There's a lot to love about these pumpkin spice donut muffins! Baked with real pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices and coated with cinnamon sugar, they're packed with delicious fall flavor. Plus they're quick and easy to make and bake in a muffin pan (recipe includes instructions for both regular-sized or mini muffins)!
Is anyone else a big fan of breakfast treats that can pull double duty dessert, or is that just me? Because believe me when I tell you that no one would be disappointed if you served these pumpkin spice donut muffins for dessert!
These donut muffins combine some of fall's best flavors - real pumpkin, pumpkin pie spices, and a generous coating of cinnamon sugar - into one deliciously simple fall treat. They're soft and moist, like your favorite cake donut, but, unlike donuts, they're quick and easy to make. AND they're baked in a muffin pan (regular-sized or mini, you choose!), so there's no special equipment necessary. You don't even need to pull out your stand mixer; just a couple of bowls, and whisk, and a wooden spoon will do!
How to Make Pumpkin Spice Donut Muffins from Scratch (Quick & Easy!)
- In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice), and salt.
- In a medium bowl, combine pumpkin purée, brown sugar, milk, egg white, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.
- Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir just until combined, being careful not to over mix the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly among the muffin wells in a greased muffin pan. You can use either a regular-sized or mini muffin pan for this recipe, and I've included bake times for each within the recipe.
- Bake the donut muffins until they become domed on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Prepare the cinnamon sugar coating by melting butter in a small, heat-safe bowl. In another small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon.
- Working one at a time, dip each donut muffin in the butter, coating all sides and allowing excess butter to drip off, then roll each donut muffin in the cinnamon sugar mixture, once again coating all sides.
- Enjoy!
Love these pumpkin spice donut muffins? Leave a review and be sure to check out these other easy fall recipes!
Pumpkin Spice Donut Muffins
Ingredients
for the donut muffins:
- ⅞ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch of ground cloves
- pinch of ground allspice
- ⅜ cup pumpkin purée*
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup milk room temperature
- 1 large egg white room temperature
- 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
for the cinnamon sugar topping:
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a muffin pan (regular or mini-sized) with cooking spray and set aside.
Make the muffin batter.
- In a small bowl, add the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, add the pumpkin purée, brown sugar, milk, egg white, oil, and vanilla. Whisk until well blended and smooth.
- Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir just until combined, being careful not to over mix the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly among the muffin wells in the prepared muffin pan. For regular-sized donut muffins, divide the batter among 6 muffin wells. For mini donut muffins, divide the batter among 16 mini muffin wells.
Bake the donut muffins.
- Bake the donut muffins until they become domed on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 22 minutes for regular-sized donut muffins and 12-14 minutes for mini donut muffins. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 2 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. (NOTE: It is not necessary for the donut muffins to cool completely before coating them with cinnamon sugar and serving. If you plan to serve the donut muffins immediately while still warm, simply let them cool until they're cool enough to handle before proceeding with the next steps.)
Prepare the cinnamon sugar coating.
- (NOTE: See note regarding storing the donut muffins prior to coating them in cinnamon sugar.) In a small, heat-safe bowl, melt the butter. Set aside.
- In another small bowl, add the sugar and cinnamon and whisk to combine.
- Working one at a time, dip each donut muffin in the butter, coating all sides and allowing excess butter to drip off, then roll each donut muffin in the cinnamon sugar mixture, once again coating all sides. Serve immediately or store (see storage tips below).
Callan
These were absolutely delish! I doubled the recipe so I could have both regular and mini sized 🙂 Texture is a perfect mix of muffin and donut, and the cinnamon sugar tied it all together! Simple and delicious.
Allison
Thank you so much for your review, Callan! I'm glad you love this recipe as much as I do!
- Allison
Rita
What is the amount of flour needed? It says 7/8 Cup.
Allison
Hi Rita! The flour was for this recipe was measured by volume, and the recipe calls for 7/8 cup (which equals 3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons). If you're looking for the measurement by weight, it would be 105 grams of all-purpose flour.
- Allison