These dense, slightly tangy, cinnamon-sugar-coated muffins by Bruce and Eric Bromberg are the way to feed a donut craving without the mess and hassle of deep-frying. Nutmeg and buttermilk in the batter make the eventual muffins taste a lot like a buttermilk old-fashioned. For an inside look at the Brombergs’ cooking philosophy, check out our Q&A with the chefs.

Special equipment: You’ll need a pastry brush and a 24-well mini muffin pan. Portioning the sticky batter into the small wells of the muffin pan is easiest with a 1/2-ounce ice cream scoop. If you don’t have one, use a spoon instead.

Make-ahead note: The batter will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, so you can prep in advance and bake when you’re ready.

For a lighter muffin pan treat, try our easy Popovers recipe.

Check out all of Chowhound’s donut recipes for more ideas to satisfy your sweet tooth.

  • Yields: 48 mini muffins
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 1 hr
  • Active: 25 mins

Ingredients (13)

For the coating:

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

For the muffins:

  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for coating the pan
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons buttermilk, at room temperature
  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks), at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature

Instructions

To make the coating:

  1. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.

To make the muffins:

  1. Heat the oven to 375°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Lightly brush a 24-well mini muffin pan with some of the melted butter, then coat it with flour, tapping out any excess; set aside. Reserve the remaining melted butter for applying the cinnamon-sugar coating.
  2. In a large bowl, sift together the measured flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and baking soda. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and buttermilk. Set both aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the room-temperature butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time until combined. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
  4. With the mixer on low speed, beat in a quarter of the reserved dry ingredients. Then beat in a third of the reserved milk mixture. Continue to alternate until all of the remaining ingredients are incorporated, finishing with the dry ingredients. Do not overmix.
  5. Fill the prepared muffin pan wells just to the rim with batter. Bake until the muffins are lightly golden and firm to the touch, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Repeat the buttering and flouring of the muffin pan and bake the remaining batter.
  6. To coat the muffins, brush each generously with the melted butter and sprinkle generously with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Variation: Jelly Donut Muffins

If jelly donuts are more your style, allow the muffins to cool and use a small pastry tip to make a hole in the bottom of each. Fill the pastry bag with your favorite jam, jelly, or citrus curd and squeeze some into the muffins.