Pumpkin Pie Spice Donut Muffins

These are so yummy during the Fall! We make the Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins all year long, but on holiday’s I like to change up the ingredients to fit the holiday. This recipe for Pumpkin Pie Spice Donut Muffins is super easy and my daughter is the one who made the ones pictured in the photo. So it’s easy enough for kids too.

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ginger
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. all spice (or you can just use pumpkin pie spice which we did)
• 1 c. sugar
• 2/3 c. shortening
• 2 lg. eggs
• 1/2 c. buttermilk
• 1 cup canned pumpkin (no sugar or spices added)

For the outside coating:

• 2 sticks of butter,  melted
• 1 1/2 c.  sugar
• 3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

In a bowl, blend the sugar, shortening and eggs until you get a creamy mixture. Add the canned pumpkin, mixing the entire thing until smooth. Make sure you scrape the sides of the bowl and get that down in there too. In another bowl, mix all of your dry ingredients – the flour, the spices, baking powder & baking soda.

Blend everything up real good.

Now take turns adding the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture alternating between the dry stuff and your buttermilk. Mix well in between each addition. Make sure that everything is mixed well, including all the batter that gets stuck to the sides of the bowl.

Don’t forget to scrape that bowl!

We make these in mini muffin pans, but you could totally do this in a large muffin pan. Grease your muffin tin thoroughly. We use shortening, but you could do this also with non-stick cooking spray. Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 of the way full.

Now bake ‘em!

Bake these little gems at 350 degrees for about 20-24 minutes. (we usually pull them around 21)

Allow them to sit for about 2-5 minutes, and then remove and allow to cool for another 10-15 minutes on a cooling rack. You don’t want them to be cold, you just want them to be easy to handle. If they cool quicker than 10 minutes…

Go For it. Get ‘em covered in sugary/spicey goodness!

Now for the coating: Blend the sugar and pumpkin pie spice together in a bowl. Place the melted butter in another bowl next to it.

Dip each muffin into the butter for only a second or two, completely submerging it. Now roll the muffin into the Sugar & Spice mixture. Coat it really well, rolling it around so every inch is covered.

Now you can eat them. Or you can save them. But I recommend you eat them. Because as soon as others get a bite, they’re gonna go fast!

Happy Fall!