Jelly Donut Muffins
Jelly doughnuts for those who don’t want to wait.
A fresh doughnut in the morning with a hot cup of freshly brewed coffee is a preferred breakfast across the country. Glazed and old-fashioned doughnuts are probably the most popular; but, if you asked my mom, jelly doughnuts are superior: soft, freshly fried dough filled with sweet and tart fruit jam rolled in either crunchy granulated sugar or light powdered sugar.
When my sister was attending college camps for basketball, she and my mom went to a camp the weekend of Mother’s Day. To show my mother my appreciation, I made these jelly donut muffins and packed them up for their journey. They grabbed a muffin as a grab-and-go breakfast and enjoyed one for something sweet after they retired to their hotel room for the night.
Are Jelly Donut Muffins easy to make?
The traditional jelly doughnut is a yeast-raised dough that is fried, punctured, filled with jam, and rolled in either granulated sugar or powdered sugar. It takes hours and a lot of elbow grease to execute the pillowy-soft texture of a good doughnut.
First, yeast is dissolved into warm water or milk with a pinch of sugar to bloom. The yeast is hydrated, activated, and grows.
Second, the dough has to be kneaded. Kneading the dough develops the gluten-protein found in wheat flour.
Third, the dough has to rest to relax the developed gluten. If the dough doesn’t rest, the dough will be tough and heavy. The dough must grow and double in size which typically takes 2 hours.
Fourth, the dough is kneaded again. Some recipes don’t require the second knead, but some do to get the right texture. A second knead calls for another rest, but it usually only takes 30 minutes to an hour.
Fifth, the dough is rolled and cut.
Sixth, the rounds have to rise again to proof.
Finally, it’s time to fry the doughnuts. But now you have to handle hot oil and pans and a piping bag of jam and sugar and a hot doughnut in sugar….
It’s a lot.
Luckily, these Jelly Donut Muffins only require two bowls, a whisk, and a muffin tin. After 20 minutes of baking time, you have the essence of a jelly doughnut without the stress and mess. Jelly Donut Muffins are easy to make and they look so fancy!
How do I fill Jelly Donut Muffins?
Unlike the traditional jelly doughnut, these Jelly Donut Muffins are filled before they are baked! So, you don’t have to worry about filling a piping bag and getting your hands sticky trying to stuff the doughnut. Instead, you pour the batter into the muffin tins then spoon a teaspoon of your favorite jam or jelly in the center of each muffin. When it bakes, the jam will sink deeper into the center, though still revealing itself at the top. If you wish to not see any jam peeking through:
spoon half of the batter in the muffin tin
put 1 tsp of jam in the center
spoon the rest of the batter over
What jam or jelly do I use for Jelly Donut Muffins?
Use your favorite jam or jelly in your Jelly Donut Muffins. Jelly is made with strained fruit, which means that it is completely smooth with no fruit pieces or seeds. Jam, on the other hand, is made with mashed fruit, so little pieces of the fruit will be in there. I prefer my Jelly Donut Muffins to be filled with a high quality raspberry or blackberry jam because the seeds of the fruit add texture. If you don’t like seeds, opt for a seedless jam or jelly.
How do I coat the Jelly Donut Muffins in sugar?
Coating Jelly Donut Muffins in the granulated sugar can get messy. You can skip the step if you don’t want the extra sweetness, but the crunchy outside is reminiscent of the traditional jelly doughnut. The sugar coating sticks best when both the muffins and melted butter are slightly cooled. If the butter is too hot or if the muffin is too wet, the sugar will dissolve and you won’t get the crunch. Using a pastry brush, gently dab the muffin with butter. Then roll the muffin in the sugar or sprinkle the sugar all over the muffin. Typically, I only have to dab the top portions of the muffins since the cooking spray I used to grease the muffin tins moistens the muffins enough for the sugar to stick.
Tip: Use your ugliest muffin as your tester. Gauge whether or not you need to butter the entire muffin or only parts and whether you want to roll it or sprinkle it. Have fun!
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup melted butter, milk, egg, and vanilla extract.
3. In a larger bowl, whisk together flour, 1/3 cup cane sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, and sea salt.
4. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet into the dry. Whisk together until just combined. Let the batter sit for 5 minutes.
5. Using an ice cream scoop for uniform muffins, scoop one spoonful of batter into each muffin cup. Next, dollop 1 teaspoon of jam into the center of each muffin.
6. Bake the muffins at 375°F for 18 to 22 muffins or until the muffins are slighly golden brown and baked. Let cool slightly.
7. Pop out warm muffins onto a plate or board. Using a pastry brush, gently moisten the muffin tops. Roll or sprinkle the entire muffin with the remaining sugar.
Keep leftover muffins in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days.
+ If the sugar coating is not sticking to the outside of the muffin, brush more melted butter to make the sugar adhere.
+ If the sugar is dissolving, there is too much butter! Let the butter soak into the muffin and try rolling it in sugar after the outside dries slightly.
