Doughnut Muffins

Recipe by PJ Hamel
424 Reviews 4.7 out of 5 stars

This basic muffin is not your stir-it-gently, dense, fruit-and-nut-filled health muffin. Instead, it's a beat-it-up, cake-type muffin, high-crowned and very "vanilla-looking." This is a great muffin for kids (young or old) who don't want a lot of "stuff" in their muffins. With its basic sugar-cinnamon-nutmeg flavor, it's more reminiscent of a plain doughnut (without the deep-fat frying) than anything else.

As plain as it is (which is just the way some people like things), it's a good candidate for additions of dried fruit and/or nuts to the batter, as well as a garnish of flavorful jam or preserves when serving time rolls around.

Prep
10 mins
Bake
15 to 17 mins
Total
25 mins
Yield
12 muffins
Save Recipe
Doughnut Muffins

Instructions

Prevent your screen from going dark as you follow along.

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a standard muffin tin. Or line with 12 paper or silicone muffin cups, and grease the cups with non-stick vegetable oil spray; this will ensure that they peel off the muffins nicely.

  2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the butter, vegetable oil, and sugars till smooth.

  3. Add the eggs, beating to combine.

  4. Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla.

  5. Stir the flour into the butter mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour and making sure everything is thoroughly combined.

  6. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pan, filling the cups nearly full.

  7. Bake the muffins for 15 to 17 minutes, or until they're a pale golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the middle of one of the center muffins comes out clean.

  8. Remove them from the oven, and let them cool for a couple of minutes, or until you can handle them. While they're cooling, melt the butter for the topping (this is easily done in the microwave).

  9. Use a pastry brush to paint the top of each muffin with the butter, then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Or simply dip the tops of muffins into the melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar.

  10. Serve warm, or cool on a rack and wrap airtight. Store for a day or so at room temperature.

Tips from our Bakers

  • Here's an easy way to reduce the carbs and calories in this recipe: substitute King Arthur Baking Sugar Alternative, cup for cup, for the sugar(s) called for. Be sure to substitute by volume (not weight); follow mixing directions as written. Use the designated oven temperature called for in the recipe. Since our Baking Sugar Alternative will bake and brown more quickly, start checking for doneness three-quarters of the way through the suggested bake time.

  • Want to make "real" doughnuts — but baked, not fried? These are simply scrumptious. Spoon the batter into our lightly greased doughnut pan, filling the wells to about 1/4" shy of the rim. Bake in a preheated 425°F oven for 10 minutes; remove from the oven, and shake warm doughnuts in a bag of cinnamon sugar (no dipping in butter necessary). The recipe makes 12 to 14 doughnuts, depending on how full you fill the wells in the pan, so you'll have to bake in at least two batches (unless you have two pans).

  • For mini muffins, reduce the baking time to 12 to 13 minutes. Yield: about 30.

  • Looking for a gluten-free version of this recipe? Find it here: Gluten-Free Doughnut Muffins.

  • Join King Arthur baking instructor, Libby Treadway and her son as they bake Doughnut Muffins together from start to finish. Watch Baking Doughnut Muffins With Kids now.

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