Easy Old Fashioned Donut Muffins (Baked, Not Fried!)

These Old Fashioned Donut Muffins are wonderfully dense and rich just like your favorite classic donut, offering that perfect crumb and delicious spiced flavor in an easy to make muffin form. I just adore how they capture the essence of a bakery favorite without needing a deep fryer. They are a surprisingly simple treat perfect for a relaxed weekend breakfast or a special holiday brunch.

Why I Adore These Donut Muffins

There’s something so comforting about a classic old fashioned donut, isn’t there? Growing up, a Saturday trip to the donut shop was a cherished ritual, often involving choosing that perfectly craggy, dense donut coated in a sweet glaze. For me, it wasn’t about the light and airy raised varieties. I always gravitated towards the substantial, cake like ones that felt like a real treat with every bite.

That’s exactly what drew me to developing a recipe for Old Fashioned Donut Muffins. They capture everything I love about those classic donuts but come out of my oven instead of a fryer. The texture is spot on dense yet tender with that signature rich flavor. Add the sweet glaze that sets with a slight crispness on top, and you have a muffin that truly channels its donut namesake. The warm notes of cinnamon and nutmeg also make them feel extra special, especially when the weather turns cooler or for holiday mornings.

Unpacking “Donut Muffins” What Are They Exactly

So, what makes a muffin qualify as a “donut muffin”? Essentially, it’s a clever way to recreate the flavor and texture of a cake donut using a muffin pan and an oven instead of hot oil. Cake donuts, unlike their yeasted, airy cousins, are made from a sweet, thick batter. Donut muffins use a similar type of batter.

The goal is often to achieve the dense, slightly crumbly texture characteristic of an old fashioned donut. While some recipes might use ingredients like sour cream to help with that density, this particular recipe achieves its wonderful crumb through a careful balance of fats like softened butter and vegetable oil combined with a specific mixing method. Once baked to golden perfection, these muffins get dipped (twice for good measure) into a simple, sweet glaze, which is really the magic touch that transforms them from simple muffins into something truly reminiscent of an old fashioned donut. It’s all the flavor and feel of the classic donut, baked right into a convenient muffin shape.

Gathering Your Ingredients for Old Fashioned Donut Muffins

Putting together these delightful muffins starts with having the right components ready. You will need a few standard pantry staples to create both the moist, flavorful muffin base and the signature sweet glaze that goes on top.

Here is what you will need on hand for this recipe:

For the Muffins

• Unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• Vegetable oil
• Granulated sugar
• Packed light brown sugar
• Large eggs
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Ground nutmeg
• Ground cinnamon
• Fine sea salt
• Vanilla extract
• All purpose flour
• Whole milk

For the Glaze

• Unsalted butter, melted
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Hot water

Having all your ingredients measured and ready before you begin mixing will make the process smoother and help ensure everything comes together just right.

Baking Up Your Old Fashioned Donut Muffins A Step by Step Guide

Creating these delicious donut muffins is a straightforward process, but paying attention to a few key details will ensure they turn out perfectly dense and tender with those lovely crinkled tops. Follow these steps and you’ll have warm, glazed donut muffins ready to enjoy in no time.

Here is how we make them:

1. Start by preparing your oven and muffin pan. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). Line a standard 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners. This helps prevent sticking and makes cleanup a breeze.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar. Use a sturdy wooden spoon or a rubber spatula to mix these ingredients together until they are well combined and the mixture looks smooth and creamy. Make sure your bowl is large enough to comfortably hold all the batter ingredients later.
3. Next, add the large eggs to the sugar and fat mixture. Add them one at a time, beating well with your spoon or spatula after each addition. Continue mixing until each egg is fully incorporated into the batter before adding the next one.
4. Now it’s time to add the dry leavening agents and spices. Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract. Mix these into the wet ingredients until they are just blended throughout the batter.
5. This is a crucial step for achieving the right texture, so pay close attention. You will now add the flour and milk to the batter alternately, starting with the flour and ending with the flour. Begin by folding in about one third of the all purpose flour. Use a rubber spatula and mix gently until the flour is just combined. Do not overmix. Then, pour in about half of the whole milk and stir gently until it’s incorporated. Add another third of the flour and mix until just combined. Pour in the remaining milk and stir gently. Finally, add the last portion of the flour and mix just until no dry streaks of flour remain. The key here is to mix gently and not overmix the batter at any stage. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour too much, which can result in tough muffins that don’t rise properly or have a dry crumb. It’s better to have a few small lumps or streaks of flour visible than to have a perfectly smooth batter. Using a rubber spatula with gentle folding motions (like scraping down the side, across the bottom, and up the other side of the bowl) is ideal here instead of a whisk or wooden spoon, especially when adding the flour.
6. Once your batter is ready, spoon it evenly into the prepared muffin cups lined with paper liners. Fill the cups quite full to get nice, domed tops on your muffins. An ice cream scoop can be helpful forportioning the batter neatly.
7. Bake the muffins in your preheated oven for 17 to 19 minutes. Keep an eye on them starting around the 17 minute mark. You can tell they are done baking when the tops spring back gently if you lightly touch the center. Avoid over baking as this can also lead to dry muffins. Once baked, remove the muffin tin from the oven and let the muffins cool in the pan for just a few minutes. Then, carefully transfer them from the muffin tin to a wire rack to cool completely. Let them cool on the rack for at least 10 minutes before moving on to the glazing step. Allowing them to cool slightly before glazing helps the glaze set properly.

