard about something called a “donut muffin,” I couldn’t resist. This one-bowl recipe is so darn easy to make, and the result is tender muffins that have a flavor and texture similar to cake donut holes.
We love them best with the cinnamon-sugar topping, but they are delicious without the topping, too.
The beauty of this recipe is that the batter stirs up so easily in one bowl and they work well for toddler snacks (or as an easy toddler breakfast) for days to come. We usually have them with diced fruit, but just a cup of milk or a smoothie for kids works, too!
(You may also like my Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins, Yogurt Muffins, and my Cinnamon Muffins.)
Table of Contents
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Ingredients You Need
Here’s a look at the ingredients you need to make this recipe so you know what to have on hand.
- Applesauce: The base of the muffin batter is applesauce, which contributes to the incredible tenderness and the subtle sweetness. (If you do not have applesauce, you can use my easy Apple Puree.)
- Milk: I cook and bake with whole-dairy milk, but you can use your preferred type here.
- Unsalted butter: Using unsalted butter allows me to control the salt in my muffin recipes. If you only have salted butter, that is fine. Just omit the salt called for in the recipe.
- Egg: I bake with large eggs, so that’s what I use here. (Larger or smaller eggs may impact the texture very slightly.)
- Vanilla extract: You can use pure vanilla extract or artificial extract in this recipe.
- All-purpose flour: I like to use all-purpose flour to ensure these muffins are super tender and cake-donut-like. (To make with a whole grain flour, whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour are your best options. Add 2 tablespoons milk with either of those.)
- Sugar: I use granulated sugar in this recipe because it works best with the other ingredients to make an incredibly tender crumb. (If you change the sugar to honey or maple syrup, the texture may be drier.)
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon adds flavor to the donut muffins.
- Baking powder and soda: A combination of these ensures the muffins bake through and rise properly. Be sure yours are fresh and active.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Below is an overview of how to make this Donut Muffin recipe so you know what to expect from the process. Scroll down to the end of the post for the full information, including the amounts and timing.
- Stir together the wet ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients. Whisk to combine.
- Portion out into a greased mini muffin pan.
- Bake. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Add optional topping if desired.
Cinnamon-Sugar Topping
To make these taste most like a donut hole, I like to dip the top of each Donut Muffin into melted butter and a cinnamon-sugar mixture. It’s best to do this right before serving, or on the day you plan to serve. (It adds moisture, so if they sit for days after this step, they can get a little too moist.)
Best Mini Muffin Tin
I like to use the Wilton Mini Muffin pan with nonstick spray to ensure my muffins don’t stick to the pan. This is a better option than using paper liners, which are likely to stick.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use a batter similar to what you’d use to make donuts and bake it in a muffin pan. Traditional donuts are often fried in oil, but baking the batter as I do here is easy, less messy, and creates a wonderful texture.
You can bake this recipe as either mini muffins or standard size muffins. The difference is in the amount of batter in each cup and the length of time for baking. Everything else remains the same.
You can use any other fruit puree that you have on hand or prefer.
How to Store
Store cooled Donut Muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or about a week in the fridge. You can also freeze muffins for longer storage.
Best Tips for Success
- Dairy-free: Use vegetable, avocado, or coconut oil in place of the butter and nondairy milk.
- Gluten-free: Use an all-purpose gluten-free flour.
- Egg-free: Omit the egg. Add 2 tablespoons additional milk. Proceed with the recipe. (The muffins may be a little more tender than with the egg.)
- Standard-size Donut Muffins: Use about ¼ cup batter in each of 12 standard-size muffin cups and bake for 14-16 minutes.
- You can lower the sugar in the muffins to ¼ cup, though I have found that the ⅓ cup listed in the recipe is my preference for both flavor and texture.
- This recipe has the best texture when made with granulated sugar, rather than maple syrup or honey.
- Try some of my other donut muffins including Baked Apple Donuts, Sweet Potato Baked Donuts, Chocolate Pumpkin Baked Donuts, and Baked Raspberry Doughnuts.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback on this recipe, so please comment below to share!
