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.
This was a really easy recipe to make with the kids! They loved dipping the muffins in butter and then the cinnamon sugar to add the topping. They are so good, it was hard to not eat them all at once. Great, easy muffin, will definitely make them again. My daughter said she wants these again on her birthday. 🙂
My family loved them!
The cinnamon sugar topping takes these muffins to the next level! I also appreciate the simplicity of this (and so many other YTF recipes) recipe. We love these and will be making again and again!
Delicious and easy! Only downside was that we ate them all in one day.
First of all we consider ourselves donut connoisseurs so naturally the recipe title spoke to me. I whipped up a batch for my kids on a Sunday morning. If made 24 perfect sized mini muffins. By Sunday night there were only 11 left. My kids DEVOURED them and asked me to make more. To be honest we haven’t made a YTF recipe we didn’t love. But these are up there on the top of the list. 10/10 5 ⭐️
Delicious! Toddlers, kids, Mama, and Grandma- it was a hit with us all! Next time I’ll have to make a double batch.
Best muffins I have ever made. Fluffy soft. The sugar on top really makes them special! Easy to make want to take these for kids play dates.
My kids and I ate all of them in 24 hours
Seriously good. Gone in two days because I purposely set some aside for day two. Reminds me of the apple cider donuts at the orchard. Making again tomorrow for a get together and can’t wait!
Been a long time fan of the muffin recipes and was so excited for this new one! The kids loved them! They disappeared by the next day!
My toddler loved these, and so did my husband and I! Delicious and great for the whole family.
Do you think this would work well with whole wheat flour?
I think you would want to use 1 1/4 cups ww flour and expect a few less muffins. Or use the 1.5 cups but add maybe 2-3 more tbsp milk. Either option will help ensure they are not dry due to the flour change.
Hands down the easiest and tastiest muffin recipe I’ve ever tried (and I’ve tried a lot). So good! Adults and kids both enjoyed greatly.
The best muffins – mini or otherwise – I’ve been able to make myself, hands down. Recipe was super easy and they came out perfectly. I bought the mini muffin pan that Amy recommended, and was glad I did! The whole experience was lovely from start to finish! Looking forward to making these often.
Looking forward to making these ASAP! Do they freeze well?
Yes, just let cool fully then freeze. I prefer to do it in a freezer bag, with as much air removed as possible. Enjoy