pumpkin muffin donuts

Pumpkin. It’s what’s for breakfast.

Yes, I know I totally stole that line from the great American “eat more beef” campaign.

Whatever. It still works for these pumpkin muffin donuts:

When I was a kid, my mom made these delicious buttermilk muffins that were texturally way closer to donuts. She would turn them out of the pans when they were still warm then roll them in melted butter and toss them in a bag with cinnamon sugar which was then handed over for my sister and me to shake.

They. Were. To. Die. For.

This recipe is my rendition of her classic buttermilk muffins, with the added warmth of pumpkin and freshly grated nutmeg. And since I am the proud owner of a fancy donut pan, I can officially call them muffin donuts.

Pumpkin Muffin Donuts
makes 18 donuts
3 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
14 tbsp unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks) at room temperature
3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray donut pan (or muffin tins) with cooking spray. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.

In a small bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree and buttermilk. In a separate mixing bowl using an electric mixer, cream together butter and brown sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed in between. Alternately add flour mixture and pumpkin/buttermilk and mix to combine.

Spoon batter into a ziplock bag and snip one corner with kitchen scissors then pipe the batter evenly into the donut pan holes. Bake for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for just a few minutes. Turn the donuts out on to the wire rack and prepare the topping assembly line.