Chocolate Doughnut Muffins

By Yossy Arefi

Published March 20, 2024

Chocolate Doughnut Muffins
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
50 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Rating
4(1,468)
Comments
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These supersoft, pillowy chocolate muffins are reminiscent of your favorite chocolate doughnut, but with no fussy frying necessary. Packed with sour cream and just a drop of oil, they stay moist and delicious for days. They come together quickly in one bowl, so you can mix them up for a morning treat or afternoon snack without much effort. The cinnamon-sugar coating gives them a crunchy and lightly spiced exterior, which is a pleasing contrast to their soft centers, but they are just as tasty with a heavy dusting of confectioners’ sugar instead.

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Ingredients

Yield:12 muffins
  • ½cup plus 4 tablespoons/170 grams unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing
  • 2large eggs
  • 1cup/200 grams granulated sugar
  • 1cup/220 grams sour cream
  • 1tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
  • 1½teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus a pinch
  • ½cup/45 grams Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 1½teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼teaspoon baking soda
  • 1cup/128 grams all-purpose flour
  • 1tablespoon ground cinnamon
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

343 calories; 25 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 29 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 17 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 196 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 375 degrees with a rack set in the center. Generously butter a 12-cup muffin tin.

  2. Step 2

    In a large bowl, combine the eggs and ¾ cup/150 grams granulated sugar and whisk until well combined.

  3. Step 3

    Add the sour cream, ½ cup/113 grams butter, the oil, nutmeg and 1 teaspoon salt; whisk until well combined.

  4. Step 4

    Whisk in the cocoa powder, followed by the baking powder and the baking soda. Then use a flexible spatula to fold in the flour by gently scooping up some batter from the bottom and folding it over the flour on the top. Rotate the bowl and repeat until just incorporated.

  5. Step 5

    Divide the mixture among the 12 wells and bake until the muffins are puffed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 18 to 23 minutes.

  6. Step 6

    In a shallow bowl, combine the remaining ¼ cup/50 grams granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon and a pinch of salt.

  7. Step 7

    Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer them to a rack. Working with one warm muffin at a time, brush it with some remaining melted butter then toss in the cinnamon sugar; repeat with remaining muffins.

  8. Step 8

    Serve immediately. Store any extras in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. (The sugar will gradually melt into the muffins as they sit, but you can reroll the muffins in cinnamon sugar, if desired.)

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,468 user ratings
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Comments

SQ

I’m gonna ditch the nutmeg and add in a bit of instant coffee to deepen the chocolate flavor. Maybe douse with a glaze!

McKenzie

Tasty and definitely donut-like in flavor. I was carrying a baby and entertaining a toddler so didn’t mix everything in the right order. They still turned out light and fluffy. Made them mini-cupcake size for more of a donut hole effect. Can’t go wrong with a Yossi recipe!

ShariM

I didn’t have enough sour cream and I really wanted to make them, so I used a scant 1/2 cup sour cream plus approximately 1/4 cup each Greek yogurt and ricotta. They came out perfectly. Next time I’ll try with all Greek yogurt.

Meri Hanlon

Just perfect. After reading the comments, I omitted the nutmeg completely--not my favorite spice. I did add two tablespoons of brewed espresso; it's what I had on hand. I used Navitas cocoa powder. So foolproof. The cinnamon sugar is the perfect touch. I'll be making these often.

Zachary Garber

Definitely calls for too much nutmeg

USFbull4ever

Based on comments, I reduced the nutmeg and cinnamon significantly. The amount is a lot and can really give an intense flavor if used as the recipe suggests. The reduction in these spices was just enough to give a hint, but still balanced well with the chocolate. I mixed 1/2 tsp of nutmeg and 1 tsp cinnamon into the batter. I didn’t use any cinnamon on the top to coat it with sugar. I felt that would overwhelm the chocolate taste. I followed all the other measurements for the ingredients. In addition, I added some semi sweet chocolate chips into the batter. I did measure out 15 grams of sugar and coated 6 of the 12 muffins to try it. I don’t think it’s needed. And the muffin turned out great, not dry, not overly moist, and not overly sweet. It only took 18 mins for the muffins to bake. I can see myself baking these again and adapting it with other ingredients. It does have a great foundation for a solid chocolate muffin.

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