Preparing the Signature Glaze

While your delicious donut muffins are cooling down slightly on the wire rack, you can whip up the simple yet essential glaze that gives them their classic finish. This glaze is quick to make and provides that sweet, slightly crisp exterior layer that is so characteristic of old fashioned donuts.

Here’s how to prepare the glaze:

1. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the melted unsalted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and the hot water. Continue whisking until the mixture is completely smooth and free of lumps. The consistency should be pourable but not too thin. If it seems too thick, you can add another tiny splash of hot water (about a teaspoon at a time) until you reach the desired consistency. If it’s too thin, you can whisk in a little more powdered sugar.

The Final Touch Glazing Your Muffins

Applying the glaze is the step that truly transforms these spiced muffins into Old Fashioned Donut Muffins. Dipping them while they are still warm allows some of that sweet glaze to soak in slightly, and dipping them twice creates a beautiful, thick coating just like you’d find on a bakery donut.

Follow these steps to glaze your cooled muffins:

1. Once the muffins have cooled for at least 10 minutes on the wire rack and the glaze is ready, take each muffin and dip the top into the bowl of prepared glaze. Make sure the entire top surface is coated.
2. Lift the muffin out of the glaze and let any excess glaze drip back into the bowl. Place the glazed muffin back onto the wire rack. Allow the first layer of glaze to set and harden slightly. This might take a few minutes.
3. For an extra layer of flavor and that beautiful thick, crinkly glaze texture, dip the top of each muffin into the glaze a second time after the first layer has partially set. Again, let any excess drip off before placing it back on the wire rack. Let the glaze set completely before serving. This might take another 15-30 minutes depending on the humidity.

Creative Twists Recipe Variations for Your Donut Muffins

The wonderful thing about baking at home is the freedom you have to play around with recipes and make them uniquely yours. These Old Fashioned Donut Muffins are a fantastic base, and you can easily experiment with different additions to change up the flavor and texture. Don’t hesitate to try any of these suggestions or dream up some of your own.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Introduce Fruit: For a touch of fruity sweetness and moisture, try adding diced apple or pear to the batter. You’ll want to peel the fruit first, then dice it into small, bite sized pieces. Measure about 1 cup of diced fruit. Toss the fruit pieces with a tablespoon or two of the dry flour mixture before you combine the wet and dry ingredients. Coating the fruit helps prevent it from sinking to the bottom of the muffins during baking. This can give them a lovely, spiced apple fritter like quality.
• Mix in Nuts: Adding toasted nuts provides a wonderful crunch and depth of flavor. Chopped pecans, almonds, or walnuts work beautifully. Toasting the nuts beforehand really enhances their taste and aroma compared to using raw nuts. You can stir about 1/2 to 1 cup of toasted, chopped nuts into the dry ingredients before adding the wet ones. Alternatively, you could sprinkle some toasted nuts on top of the glazed muffins before the glaze fully sets. To toast nuts, spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 to 10 minutes, watching carefully so they don’t burn. You will know they are done when they smell fragrant and are lightly golden.
• Top with Toasted Coconut: If you love coconut, sprinkling toasted coconut flakes on top of the warm, glazed muffins is a delicious addition. The slightly chewy texture of the coconut complements the soft muffin perfectly. Toast the coconut in the oven just like the nuts. Spread flakes on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and fragrant.
• Fold in Dried Fruit: Dried fruits like raisins, cranberries, dried cherries, or even dried blueberries can add little bursts of chewy sweetness throughout the muffins. Add about 1/2 cup of your chosen dried fruit to the dry ingredients along with the flour and spices. Toss everything together to coat the dried fruit pieces. This helps distribute them more evenly in the batter.

Feel free to mix and match these ideas too. A cranberry pecan donut muffin sounds absolutely divine, doesn’t it?

Common Questions About Old Fashioned Donut Muffins

As with any baking project, a few questions often come up. Here are some common queries about making these delicious Old Fashioned Donut Muffins, along with some helpful answers to guide you.

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