Strawberry Shortcake Doughnut Muffins

Strawberry Shortcake Doughnut Muffins. These are like little bites of HEAVEN. A muffin that tastes like a doughnut, dunked in brown butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet, crunchy crust. Then topped with buttercream frosting and fresh cut strawberries. Amazing.

So excited to be participating in a fun blog party today all about doughnuts!! It’s always a good day to celebrate doughnuts. :) A few weekends ago tons of fabulous food bloggers from all over met up in Austin, Texas for the big BlogHer Food conference. I think at some point while we were there, we all made our way to the Gourdough’s Gourmet Doughnut Truck. I kept seeing tweets and Instagrams about it all weekend, lol! They served up soft, fluffy, delicious doughnuts made fresh to order and covered them with the most decadent and indulgent toppings imaginable. See a few photos I took of my favorite combinations here!
Today I am teaming up with a few of the sweet food bloggers I got to meet in Austin, and we are each recreating our favorite Gourdough’s Doughnut and sharing the recipes with you so you can enjoy the deliciousness of Gourdough’s without ever leaving home.



While they definitely had some indulgently fun and decadent combinations, my favorite Gourdough’s doughnuts were the pure and simple ones, like the Miss Shortcake; a perfectly golden doughnut topped with sweet vanilla frosting and fresh strawberries. Today I am sharing my spin on this favorite: The Strawberry Shortcake Doughnut Muffin. It’s a muffin that tastes like a doughnut!
I made doughnut muffins for exactly six reasons:
  1. I wanted something that would stay fresh and still be good if you wanted to share. Fried doughnuts like the ones at Gourdough’s are really best eaten right away, fresh out of the oil. These doughnut muffins are just as fabulous even the next day.
  2. I could’ve made baked doughnuts, but I don’t have a doughnut pan. I also didn’t want you guys to have to buy any kind of special pan either! However, if you *do* have a doughnut pan, I would totally recommend trying this recipe in it. I bet it would be totally fun!
  3. These doughnut muffins are just freaking amazing. End of story. They’re like little bites of gosh darn heaven. I can’t get over how awesome they are. You need to try one as soon as humanly possible. Make them happen, friends.
  4. Did I mention they were dipped in brown butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar?
  5. They’re made in mini muffin tin, so they’re kinda like doughnut holes.
  6. They’re small so you can eat more of them. ;)
Strawberry Shortcake Doughnut Muffins. These are like little bites of HEAVEN. A muffin that tastes like a doughnut, dunked in brown butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet, crunchy crust. Then topped with buttercream frosting and fresh cut strawberries. Amazing.
Let’s make these happen! Just a few basic ingredients are all you’ll need. Butter, baking powder, eggs, flour, milk, and sugar. Be sure you use baking powder and not baking soda. Since there’s nothing acidic like buttermilk or lemon in these muffins, there’s nothing to counteract the baking soda, so they would turn out very, very bitter if you used baking soda. Weird, huh?
Strawberry Shortcake Doughnut Muffins. These are like little bites of HEAVEN. A muffin that tastes like a doughnut, dunked in brown butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet, crunchy crust. Then topped with buttercream frosting and fresh cut strawberries. Amazing.
Start by beating 1.5 sticks room temperature butter and 3/4 cup sugar for 3-5 minutes.
Strawberry Shortcake Doughnut Muffins. These are like little bites of HEAVEN. A muffin that tastes like a doughnut, dunked in brown butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet, crunchy crust. Then topped with buttercream frosting and fresh cut strawberries. Amazing.
You want it to be very fluffy and lighter in color. See here? It’s almost white!
Strawberry Shortcake Doughnut Muffins. These are like little bites of HEAVEN. A muffin that tastes like a doughnut, dunked in brown butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet, crunchy crust. Then topped with buttercream frosting and fresh cut strawberries. Amazing.
Add two eggs, one at a time, and beat until just mixed in.
Strawberry Shortcake Doughnut Muffins. These are like little bites of HEAVEN. A muffin that tastes like a doughnut, dunked in brown butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet, crunchy crust. Then topped with buttercream frosting and fresh cut strawberries. Amazing.
Meanwhile, sift together 3 cups flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. You could also just whisk them together until they have that soft sifted texture. I won’t tell anyone.
Strawberry Shortcake Doughnut Muffins. These are like little bites of HEAVEN. A muffin that tastes like a doughnut, dunked in brown butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet, crunchy crust. Then topped with buttercream frosting and fresh cut strawberries. Amazing.
