Description
A quick note: these bite-size muffins are made with pumpkin and whole-wheat flour for a cakey, donut-like texture. No mixer, no liners, and no frying — just spoon, bake, dunk, and roll.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 3/4 cups (220 g) whole-wheat flour — or use all-purpose, or a combination of both*
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice*
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp / 56 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1/2 cup (100 g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (170 g) pumpkin purée (use plain pumpkin, not pie filling)
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) milk (any variety)
Cinnamon-sugar coating
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp / 56 g) unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 24-cup mini muffin tin with nonstick spray and set it aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined.
- In a separate bowl, blend the melted butter with the brown sugar. Add the egg, vanilla, pumpkin purée, and milk; whisk until smooth.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir gently until just combined — the batter will be quite thick. Don’t overmix.
- Use a small spoon (or a 1-Tbsp scoop) to portion batter into the mini cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
- Bake for 12–14 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the tops spring back lightly. Ovens vary, so start checking near 11 minutes.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Use a spoon to lift them out carefully while still warm.
- For the coating: combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Dip each warm muffin into the melted butter, then roll it in the cinnamon-sugar until well coated. Stand the muffins upright on a wire rack to cool and set.
Notes
- Storage & serving
- These taste best the day they’re made. To keep the cinnamon-sugar shell from getting soggy, do not store in an airtight container; instead, cover loosely to allow a bit of airflow.
- Room temperature: up to 1 day.
- Refrigerator: up to 4 days (if using perishable fillings, refrigerate immediately).
- Freezing
- For best texture, freeze the muffins before coating. Once cooled, place them in a freezer-safe container and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then dunk in butter and roll in cinnamon-sugar just before serving.
- You can freeze after coating, but the sugar shell may become slightly moist when thawed.
- Notes & tips
- Tools that make this easier: 24-count mini muffin pan, mixing bowls, a whisk, a small scoop or spoon, and a cooling rack.
- Flour options: whole-wheat gives a heartier crumb. If you want a lighter result, try 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose + 3/4 cup (95 g) whole-wheat (this is my usual ratio).
- No pumpkin pie spice? Make your own: in addition to the 1 tsp cinnamon, use 1/2 tsp ground allspice and 1/2 tsp ground ginger, plus 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg and 1/4 tsp ground cloves. That combo replaces the preblended spice.
- Regular-size muffins
- To make 12 standard muffins, fill a greased 12-cup pan to the top with batter. For high, bakery-style domes, bake at 425°F (218°C) for 5 minutes, then without opening the oven reduce the temperature to 350°F (177°C) and bake about 16 more minutes (total ≈ 20–21 minutes), or until a toothpick comes out clean and the tops spring back.
- Bake in a donut pan
- Generously grease a donut pan. Transfer batter into a large zip-top bag, snip a corner, and pipe batter into each donut well, filling halfway. Bake 10–11 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden and the donuts spring back when touched. Cool donuts 2 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack. Re-grease and bake remaining batter. After cooling, proceed with the butter dunk and cinnamon-sugar coating.
- Quick troubleshooting
- Batter too thick? That’s normal for this recipe — it should be dense and scoopable.
- Tops too brown? Rotate the pan and check oven temperature; reduce time slightly.
- Coating soggy the next day? Avoid sealing them tightly; a little airflow helps preserve the crispness of the sugar shell.