34 min
Lemon-Ricotta Dutch Baby with Macerated Berries
A dramatic, crisp-edged skillet pancake with a custardy center, lemony ricotta, and juicy berries—special enough for brunch, easy enough for Saturday.
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Cinnamon-Sugar Pumpkin Mini Muffins
Tender orange-crumb pumpkin mini muffins get a warm butter dip and complete cinnamon-sugar coating for a crisp, sparkling finish and soft spiced center.
Directions
Prepare the oven and pan
Heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the center. Coat two 12-cup mini-muffin pans thoroughly with nonstick spray, including the flat surface around the wells. If baking in batches, cool and clean the pan before regreasing it.
Whisk the dry mixture
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt for 30 seconds. Breaking up every spice pocket now prevents bitter streaks in the small muffins.
Mix the pumpkin base
In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar and eggs until smooth and slightly lightened, about 45 seconds. Whisk in the pumpkin, oil, milk and vanilla until the mixture is uniform with no visible egg streaks.
Fold the batter gently
Add the dry mixture to the pumpkin mixture. Fold with a flexible spatula just until no dry flour remains, scraping the bottom and sides once. Stop immediately; overmixing develops gluten and makes mini muffins rubbery.
Portion evenly
Divide the batter among 24 mini-muffin wells, filling each about three-quarters full with roughly 1 1/2 tablespoons batter. Wipe drips from the top of the pan so they do not burn.
Bake to precise doneness
Bake for 11 to 14 minutes, rotating the pans front to back after 8 minutes, until the tops spring back, a tester carries only a few moist crumbs and the center of a muffin registers 200 to 205°F. Avoid baking until completely dry.
Release and cool briefly
Rest the muffins in the pans for 5 minutes. Run a thin flexible spatula around any stuck edges and transfer the muffins to a wire rack for 3 minutes. They should be warm enough to absorb a little butter but firm enough to handle.
Make the cinnamon sugar
While the muffins cool, place the melted butter in one shallow bowl. In a second shallow bowl, stir the granulated sugar with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon until the color is completely even.
Coat every muffin
Working one at a time, brush or roll each warm muffin lightly in melted butter, letting excess drip away, then roll it in cinnamon sugar to coat the top, sides and base. Set on the rack for 10 minutes so the sparkling crust adheres before serving.
Why this works
Why it worksOil and pumpkin purée keep the small crumb tender even after the muffins cool, while room-temperature eggs and milk blend without tightening the batter.
Why it worksBaking powder and baking soda work together against pumpkin's density, producing rounded tops and an open but sturdy orange crumb.
Why it worksA light butter layer applied while warm anchors cinnamon sugar over the entire muffin, creating the distinct sparkling shell shown in the finished bake.
Useful kitchen gear
Tools that make this easier.
Compare the function and specifications first; skip anything your kitchen already handles well.
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Compare on AmazonDigital kitchen scaleGram weights keep the flour and sugar accurate for a tender mini-muffin crumb.See current options →
Compare on AmazonStainless mixing bowl setSeparate bowls keep the dry mix, pumpkin batter, melted butter and cinnamon sugar organized.See current options →
Compare on AmazonStainless measuring scoopsA small scoop portions 24 wells evenly so the mini muffins bake and brown together.See current options →
Swaps & notes
Easy swaps
- Use 1 3/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice in place of the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves in the batter; keep the separate cinnamon-sugar coating unchanged.
- Unsweetened applesauce can replace the oil by volume, but the muffins will be softer, less rich and best eaten the day they are baked.
- For 12 standard muffins, fill greased wells three-quarters full and bake at 375°F for 18 to 22 minutes, checking for a 200 to 205°F center.
Cook notes
- Use canned pure pumpkin, not sweetened pumpkin pie filling, which would make the batter overly sweet and alter the liquid balance.
- Mini-muffin pans vary in depth. Portion by volume and begin checking at 11 minutes rather than relying only on the clock.
- For a neat rather than greasy coating, brush on a very thin butter film or roll quickly and let each muffin drip before it enters the sugar.
Storage
Let the coated muffins cool completely, then keep them in a loosely covered container at room temperature for up to 2 days; airtight storage softens the sugar crust. Refrigerate for up to 5 days and rewarm at 300°F for 5 minutes. Freeze uncoated baked muffins for up to 2 months, thaw at room temperature, warm briefly and add fresh butter and cinnamon sugar before serving.
Questions
Why did my pumpkin mini muffins turn dense?
The batter was likely overmixed, the leaveners may be old or too much flour was packed into cups. Weigh 219 grams flour, whisk fresh leaveners through the dry ingredients and fold only until the last flour streak disappears.
Can I coat the muffins ahead of time?
They are crispest within 4 hours of coating. For next-day serving, bake and cool the muffins, store them uncoated, then warm at 300°F for 4 minutes and apply melted butter and fresh cinnamon sugar.
How do I keep mini muffins from sticking?
Use a fresh, thorough layer of baking spray, including the top rim, and rest the baked muffins for exactly 5 minutes before loosening them. Too little grease causes sticking, while cooling fully in the pan traps steam and weakens the sides.
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Cinnamon-Sugar Pumpkin Mini Muffins
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1. Prepare the oven and panHeat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the center. Coat two 12-cup mini-muffin pans thoroughly with nonstick spray, including the flat surface around the wells. If baking in batches, cool and clean the pan before regreasing it.
2. Whisk the dry mixtureIn a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt for 30 seconds. Breaking up every spice pocket now prevents bitter streaks in the small muffins.
3. Mix the pumpkin baseIn a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar and eggs until smooth and slightly lightened, about 45 seconds. Whisk in the pumpkin, oil, milk and vanilla until the mixture is uniform with no visible egg streaks.
4. Fold the batter gentlyAdd the dry mixture to the pumpkin mixture. Fold with a flexible spatula just until no dry flour remains, scraping the bottom and sides once. Stop immediately; overmixing develops gluten and makes mini muffins rubbery.
5. Portion evenlyDivide the batter among 24 mini-muffin wells, filling each about three-quarters full with roughly 1 1/2 tablespoons batter. Wipe drips from the top of the pan so they do not burn.
6. Bake to precise donenessBake for 11 to 14 minutes, rotating the pans front to back after 8 minutes, until the tops spring back, a tester carries only a few moist crumbs and the center of a muffin registers 200 to 205°F. Avoid baking until completely dry.
7. Release and cool brieflyRest the muffins in the pans for 5 minutes. Run a thin flexible spatula around any stuck edges and transfer the muffins to a wire rack for 3 minutes. They should be warm enough to absorb a little butter but firm enough to handle.
8. Make the cinnamon sugarWhile the muffins cool, place the melted butter in one shallow bowl. In a second shallow bowl, stir the granulated sugar with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon until the color is completely even.
9. Coat every muffinWorking one at a time, brush or roll each warm muffin lightly in melted butter, letting excess drip away, then roll it in cinnamon sugar to coat the top, sides and base. Set on the rack for 10 minutes so the sparkling crust adheres before serving.