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Snickerdoodle Doughnut Muffins with Buttercream Frosting

These Snickerdoodle Doughnut Muffins with Buttercream Frosting are so sweet and delicious! They’re snickerdoodle cookies in muffin form with frosting!Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Doughnut Muffins with Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting #recipe #doughnut #food

Snickerdoodle Muffins

Are you getting tired of all my “Brown Butter” everything recipes lately???

If you just said yes, we can’t be friends anymore.

Just kidding. I totally still love you. Even my friend Kristen doesn’t like Nutella and we somehow make it work.

Last year I made these Strawberry Shortcake Doughnut Muffins for a Fourth of July party, and they were a MASSIVE hit with our neighbors. Even now, over a year later, everyone is STILL talking about them and asks for them every time we have neighbor nights.

This time, I decided to make them even MORE brown buttery fabulous, with Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting.

They’re pretty much the most amazing thing I’ve ever had in my entire life.

Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Doughnut Muffins with Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting #recipe #doughnut #food

Doughnut Muffins combine the best of two treats.

First, they’re sweet, melt-in-your-mouth, and pillowy like a doughnut.

Second, they have an addictive muffin-top texture on the outside, but doughnut muffins are way better, because they’re dunked in brown butter and rolled in cinnamon-sugar so that texture is ALL over the muffin, not just on top.

Then they’re topped with Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting to send them completely over. the. top.

Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting. You need to try it at least once in your life.

Let’s make these babies.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins with Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting

Here’s all you’ll need for the muffins: Butter, baking powder, eggs, flour, milk, and sugar. Please pretend like you also see cinnamon in this picture. Thank you for understanding.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins with Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting

How to Make Snickerdoodle Doughnut Muffins

Add 1.5 sticks of softened butter and 3/4 cup sugar to a large mixing bowl, and beat on medium-high speed for 3-5 minutes.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins with Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting

Until pillowy light and fluffy.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins with Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting

Add two eggs, one at a time, and beat until just mixed in.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins with Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting

Meanwhile, sift together 3 cups flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. You can also just whisk them together if you don’t feel like breaking out the sifter.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins with Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting

Next we’re going to alternate mixing in the milk with the dry ingredients. Start by adding a fourth of the flour mixture (a little less than a cup) to the bowl and mix on low speed until just combined.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins with Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting

Then pour in a third of the milk and stir again, just until combined. Continue alternating mixing in the dry and wet ingredients, ending with the dry.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins with Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting

Mix until well combined and smooth, but be careful not to overmix.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins with Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting

Since we’re not using liners for these muffins, be sure to spray the pan generously with cooking spray so they don’t stick. Scoop about 1.5 tablespoons of batter into each mini muffin tin. A medium cookie scoop works perfectly for this. Bake at 350 for 14-15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins with Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting

Now we’re going to send these bad boys over the top. When these perfect little muffins come out of the oven, they’re dunked in brown butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar for a delicious sugary crust. They’re ridiculous. Start by melting the butter over medium heat. Once it’s melted it will start to bubble. Whisk occasionally.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins with Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting

When the butter starts to foam, like this, start whisking constantly and whisk for 1-2 mins, until it turns brown and you see brown flecks on the bottom of the pan.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins with Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting

When it looks like this, immediately remove from heat and pour into a bowl for dunking.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins with Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting

In a separate bowl, stir together one cup of sugar and one tablespoon of ground cinnamon.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins with Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting

When the muffins are just cool enough to handle, remove them from the tin…

Brown Butter Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins with Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting

And dunk them in the brown butter, coating on all sides. Thank you Kevin for hand-modeling here. I think he has a real career at this!

Brown Butter Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins with Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting

Finally, roll around to coat in cinnamon sugar.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins with Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting

Seriously!! That sugary, crunchy crust paired with the pillowy, soft muffin is absolute perfection. Now, you could totally stop here and have a perfectly delicious dessert.

Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Doughnut Muffins with Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting #recipe #doughnut #food

But you know we’re not gonna stop, right? I made a simple, brown butter buttercream frosting (recipe below) and piped it right on top.

Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Doughnut Muffins with Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting #recipe #doughnut #food

So much brown butter goodness in one tiny little treat!! These are ultra decadent and super dangerous, so get them out of your house ASAP or get ready to act super-shady while shoving them into your mouth and hiding in a corner, swatting at anyone who tries to come near and steal your Brown Butter Delights.

Enjoy!!

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Snickerdoodle Doughnut Muffins with Buttercream Frosting

  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 18-20 mini muffins 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Description

These Snickerdoodle Doughnut Muffins with Buttercream Frosting are so sweet and delicious! They’re snickerdoodle cookies in muffin form with frosting!

Scale

Ingredients

Doughnut Muffins

  • 12 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 cups (13.5 oz) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup milk

Brown Butter Cinnamon Sugar Crust

  • 12 tablespoons (1.5 sticks) butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting

Instructions

For the Doughnut Muffins

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a mini-muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Beat the butter and sugar for 5 minutes until soft, fluffy and lighter in color. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just mixed in.
  3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir a fourth of the dry ingredients into the batter. Then stir in a third of the milk mixture. Continue mixing in the remaining dry and wet ingredients alternately, ending with the dry. Mix until well combined and batter is smooth, but be careful not to overmix.
  4. Fill muffin tins with 1.5 tablespoons of batter (about 3/4ths full). Bake at 350 for 14-15 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

For the Brown Butter Cinnamon Sugar Crust

  1. Melt the butter until it starts to bubble and then foam. When it starts to foam, whisk constantly for 1-2 minutes until it turns brown and you see brown flecks at the bottom of the pan. Immediately remove from heat and pour into a bowl for dipping.
  2. Combine the sugar and cinnamon. When the muffins are just cool enough to handle, remove from the tin and dip them on all sides into the melted butter then roll in the cinnamon sugar.

For the Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting

  1. Melt the butter until it starts to bubble and then foam. When it starts to foam, whisk constantly for 1-2 minutes until it turns brown and you see brown flecks at the bottom of the pan. Immediately remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl. Let cool to room temperature.
  2. Place the butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. If necessary, add milk, one tablespoon at a time, beating for 1-2 minutes after each addition until desired consistency is reached.
  3. Pipe onto muffins.

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35 Responses
  1. Laniesha

    Love your recipes! For this recipe, I think I might of did something wrong! 
    Mine came out flaky and tasted like shortbread!
    They were good but not pillowy like you described them
    More dense than anything .

  2. Taylor

    These look unreal! I’m definitely going to try this recipe. Also, I read one of your posts in 2009 on camera lenses and shutter speeds (very helpful, btw!)… what lens did you use for these photos?

    So beautiful!

    Thank you! :)

  3. Jennifer

    Just finished making these…predict that they will become my snickerdoodle loving husband’s new favorite :)!!! They are really really delicious. Left some just cinnamon and sugar and frosted some…YUMMO!! This recipe did make 48 mini muffins for me…nice full size, rounded top mini muffins. Because of this, I did not have enough melted brown butter to dip them all and had to brown some more up. Other than that, this recipe is great….SUPER SCRUMPDILICIOUS!!! :)

  4. Jocelyn @BruCrew Life

    So much buttery goodness going on in these awesome little muffins!! I will gladly take a dozen of those off your hands! And that frosting? Seriously I want to eat it all!!!

  5. karen

    Hi Amanda
    I live in ontario, canada and we do not have the name brand ingredients that you have do you have any suggestions on what to use for those in canada, I am really interested on making these yummy donut muffins

    1. Amanda

      Hi Karen! Which name brand are you referring to? The ingredients I use in this recipe are: butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Hope this helps!

  6. Linda

    These look awesome. I love the flavor of browned butter. My son makes a Louisiana Brown Butter Pecan Pie that is out of this world good. I plan to make these muffins but do have a question about the frosting. That seems like an awful lot of liquid for just one cup of powdered sugar. Is that correct?

  7. stephanie

    These are the best things I have seen in awhile! WOW! Are they the best the same day they are made or would doing them the night before be ok??

  8. B

    I live in Chicago–no White Lily flour. :( I know WL is lower protein. Any thoughts on appropriate substitutions? I love your recipes! I love wowing us northerners with your delicious concoctions. Thank you for all your inspiration1 Hugs to your pups!

  9. Karly

    I make this browned butter glaze that is probably my most favorite thing in all the land. And now that I see browned butter buttercream? Well. I’m in trouble.

  10. Heather @ Shards of Lavender

    I don’t think I could ever grow tired of brown butter recipes! I’m loving these muffins, especially the brown butter buttercream on top.

  11. Anele @ Success Along the Weigh

    Yer killin’ me, girl!

    Is it weird/wrong that after you used the word pillowy to describe them that I dreamed of a pillow made of these where I could enjoy them at will without getting out of bed? It is? Oh…as you were.

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Meet Kevin & Amanda

Kevin and Amanda

We love to travel and to eat! Here we share our favorite quick and easy recipes, plus travel tips and guides for our favorite places around the world. If you have any questions about what camera I use or how I edit my photos, check out my photography tutorials.

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