With a texture and flavor similar to cake donut holes, these Donut Muffins are seriously easy and so delicious. Start to finish, you can be enjoying these with the kids in under 30 minutes!
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan with nonstick spray. (I do not recommend using paper liners with this recipe as they are likely to stick.)
Add the applesauce, milk, butter, egg, and vanilla to a medium bowl. Whisk to combine well.
Add the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the bowl. Whisk to combine into a thick batter.
Divide the batter among the prepared muffin tin, using about 1½ tablespoons batter in each cup.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until puffed up, golden brown, and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool for a minute or two. Run a knife around the edges to loosen, as needed, then transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.
Optional: Stir the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Dip the top of each muffin first in the melted butter, then in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. This makes them taste like a cake donut hole!
Notes
Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or about a week in the fridge.
Dairy-free: Use vegetable, avocado, or coconut oil in place of the butter and nondairy milk.
Gluten-free: Use an all-purpose gluten-free flour.
Egg-free: Omit the egg. Add 2 tablespoons additional milk. Proceed with the recipe. (The muffins may be a little more tender than with the egg.)
Standard-size muffins: Use about 1/4 cup batter in each of 12 standard-size muffin cups and bake for 14-16 minutes.
You can lower the sugar in the muffins to 1/4 cup, though I have found that the 1/3 cup listed in the recipe is my preference for both flavor and texture.
This recipe has the best texture when made with granulated sugar, rather than maple syrup or honey.