These Easy Cinnamon Donut Muffins are a super fun way to create that donut taste without all the hassle. These are gorgeous muffins that taste just like a cinnamon sugar donut. After baking, brush the tops of the muffins with warm melted butter before dunking into a bowl of cinnamon sugar. Pure heaven.
You only need one big bowl, a few ingredients, lots of liquid and a few hints for how to make the ultimate muffins. If you want to prevent dry muffins, the amount of liquids needs to be pretty high which is where the oil, butter and eggs all come in. This recipe creates a good sized batch of 12 muffins but feel free to half/double to suit your household.
I think there’s something so beautiful about freshly baked muffins. There is some sense of nostalgia, the most wonderful smell and so much ease to create such a great little thing. These will take less than 30 minutes of your time, baking included. This means you can fit making these into a busy schedule and end up with breakfasts for a few days at least!
Tips for making great muffins
- Use High-Quality Ingredients: Choose fresh ingredients, including flour, baking powder, and any add-ins like fruits or nuts.
- Measure Accurately: Use measuring cups and spoons designed for dry and wet ingredients to ensure precise measurements.
- Mix Dry Ingredients Thoroughly: Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices thoroughly to ensure even distribution.
- Do Not Overmix: Mix wet and dry ingredients just until combined; overmixing can lead to dense and tough muffins.
- Fold in Add-Ins Gently: If you choose to add fruits, nuts, chocolate chips, etc., do so at the end and fold them in gently to avoid overmixing the batter.
- Fill Muffin Cups Properly:
- Fill muffin cups about 2/3 to 3/4 full to allow for proper rising during baking.
- Preheat the Oven: Ensure the oven is fully preheated to the specified temperature before placing muffins inside.
- Bake at the Right Temperature: Typically, muffins need a good blast of heat to give them that ideal rise. These muffins are baked at 425F, which may feel hot but it gives the perfect moist muffin!
- Check for Doneness: Insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin; if it comes out clean or with a few crumbs, they’re done.
- Cool Properly: Let muffins cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Following these tips should help you bake delicious and fluffy muffins every time!
Ingredients Required for my Easy Cinnamon Donut Muffins
There are no specialist ingredients or equipment required for this bake. I can find everything I need at my local supermarket or grocery store. Use a standard muffin tin with any muffin liners that you like. Make sure the muffins have cooled before attempting to remove from the liners or you might find they stick to the liner.
- Granulated Sugar
- Light Brown Soft Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Ground Cinnamon
- All Purpose (Plain) Flour
- Large Free Range Eggs
- Unsalted Butter
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Whole Milk
TIPS FOR the Best Easy Cinnamon Donut Muffins
- Liquids: Muffins need a lot of liquid to stay moist. The batter may look fairly thick but with all the liquid we use in the recipe, they come out moist and delicious.
- Over mixing: Take care not to over mix the batter as this will cause the muffins to become dense. I find using just a hand whisk or wooden spoon does all the mixing we need. Using an electric whisk will likely over mix the batter.
- Once baked: Brush with warm melted butter while still warm. This way the butter will really cling and sink into the muffins, keeping them moist.
- Cinnamon Sugar: The melted butter will act as a glue to stick to all that cinnamon sugar. Add more cinnamon if you love an extra-spiced taste.
The recipe below makes 12 muffins, but of course, feel free to double it or halve it to suit what you need. These Easy Cinnamon Donut Muffins are great for so many occasions, but for more muffin recipes, check out these Ultra Fluffy Blueberry Muffins. For videos and baking inspiration, head on over to my Instagram. If you make this recipe, don’t forget to drop it a star rating, leave a review or share a photo on your socials!
STORAGE/MAKE AHEAD
These Easy Cinnamon Donut Muffins can be made ahead of time then frozen if you want to save them for a later date. Make sure to wrap really well with cling film/Saran wrap before placing in an airtight container. To defrost, thaw in the refrigerator before serving. I find a short microwave blast of about 10-20 seconds just before eating really helps them feel moist and delicious again.
Once made, store in an airtight container in a cool place like the cupboard or pantry for 3-5 days.
Easy Cinnamon Donut Muffins
Ingredients
- 150 g (¾ cups) Granulated Sugar
- 150 g (⅔ cups) Light Brown Soft Sugar
- 315 g (2.52 cups) All Purpose Flour
- 1 ½ tsp (1 ½ tsp) Baking Powder
- ¼ tsp (¼ tsp) Baking Soda
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) Ground Cinnamon
- 2 (2) Large Eggs
- 55 ml (¼ cups) Canola/Vegetable Oil
- 65 g (⅓ cups) Unsalted Butter Melted
- 220 ml (1 cup) Milk
For the Topping
- 4 tbsp (4 tbsp) Unsalted Butter Melted
- 5 tbsp (5 tbsp) Granulated Sugar
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) Ground Cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉/220℃ (200℃ fan). Line a standard sized 12 hole muffin tin with muffin liners.
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients: granulated sugar, light brown soft sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and flour.
- Add in the wet ingredients: eggs, oil, butter and milk. Use a hand/balloon whisk to combine everything, taking care not to overmix. It may look quite thick (like pancake batter) but that's what we want!
- Scoop the batter into the muffin liners, filling to about ⅔ full. Bake 15-18 minutes, until golden brown and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Let cool before the next step.
- Make the topping: melt the butter in the microwave in a small bowl. In another small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon.
- Take a muffin, brush the top with the melted butter using a pastry brush or similar (you can just spoon it over/dip it in if that's easier for you), before dunking into the cinnamon sugar to cover the top. Repeat for each muffin, then serve!
