Mini Pumpkin Spice Donut Muffins

Mini Pumpkin Spice Donut Muffins! These petite pumpkin spice muffins imitate a breakfast favorite with a sugar and spice-encrusted dome. All of the flavors of fall rolled up into a tasty breakfast or brunch treat! 

October is here and you know what that means. Pumpkins-a-plenty!

I saw the pumpkins, pumpkin spice treats and canned pumpkin start to pop up at grocery stores a few weeks ago, but I just wasn’t ready to dive in to pumpkin recipes until I flipped the calendar page to October. Now that it’s official, I’m going “out of my gourd” with all kinds of pumpkin-filled ideas that I’ll be sharing over the next few weeks. {Sorry, I can’t help myself sometimes.}

I know that many of you can’t get enough pumpkin-spiced eats this time of year, and you’re ready to consume them morning, noon and night. Truth be told, I could take or leave the wildly popular flavor, although I’ve come across several pumpkiny recipes that I don’t mind busting out year after year. But for you, my friends… for you, I will gladly make my house smell like a bag of autumn potpourri if it means I crank out some recipes that will become your annual favorites, too.

So, in the words of the iconic Julie Andrews, “Let’s start at the very beginning…” — Breakfast! It’s a very good place to start, don’t you think?

These Mini Pumpkin Spice Donut Muffins are such a cute way to infuse your fall mornings with a taste of the season. These little muffins bake up with a perfectly round dome that beckons to be dunked in butter and rolled in a sugar and spice blend that gives them their “donut-like” flavor and texture. They’re a great treat to bake up if you’re hosting a fall breakfast or brunch, or to send along as a special surprise in lunchboxes.

The recipe I adapted these from makes a dozen regular-sized muffins, but I tweaked it just a bit and ended up with about 20 mini pumpkin muffins. If you need to make a larger batch, simply double the recipe and you should have enough petite pumpkin bites to feed a crowd. {Or a few people who are really hungry for muffins.}

These muffins are on the dense side, resembling the inside of a cake donut, but the the pumpkin puree and few tablespoons of coconut oil ensure that they’re not bone dry. I think they’re the perfect texture for enjoying with some coffee. I know what you’re thinking you crazy pumpkin-lover you… make it a PSL, if you must.

Mini Pumpkin Spice Donut Muffins

Mini Pumpkin Spice Donut Muffins! These petite pumpkin spice muffins imitate a breakfast favorite with a sugar and spice-encrusted dome. All of the flavors of fall rolled up into a tasty breakfast or brunch treat! 

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Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Snack

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Servings 20 mini muffins

Author Dianna Muscari

Ingredients  

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil or vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 egg
• ¾ teaspoons baking powder
• ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice blend
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ⅓ cups all purpose flour
• ½ cup milk {I used almond milk you can use your preferred type}

For Topping

• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice blend
• 3 tablespoons butter melted

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prepare 2 mini muffin tins by lightly spraying or oiling each well. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer {or in a large bowl with a hand mixer}, beat together the butter, coconut oil, pumpkin puree, granulated sugar and brown sugar until mostly smooth.
• Add the egg and beat until combined. Add the baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice, salt and and vanilla extract; beat until fully incorporated.
• Add 1/3 of the flour to the mixture, mixing until it just disappears, then alternate adding the milk and flour. {So, 1/3 of the flour, 1/2 the milk, 1/3 of the flour, other 1/2 of the milk, and then last bit of flour. Don't know why that's so hard to explain in words.}
• Using a small scoop, scoop the batter into the prepared tins filling almost to the top. Bake for 10-11 minutes or until domed and lightly golden. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean when finished.
• Remove from oven and gently tap the tins on the counter to loosen the muffins. Cool for a few minutes until you're able to handle them.
• Set up the topping station -- In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and the pumpkin spice blend until well combined. Dip the top of each muffin in the melted butter, allowing the excess to drip off before dunking and rolling in the sugar mixture. Allow to set a few minutes before serving.

Dianna's Tips

This recipe was adapted from King Arthur Flour.