Cinnamon Sugar Donut Mini Muffins may be the next best thing to donuts. Or maybe they are way better because you don't have to fry anything and you can use just as much melted butter and cinnamon-y sugar as you like. This recipe is definitely an old one, but it's stayed popular for a reason.
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Bromberg Bros. Blue Ribbon
I found this recipe years ago on a blog called Chicken on the Green . She credited Very Culinary, Very Culinary credited Evil Chef Mom and Evil Chef Mom thanked Bromberg Bros. Blue Ribbon Cookbook: Better Home Cooking. That’s one cookbook and three, now four positive reviews for you, so you can't go wrong with these.
Donut Mini Muffins Batch Size
This recipe makes 32 mini muffins, but that may vary since mini muffin pans aren't always the same size. Some are a little shallower than others. Whichever small muffin pan you use, these should rise pretty high. Also, the recipe halves easily. Update: I've been making them in my silicone mini muffin pan which has slightly deeper cavities for slightly larger muffins. The drawback to silicone is you don't get a lot of browning, but with these it doesn't matter because there's so much cinnamon sugar coating.
Recipe
Cinnamon Sugar Donut Mini Muffins
Ingredients
For Muffins:
- 3 cups all purpose flour (390 grams)
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt (reduce to ¼ if using salted butter)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- ¾ cup milk, room temperature (170 grams)
- 2 tablespoons buttermilk (or just use another 2 T. milk (28 grams)
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (140 grams)
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar (172 grams)
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
For Cinnamon Sugar Coating:
- 1 cup sugar (200 grams)
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons unsalted or better yet, salted butter (170 grams)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 32 mini muffin cups or skip if you have silicone muffin pans.
- In a medium bowl, sift or thoroughly stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and baking soda.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and buttermilk.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs until just combined. Set mixer on low speed, and beat in one fourth of the dry ingredients. Then beat in one third of the milk mixture. Continue to alternate until all ingredients are incorporated, finishing with dry ingredients. Be careful not to over mix.
- Fill the prepared muffin cups with batter – it will be pretty stiff. Bake until lightly golden and firm to the touch, about 15 minutes. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove the muffins from the tin and let cool (I put the muffins in the sugar while warm).
- Combine cinnamon and sugar in a Ziploc bag. . Once the muffins have cooled (mine were still warm), brush each one with the melted butter. Then place a few muffins in the bag with the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Shake well to coat the muffins. Repeat.
Anna says
You probably packed the flour into the cup a little more than I do. I should have put a weight next to the flour amount, but of course that would have only helped if you had a scale. I usually fluff up the flour and use about 4.5 oz (weight) per 1 cup volume, but a cup can weigh anywhere from 4 to 6 oz depending on how the flour is measured. Glad people liked them anyway.
motherload blogger says
Well, it's preschool--so it goes nearly year-round for the benefit of working parents. The mini donut muffins were a hit! People were shocked that I made them since they looked so pro. I do wish they were ever so slight more moist though. Wonder if I over-mixed the batter?
Anna says
Wow, school goes on through July? No wonder kids in Berkeley are so smart. Good luck with the muffins!
motherload blogger says
Making these for my daughter's preschool party tomorrow. It's a groovy Berkeley place that tends to poo poo sugar, but hey--it's the last day of school, and I'm feeling rebellious!
James says
Donut Muffins are addictive 🙂 definitely a favortie
Sarah says
These were yummy, and a HUGE hit with the kids! A great treat to end the holiday weekend. Thanks!
Katherine says
These were a hit! Next time no need to half the recipe. Thanks!
averagebetty says
These are a must bake for this weekend with family!! Thanks for cutting the recipe in half.
Have a very Happy Thanksgiving Holiday, Anna!
Jamie at Creative Cupcake Recipes says
These look delicious. I love cinnamon. I've tried making my own buttermilk. I agree, you can just add a few drops of lemon juice to milk. I tried mixing one T evaporated milk, one T whole milk, and 2 drops of lemon juice.
Sheri says
I make these quite a bit! Everyone at work loves them, so that's where they usually end up. I love the idea of doing a mini version.
I use a recipe that was published by Fine Cooking (http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/doughnut_muffins.aspx) - these are the ones sold at Downtown Bakery in Healdsburg.
Katy says
I've been making these for years, using a recipe from our church's cookbook. They are delicious! I know them as "French Breakfast Puffs", although I'm not sure what's French about them...
UrMomCooks says
Yum!!! I have made these too! They are the best little bite ever! Everyone loves them - and around the holidays that is what it is all about!
Barbara says
All roads do indeed lead back to Betty Crocker!
These little donut muffins are gems, Anna!
Ryan says
I made a version of these a while ago. SOOO yummy. Not sure who originally came up with this idea but whoever it was was incredibly smart 😛
the blissful baker says
yum, these look so good! i'm really craving something sweet right now, so i might just bake up a batch of these!
Katrina says
I've seen these on many a blog over the years. And have wanted to make them, but never have. I know my boys would love them.
You can make homemade buttermilk by adding lemon juice or vinegar to regular milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes. So if you really want buttermilk, add a drop or two of lemon juice to the muffins. Or to the milk and let it sit a minute.
That is fun to see the trail of a recipe.
Anna says
Robyn, I am sure using regular milk won't make a difference. Chemically, the recipe gets plenty of acid from the baking powder, so the buttermilk is there for flavor. Also, the Betty Crocker recipe Louise dug up just calls for milk.
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/french-breakfast-puffs/8ad41733-6664-428f-b0c7-0033c1e1bee6
Robyn says
Except for the buttermilk, I've got everything on hand. So, honestly, how much of a difference can 1 T of buttermilk make in a recipe? Would I be totally missing out on the real deal if I used an extra T of milk and skipped the buttermilk altogether?
Just curious!
Sue says
I think it's interesting to find out the source of some of the old stand by recipes! The ones that our grandmas wrote down for us on recipe cards from their recipe cards. I think for a lot of us, this is one of those recipes. As always, thank you Anna!
Anna says
All roads lead back to Betty Crocker!
Chicken on the Green says
I am so glad you liked them! I think everyone does 🙂
Louise says
In Betty Crocker's Best-Loved Recipes, this recipe is called "French Breakfast Puffs" and uses shortening, not butter. They say the recipe for these sweet buns was first published in the 1920s on Washburn-Crosby flour recipe cards. The recipe came from Miss Esoline Beauregard in Florida, who sent it to Washburn-Crosby urging them to try her mother's wonderful recipe.
Anna says
Louise, I think they were work. Let me know if you make them!
Wow, these are popular. I'm going to have to link to everybody now! LOL. Sue, that recipe is similar. I guess the Blue Ribbon cookbook's is based on the same one yours is based on since you've had it forever.
Sue says
My kids loved these when they were young. My son especially loved them. I have a similar version that I posted here: http://basicallybaked.wordpress.com/category/muffins/
Michelle says
I've made these before and they are soooooo wonderful...I'll have to try your mini-version-they are darn-right cute!
Camille says
These are so cool and unique! Love it!
Liz @ Blog is the New Black says
I've made these and they are DELICIOUS. Looking at yours, I want to make them again! 😉
Louise says
I have one of the Wilton mini-fluted tube pans for muffin size stuff (makes 12). This looks like a perfect recipe for its use.