Posted on Thursday, 2nd September 2010 by Grace

I am always on the look out for extra special breakfast ideas, especially the make-ahead kind.  I first spotted Sugar Donut Muffins at and .  When searching for a recipe all roads lead me to Nicole and her amazing site, .

A photo of Sugar Donut Muffins arranged on a wooden platter placed on a white cloth napkin.

I am sure you all know by now how much I love chocolate!  I played around a little with Nicole’s recipe to incorporate my love of chocolate and now I can add sugared chocolate-spiced muffins to my collection of easy chocolate recipes.  Thank you for the inspiration Nicole!  If you haven’t come across Nicole’s site do yourself a favour and take a visit, she has so many delicious eats to choose from.

A photo of a person's hand holding a sugar donut muffin.

If I were involved in a blind taste testing competition between muffins and, donuts/doughnuts I would have an extremely difficult time choosing which was which.  I love sugar donuts and I never realized the tastes would be so similar to muffins, but they are!  The texture of the sugar donut muffin is pillow soft on the inside and super moist.  It has a crispy sugar coating on the outside with a hint of nutmeg in every bite.

A photo of 2 Sugared Chocolate-Spiced Muffins on white doilies placed on a small, black square plate.

The sugared chocolate-spiced muffin was similar in texture.  It looks like a muffin but tastes more like a chocolate-spiced cake.  When you take a bite you instantly get the sweetness from the sugar and the nutmeg with a mild chocolate flavour but it’s quickly replaced with heat from the cinnamon.  If you’re looking for an alternative to the typical sweet chocolate muffin recipes, this is it.

A close up photo of sugar donut muffins on a gold plate.

My kitchen looked like a doughnut shop last night.  The island was covered in muffins; delicious donuts, chocolate glaze and cinnamon sugar and just like a doughnut shop I was baking till the wee hours of the morning.  Before I knew it 4:00 am rolled around.  I guess that’s what happens when you enjoy what you’re doing, time just flies by.  Check back tomorrow for delicious Chocolate Dipped Donuts (the real kind!).

A photo looking down on Sugared Chocolate-Spiced Muffins on a white cake stand with a pale blue ribbon.

Sugared Chocolate-Spiced Muffins

(inspired by Baking Bites)

Makes 12

A photo of a sugared, chocolate-spiced muffin on a small white plate wrapped in a brown tea towel.

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa, sifted
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon sugar cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons 18% cream
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup caster (super fine) sugar, for rolling
  1. Preheat oven to 350° F.  Lightly grease standard muffin tin with cooking spray or using a pastry brush, coat muffin cups with vegetable oil; set aside. Using a fine-mesh sieve, sift the flour, unsweetened cocoa, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon into a medium bowl.  Using a whisk, whisk to combine; set aside.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and egg on medium-high speed until pale in colour.
  3. Reduce the speed to stir.  Add the flour mixture in three batches, stirring well after each addition. Add the vegetable oil, milk, cream and vanilla extract, stirring to combine.
  4. Divide the batter evenly among the greased cups, filling each three-quarters full.  Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean, about 15 to 20 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, place the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, stir until melted.
  6. Place the extra sugar into a small bowl.
  7. Transfer baking tin to wire rack to cool for 1 minute.  Carefully remove muffins and return to wire rack.
  8. Using a small pastry brush, lightly brush the top of the muffin with melted butter.  Roll muffin in sugar to coat.  Return to wire rack to cool completely. Repeat until all muffins are coated in sugar.

Sugar Donut Muffins

(recipe from )

Makes 10

A close up photo of sugar donut muffins on a brown wooden plate.

  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup milk (low fat is fine)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup sugar, for rolling
  1. Preheat oven to 350° F.  Lightly grease a muffin tin with cooking spray or vegetable oil.
  2. In a large bowl, beat together sugar and egg until light in colour.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.  Pour into egg mixture and stir to combine.  Pour in vegetable oil, milk and vanilla extract.
  4. Divide batter evenly into 10 muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full.
  5. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until a tester inserted in the centre comes out clean.
  6. While muffins are baking, melt butter and pour remaining sugar into a small bowl.
  7. When muffins are done, lightly brush the top of each muffin with some melted butter, remove from the pan and roll in sugar.  Cool on a wire rack.

Related posts:

  1. Blueberry Muffins & Blueberry Banana & Walnut Loaf
  2. Flourless Chocolate Cakes with Chocolate Glaze & Sugared Berries
  3. Chocolate Chip Belgian Waffles
  4. Orange Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Icing & Sugared Orange Peel
  5. The Ultimate Chocolate Lover’s Breakfast – Chocolate French Toast

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Posted in Baking & Pastry, Baking Mise en Place, Pastry Doughs & Batter, Recipes

Comments (18)

18 Responses to “Sugared Chocolate-Spiced Muffins and Sugar Donut Muffins”

  1. Says:

    Grace, I’ve made these before, aren’t they amazing?? Warm from the oven, I felt I could eat the entire dozen. Yum!

  2. Grace Says:

    Hi Brenda, I couldn’t agree with you more!

  3. Says:

    Super cute! I definitely want to try these!

  4. Grace Says:

    Meredith these are definitely a new favourite, you’re gonna love them!

  5. Deborah Says:

    OMG YUMMY!

  6. Says:

    These chocolaty and spicy, wow! muffins are superb :) Really all the versions are incredible, yum yum!!

    Cheers,

    Gera

  7. Says:

    Wow what a fabulous post! I’ve been meaning to try these too and now I really want to!

  8. Says:

    wow these look amazing – I would never imagine a muffin to be so light and soft looking

  9. Says:

    WOW absolutely amazing! Love the images.

  10. Says:

    These look really awesome!!! oh im so excited to give these a go!! thanks for the recipe!

  11. Says:

    I wouldn’t want to taste one Grace, if I did, I don’t think I’d be able to stop eating them. They look amazing.

  12. Says:

    wow, it`s on my ‘next list’ now :)

  13. Grace Says:

    I have one of those Paula and it keeps growing and growing.

  14. Says:

    I want a sugar donut muffin NOW!!!

  15. Says:

    The Sugar Donut Muffins would be my pick. I shared your link with all my facebook friends.

  16. Says:

    My family loves muffins and they’re so easy to veganize. I may have to get on that this weekend. We’re finishing up a batch of cinnamon rolls I just made (post on my site on this soon!). But this looks so good I may just push the cinnamon rolls aside and go for these instead. Thanks!

  17. Grace Says:

    Thank you Angela!

  18. mitzi Says:

    these really do look wonderful, and the idea is amazing, how would you store them if you didn’t eat them all at once. I know hard to imagine but what would you do

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