• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Bake Offs
  • Recipes
  • Travel
  • About
  • Work With Me
  • Nav Widget Area

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
The Pancake Princess

The Pancake Princess

A baking blog curating internet recipes.

You're here: Home > Pancake Princess > Muffins & Quickbreads

Snickerdoodle-topped doughnut muffins

by erika 47 Comments

These have been sitting in my drafts pile for weeks and I’m honestly flabbergasted. Why? WHY?

DSC_3005

Maybe because they didn’t really fit into my no-sugar eating plan. Even though I made these well before I took that (completely insane?!) vow.

DSC_2987

I’m sure this comes as no great surprise, but every once in awhile, I get struck with intense cravings to break free from whole wheat/oat flour/flaxseed/chia seeds and just bake something unapologetically doughy and immense with all-purpose flour, sugar and normal levels of oil/butter, unadulterated by applesauce or yogurt.

As recently as Saturday night, that craving resulted in these sparkling blueberry muffins from Sally’s Baking Addiction (which I promptly stuffed in my sister’s bag to take far, far away). Weeks ago, the craving culminated in these snickerdoodle-topped doughnut muffins from one of my new favorite blogs, Top With Cinnamon.

Snickerdoodle topped doughnut muffins

DSC_3065

These muffins have the crustiest, crunchiest, sugar-iest top you will EVER find on a muffin. There is literally a cookie that acts as the muffin top to a counterpart that is like a fluffy, lovely cake doughnut. It’s the best idea ever. Could we still be friends if I admit that I’m almost drooling thinking about them? You should make these immediately. Sorry for ruining your diets.

DSC_3079

I’m so close to ruining mine. I can’t even talk about these anymore. This calls for a raw brownie.

DSC_3094

DSC_3099

Notes

Changes: although Izy’s muffins looked promising, I went with a doughnut muffin recipe I’ve been dying to try from King Arthur, which uses rather an incredible amount of flour and uses both butter (for taste) and oil (for moisture). I lowered the amounts of fat, sugar and flour just a tad to keep with the slightly lower amount of egg used. And I used 1.5 cups of white whole wheat flour to ¾ cups all-purpose and thought the muffins didn’t suffer at all from a bit more fiber. But you can follow the recipe as written.

Tips: Since this recipe calls for a tiny batch of snickerdoodles, Izy’s recipe uses half of an egg in the muffin batter and half in the cookies. Waste not, want not; I did the same. To get half of a large egg, beat it up in a bowl like you’re making scrambled eggs. Then measure out 1.5 tablespoons to capture half the volume. Voila!

Also, I highly recommend making the snickerdoodles first and refrigerating them while you make the muffin batter, as written below. Otherwise the cookie dough may be warm and difficult to handle when forming disks.

Oh yes, and why the Honey Bunches of Oats? I discovered that cereal boxes make great little trays for gifting baked goods if you cut out a nice flat rectangle from the box and glue up the sides. They’re a little flimsy though, so I wouldn’t use them for anything heavy! #recyclingisthebest

Snickerdoodle-topped Doughnut Muffins
Inspired by Top With Cinnamon with doughnut muffins adapted from King Arthur

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1.5 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg, to taste
generous 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 egg
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking powder OR 1/2 tsp cream of tartar + 1/4 tsp baking soda

2 tablespoons sugar, add  cinnamon to taste
2 tablespoons flour

Grease a muffin pan, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a shallow bowl, set aside.

Make the snickerdoodles: Cream together the butter and sugar (you can do this by hand if the butter is room temperature). Stir in the half egg, flour, and baking powder. Refrigerate the dough while you make the muffins.

Make the muffins: Cream together the butter, oil and sugars until smooth. Beat in the remaining eggs. Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt and vanilla. Add the flour and milk in alternating additions, starting and ending with the flour, until everything is completely combined.

Remove the cookie dough from the fridge and divide into 12 equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disk roughly the width of a muffin tin. Coat in cinnamon sugar. Once finished covering the disks in cinnamon sugar, add 2 tablespoons of flour to the remaining cinnamon-sugar, and use it to dust each cavity of the greased muffin pan.

Divide the batter evenly into the muffin tin, filling each one nearly to the top. Top with a cookie dough disk.

Bake for 5 minutes at 425, then 14-16 minutes at 350.

 

FacebookTweetPin120

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. Erica

    February 6, 2013 at 1:41 am

    Oh my god, I love Izy’s recipes, and these look amazing. MUST MAKE SOON! I often bring breakfast to my English class on Friday mornings — maybe I’ll make these!

    Reply
  2. disashisoul

    January 21, 2013 at 10:49 pm

    Yes please!! haha These look amazing.

