Four years ago at our first ever Potluck, Jen Tilley from the blog How To: Simplify brought Doughnut Muffins as her contribution to the feast. Every time we have a Potluck there’s a recipe that everyone “has to have!” and in 2010, that was the recipe that everyone collectively gushed about. They were that good. As we pondered what baked goods we could bring to the blog this autumn, Jen’s doughnuts came to mind and we worked hard to develop a recipe for Mini Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins.
We love the comedian Jim Gaffigan and his bit on mini muffins: “How much denial are we in when we’re eating mini muffins? I’m just gonna have like one…or twelve. They’re so small they don’t even count!” Jokes aside, it’s hard to eat just one, but we tried to make the Mini Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins a little healthier: brown sugar instead of white, coconut oil instead of vegetable oil or butter, and what isn’t healthier with the addition of yogurt? We’ve so enjoyed these at tea time. A milky cup of Earl Grey Tea and a couple (not twelve!) of these mini muffins really hits the seasonal spot!
- 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup melted butter or coconut oil
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup plain yogurt (not Greek)
- Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- ¾ granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup melted butter or coconut oil
- Bring pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and ginger to a sputtery simmer in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture starts to stick to the pan bottom, 5 to 7 minutes; cool to room temperature.
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Mix butter (or coconut oil), brown sugar, eggs, and yogurt in a medium bowl; Stir in pumpkin puree. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Scoop mixture into mini muffin tins and bake until set and browned, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool a couple of minutes then remove from pan and set on a wire rack.
- Mix sugar and cinnamon. Working one at a time, dip muffin top in butter (or coconut oil) then dredge in cinnamon sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.
For the topping, is it 3/4 cup granulated sugar?
Donut muffins are so delicious and this recipe is awesome! Definitely need to try.
I tried to submit this earlier, for the topping should it read: 3/4 cup granulated sugar?
Yes, Linda, the topping recipe reads 3/4 cup granulated sugar. Is that not what it says for you?
The recipe for the topping sugar reads as:
3/4 granulated sugar
The ‘cup’ measurement is what’s missing.
Eating them warm out of the oven on the first fall-like day SoCal has seen. Perfect!! But I’m curious whether you cook with a gas or electric oven. I have a gas oven and mine came out really dark on the bottom using the lower middle shelf, so I moved them up and the second batch seemed a little better.
Hey Alice, It might be that your oven seal is not as strong as it should be, which means air escapes and keeps the oven in preheat mode, meaning things are more likely to burn. I’m glad you figured out a solution!
Gosh, these little guys do look like mini doughnuts. And they probably taste like it too by the looks
of the recipe. Oh gosh, I am in trouble—-BIG trouble.
The only yogurt I have in the fridge is nonfat greek, but I want to try these. Can you describe why one shouldn’t use greek yogurt in this recipe?
Hey Lynne,
Greek yogurt doesn’t work because much of its liquid has been drained. YOu can use Greek yogurt–just make sure you add enough milk (or water) back in to replicate the consistency of regular yogurt. Good luck!