Now these are muffins, so we’re going to make them via the Muffin Method, like any good little muffin should. :) That means alternating mixing in the wet and dry ingredients. Start by adding a fourth of the flour mixture (a little less than a cup) and stir on low speed until just combined…
Strawberry Shortcake Doughnut Muffins. These are like little bites of HEAVEN. A muffin that tastes like a doughnut, dunked in brown butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet, crunchy crust. Then topped with buttercream frosting and fresh cut strawberries. Amazing.
Then pour in a third of the milk and stir again. Continue alternating mixing in the dry and wet ingredients, ending with the dry.
Strawberry Shortcake Doughnut Muffins. These are like little bites of HEAVEN. A muffin that tastes like a doughnut, dunked in brown butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet, crunchy crust. Then topped with buttercream frosting and fresh cut strawberries. Amazing.
Mix until well combined and smooth, like so, but be careful not to overmix your batter or the muffins will be tough.
Strawberry Shortcake Doughnut Muffins. These are like little bites of HEAVEN. A muffin that tastes like a doughnut, dunked in brown butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet, crunchy crust. Then topped with buttercream frosting and fresh cut strawberries. Amazing.
We’re not using liners for our muffins, so be sure to spray the pan well with cooking spray so they don’t stick. You can even flour it if you’re into that sort of thing. Mine came out okay with just a good coat of cooking spray. Scoop about 1.5 tablespoons of batter into each mini muffin tin. A medium cookie scoop works perfectly for this. Bake at 350 for 14-15 mins, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Strawberry Shortcake Doughnut Muffins. These are like little bites of HEAVEN. A muffin that tastes like a doughnut, dunked in brown butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet, crunchy crust. Then topped with buttercream frosting and fresh cut strawberries. Amazing.
Now for the fun part!! When these babies come out of the oven, they are dunked in butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar for a delicious sugary crust. It’s pretty much the best thing ever. And since you have to melt the butter anyway, you might as well go ahead and brown it. It’s the right thing to do. If you’ve ever thought to yourself. “Butter is awesome. Butter makes everything taste better. How can I make butter taste even MORE awesome?” Brown butter is the answer. Brown butter has a deliciously rich and even more buttery flavor. It’s a nobrainer. Plus it’s really easy to do. Melt the butter over medium heat, and once it’s melted it will start to bubble. Whisk occasionally.
Strawberry Shortcake Doughnut Muffins. These are like little bites of HEAVEN. A muffin that tastes like a doughnut, dunked in brown butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet, crunchy crust. Then topped with buttercream frosting and fresh cut strawberries. Amazing.
When the butter starts to foam, like this, start whisking constantly and whisk for 1-2 mins, until it turns brown and you see brown flecks on the bottom of the pan.
Strawberry Shortcake Doughnut Muffins. These are like little bites of HEAVEN. A muffin that tastes like a doughnut, dunked in brown butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet, crunchy crust. Then topped with buttercream frosting and fresh cut strawberries. Amazing.
Like this. When it looks like this, immediately remove from heat and pour into a bowl for dunking. Beautiful.
Strawberry Shortcake Doughnut Muffins. These are like little bites of HEAVEN. A muffin that tastes like a doughnut, dunked in brown butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet, crunchy crust. Then topped with buttercream frosting and fresh cut strawberries. Amazing.
Stir together a cup of sugar and a tablespoon of cinnamon for your cinnamon sugar.
Strawberry Shortcake Doughnut Muffins. These are like little bites of HEAVEN. A muffin that tastes like a doughnut, dunked in brown butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet, crunchy crust. Then topped with buttercream frosting and fresh cut strawberries. Amazing.
Perfect little domes! When the muffins are just cool enough to handle, remove them from the tin…
Strawberry Shortcake Doughnut Muffins. These are like little bites of HEAVEN. A muffin that tastes like a doughnut, dunked in brown butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet, crunchy crust. Then topped with buttercream frosting and fresh cut strawberries. Amazing.
And dip them in the brown butter. Cover the muffins with the butter on all sides and let the excess drip off. Thank you to Kevin for hand modeling here!
Strawberry Shortcake Doughnut Muffins. These are like little bites of HEAVEN. A muffin that tastes like a doughnut, dunked in brown butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet, crunchy crust. Then topped with buttercream frosting and fresh cut strawberries. Amazing.
Then roll to coat in cinnamon sugar.
