Pumpkin Donut Muffins
Satisfy your fall cravings with these delicious Pumpkin Donut Muffins. Soft, tender spiced pumpkin muffins rolled in a buttery cinnamon sugar coating.
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It’s the time of year for all things sweet, spiced, and pumpkin-flavored – like these Pumpkin Donut Muffins. Moist, tender pumpkin spice muffins are dunked in melted butter and finished with a crisp cinnamon-sugar coating. These muffins make a perfectly cozy fall breakfast or dessert!
These are a cross between two of my favorite muffin recipes – my Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins and Pumpkin Cinnamon Streusel Muffins.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Fall flavor – Pumpkin and the warmth of the fall spices, plus the crunchy cinnamon-sugar coating
Baked, not fried – All the best parts of a classic pumpkin cake donut, without the mess of frying.
Easy, one-bowl recipe – This easy treat comes together quickly in one mixing bowl – no fancy equipment or even a mixer is needed.
How To Make Pumpkin Donut Muffins
- Make the muffin batter. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients, which include all-purpose flour and cake flour, sugar, leaveners, salt, and spices with a whisk. Add melted butter, oil, eggs, pumpkin puree, and vanilla to the flour mixture and mix until combined. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and ensure all ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- Fill the muffin tins. Coat a 12-count muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Use a cookie scoop to portion the batter into the muffin cups.
- Bake the muffins. Bake the muffins at 350°F for 18-20 minutes, or until the center of the muffins springs back to the touch. Allow the muffins to cool for at least 15 minutes, then remove from the pan.
- Coat the muffins. Working with one muffin at a time, dunk each muffin into melted butter, coating all sides. Immediately dip
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to store the muffins?
Store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Can I make these into mini muffins?
Yes, you can use a mini muffin pan for the cutest bite-sized donut muffins!
Will these work in a donut pan?
This muffin batter will work great in a donut-shaped baking pan. Use a piping bag to fill the donut pan with the batter, then bake and finish the donuts following the recipe instructions. The donuts may not require as much baking time since they most likely won’t be as tall as the muffins, so keep an eye on them so they don’t overbake.
Can I use more all-purpose flour instead of cake flour?
The cake flour gives the muffins a soft, tender crumb, but in a pinch, you can substitute the cake flour with more all-purpose flour, and the muffins will still turn out fine.
Do I need a mixer to make these muffins?
Nope, an electric mixer is not needed for this recipe! I find that a whisk works best for mixing the batter, and then I like to use a rubber spatula at the end to scrape the sides of the bowl and finish with a few folds to ensure everything is incorporated.
Baking Tip: Weigh Your Ingredients!
I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients rather than using measuring cups because it is the most accurate way to bake. Weighing your ingredients will give you more consistent results with your recipes and a better success rate, every time. Using a scale also saves you dishes which means easier cleanup! I provide gram measurements in all my recipes and this is the scale I love to use.
More Fall Treats You’ll Love
If you make this recipe and love it, be sure to leave a comment below. Happy baking!
Pumpkin Donut Muffins
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Muffins
- ¾ cup (96g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (64g) cake flour
- 1 cup (210g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ cup (60g) unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup (60g) vegetable or canola oil
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (240g) pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Pumpkin Muffins: Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 12-count muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Add the melted butter, oil, eggs, and pumpkin, and whisk just until combined. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and give the batter a few final folds.
- Scoop the muffin batter into the prepared muffin tins using a 2 Tablespoon (size 30 or 1 oz.) cookie scoop.
- Bake the muffins at 350°F for 18-20 minutes, until the center of the muffins spring back to the touch (or a toothpick comes out mostly clean).
- Cinnamon Sugar Coating: Melt the butter. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl big enough to toss the muffins in.
- Once the muffins are baked, allow them to cool in the muffin tin for about 10 minutes.
- Once cool enough to handle (but still warm), dunk each muffin in the melted butter and fully coat. Then, immediately roll each muffin in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until it is completely coated on all sides. Dunk and coat one muffin at a time. Serve and enjoy!
