Cinnamon Sugar Muffins Made With Whole Wheat Flour
These easy cinnamon sugar muffins are a classic family favorite–and this version get a makeover using white whole wheat flour.
If a muffin and a cinnamon-sugar donut had a love child, this would be it!
In fact, I’ve seen these referred to as “donut muffins”.
My mom called them Paris Puffins, which I found deliciously exotic-sounding as a child. No matter that a quick Google search reveals that this basic recipe (and even the name) is a family favorite for a lot of other people too. As far as I’m concerned, these cinnamon sugar muffins feel like home to me.
That being said, I took my mom’s cinnamon muffin recipe and made a few little tweaks, like swapping Crisco for butter and unsweetened applesauce and all-purpose flour for white whole wheat. I also reduced the sugar in the muffin itself. Since each one is rolled in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar after baking, the batter can get away with being just lightly sweet.
I’m not suggesting that I’ve transformed these cinnamon sugar muffins into insta-health food (no doubt, they’re still a treat!) but I like making little changes where I can.
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I hope you and your family enjoy these “cinnamon sugar donut muffins” as much as we do!
Whole Wheat Cinnamon Sugar Muffins
These cinnamon sugar muffins are a classic family favorite--and this version get a makeover using white whole wheat flour.
Ingredients
Muffins
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour, or regular whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Coating
- 1/4 cup butter, 1/2 stick
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease 9 compartments of a muffin tin.
- n a medium bowl, mix melted butter, applesauce, sugar, eggs, and milk until combined.
- In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.
- Add wet ingredients to dry and stir just until combined.
- Fill compartments of muffin tin 2/3 full.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, until muffins spring back when lightly pressed.
- While muffins are baking, melt butter in a shallow bowl. In a separate shallow bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon.
- When muffins are done baking, remove them to a cooling rack and cool for 1 minute. Then dip each one carefully in butter to coat all sides, and roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. These are best eaten the same day, but they will keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days at room temperature.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 9 servings Serving Size: 1 muffinAmount Per Serving: Calories: 223Cholesterol: 45mgSodium: 192mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 5gSugar: 14gProtein: 4g
If I only have whole wheat flour and whole wheat pastry flour, could I use either of those, and if yes, how much?
Thanks!
Hi Eileen–you can use the same amount of regular whole wheat flour or pastry flour.
Oohh. Looks yummy. Definitely would have double the recipe with 3 boys! Will be trying it soon.
Thanks Julie! Actually, since they’re best eaten the first day (and such a treat), nine would probably be the perfect amount for your family–unless they each eat three and leave you with none, that is! 🙂
Oh! my mouth watering muffins, no doubt that I am gonna try it this weekend.
Thanks Sally.
Do you dip the whole muffin in butter and roll or just the top?
Yes, you roll the whole thing in the butter. I will note that in the recipe so it’s clear. Thank you!
We loved these! Will make often. We accidentally curb side picked up way way too much whole wheat flour so I’ve been looking for recipes to get rid of them and now I think I might get more whole wheat, so easy to convince the fam to eat healthier 🙂 the muffins surprisingly were soft and full of flavour, I added cinnamon to the batch and I did not ice it, still amazing we loved them and will be looking for more recipes from this site 🙂 thank you
Julie–glad you enjoyed them!
Can i use Almond Flour for this recipe?
Hi Cathy–I haven’t tested this recipe with almond flour, so I can’t say.
Can i omit all the sugar from the recipe?
No, I would not recommend that.
This is the best cinnamon muffin recipe I have seen! It’s healthy and kid approved!! We had 6 grand kids over ranging from 10 down to 2 years old and each child loved them! That’s a home run in my book! Thank you Sally for creating healthy, flavorful and a variety of foods that keep us healthy and happy!
Thank you so much Debbie. I’m so glad your gang loves them.
Hi! With what can I replace the applesauce? We do not get applesauce in bottles in South Africa….perhaps honey?
Hi Suzaan–The applesauce is meant to replace some of the butter. So I would simply swap it for more melted butter. Hope that helps