Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins are a delicious, playful way to add sweet fun to your day! They’re easy to make, with a moist and tender, buttery crumb that’s lightly flavored with vanilla and warm spices.
This Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins recipe gives my family the closest non-fried treat we’ve found, when compared to enjoying a real doughnut. Even the batter’s aroma is softly doughnut-esque. These little gems are moist, flavorful, and doughnutty delicious. (Cinnamon fans will also love my Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats and Cinnamon Apple Puffs!)
Why These Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins Are Simply Perfect
This Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins recipe dates waaaaaay back to 2010, just a few months after I launched this recipe blog. A friend had messaged me on Facebook, with a special request for a doughnut muffins recipe. I was happy to oblige. And I’m even happier to say that now, all these years later, the muffins still remain a family favorite! Here’s why we love them:
- That cinnamon-sugar exterior! Just like a little paper baggie of warm mini donuts from the stand at the fair, the cinnamon-sugar coating on these donut muffins gets us every time. It’s irresistibly FUN and SO YUMMY!
- Warm, cozy flavor. Besides cinnamon, I also add nutmeg to the batter, which gives these muffins an understated warmth that flavors every bite. I think nutmeg makes a big difference in this recipe; be sure to include it!
- Ultra moist and tender. While the muffins are already moist and tender, dipping them into butter after baking locks in that moisture and adheres the cinnamon sugar coating with a layer of rich buttery flavor.
- Easy to make. These muffins come together quickly and easily, with no need for any special equipment or hard-to-find ingredients. That means you can whip them up anytime!
Enjoy!
What You’ll Need
Here’s a quick rundown of the ingredients you’ll need to make a batch of delightful doughnut muffins. Scroll down to the printable recipe card to find the exact ingredient quantities and full recipe instructions.
Muffins:
- Butter – Unsalted butter (instead of oil) adds extra richness and buttery flavor to the batter.
- Flour – All-purpose flour provides structure to the muffins.
- Sugar – In addition to sweetness, granulated white sugar helps baked goods get golden brown in the oven.
- Baking powder + baking soda – These help the batter rise, plus lighten the texture. Ensure they’re both fresh for best results.
- Cinnamon + nutmeg – These add cozy, warmly spiced flavor to the batter.
- Salt – Balances and enhances the sweet flavor.
- Egg – Binds the ingredients together and adds rich flavor and texture.
- Vanilla extract – Use pure vanilla extract (not imitation) for the very best flavor.
- Milk – Whole milk helps achieve that moist, tender crumb.
Cinnamon Sugar:
- Sugar – Granulated white sugar is the base for the cinnamon sugar coating.
- Cinnamon – Make sure your cinnamon is fragrant and full of flavor. Over time, it will lose its aroma and flavor, which is when you know it’s due for replacement.
- Butter – This helps the cinnamon sugar stick, and it’s also absorbed into the muffins to make them extra tender and buttery.
How to Make Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins
Here’s a quick overview of the steps involved in making cinnamon sugar doughnut muffins.
- Prepare. Melt 1/3 cup of butter and let it cool. Preheat your oven to 350ºF and coat a muffin pan with nonstick spray.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a mixing bowl.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In another bowl, whisk the cooled melted butter with the egg, vanilla, and milk.
- Finish the batter. Stir the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients.
- Bake. Divide the batter into to the muffin pan wells and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are springy or a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then pop them out and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
- Prepare for coating. Whisk the cinnamon and sugar in one bowl and melt the butter in a separate microwave-safe bowl.
- Coat the muffins. Roll the muffins in the butter, followed by the cinnamon sugar.
Tips & Variations
Here are some additional tips and variations for these cinnamon sugar doughnut muffins.
- Don’t over-mix the batter. When making muffins, it’s important to mix the batter until it’s just combined. This helps to give you a more tender texture.
- Skip the paper liners. Because the whole muffin gets dunked in melted butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar after baking, it’s best to bake the muffins right in the muffin tin, without any paper liners.