    Reply
  3. petit4chocolatier

    January 18, 2013 at 7:57 pm

    So good!!! I could most definitely eat a few of these 🙂

    Reply
  4. Anne

    January 18, 2013 at 11:04 am

    Love the idea of snickerdoodle in a form of a muffin –lovely post Erika. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • erika

      January 18, 2013 at 11:34 am

      Thanks, Anne!

      Reply
  5. Kristi @ My San Francisco Kitchen

    January 17, 2013 at 10:20 pm

    Hahaha your post made me laugh-its the same with me, I get random cravings to make brownies WITHOUT applesauce, with the good stuff (butter!!). Once in a while is ok, right? =) It certainly feels so good! These muffins look gorgeous, and I bet they taste as delicious as they look! Yummmm!

    Reply
    • erika

      January 18, 2013 at 8:33 am

      Haha thanks Kristi! I’m glad someone understands! It feels so much naughtier when you try to bake/eat healthy most of the time and then suddenly splurge with ridiculous muffins like this! But yes, I agree–once in awhile is definitely okay 🙂

      Reply
  6. Stephanie

    January 17, 2013 at 10:06 pm

    These look scrumptious! I love snickerdoodles. I so want to crack the top of one of those muffins and eat it with a big mug of coffee. 😀

    Reply
    • erika

      January 18, 2013 at 8:32 am

      That sounds so good! Definitely a great way to enjoy these muffins. Thanks for stopping by, Stephanie!

      Reply
  7. girlinafoodfrenzy

    January 17, 2013 at 9:20 pm

    Hi Erika, I love the cut out cereal boxes, they add a definite charm and they look fantastic in your pics. As for a snicker dongle, I’ve never had one, but when you say doughnut style muffin with a crisp, sugary top, my tummy says yes!!! Gorgeous!

    Reply
    • erika

      January 18, 2013 at 8:30 am

      Thanks!! Yeah, it’s a great way to use up cereal boxes. I can’t believe you’ve never had a snickerdoodle!!! You need to have one, asap. Here, make these: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2009/09/snickerdoodles/ You will curse and thank me 🙂

      Reply
  8. Skinny Muffin (@SkinnyMuffins)

    January 16, 2013 at 7:18 am

    Yum! These look so good. I think it’s SO cool that you are still doing your “no sugar” thing. More power to you!! I just started reading Crazy Sexy Diet and am seriously addicted.

    Reply
    • erika

      January 16, 2013 at 8:47 am

      Kaylie, you are the best! First of all, so sweet 🙂 Thanks for the encouragement, I really need it! And second–I just googled Crazy Sexy Diet and um I really want to read it. It sounded really similar to Skinny B which I read back in the day and that’s actually one of the factors which made me go vegetarian. And then I saw in the Amazon book preview that one of the Skinny B authors had written the foreword! Haha. Thanks for turning me onto it–can’t wait to go get it!

      Reply
  9. yummychunklet

    January 15, 2013 at 3:56 pm

    What great tops to tasty sounding muffins!

    Reply
  10. cookingactress

    January 15, 2013 at 12:25 pm

    YEESSSSS omg that’s perfect!! I would love a crunchy cookie top on the top of my muffin!

    Reply
    • erika

      January 16, 2013 at 8:41 am

      This does seem right up your alley! I’d looove to see one of your brown butter chocolate chip cookies on top of a muffin!!

      Reply
      • cookingactress

        January 16, 2013 at 1:13 pm

        that’s just like…too awesome to exist…O_O

  11. jmcvl

    January 15, 2013 at 10:16 am

    I want to live close enough to be able to try these babies. they look insane! Wow- just wow.

    Reply
    • erika

      January 15, 2013 at 10:29 am

      Yes, you should move to Texas!! Haha. As if. Never mind, I’ll move to the UK! And then we can test out all the other cookie/muffin combinations I have in mind 🙂

      Reply
      • jmcvl

        January 15, 2013 at 10:32 am

        sounds like perfection!

  12. eat sweet. by carla sue

    January 15, 2013 at 12:33 am

    Yum! These look SO good!

    Reply
    • erika

      January 15, 2013 at 8:43 am

      Thanks Carla!! 🙂

      Reply
  13. Bam's Kitchen

    January 14, 2013 at 7:48 pm

    So that’s how you stay so skinny! You make all these delicious muffins and pass them off to your roomates. I would need to get them completely out of the perimeter of my home as these look addictive.

    Reply
    • erika

      January 15, 2013 at 10:05 am

      Oh, Bam. If only I was skinny and had the self-control to pass them all off to my roommate + friends. Alas, that is not the case at least 50% of the time. But like you, I do try to get them out of my house when I can or I would totally overindulge!!

