My favourite doughnuts are those ones filled with jam, with a thick coating of sugar that sticks to your fingers and lips, and gives a crunch when you bite into the soft donut. When I want that in a hurry, I make these jam donut muffins – cinnamon sugar donuts with a raspberry jam filling.
Muffins are always a winner and for so many reasons. They are super speedy and super easy to make – just two bowls, a muffin tin – nothing fancy or difficult. Perfectly portioned for one and with no need for frosting (unless it’s just a light icing drizzle like my coffee cake muffins), they make great snacks or lunchbox treats. These easy muffins taste just like donuts but are lighter and no need to deep-fry.
If you’re a muffin lover like me, you’ll also love these Caramel Apple Muffins and these Carrot Cake Muffins.
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How to make donut muffins
Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.
These cinnamon sugar donut muffins truly are so easy to make. Just one bowl for the batter and the jam is baked right in the middle. Then when they’re out of the oven, they get a quick coat in butter and cinnamon sugar.
- These cinnamon sugar muffins start with a simple cinnamon muffin batter that you can make in roughly 10 minutes or less. Mix the dry ingredients in one large bowl, whisk the wet in another, then combine them (images 1&2).
- Fill muffin tin holes, nearly halfway with the batter, then add your favourite jam and top it with more batter (images 3&4). That’s right, the jam is baked inside so there is no messing around with trying to pipe jam in after they’re baked.
- Brush them with a little butter – I don’t dunk them in butter so they don’t soak it all in, just brush it over the outside – then roll them in a cinnamon sugar coating (images 5&6).
These cinnamon donut muffins are glorious when eaten still warm (given just long enough for the molten lava jam to cool slightly) and this is definitely the best way to enjoy them.
Tips and tricks for cinnamon muffins
- Measure your ingredients properly as too much or not enough of anything can change the results. Weighing, using kitchen scales, is best but you can also spoon the ingredients into cup measures and level off with a knife. Never scoop.
- Mix the wet and dry ingredients separately before combining. This helps everything incorporate evenly.
- Grease your pan well or use muffin papers in your tin. I like to just grease the pan, so the muffins are sealed all around when you brush on the butter.
- All ovens vary, so check them 1-2 minutes before the time is up.
- Let them cool for about 10 minutes in the tin before trying to remove them – this helps them release a little easier.
- Remove them from the pan with care as they can break open if you’re too rough. If they aren’t coming away from the sides easily, run a flexible plastic knife around the edge to help.
- It helps to make more cinnamon sugar than the recipe calls for so that you can easily roll the muffins through it.
Variations and Substitutions
- Jam: use any flavour jam you like or even swap it for Nutella or peanut butter.
- Miniature muffins: you can make mini doughnut muffins in a mini muffin pan using this recipe. It will make about 36 muffins though so feel free to halve the recipe and bake them for only 9 minutes. To fit more jam in, leave it out before baking and instead cut a hole in the top of the muffin and fill it with jam at the end.
Storage
They will keep well for 3-4 days at room temperature in an airtight container, if you have any left, and stay relatively fluffy too. Feel free to give them a 5 second pep up in the microwave before you eat them too.
More muffin recipes you’ll love
- Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins
- Pistachio Chocolate Chocolate Muffins
- Buttermilk Blueberry Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Coffee Cake Muffins
- Blueberry Orange Muffins
More delicious cinnamon recipes
Did you try this recipe for donut muffins?
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Ingredients
FOR THE BATTER
- 295 g plain flour (all-purpose flour) (2 ¼ cups / 10.4oz)
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup white granulated sugar (150g / 5.3oz)
- 2 large eggs, room temp
- ¾ cup milk, room temp (180ml)
- ½ cup vegetable oil (125ml)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup raspberry jam
FOR DIPPING
- 57 g unsalted butter, melted (¼ cup / ½ stick)
- ⅓ cup white granulated sugar (66g / 2.3oz)
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
Instructions
- PREP: Preheat the oven to 200C / 375F / 180C fan forced. Generously grease a standard 12 hole muffin tin, or line with muffin liners.
- DRY INGREDIENTS: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and sugar until thoroughly combined.
- WET INGREDIENTS: Whisk the eggs together until frothy on top. Add the milk, oil and vanilla and whisk thoroughly to combine.
- COMBINE INGREDIENTS: Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir with a spatula until just combined.
- ASSEMBLE: Spoon a 2 tablespoons of batter into each muffin cup, then make a small well in the centre of each. Add 1 ½ teaspoons of jam to each well, then top with batter right up to the top
- BAKE: Bake for roughly 15-16 minutes – a toothpick should come out clean. Allow them to cool for 5 minutes.
- TO COAT: Brush the muffins with the melted butter. Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, then roll the muffins in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat.
- Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.
Notes
- I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equivalent to 4 teaspoons worldwide). Many countries have a standard 15ml – check before measuring.
- For best results, you should always weigh ingredients like flour and sugar. Kitchen scales are relatively cheap but if you can’t weigh the ingredients, use the spoon and level method (don’t scoop).
- All ovens vary – always test for doneness 1-3 minutes before the recipe suggest
- It helps to make more cinnamon sugar than the recipe calls for so that you can easily roll the muffins through it.
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12 Comments on “Donut Muffins”
Can I use any other filling -like Nutella?
You sure can. Any kind of spread, jam or preserves. Nutella, Biscoff, caramel, peanut butter – they’ll all work.
Hi, I have a silly question, do you have ant tips on how to clean a muffin pan easily if not using liners. I really battle with this. Thank you for this recipe, definitely going to try them this weekend.
Hi Valerie. To be honest, I generally just use the dishwasher but if you don’t have one or like to use it, the best way is to let it soak if there’s stuck on bits first, then just wash as normal with hot soapy water and a sponge.
Hi, how long do I need to bake these in a normal size muffin tin please? And how many would this make?
Thanks x
Hi Kell, It will depend on the size of your tin but will probably make 8-12 regular sized muffins. Bake for around 18 minutes.
Oh these are the perfect bites of treat. I’ll have them with my afternoon tea, yum!
Thanks Trang, enjoy 🙂
While I’m not really a muffin person myself, I was sold on the donut part. Also, I was sold on the “baked donut” part. And also on the “filled baked donut” part. As you can see, it was rather to easy to get my attention 🙂 Delicious!
‘Filled baked donut’ does sound good 🙂
Marie, these little donut muffins are so adorable! I love the simplicity of the cinnamon sugar and you know, I am always looking for a vehicle for my favorite jam! These are perfect!
Thanks so much Kelly