I’ve never been the biggest fan of donuts; but mini donuts are a different story. What is it about miniature foods that has people eating and craving things that they normally wouldn’t? I’ve seen mini burgers and tacos on restaurant menus, while teeny tiny cupcakes are now a bakery staple. Maybe people think that because they’re smaller, they’re not as much of an indulgence. That doesn’t really matter to me because, let’s face it: miniature foods are just damn cute.
I’ve seen Mini Powdered Sugar Donut Muffins before. They were all over Pinterest a while back. I added them to my ever growing, never ending list of things I want to bake and I finally got around to making them last week. Boy, was it worth the wait.
Like I said, I’m not the biggest donut fan, but I’ve always had a soft spot for those little powdered donut holes that came in the white and blue box. We had them in the house sometimes when I was growing up. I really enjoyed the messiness of them more than anything. White-tipped fingers and sugary mustaches were a favorite past-time. The crumbly, softness of the sponge with the snowy, powdered sugar surrounding is such a great combination.
These Mini Powdered Sugar Donut Muffins are great and so easy. They’re a cinch to whip up (basically one-bowl!), baked in a mini muffin tin and are simply dipped in butter and rolled in sugar. You could even roll them in another great topping: dip them in dark chocolate, roll them in lavender sugar or top with a simple glaze for all of your donut desires. They’re delicious, easy and oh so addicting: don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter (more may be necessary)
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar (more may be necessary)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Spray mini muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer, cream 1/3 cup butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Gradually mix in the egg, vanilla extract, and milk.
- Gently stir in flours, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt by hand. Stir until just combined. Don't overmix!
- Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin - about 2/3 of the way full.
- Bake for 11-12 minutes, watching the muffins closely. They are done when the edges begin to brown. Allow muffins to cool for about 5 minutes.
- While the muffins are cooling, prepare the topping. Melt 3 Tablespoons of butter for about 30 seconds in a small bowl in the microwave. Put the powdered sugar in a separate small bowl.
- Fully submerge each muffin into the melted butter and then into the powdered sugar. Coat all sides generously and evenly with powdered sugar. Use additional melted butter or powdered sugar if needed. Set upright on cooling rack. For best quality, eat on the same day. They will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 3 days.