My Easy Donut Muffins Taste Like an Old-Fashioned Donut Without the Frying

They’re tender and coated in crunchy cinnamon sugar.

By
Mark Beahm
Mark Beahm
Mark Beahm
Mark is the head baker at Hjem Kensington, a Danish café in London. He has been developing recipes for home bakers for the last two years.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Published November 13, 2025
Mark Beahm
Old-Fashioned Donut Muffins on a cooling rack, one broken open

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  • With this quick and easy baking recipe, you get the nostalgic taste of an old-fashioned donut with no frying or mess.
  • Sour cream in the batter gives these muffins a tender crumb and subtle tang.
  • Each muffin is rolled in a cinnamon-sugar coating for a satisfying crunch.

Back when I was a budding baker at Two Fat Cats Bakery in Portland, Maine, we were looking to expand our breakfast selection. When the owner considered trying out donuts, investing in a fryer or specialty donut pans deterred her. While she certainly wasn’t the first to create them, donut muffins allowed us to test the waters. Customers loved them so much that we decided to keep baking them as muffins and forgot about the frying equipment altogether.

I still turn to donut muffins for a home-baked treat on weekend mornings. Old-fashioned donut muffins skip the frying for a quick bake that I can make as soon as a donut craving hits. I don't have to get my mixer out, cut the dough, or deal with the messy splatter of hot oil on my kitchen backsplash.

close up of Old-Fashioned Donut Muffins on a cooling rack

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

My Ideal Old-Fashioned Donut Muffin

While I was inspired by the muffins from my days at the bakery, I’ve ended up with my own ideal version of old-fashioned donut muffins. This recipe uses both melted butter and oil for a moist, fluffy crumb and lots of flavor. Sour cream adds a subtle tanginess and a tender texture. 

And no old-fashioned donut, traditional or muffin-shaped, would be complete without plenty of nutmeg. A final roll in a cinnamon-sugar coating delivers a satisfyingly spiced crunch.

The Secret to a Convincing Old-Fashioned Donut Texture

Old-fashioned donuts are typically made with either buttermilk or sour cream, giving them a rich flavor and tender texture. While I don’t remember the full recipe from Two Fat Cats Bakery (and it’s not mine to take anyway), we always used sour cream for our donut muffins, and I still do at home years later.

Sour cream contributes a pleasant tanginess and richness to these old-fashioned donut muffins, but it adds more than just flavor. The acid in sour cream reacts with alkaline baking soda, providing extra lift that translates to fluffier muffins. Sour cream has more fat than buttermilk, and that fat inhibits gluten formation, resulting in an extra-tender crumb.

Old-Fashioned Donut Muffins on a platter, one broken in half on a small plate

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Coating Variations

I love the play between the nutmeg-scented muffins and the cinnamon in the coating, and the crunch of the granulated sugar takes them over the top. But if you prefer a powdered sugar or a glaze on your old-fashioned donuts, here’s how to do it:

  • Powdered sugar: Instead of granulated sugar, coat the muffins with powdered sugar. Sift 1 cup (113g) powdered sugar into a wide, shallow bowl. For cinnamon powdered sugar, add 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon.
  • Glazed donut muffins: Whisk together 2 cups (227g) powdered sugar, 1/4 cup (60ml) milk, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Working with one muffin at a time, dip each muffin in the glaze, turning to coat evenly. Use 2 forks to remove from the glaze and allow the excess to run off. Place on a wire rack until the glaze is set.
Old-Fashioned Donut Muffins, plain ones on a cooling rack, one in a cinnamon sugar mixture, coated ones on a plate

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

More Easy Baking

Donut Muffins

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Cool: 10 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Servings 12 servings
Yield 12 muffins
Keep Screen Awake

Ingredients

For the muffins

  • 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar

  • 3/4 cup (170g) sour cream

  • 1/4 cup (57g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

  • 1/4 cup (50g) neutral oil, like canola or vegetable oil

  • 2 large eggs, room temperature

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the coating

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

  • 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

    Arrange a rack in the center of the oven. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin pan.

  2. Combine the dry ingredients:

    In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, salt, and baking soda.

  3. Combine the wet ingredients:

    In another mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, sour cream, butter, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth.

    Add the flour mixture to the sour cream mixture, and mix with a silicone spatula just until combined. Don’t overmix.

  4.  Bake:

    Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. They should be about 3/4 full, depending on your pan. Bake until the tops are lightly golden around the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 to 24 minutes.

    Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of each muffin to release them from the pan and place them on a wire rack to cool slightly.

  5. Add the coating:

    As soon as the muffins are cool enough to handle comfortably, about 5 minutes, combine the sugar and cinnamon in a wide shallow bowl. Working with one muffin at a time, use a pastry brush to coat each muffin with the melted butter. Place each muffin in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, and turn to coat evenly.

    Serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftover muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

    Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a comment below!

    Old-Fashioned Donut Muffins on a cooling wrack

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
301 Calories
15g Fat
39g Carbs
4g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 301
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g 19%
Saturated Fat 6g 32%
Cholesterol 57mg 19%
Sodium 157mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 39g 14%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 23g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 61mg 5%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 55mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.