      Reply
  14. gottagetbaked

    January 14, 2013 at 7:14 pm

    Cookie topped muffins?! Damn! Why must you tempt me with all these amazing foods?! This is pure genius, lady. I’d probably just eat the tops ‘n chuck the rest. Remember that old Seinfeld episode where they wanted to sell only the muffin tops? Hilarious but true – it IS the best part of the muffin and now you’ve made it even better. And I love the idea of using old cereal boxes for presenting baked goods. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • erika

      January 15, 2013 at 10:04 am

      Haha…I was tempted to eat just the tops, but the bottoms are so good too!!! You’re so funny. Thanks for stopping by, lady 🙂

      Reply
  15. myhealthyohana

    January 14, 2013 at 6:05 pm

    Wow, a cookie on top of a muffin?? What an awesome idea! I’m going to try this as soon as my week of no refined sugar ends, I’m starting today!!

    Reply
    • erika

      January 15, 2013 at 10:01 am

      Ahhh good for you! Good luck with your week!! And do let me know how it goes once you finish 🙂

      Reply
  16. checy16

    January 14, 2013 at 3:36 pm

    These look so great! I’d love to try them, but I’m trying to decrease my sugar and dessert consumption this year too. Maybe I’ll just bake them for my roommates! Btw, that’s so clever using a cereal box as a tray! I’m always trying to find containers to hold cupcakes or cookies. I will definitely try to make this. 🙂

    Reply
    • erika

      January 15, 2013 at 10:00 am

      Yes, bake them for your roommates! And just sneak one bite 🙂 Then brush your teeth! Or eat an orange! (my best tips for killing sugar cravings lol).

      And I’m glad! Cereal boxes are just the perfect thickness–not too thick that you can’t fold it, but just sturdy enough to carry a few cookies/muffins 🙂

      Reply
  17. Choc Chip Uru

    January 14, 2013 at 2:12 pm

    These babies look like they have serious flavour going on my friend! 🙂

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

    Reply
    • erika

      January 15, 2013 at 9:59 am

      Definitely, Uru 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, as always!

      Reply
  18. Leah

    January 14, 2013 at 2:10 pm

    Ohhhh, you are evil! This is to die for. I’m pinning this so I can try the recipe post-Paleo.

    I love what you did with the cereal box! So creative. 😉

    Reply
    • erika

      January 15, 2013 at 9:58 am

      Hahaha I’m sorry. I know, I’m evil to myself too! I want to make these again–like, right now. Let me know what you think if you make them post-Paleo 🙂

      And thanks! I felt like a less-expert version of you, making those boxes 🙂

      Reply
  19. elisebakes

    January 14, 2013 at 2:08 pm

    These look fantastic! And I love your cereal box tray!

    Reply
    • erika

      January 15, 2013 at 9:56 am

      Haha thanks Elise! I was excited to figure out a use for all the cereal boxes that were accumulating in our apartment!

      Reply
  20. The Healthy Flavor

    January 14, 2013 at 1:19 pm

    Omg I’m drooling! I LOVE snicker doodles and anything with cinnamon!! These sound to die for…I love, love the changes you made. Way to go girl!!

    Reply
    • erika

      January 15, 2013 at 9:54 am

      Haha thanks Brandi…do you have vegan snickerdoodles on your site anywhere?? I’ll have to go check this out. I’d love to see your vegan take on them!

      Reply
      • The Healthy Flavor

        January 15, 2013 at 12:53 pm

        Not yet girl but it’s on my list actually!! Hopefully it’ll be on there within a week. I’m so behind on posting all my recipes,,,hard to do with my baby girl 🙂
        I’ll definitely let you know! 🙂

  21. Green Door Hospitality

    January 14, 2013 at 1:11 pm

    These sound heavenly! 🙂
    Kenley

    Reply
    • erika

      January 15, 2013 at 9:53 am

      Thanks Kenley! They are the total epitome of carb-y heaven 🙂

      Reply
  22. Sally

    January 14, 2013 at 1:02 pm

    WOW! Snickerdoodle Donut muffins. I love it Erika! And thanks for linking to my blueberry muffins. I’m glad you made them!

    Reply
    • erika

      January 15, 2013 at 9:52 am

      Sally, the muffins were SO good! I loved the crunchy sugar top and we added chocolate chips instead of blueberries to some since that’s my sister’s preference. They were fab! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, busy girl!

      Reply
  23. Cookie Dough Katzen

    January 14, 2013 at 12:39 pm

    These look amazing! I can’t believe you have been baking and not eating your treats! Keep up the good work 🙂

    Reply
    • erika

      January 14, 2013 at 12:45 pm

      Thank you!! If we’re being honest, I’ve sneaked a few tastes. But I’m mostly being good!! 🙂

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Baking recipe curator and tester.

I’m here to give you confidence that you are finding the recipe that’s right for you.

I test recipes side-by-side and use a data-driven approach to analyze and rank the “best” recipes and put it all together for you.

