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Ditch the deep fryer and make this Baked Donuts Recipe instead! It’s so quick and easy and makes light, fluffy, cakey donuts perfect for breakfast or dessert. Pick your favorite icing, top with sprinkles, and dig in!
Ever get a relentless craving for donuts but don’t feel like a run to the donut shop for deep-fried treats (or attempting to deep fry your own)? Or perhaps you want to indulge, but in a slightly more healthy way? These baked versions are the perfect solution. They are so quick and easy to make and are just as good as (albeit different than) traditional donuts.
These homemade donuts are super light and fluffy, and they have this glorious cakey texture that sets them apart from traditional donuts. So satisfying. I love that they are so easy to customize with various glazes/icings and toppings. In our house, the chocolate icing was the biggest hit. I can’t wait to hear yours!
No Fryer Needed Here!
Baked, not fried, ultra-satisfying donuts? Sign me up! Here’s what makes these sweet treats so special:
- Super quick. Classic donuts require yeast and lots of patience as the dough rises. With these baked donuts, just whip up a simple batter, pipe it into a donut pan, and bake!
- No frying necessary. This means they are easier, quicker, and way less intimidating to make. Plus, they are better for you than fried donuts.
- Satisfying texture. These baked donuts are super light and fluffy. They are more cakey than classic donuts, but I love that about them. They’re so satisfying to bite into!
- So versatile. Chocolate icing, vanilla icing, or clear glaze. Sprinkles or no sprinkles. Chopped nuts, coconut flakes, or mini chocolate chips. There are so many things you can do with these donuts! Check out my post titled “Variation Ideas” for inspo.
Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
Time to get a shopping list together! Here’s what you’ll need to bring this baked donuts recipe to life. Have a look at the recipe card below for precise measurements.
- All-purpose flour – I always recommend a food scale to be sure it’s measured accurately.
- Baking powder and baking soda – The combination of these two leavening agents gives the donuts the perfect rise and texture.
- Salt – Salt enhances the flavors that are already present and balances the sweetness.
- Unsalted butter – I experimented with butter and vegetable oil for this recipe. The flavor from the butter was much better in this case.
- Sour cream – The use of sour cream cream makes these donuts a little more tender and fluffy than they would be were you to only use whole milk. You could replace the sour cream with more whole milk if you wanted to, though. Or replace the milk with sour cream (they’d be more dense though)! Buttermilk would also do the trick.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips – For the chocolate icing, if you’re using that. You could also use milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or even white chocolate chips would also work.
- Light corn syrup – In the icings, this keeps the glaze from crystalizing, so it stays nice and smooth and shiny.
Heavy Cream vs. Milk
When it comes to icings, heavy cream and milk are sort of interchangeable, but not without adjustments. Heavy cream has a much higher fat content, so it will product a thicker icing. If you use milk instead, you’d want to use much less, maybe half the amount, since it will thin the icing out much more quickly. In the same way, replacing milk with heavy cream will mean you’ll need more heavy cream to thin it out to the same consistency.
In the icings for these donuts, I recommend sticking with the type of milk each calls for to get the best flavor, richness and consistency.
How to Make Baked Donuts
Here’s a quick overview of how to make these sweet treats. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below for more throughout instructions.
Make the donuts
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a donut pan with non-stick.
- Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Combine the wet ingredients. Whisk together the butter, sugar, egg, milk, sour cream, and vanilla.
- Put it all together. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Make the icing(s) and ice the donuts
- Make the chocolate icing. Microwave the chocolate chips, butter, cream, and corn syrup in 15-second intervals, stirring between each, until the chocolate chips are melted and the icing is smooth.
- Make the vanilla icing. Whisk together the powdered sugar, corn syrup, cream, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Whisk in additional cream, as needed, to get the right consistency.
- Make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Add additional milk, as needed, to get the right consistency.
- Ice the donuts. Dip the top of the donuts into the chocolate icing, vanilla icing, or glaze, one at a time. Lift and shake off any excess icing/glaze. You can also use a knife or a spatula to spread the icing.
- Let ’em set. Add sprinkles, if using, and set donuts on parchment paper or a cooling rack to dry.
Frequently Asked Questions
These donuts may be quick and easy, but they still require attention to detail. Here are the answers to some common questions that will help you ace ’em the first time!
It’s possible that they were over baked, but the most likely reason is that the flour was over measured. When measuring the flour in particular, be sure to use either a food scale or the spoon and level method to get the proper amount. Too much flour will give you dense, dry donuts.
Be sure the donuts are completely cool before icing them with the chocolate or vanilla icing, or the icing will melt off. It’s ok to add the glaze when they’re still a little warm, if you’d like.
If dipping your donuts in the icing/glazes proves difficult, the icing might be too thick. Add a little extra cream to the chocolate/vanilla icing to thin it out (or a little extra milk to the glaze). Conversely, if the icing/glaze is too thin, you can add a little extra powdered sugar.
Not really, but they are equally delicious. Fried donuts are cooked in oil and tend to use yeast, which changes the flavor and texture of the donuts. Baked donuts are more cake-like.