Favorite Donut Muffins
Ingredients
Donut Muffins
- ½ cup applesauce
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (melted and cooled slightly)
- 1 egg (lightly beaten)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Cinnamon-Sugar Topping (optional)
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted and cooled slightly)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan with nonstick spray. (I do not recommend using paper liners with this recipe as they are likely to stick.)
- Add the applesauce, milk, butter, egg, and vanilla to a medium bowl. Whisk to combine well.
- Add the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the bowl. Whisk to combine into a thick batter.
- Divide the batter among the prepared muffin tin, using about 1½ tablespoons batter in each cup.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until puffed up, golden brown, and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cool for a minute or two. Run a knife around the edges to loosen, as needed, then transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Optional: Stir the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Dip the top of each muffin first in the melted butter, then in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. This makes them taste like a cake donut hole!
Notes
- Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or about a week in the fridge.
- Dairy-free: Use vegetable, avocado, or coconut oil in place of the butter and nondairy milk.
- Gluten-free: Use an all-purpose gluten-free flour.
- Egg-free: Omit the egg. Add 2 tablespoons additional milk. Proceed with the recipe. (The muffins may be a little more tender than with the egg.)
- Standard-size muffins: Use about ¼ cup batter in each of 12 standard-size muffin cups and bake for 14-16 minutes.
- You can lower the sugar in the muffins to ¼ cup, though I have found that the ⅓ cup listed in the recipe is my preference for both flavor and texture.
- This recipe has the best texture when made with granulated sugar, rather than maple syrup or honey.
Excellent recipe! So simple, and so good. My entire family loved these.
These are fantastic! The texture is fluffy and cakey with the perfect amount of sweet!
So delish!
Hi! Would almond flour work? We need gf and I have bad results baking with gf AP flours. Would you make any changes? Thank you!
It will not work as almond flour works totally differently than wheat based flours. Have you tried the all purpose gf from King Arthur? That one usually works great.
I haven’t, but I’ll try. Thank you!
Can you add yogurt to add protein?
If you add yogurt, the batter will be too wet so I would make them as directed since they are so yummy and simply serve some milk or cheese alongside. Enjoy!
These are very easy to make which is a must when you have baby and toddler demanding your attention. I let my 3 year old dip the mini muffins into the butter and sugar! These taste amazing so much better than any store bought doughnut holes. Will be making these again. Thank you so much for recipe!
So yummy, we’ve been fans of Amy’s various muffin recipe but this is the new favorite! Beautiful texture and taste, and great fresh from the oven and for snacking later.
These are so good! My toddler and I made them with “peach medley” apple sauce because that’s what we had, and they turned out so tasty!
Would spelt flour work in place of the all purpose?
I haven’t tested this recipe with it but I think it should work pretty similarly. Enjoy
Love these!! I also tried replacing cinnamon with nutmeg and powered sugar on top ala yossi are. Sooooo good.
These muffins are delicious, and my three boys approve!
These are so delicious! And the texture is perfect. I subbed leftover baby food pouches for the applesauce since I didn’t have any, and they still tasted amazing! My husband even loved them.
Can you swap out the all purpose flour for whole wheat flour? Cup for cup?
Usually if I’m going to use whole wheat flour in place of all purpose, I reduce the amount slightly to ensure the muffins aren’t dry. So I would use 1.25 cups whole wheat flour and expect a few less muffins.
Great recipe! Very easy and such a great flavor and texture. Will make again and again.
Hi! I’m excited to try this recipe. My 3 yr old is finally into muffins and likes your copycat little bites chocolate chip muffins. And he recently got into donuts. I’m just wary of cinnamon now due to all the recent adulterated cinnamon and even the testing of some pouches that, even though not crazy high, have lead in them. So I’m wondering if you’ve tried any spices as substitutes for cinnamon like nutmeg or allspice or ginger in your recipes? Thank you!
You can use a different spice, though any of the ones you listed you will want to use a little less. (And not every brand of cinnamon is problematic, but the high ones are very easy to find in a google search.) Enjoy!