Get to know me.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Subscribe to get the latest

Popular Now:

best lemon poppy seed muffin bake off Best Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin Bake Off
Gingerbread Coffee Cake
Best Gingerbread Cookie Bake Off
Campfire Crunch Cookies
nine slices pecan pie Best Pecan Pie Bake Off
Best Parker House Roll Bake Off // The Pancake Princess Best Parker House Roll Bake Off
Sara Cornelius’ Pureed Zucchini Bread
Best Coffee Cake Bake Off // The Pancake Princess Best Coffee Cake Bake Off

Instagram

Best lemon poppy seed muffin bake off is live!! Li Best lemon poppy seed muffin bake off is live!! Link in profile and tap the photo to see all the participating recipes/bloggers 🎊🎊

I always love to hear your guesses—based on looks alone, who do you think won?! 

And excitingly there is a bonus recipe at the end! I love lemon poppy so much that when a certain blogger I love (ahem @ful.filled) reached out with her intriguing looking recipe after the fact, I immediately tried it and reported my thoughts at the end of the post 💕
#pancakeprincessbakeoff #muffins #lemonpoppyseed #bakeoff
New year, new profile pic surrounded by cookies ✨

For those of you who like to plan, here’s a very tentative guide to what I’m envisioning for this year’s bake offs (if the world doesn’t blow up). Thank you, as always, for your constant enthusiasm and support for the bake offs! 💕💕💕 

🍪Jan: lemon poppy muffins, Levain choc/pb cookies?
🍪 Feb: cream cheese kolaches, loft house copycat cookies, flourless chocolate cake?
🍪 March: carrot cake
🍪 April: liege waffles??
🍪 May: tres leches
🍪 June: key lime pie 
🍪 July: tiramisu
🍪 August: oatmeal cookies
🍪 Sept: doughnuts 
🍪 Oct: shortbread?
🍪 Nov: Mac n cheese 
🍪 Dec: ginger molasses or chocolate crinkle cookies

Photo credit: @juliejulez.jpg 👹💕
{HOUSTON GIVEAWAY} Hi friends! If you’ve been f {HOUSTON GIVEAWAY}

Hi friends! If you’ve been following me for a little bit, hopefully you know how obsessed I am with @happyearthcompost and their mission to make composting more accessible and easy for the Houston community! Here is just a sneak peek of all the eggshells and lemon peels from the lemon poppy seed muffin bake off that are going straight into my Happy Earth compost bucket instead of the trash 🎊

I’m thrilled to be partnering with @happyearthcompost to do a giveaway for one lucky winner! Here are the deets:

🌱 you will win 2 free months of monthly pick ups from @happyearthcompost! You’ll get a little counter top bin (pictured here) and a larger bucket to keep outside (in the second pic)
🌱 must be located in Houston or Bryan/College Station to win
🌱 to enter, just make sure you’re following me and @happyearthcompost and tag a friend in the comments! Each comment is a separate entry
🌱 giveaway will close this Saturday (1/16) at midnight! GOOD LUCK!!!
Thankful for another year of bake offs with you gu Thankful for another year of bake offs with you guys! Loving the appreciation for the coffee cake, blueberry muffin, pecan pie, gingerbread and Levain cookie bake offs (more Levain to come in 2021 hopefully!) 🎊💕

While on vacation, I’ve scraped a lot of recipes for future bake offs (thanks to your help) and I feel refreshed and ready to get back to baking ASAP! On the list for 2021 bake offs: carrot cake, oatmeal cookies, copycat lofthouse cookies, Levain chocolate pb cookies, shortbread, lemon poppyseed muffins, etc. Let me know if there’s anything else you’re dying to see in the comments!

THANK YOU for all of your support, your kind comments, your reviewing of different recipes and your spreading of joy through baked goods this past year. Thanks to my tasters for their critical tasting and hilarious comments. Can’t wait to do it all over again next year 💕
Gingerbread bake off is up! Commence all the ginge Gingerbread bake off is up! Commence all the gingerbread baking!! 🎄🎄🎄

Tap the pic to see all participating recipes and tell me which one looks the best or which recipes you’re most excited to try!! You really can’t go wrong with any of them 🎊🎊🎊 and if you’re planning on baking any other holiday cookies this weekend, gimme the deets on what you’re making! I need more inspo for my cookie boxes 🍪🍪🍪 #pancakeprincessbakeoff
@THEPANCAKEPRINCESS

Footer

Back to Top
Bake Offs
Recipes
Travel
About
Work With Me

Subscribe to get the latest:

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Recent Posts

  • Best Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin Bake Off
  • Gingerbread Coffee Cake
  • Best Gingerbread Cookie Bake Off
  • Campfire Crunch Cookies
  • Best Pecan Pie Bake Off

Privacy Policy and Terms of Service · © Pancake Princess · Site by Meyne