My Easy Donut Muffins Taste Like an Old-Fashioned Donut Without the Frying

Back when I was a budding baker at Two Fat Cats Bakery in Portland, Maine, we were looking to expand our breakfast selection. When the owner considered trying out donuts, investing in a fryer or specialty donut pans deterred her. While she certainly wasn’t the first to create them, donut muffins allowed us to test the waters. Customers loved them so much that we decided to keep baking them as muffins and forgot about the frying equipment altogether.

I still turn to donut muffins for a home-baked treat on weekend mornings. Old-fashioned donut muffins skip the frying for a quick bake that I can make as soon as a donut craving hits. I don’t have to get my mixer out, cut the dough, or deal with the messy splatter of hot oil on my kitchen backsplash.

My Ideal Old-Fashioned Donut Muffin

While I was inspired by the muffins from my days at the bakery, I’ve ended up with my own ideal version of old-fashioned donut muffins. This recipe uses both melted butter and oil for a moist, fluffy crumb and lots of flavor. Sour cream adds a subtle tanginess and a tender texture. 

And no old-fashioned donut, traditional or muffin-shaped, would be complete without plenty of nutmeg. A final roll in a cinnamon-sugar coating delivers a satisfyingly spiced crunch.

The Secret to a Convincing Old-Fashioned Donut Texture

Old-fashioned donuts are typically made with either buttermilk or sour cream, giving them a rich flavor and tender texture. While I don’t remember the full recipe from Two Fat Cats Bakery (and it’s not mine to take anyway), we always used sour cream for our donut muffins, and I still do at home years later.

Sour cream contributes a pleasant tanginess and richness to these old-fashioned donut muffins, but it adds more than just flavor. The acid in sour cream reacts with alkaline baking soda, providing extra lift that translates to fluffier muffins. Sour cream has more fat than buttermilk, and that fat inhibits gluten formation, resulting in an extra-tender crumb.

Coating Variations

I love the play between the nutmeg-scented muffins and the cinnamon in the coating, and the crunch of the granulated sugar takes them over the top. But if you prefer a powdered sugar or a glaze on your old-fashioned donuts, here’s how to do it:

• Powdered sugar: Instead of granulated sugar, coat the muffins with powdered sugar. Sift 1 cup (113g) powdered sugar into a wide, shallow bowl. For cinnamon powdered sugar, add 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon.
• Glazed donut muffins: Whisk together 2 cups (227g) powdered sugar, 1/4 cup (60ml) milk, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Working with one muffin at a time, dip each muffin in the glaze, turning to coat evenly. Use 2 forks to remove from the glaze and allow the excess to run off. Place on a wire rack until the glaze is set.

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