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one cinnamon donut muffin on a wire rack, close up.
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4.67 from 9 votes

Cinnamon Donut Muffins (with Apples)

Delicious cinnamon donut muffins with tender apple pieces inside; this is an easy recipe for cinnamon muffins that taste very much like a donut. A perfect fall treat ready in less than 40 minutes.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Muffins and Cupcakes
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 muffins
Calories: 234kcal
Author: Adina

Equipment

  • 12-whole muffin tray

Ingredients

Muffins:

  • 1 cup apples finely chopped, 2 small
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar Note 1
  • ¼ cup oil neutral-tasting like canola
  • 1 egg large, at room temperature
  • ¾ cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • a pinch of salt

Cinnamon sugar coating:

  • 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
US - EU

Instructions

Donut muffins:

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F/180°C. Brush the muffin tin holes with oil (or spray them with baking spray).
  • Apples: Peel, core, and chop them into small cubes. Set them aside.
    1 cup apples
  • Whisk sugar, oil, egg, cinnamon, milk, and vanilla extract in a large bowl.
    ¾ cup granulated sugar + ¼ cup oil + 1 egg + ¾ cup whole milk + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract + 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in another bowl.
    1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour + 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder + a pinch of salt
  • Combine batter: Add dry ingredients to the wet and whisk briefly until just combined. Don’t overmix; a few streaks of flour in the batter are ok. Fold in the apples with a rubber spatula.
  • Bake: Divide the batter between the muffin holes and bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown (Note 2).
  • Cool for 5 minutes in the tin. Coat them while they are still hot, just cool enough to handle.

Cinnamon coating:

  • Mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
    4 tablespoons granulated sugar + 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • Melt the butter in a small pan.
    3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Dip each muffin in the butter and then turn it in the cinnamon mixture (I like to cover them entirely with the topping). Place them on a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

  1. Using a digital kitchen scale in baking guarantees the best results (Amazon affiliate link).
  2. To make mini muffins distribute the batter into the prepared mini muffin pan holes and bake them for 10-13 minutes or until golden.

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 234kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 105mg | Potassium: 46mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 164IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 1mg