Bite sized Pumpkin Donut Muffins! Roll your baked pumpkin mini donuts in butter and cinnamon sugar for a bite sized breakfast treat no one can resist.
Everyone loves pumpkin for breakfast, right? Be sure to give our Pumpkin Streusel Donut recipe a try next! Or bake up a batch of Starbucks Pumpkin Scones. Both are freezer friendly!
Why this recipe works
When you can’t decide between donuts and muffins, this recipe gets you both!
These are baked like pumpkin muffins, conveniently bite sized like a donut hole and with a taste that stradles the line between fry cake and fluffy muffin.
They remind me of my favorite cinnamon sugar muffins only, with a pumpkin twist!
Since I’m into all things pumpkin in the fall, it was only a matter of time before I needed to make pumpkin donuts.
This recipe combines pumpkin and cinnamon sugar–my two favorite flavors to accompany my morning coffee. Pumpkin Donut Muffins freeze well too, so bake a big batch now and save some for later!
If you love today’s muffins, be sure to add our copycat Starbucks pumpkin muffins to your baking list!
Ingredient Notes
Aimee’s Reminder
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the blog post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements and directions.
- Pumpkin puree – You need real, canned pumpkin to make this recipe, NOT pumpkin pie mix.
- Cinnamon – I use both ground cinnamon and allspice in the batter AND more cinnamon in the topping. You can swap it out for equal amounts of pumpkin pie spice too.
- Unsalted butter – You can sub salted butter if needed, just reduce the salt in the recipe a bit to compensate.
PRO TIP- We love making our own homemade vanilla extract, but if using store bought, be sure it’s pure extract, not imitation (for best flavor).
Step by Step Instructions
- Make the muffin batter. Beat butter and sugar until it’s creamy, then add the egg, vanilla and pumpkin puree. Add the dry ingredients and blend to combine.
- Bake. Fill the cavities of a greased mini muffin tin about half way full. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the donuts to cool.
- Roll in cinnamon sugar. Combine cinnamon and sugar on a plate. Roll the cooled donuts in melted butter, then dip them into the cinnamon sugar, rolling to coat completely.
Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container. . . or freeze in a ziploc bag! These are so delicious with your coffee in the morning but just as good as a snack or a party food.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! If using a regular muffin tin, double the recipe and fill the cavities about 2/3 of the way full to get a rounded muffin top that you can dip in melted butter and cinnamon sugar. You’ll need to add a few minutes of baking time, too.
I use a tablespoon cookie scoop to measure a precise amount of batter into each mini muffin tin. You only want to fill them up HALF the way so they’ll come out with a flat bottom and nicely round on the sides and top.
If you’re freezing the donut holes, they should stay good for up to 3 months. Pull them out of the freezer to thaw at room temperature the night before.
More Breakfast Recipes
- Pumpkin Waffles
- Waffle Mix– make your own waffles!
- Sopapilla Cheesecake
- Apple Cider Donuts
- Blueberry Muffins
- Powdered Sugar Donut Holes
Easy Muffin Recipes
See all Muffins recipes
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Pumpkin Donut Muffins
Ingredients
For the muffins:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup pure pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the topping:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a mixer, blend butter and sugar until creamy. Add in egg and vanilla, beat until combined. Blend in pumpkin puree. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, allspice and cinnamon.
- Fill cavities of a greased mini muffin pan about half full (I use a metal 1Tbsp scoop). Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 10 minutes. Remove and cool on wire rack.
- Meanwhile, mix cinnamon and sugar and a small bowl. In a separate bowl, melt butter.
- Dip each muffin top into the melted butter then into the cinnamon sugar mix. Repeat until all muffins are dipped. Store in an airtight container for up to one week. Or freeze for up to one month.
Notes
- I use baking spray, such as Pam for Baking, to lightly coat my mini muffin pans.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice- swap out the cinnamon and allspice in the batter for 1 tsp homemade pumpkin pie spice blend.
- Whip up a batch of homemade cinnamon sugar, or use the store bought blend.
Nutrition
Part donut, part muffin, this Pumpkin Donut Muffins with cinnamon sugar are a fall favorite.
I can help with your freshman’s English homework. I’ve taught that class before. I’m much more into making donut muffins right now, though.
I received the email for this recipe and made them today and all I can say is WOW!!! These are so good and I dipped the whole muffin in butter and sugar mixture. I will be making these a lot. I happen to have little muffin pans and they came out perfect.
My brain always goes on shut down when the kids start asking questions!
These remind me of a muffin I used to make, but sans pumpkin. I bet these are so good especially for an after school snack!
Pumpkin donut muffins have been on my to do list for too long. I don’t care if they’re rolled in butter, they look like they’re worth every single bite!
I would love a dozen of these for physics and geometry tests! I keep seeing pumpkin donut muffins and I am DYING to try some. I love how easy these are and how cute and fun sized, too!
Oh they are so easy, you must try them!!!
hehe! You provide the nutrition, hubby provides the homework help. It sounds like a fair deal 🙂 Do you still work as a nurse? Just curious 🙂
Total win for everyone!
I actually “retired” from nursing before my third child was born! 🙂
And HEY! Just saw you’re on the list for the dairy tour…can’t wait to see you!!
These little pumpkin doughnut muffins look awesome! I’ve always wanted to try making something like this. Oh well, it’s going to have to go on my “to-bake” list!
Pinned.
I’d call them muffins so I could get away with eating a dozen of these for breakfast!
I love how you think Eva!!
I’m feeling just about the same way with my girl’s homework and she’s only in second grade. I hate to think what it’ll be like as she gets older. You’re scaring me. 🙂 I love, love, love these muffins. Cinnamon sugar coating is fantastic, but pumpkin muffins make me swoon. A match made in heaven.
Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. Want a muffin???
Yay for donut muffins! They are so cute and tiny, I might just eat the entire recipe’w worth on my own. :O (sssshhh please don’t tell!)
I made the pumpkin donut muffins the other day. I called them pumpkin donut holes. The entire family gobbled them up. They were wonderful in the morning with some coffee.
I have a problem with stopping myself from eating the entire batch!
I love doughnut muffins and pumpkin makes them all the better! The kids homework drives me crazy! The math is all done in some confusing way and the kids tell me no Mom your not doing it right it has to be like this, when I try to do math the conventional way.
These look great 🙂 I don’t have anyone to help with homework, but I can’t imagine I would do much better.
I never knew you were an RN!!! Omg I can seen you as being the best nurse EVER! Wow, did not know this! 4 yrs of reading your blog and I didnt know!
Anyway I was looking at my 6 yr old’s math last night…and I honestly had to stop doing the dishes and actually focus in order to help her. Cubic volume of stuff and things that just make me shudder. And I went to grad school. In psychology. NOT MATH! lol
These muffins remind me of something I made for my other project. I know how good they must be. I made some almost like it 🙂
Yep. I especially loved the food in the break room. That’s where all the recipe swaps happened 🙂 I’m retired now though…
I can’t wait for that project to be done!! Want to see want to see!!!!
That is the most important thing that they taste great! 🙂 and they really look incredibly good 😉
Well I could eat these everyday! Goodness Aimee, delicious! Thanks for the link love too!
I can’t do homework either. The other night I tried to help my daughter with math…let’s just say my answer was wrong. Uuggghh just pass me the bowl of muffins! I’m better at eating yummy pumpkin goodies!!!
I totally hear you on the homework, girl! I have a tutor come to help my son but it is for different reasons, it’s because I’m impatient and I might strangle him. Or he might strangle me!
These muffins look divine! I could pop a good dozen of these in my face right now!
These look SO good! Love the cinnamon sugar on the tops!!