- Muffin tops only. If you’d like less cinnamon sugar coating (I beg you – WHY?!), dip only the muffin tops into the melted butter and cinnamon sugar. I do not recommend bare muffins, however, as they’re rather plain-tasting.
- Make mini muffins. If you like to make mini muffins, this recipe works very well for that, and gives you muffins that are more like doughnut holes. Super fun! (Note that the muffins will require less baking time, and will depend on the size of your mini muffin tin. I would recommend first checking them after about 6-7 minutes of baking time.)
- Add some jam. I’ve made these doughnut muffins with a fruit filling before – Raspberry Blackberry Freezer Jam and Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam are favorites, but store-bought jam is also just fine. To do this, add half the batter to the pans, drop a small spoonful of jam in the center, then add the remaining batter over the top.
Serving Suggestions
These cinnamon sugar muffins are a sweet li’l brunch option. Serve them alongside savory Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole, springtime Baked Eggs, or an easy Crustless Quiche.
And don’t forget that doughnuts (and doughnut muffins) are a beloved pairing with coffee and coffee-flavored drinks. Try a Cortadito, a homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte, or an Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso!
How to Store
These muffins are absolutely best enjoyed the day you bake them. They simply have the best texture on Day 1. However, if you do have leftovers, here’s how to store the muffins:
- Room temperature: Store your cinnamon sugar doughnut muffins at room temperature for up to 3 days in an airtight container. I do not recommend refrigerating them – I think they dry out faster.
- Freezer: These muffins can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap and then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. To thaw, leave them out at room temperature or pop them in the microwave for a quick defrost.
More Muffin Recipes
Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins
Ingredients
Muffins
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk
Cinnamon Sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
Muffins
- Gently melt ⅓ cup butter for the muffins and set aside to cool. Then preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a standard muffin pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg, vanilla, milk, and melted/cooled butter.
- Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients, just until evenly combined. Then divide batter evenly between the 12 muffin cup wells.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, or just until the muffin tops spring back lightly to the touch and a toothpick comes out just clean.
- Remove pan from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before removing muffins to a cooling rack. If the muffins stick at all, run a sharp thin knife around the perimeter of each muffin to release them from the pan. Let muffins cool completely.
Cinnamon Sugar
- In a small bowl, whisk the sugar and cinnamon. In another small bowl, gently melt the 10 tablespoons of butter.
- Quickly roll the entire muffin in the melted butter, then immediately roll it in the cinnamon sugar, to evenly coat the entire muffin. Repeat with remaining muffins.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
This post was first published in 2010, then updated in 2025.
I had to let you know that we are LOVING your doughnut muffins in New Zealand! yum yum x
Wonderful!! So glad you liked them, too! :)
Well…today was the day! We made these awesome goodies for breakfast this morning. Kate and Meg did the majority of the mixing, pouring, and dipping. We all enjoyed them, and highly recommend them! Jonah renamed them–doughnamuffs!!! Thanks for sharing the recipe. Oh, and by the way…we have learned to double any recipe that we try on your blog…so we have a few for snack time this afternoon.
Love the “doughnamuffs”!! I’m glad that all of you enjoyed them! Thanks for letting me know.
Ahhh…muffins that taste like donuts.
I just love making these! Thanks for sharing this variation of the recipe!
Wow, Brenda! These are amazing! I can’t wait to share with family and friends! Keep the recipes coming. I love your site!
Thanks so much Tanya! You just keep me laughing with all the funny things your kids say and do, and I’ll keep passing along recipes. :-)
The recipe is printed. The ingredients will be added to the grocery list…look out weekend! We’re having Cinnamon Doughnut Muffins!!!
Wahoo!!! Let me know what your family thinks of them.
Hi Paula! You sure didn’t waste any time whipping up a batch of these!! I’m thinking about dipping the whole muffin in the butter, cinnamon & sugar – that cinnamon sugar coating is irresistable covering that delicious muffin. :-)
I REALLY want to try these filled…….I’m going to give it a try next time!!!
Yes, too funny. It made me smile. Have fun with the filling!
Thanks for this post. Answers my question nicely! Your muffins look dilish!
Hi Renee – thanks for stopping by!