Maple Brown Sugar Donut Muffins

Maple Brown Sugar Donut Muffins

These maple brown sugar donut muffins are a fun, indulgent breakfast treat! The muffins are made with a maple donut cake batter that is baked in a muffin tin to make muffins instead of donuts. Then, each muffin is brushed in melted Land O Lakes® Maple Me Crazy™ Butter Spread and tossed in a sugar coating made out of brown sugar, maple sugar, and granulated sugar. The resulting muffins are absolutely delightful and evoke all the best fall flavors!

A big thank you to Land O’Lakes for sponsoring this recipe! Learn more in the blog post, and thank you for supporting the sponsors that keep Hummingbird High up and running!

Why You Should Make Maple Brown Sugar Donut Muffins

Here are all the reasons to make maple brown sugar donut muffins:

These maple brown sugar donut muffins come together quickly and easily.

The batter for these maple brown sugar donut muffins comes together REALLY quickly. All you need to do is whisk the dry ingredients, then the wet ingredients, and then mix them together. That’s it! You don’t even need a stand mixer for this recipe. Why?

There are other techniques incorporated into this recipe that make the batter come together super easily. First, I instruct you to use maple syrup in place of sugar and melted Land O Lakes® Maple Me Crazy™ Butter Spread in place of stick butter. Because the ingredients are combined in a liquid form, you won’t need to cream anything. As a result, the batter comes together in just FIVE minutes. Cool, right?

These maple brown sugar donut muffins are easy to customize with different flavors and ingredients.

The best part about this recipe? You can easily customize its flavors to your taste and preferences. I added nutmeg to the donut muffin batter because I associate nutmeg with baked donuts. However, feel free to add or swap any other spices you prefer! I personally think that both cinnamon and cardamom would shine with the donut muffins’ maple flavor. You can also throw in ½ cup of mix-ins like nuts, chocolate chips, and more.

You can also customize the sugar coating to your preferences. I suggest playing around with the sugar ratios for the coating. For instance—for those who prefer more mapley muffins, go hog wild and use all maple sugar for the coating! And if you prefer a less indulgent donut muffin, I’ve added a tip on how to reduce the sugar coating and only coat the muffin tops. Be sure to check out the Baker’s Tips section for more info!

Maple Brown Sugar Donut Muffin Ingredients and Substitutions

Now that I’ve convinced you to make maple brown sugar donut muffins, here’s everything you need for the recipe:

Shopping List for Maple Brown Sugar Donut Muffins

Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the exact ingredient quantities:

• all-purpose flour
• baking powder
• ground nutmeg
• kosher salt
• maple syrup
• Maple Me Crazy™ Butter Spread
• large eggs
• buttermilk
• granulated sugar
• light OR dark brown sugar
• maple sugar

And let’s talk about some key ingredients and potential substitutions:

Maple Syrup

You need 1 cup amber, dark, OR very dark maple syrup to make maple brown sugar donut muffins.

Golden versus Amber versus Dark versus Very Dark Maple Syrup

A few years ago, maple syrup was sold in three grades: Grade A, Grade B, and Grade C. Most folks at the grocery store often had to make a choice between the first two grades. (Grade C was often only sold to manufacturers who processed the syrup further into other products). Grade A maple syrups were lighter and had more delicate flavor profiles, making them perfect for pouring over pancakes and waffles. Finally, Grade B maple syrups were darker and more strongly flavored. Recipes using maple syrup as an ingredient often instructed home cooks and bakers to source Grade B maple syrup for the job.

However, in 2015, the USDA implemented a new grading system. Many of the maple syrups available to consumers now all fall under Grade A. This “new” Grade A divides them into four categories: Golden, Amber, Dark, or Very Dark. I recommend you use either “Amber,” “Dark,” or “Very Dark” maple syrup for these maple brown sugar donut muffins. But if you only have Golden on hand, don’t worry about it! Your buns will still be pretty tasty no matter what.

Maple Me Crazy™ Butter Spread

You need ½ cup melted Land O Lakes® Maple Me Crazy™ Butter Spread to make maple brown sugar donut muffins.

What is Maple Me Crazy™ Butter Spread?

Maple Me Crazy™ Butter Spread is Land O’Lakes’ new, limited-batch seasonal butter spread! It is flavored with maple and brown sugar, and just bursting with the sweet taste of maple syrup. I’m absolutely obsessed—I’ve been using it to top breakfast dishes like pancakes, waffles, and oatmeal, as well as a topping for savory sides like roasted sweet potatoes, carrots, and squash.

