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When I came across cinnamon and sugar doughnut muffins on other cooking blogs, I was immediately smitten. They looked so good, I was almost drooling! So I set out to make my own doughnut muffins, but not the usual cinnamon and sugar ones. I wanted to do something a little bit different and luckily, I came across Martha Stewart’s pumpkin doughnut muffins. While I was reading this recipe for the first time, I already knew I would love them. After all, can you really go wrong with a donut muffin hybrid?

It turned out that my initial instinct was right. These doughnut muffins had a wonderful cakey texture with a subtle taste of pumpkin topped with the perfect amount of sweetness. Mmmmm.

Pumpkin Donut Muffins (adapted from Martha Stewart):

Yields 12 doughnut muffins

  • 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan (for room temperature butter, you can cut the butter into small cubes and let it sit out at room temperature for 10-15 min)
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/3 cup buttermilk
  • 1 1/4 cups pure pumpkin puree (from a 15-ounce can)
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs

For the sugar coating:

  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 12 standard muffin cups.

Make batter: in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and allspice.

In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and pumpkin puree.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl as needed.

With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions pumpkin mixture, and beat to combine. (The batter will become very thick.)

Spoon 1/3 cup batter into each muffin cup. (I use the Oxo Good Grips Trigger Ice Cream Scoop. It holds exactly 1/3 cup batter and makes life so much easier!)

Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine granulated sugar and cinnamon.

Let muffins cool 10 minutes on a wire rack.

Working with one at a time, brush muffin all over with butter. (Your hands will get super greasy so you should use disposable food gloves.)

Then toss to coat in sugar mixture.

Let muffins cool completely on a wire rack and enjoy 🙂