Mini Pumpkin Donut Muffins

Mini pumpkin donut muffins will put you in the fall mood! These bite-sized donut holes are made in a mini muffin pan and pair perfectly with your morning coffee.

The leaves are changing color, the air is brisk and all the pumpkin-flavored treats are here to put us in the fall mood. I made a cup of Starbucks pumpkin spice ground coffee this morning and got to work on my latest recipe—mini pumpkin donut muffins.

At the end of summer, I start craving all the fall cliches. You know, wearing cozy sweaters and boots, going leaf peeping and pumpkin picking. What can I say, I’m from New England!

You can only imagine how excited I was when I heard Starbucks had released its pumpkin spice latte blend in stores this year. When I lived in NYC, I would walk around the corner to pick up a cup, but now I can make the coffee at home!

I brewed myself a cup and the aromas of fall filled my kitchen (think pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg). Naturally, this inspired me to bake a pumpkin-flavored treat. What better to go with a pumpkin spice latte then mini pumpkin donut muffins?

I adore donut holes. Just pop one in your mouth and you have your donut fix! If you have a mini muffin tin, donut holes are incredibly easy to make at home. Simply scoop heaping tablespoonfuls of batter into a grease mini muffin dish and bake!

If you have a big appetite, this recipe also works in a regular muffin tin. All you have to do is increase the baking time to 30 minutes!

Pumpkin donut muffins have the best fall flavors. Along with the pumpkin pureé, the recipe includes brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Now you can see how sipping my Starbucks® Pumpkin Spice ground coffee inspired my recipe!

And for extra flavor, I brushed the donut holes with butter and dipped them in cinnamon sugar. Who wouldn’t want a bite of that for breakfast?

Enjoy these mini pumpkin donut muffins on a brisk fall morning with your favorite cup of coffee. If it’s a pumpkin spice latte, no judgement here!

5 from 1 vote

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Mini Pumpkin Donut Muffins

Mini pumpkin donut muffins will put you in the fall mood! These bite-sized donut holes are made in a mini muffin pan and pair perfectly with your morning coffee.

Course Breakfast

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 30 mini pumpkin donut muffins

Author Haley D Williams

Ingredients

For the Muffins:

• 10 tablespoons (141 g or 5 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1¼ cups (300 g) pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar packed
• 2 eggs

For the Cinnamon-Sugar Coating:

• ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter, melted
• ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a mini muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Make the Mini Muffins

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and pumpkin. Set both bowls aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, about 1 minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. Reduce the mixer speed to low, then add about one-third of the flour mixture. Add half the pumpkin mixture. Repeat adding flour and pumpkin. Add remaining flour mixture and beat until barely combined. Turn off the mixer and fold the batter a few times with a rubber spatula to catch any pockets of flour that weren’t incorporated.
4. Scoop about a heaping tablespoon of batter into prepared mini muffin tin. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let the muffins cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Make the Cinnamon-Sugar Coating

1. While the muffins are cooling, stir together the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl. One muffin at a time, brush all over with the melted butter, then toss to coat in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Return muffin to the wire rack and let cool completely.
2. Serve mini pumpkin donut muffins with a freshly brewed cup of Starbucks® Pumpkin Spice ground coffee.

Recipe Notes

• Best when eaten the day of. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
• Recipe also works in regular sized muffin pan. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full with batter and increase baking time to 28-30 minutes.