In this recipe, I consider the Maple Me Crazy™ Butter Spread to be the muffins’ secret ingredient. It really amps up the maple and brown sugar flavor of these muffins!

Buttermilk

You need ¼ cup buttermilk to make maple brown sugar donut muffins.

I don’t have buttermilk. What can I use instead?

You can skip the buttermilk and instead just use whole milk. However, I don’t recommend doing so. The buttermilk adds a nice, tangy flavor that helps balance the sweetness of the maple and brown sugar flavors!

Instead, I recommend that you make your own buttermilk with whole milk. Whisk together ¼ cup (2 ounces or 57 grams) whole milk and ¾ teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice in a small liquid measuring cup. Let sit for 5 minutes to thicken, then use as directed in the recipe. Although you can technically use non-fat or skim milk to make buttermilk, I don’t recommend it. These non- and low-fat versions will lead to less flavorful baked goods.

Alternatively, you can also make your own buttermilk with yogurt. I learned this neat trick from another blogger friend. She thins out ¾ cup natural, unsweetened, and unflavored yogurt with 2 Tablespoons of water to use in place of buttermilk. She says that you can also use a thicker yogurt (like Greek yogurt), but you’ll likely need to use more water to get it to the consistency of buttermilk. Similar to my note above, use whole yogurt if possible. Non- and low-fat yogurts will result in less flavorful baked goods.

Can I use powdered buttermilk?

Yes! Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to make ¼ cup buttermilk. Use as directed in the recipe.

Brown Sugar

You need ¼ cup light OR dark brown sugar to make maple brown sugar donut muffins.

Light versus Dark Brown Sugar

Brown sugar is granulated white sugar with a touch of molasses to give it its signature color and flavor. Because brown sugar contains molasses, it adds more moisture baked goods than granulated sugar otherwise would.

Brown sugar is available in two varieties: light or dark. Dark brown sugar is my personal preference; because it contains more molasses, I find it to be more flavorful. However, you can use either in this maple brown sugar donut muffin recipe without altering its flavor too much.

Maple Sugar

You need ¼ cup maple sugar to make maple brown sugar donut muffins.

What is maple sugar?

I like to think of maple sugar as maple syrup, but in sugar form! It’s made with the same stuff—the sap of a sugar maple tree. Basically, it’s made by boiling the sap longer than you would to make maple syrup. Doing so allows all the water in the syrup to evaporate, leaving you with maple sugar.

Where can I buy maple sugar?

You can typically find maple sugar in the baking aisles of gourmet and high-end grocery stores, as well as natural health food stores. In a pinch, you can also buy maple sugar online!

What can I use instead of maple sugar?

I don’t recommend skipping the maple sugar—it’s a key component to making the maple flavors in these muffins shine! Without it, your muffins will have more subtle maple flavors.

However, if you really can’t find maple sugar, you can substitute it with the same amount of brown sugar OR granulated sugar. I recommend granulated sugar; its lighter color will pop against the golden brown muffins!

How To Make Maple Brown Sugar Donut Muffins

Here are the basic steps to make maple brown sugar donut muffins from scratch:

First, make the maple brown sugar donut muffins.

1. Prep the ingredients for the maple brown sugar donut batter. (Prep Time: 5 minutes)
   Prepping this recipe is easy! All you need to do is measure out the ingredients and make sure everything is at the temperature stated in the recipe. That’s it! I like to melt the Maple Me Crazy™ Butter Spread in the large bowl that I’m planning on making the batter in. Doing so saves me from another dirty dish!
   
   
2. Make the maple brown sugar donut muffins. (Work Time: 10 minutes)
   Similarly, the batter for these muffins comes together quickly and easily. Simply whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl, then mix together the wet ingredients in a large bowl. Then, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
   
   After that, divide the batter among the muffin pan’s cavities. I like to use a cookie dough scoop to scoop the batter quickly and easily into the cavities.
   
   
3. Bake the maple brown sugar donut muffins. (Bake Time: 18 minutes)
   The maple brown sugar donut muffins need 18 to 20 minutes in the oven. After that, cool the muffins in their pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Then, turn them out to prevent them from cooking further.
   
   Note that this recipe works best if you coat the muffins with the sugar topping while they’re still warm. So pro-tip—as the muffins are cooling in this short time, prepare everything you need for the muffin coating!

Then, coat the maple brown sugar muffins.