Strawberry Shortcake Doughnut Muffins. These are like little bites of HEAVEN. A muffin that tastes like a doughnut, dunked in brown butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet, crunchy crust. Then topped with buttercream frosting and fresh cut strawberries. Amazing.
Have mercy.
Strawberry Shortcake Doughnut Muffins. These are like little bites of HEAVEN. A muffin that tastes like a doughnut, dunked in brown butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet, crunchy crust. Then topped with buttercream frosting and fresh cut strawberries. Amazing.
The sweet, sugary, crunchy crust, paired with the warm, soft muffin is absolute perfection. Now, like any good doughnut, these doughnut muffins are amazing just like this. You could stop here and have a perfectly delicious dessert. That’s one thing I liked about Gourdough’s — they weren’t just about the toppings. The doughnut itself was good too!
Strawberry Shortcake Doughnut Muffins. These are like little bites of HEAVEN. A muffin that tastes like a doughnut, dunked in brown butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet, crunchy crust. Then topped with buttercream frosting and fresh cut strawberries. Amazing.
But we are going to send these doughnuts completely. over. the. top. by adding a simple vanilla buttercream frosting and fresh summer strawberries.
Strawberry Shortcake Doughnut Muffins. These are like little bites of HEAVEN. A muffin that tastes like a doughnut, dunked in brown butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet, crunchy crust. Then topped with buttercream frosting and fresh cut strawberries. Amazing.
I found it easier to pipe the frosting onto the muffins. Spreading it tended to scrape off the crust. I had a batch of my favorite vanilla buttercream frosting (recipe below) in the freezer from the last time I made frosting and accidentally made too much. I let it come to room temperature then whipped it up again in my KitchenAid mixer to get the smooth and fluffy consistency, and it tasted just like I’d made it brand new. I will definitely be freezing my leftover frosting from now on! It was such a time saver for these muffins.
Strawberry Shortcake Doughnut Muffins. These are like little bites of HEAVEN. A muffin that tastes like a doughnut, dunked in brown butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet, crunchy crust. Then topped with buttercream frosting and fresh cut strawberries. Amazing.Lastly, top with strawberry slices and enjoy!!
Strawberry Shortcake Doughnut Muffins. These are like little bites of HEAVEN. A muffin that tastes like a doughnut, dunked in brown butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet, crunchy crust. Then topped with buttercream frosting and fresh cut strawberries. Amazing.
These brown buttery, cinnamon sugary, vanilla strawberry doughnut muffins are melt-in-your-mouth crazy delicious.
Strawberry Shortcake Doughnut Muffins. These are like little bites of HEAVEN. A muffin that tastes like a doughnut, dunked in brown butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet, crunchy crust. Then topped with buttercream frosting and fresh cut strawberries. Amazing.
You could even add blueberries festive these up for the Fourth of July!
Strawberry Shortcake Doughnut Muffins. These are like little bites of HEAVEN. A muffin that tastes like a doughnut, dunked in brown butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar for a sweet, crunchy crust. Then topped with buttercream frosting and fresh cut strawberries. Amazing.
These would be perfect to take to a Fourth of July party next week. Only if you want to be the most popular person there, though. ;)
Enjoy, friends!!
Strawberry Shortcake Doughnut Muffins
12 tablespoons (1.5 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 cups (13.5 oz) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a mini-muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Beat the butter and sugar for 5 minutes until soft, fluffy and lighter in color. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just mixed in. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir a fourth of the dry ingredients into the batter. Then stir in a third of the milk mixture. Continue mixing in the remaining dry and wet ingredients alternately, ending with the dry. Mix until well combined and batter is smooth, but be careful not to overmix. Fill muffin tins with 1.5 tablespoons of batter (about 3/4ths full). Bake at 350 for 14-15 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Brown Butter Cinnamon Sugar Crust
12 tablespoons (1.5 sticks) butter
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Melt the butter until it starts to bubble and then foam. When it starts to foam, whisk constantly for 1-2 minutes until it turns brown and you see brown flecks at the bottom of the pan. Immediately remove from heat and pour into a bowl for dipping. Combine the sugar and cinnamon. When the muffins are just cool enough to handle, remove from the tin and dip them on all sides into the melted butter then roll in the cinnamon sugar.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon Tahitian vanilla extract
1 pint strawberries, sliced and cut in half
Place the butter, sugar, milk and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. If necessary, add more milk, one tablespoon at a time, beating for 1-2 minutes after each addition until desired consistency is reached. Pipe onto muffins and top with sliced strawberries.
Makes 18-20 mini muffins.