It’s all about the leavening agent. Baked donuts typically use baking soda, baking powder or some of each, while yeast donuts use actual yeast. The difference shows up in their final taste and texture.
Variation Ideas
One of the best things about this baked donuts recipe is that it’s super versatile. Here are some fun ways to make them your own:
- Sugar coated. Instead of glazing the donuts, brush them with melted butter and dip them in powdered sugar (or a combination of cinnamon and granulated sugar, for a cinnamon sugar donut).
- Different icings. Beyond chocolate, vanilla, and clear glaze, there are so many other icing options out there. Strawberry or maple icing would be amazing. You could also add a little coconut extract to your vanilla icing! Feel free to get creative!
- Toppings galore. I went with sprinkles, but don’t let me limit you! Consider coconut flakes, mini chocolate chips, or chopped nuts. Chopped Oreos or chopped candy bars would be fun, too!
- A little less sweet. If you’d like to reduce the sugar in the batter for a less sweet donut, you can. I wouldn’t suggest using less than 3/4 cup, though.
Storage and Making Ahead
- Making Ahead – To make these ahead, you can bake the donuts the day before serving and ice them and store them on the counter. Alternatively, to freeze them ahead you can freeze them without the icing, thaw in the fridge when you’re ready, then ice and serve.
- Countertop storage – Allow the icing to set completely* (this should take 1-2 hours) before sealing the donuts in an airtight container. You can store them at room temperature for up to 2-3 days.
- Freezer storage – Seal any leftover donuts in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Alternatively, you can wrap individual donuts in a double layer of plastic wrap once the icing has set. Either way, they will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow them to thaw at room temperature before diving in.
* You really only have to let the icing set if you plan on stacking your donuts.
Recipe
Baked Donuts Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minuntes
Total Time: 17 minutes
Yield: 18 donuts
Category: Desserts
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American
Description
Ditch the deep fryer and make this Baked Donuts Recipe instead! It’s so easy and makes light, fluffy, cakey donuts in no time at all. Pick your favorite icing, top with sprinkles, and dig in!
Ingredients
For the donuts
- 2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup (207g) sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 3/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (115g) sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Chocolate Icing
- 1/2 cup (85g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 2 teaspoon light corn syrup
- Sprinkles, optional
Vanilla Icing
- 1/2 cup (58g) powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoon light corn syrup
- 2–3 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Sprinkles, optional
Glaze
- 1 cup (115g) powdered sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the donuts
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray donut pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Add the butter, sugar, egg, milk, sour cream and vanilla to a large bowl and whisk together until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk together until just combined. Do not over mix.
- Spoon or pipe the batter into the donut pan. A Ziplock bag with a corner cut off makes it really easy. Fill each donut about halfway full, or about 43 grams.
- Bake for 7-9 minutes or until the edges are just starting to brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let donuts cool in the pan for 2-3 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- To ice the donuts, first chose which icing you want. Each makes enough to cover 6-8 donuts, so if using just one or two icings, you may want to increase the amounts. Let the donuts set for a few minutes after icing, then serve. The icings can take an hour or two to dry fully, if you want to be able to stack them. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
To make the chocolate icing
- Add the chocolate chips, butter, cream and corn syrup to a medium sized bowl. Heat in the microwave for 15-20 seconds, then stir well. Continue heating in 15 second increments until the mixture is melted and smooth.
- Dip the top of the donuts into the chocolate icing, one at a time, then lift the donut and shake off any excess. Set donuts on parchment paper or cooling rack to dry and add sprinkles, if desired. If dipping them is difficult, the icing may be a little thick. You could add a little more cream, or use a knife or spatula to spread the icing on top.
To make the vanilla icing
- Add the powdered sugar, corn syrup, cream, butter and vanilla extract to a medium sized bowl. Whisk together until well combined and smooth. Add additional cream, as needed, to the get the right consistency (which should be a little like glue or a touch thicker).
- Dip the top of the donuts into the vanilla icing, one at a time, then lift the donut and shake off any excess. Set donuts on parchment paper or cooling rack to dry and add sprinkles, if desired. If dipping them is difficult, the icing may be a little thick. You could add a little more cream, or use a knife or spatula to spread the icing on top.
To make the glaze
- Add the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract to a medium sized bowl. Whisk together until well combined and smooth. Add additional milk, as needed, to the get the right consistency. It should be relatively thin, since you want it to easily drip off of the donut and not be too thick.
- Dip the top of the donuts into the glaze, one at a time, then lift the donut and shake off any excess. Set donuts on parchment paper or cooling rack to dry. If dipping them is difficult or the excess doesn’t come off easily, the glaze may be a little thick. You could add a little more milk to thin it out. If it’s too thin, add a touch more powdered sugar.
Notes
NOTE: The icing and glaze recipes make enough to cover about 6-8 donuts. Depending on how many you are covering in each, you may want to make more or less.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 153
- Sugar: 18.4 g
- Sodium: 97.2 mg
- Fat: 2.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Protein: 2.6 g
- Cholesterol: 16.2 mg
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