1. Prep the maple brown sugar donut muffin coating. (Prep Time: 5 minutes)
   Again, prep for the maple brown sugar donut muffin coating is easy! Melt the Maple Me Crazy™ Butter Spread and pour it into a shallow bowl. Then, whisk together the three sugars for the coating in another shallow bowl. That’s it!
   
   
2. Coat the maple brown sugar donut muffins. (Work Time: 15 minutes)
   Working quickly, take a warm muffin and brush it with the melted Maple Me Crazy™ Butter Spread. Sprinkle with the sugar topping immediately to coat it completely.
   
   Some recipes instruct you to dip the muffins in the bowl of sugar, but I don’t recommend doing so. While it coats the muffins faster, it also causes the sugars to clump in the bowl after a while. If you follow my method, you’ll use less sugar, as well as get a much cleaner and evenly coated muffin.

Maple Brown Sugar Donut Muffin Recipe Troubleshooting and FAQ

FAQ: Make Ahead Techniques for Maple Brown Sugar Donut Muffins

Can I refrigerate the maple brown sugar donut muffin batter to save it for baking later?

Yes! You can refrigerate the muffin batter for up to 3 days before baking. Their muffin tops will actually come out taller and more domed when you do! There’s also no need to bring the muffin batter to room temperature or adjust Bake Time dramatically.

FAQ: Maple Brown Sugar Donut Muffin Recipe Techniques

Can I use paper liners for my maple brown sugar donut muffins?

Yes! Traditional donut muffins tend to skip the liners to allow bakers to coat the muffins completely in the sugar. Doing so results in a pastry that looks similar to a sugar coated donut. However, if you want to use paper liners, go for it! I totally get it. They make cleaning up after this recipe far easier.

That said, I do NOT recommend peeling off the paper liners and then coating the muffins in the way I instructed in the recipe. The part that was baked inside the liners will be too soft and fluffy to hold the sugar coating. Instead, keep the paper liners on and only brush and coat the tops of the muffins. Doing so results in a less indulgent maple brown sugar donut muffin (that’s still plenty delicious).

FAQ: Maple Brown Sugar Donut Muffin Recipe Troubleshooting

Help! My maple brown sugar donut muffins don’t look as tall and domed as yours. What did I do wrong?

In the recipe, I instruct you to fill each muffin pan cavity with 3 generous Tablespoons of muffin batter. That amount goes beyond the conventional wisdom that states that you should only fill muffin pans up to ⅔- or ¾- full of batter! So, a lot of people tend to panic and stop at around that capacity. Many think that, if they follow my instructions, the muffin batter will overflow the pan and onto the oven floor when baked.

And I get that, I really do. But it’s also likely why your muffins aren’t as tall and domed as mine. It turns out one of the secrets to super tall and domed muffin tops is filling the muffin cavities with a generous amount of batter. Don’t worry about the muffin batter overflowing the pan!

Help! The sugars for my maple brown sugar donut muffin coating started to clump while I was coating the muffins. What did I do wrong?

Uh oh! Be honest—did you get impatient and start to dunk the coated muffins in the sugar topping? No judgement, I’ve been there. But the truth is that doing so ends up adding butter to the bowl of sugars, causing them to clump! If you want to prevent the sugars from clumping, you’ll need to sprinkle the muffins with the sugar instead of dunking them in the bowl.

But at the end of the day, it’s not the worlds biggest deal if your sugars start to clump. You can either break the clumps up with a whisk and/or fingers, or simply add more sugar to the bowl to keep coating your muffins!

FAQ: How To Store Maple Brown Sugar Donut Muffins

How To Store Maple Brown Sugar Donut Muffins

The maple brown sugar donut muffins are best the day they are made. However, the muffins can be wrapped individually in plastic wrap, or stored in an airtight container or under a cake dome, at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Can I freeze maple brown sugar donut muffins?

Yes! You can freeze maple brown sugar donut muffins.To do so, freeze them after baking and before coating. Follow the recipe instructions to bake the muffins. Once you’ve turned them out of the muffin pan, cool them completely to room temperature. Once cool, individually wrap each muffin in two layers of plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 3 months.

When ready to serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Rewarm by placing the muffins on a parchment-lined sheet pan, and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack, then follow the instructions to make the sugar coating and assemble the muffins.

More Muffin Recipes

• Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Blueberry Cornflake Muffins
• Banana Cinnamon Muffins
• Blueberry Cornflake Muffins
• Banana Nut Muffins (Small Batch)
• Blueberry Muffins (Small Batch)
• Copycat Levain Bakery Blueberry Muffins
• Cranberry Orange Muffins (Small Batch)
• Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins (Small Batch)
• Mini Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins