Baked cinnamon sugar donuts are delicate, cake-style donuts made in a donut pan as an alternative of deep frying. They’re fast and simple to make, and coated in melted butter and cinnamon sugar for traditional bakery-style taste. Prepared in about 45 minutes, this straightforward from-scratch recipe yields completely spiced and extremely moist donuts.
I initially printed this recipe in 2015, and I’ve since up to date it with new images and additional success suggestions for persistently wonderful outcomes.
Who doesn’t love recent, heat, do-it-yourself donuts—particularly once they’re coated in buttery cinnamon sugar? These baked cinnamon sugar donuts are delicate, cakey, and full of cozy spice taste. They’re baked as an alternative of fried, in order that they’re fast, simple, and ideal for newbie bakers.
You’ll be able to combine the batter by hand, bake them in about 10 minutes, and end them with a dunk in melted butter and cinnamon sugar. If you happen to love basic cake donuts from a bakery, you’ll adore this do-it-yourself model.
We’ve been making them this fashion for years!
Why You’ll Love These Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts:
- No mixer wanted—only a couple bowls and a whisk
- Baked, not fried—no standing over the range or sizzling oil required
- Smooth, cakey texture—like a basic cake donut
- Heat cinnamon and nutmeg taste in each chunk
- Prepared in about 45 minutes
- Coated in buttery, crunchy cinnamon sugar for that impossible to resist end
Why Bake Donuts As an alternative of Frying?
Baked donuts are simpler to make at residence as a result of they don’t require sizzling oil or particular gear. As an alternative of frying, the batter is baked in a donut pan, which creates a delicate cake-style donut with a lighter texture. Baked donuts are additionally fantastic if in case you have younger bakers serving to within the kitchen as a result of they’re faster and fewer fussy than conventional fried donuts!
Most of my donut recipes are baked, not fried, so you’ve got many scrumptious methods to make use of your donut pan. Assume chocolate frosted donuts… maple glazed donuts… pumpkin donuts… apple cider donuts… you get the concept!
That stated, when you’d prefer to attempt making conventional yeasted and fried donuts, I’ve a recipe for do-it-yourself glazed doughnuts that’s a terrific place to begin.
Don’t have a donut pan? You need to use a muffin pan as an alternative. See the Notes part beneath the recipe under for directions.
Elements You Want for Baked Donuts & Why
We’re utilizing my commonplace baked donut recipe as the bottom. It’s what I exploit for my chocolate frosted donuts, lemon poppy seed donuts, chai spice donuts, and banana donuts.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is greatest for baked donuts.
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda: Lifts up the donuts as they bake.
- Salt: Key for taste stability.
- Cinnamon + Nutmeg: Actually provides these donuts that particular bakery style and aroma; don’t skip!
- Egg: To bind the components collectively.
- Brown Sugar: Sweetened and provides moisture.
- Milk: Thins out the thick batter *simply* proper.
- Yogurt or Bitter Cream: Provides flavorless moisture that received’t weigh the crumb down.
- Butter: For texture in addition to that impossible to resist buttery taste.
- Vanilla: One other key taste for cinnamon sugar donuts.
The Course of is Tremendous Easy
You solely want a pair bowls and a silicone spatula—no mixer required!
Make the donut batter: Whisk collectively the dry components in a single bowl and the moist components in one other, then mix till simply combined. Really easy! The batter is thicker than most cake batters—that’s precisely what you need for structured, tender, cakey donuts.
Fill the donut cavities: As a result of the batter is thick, it’s best to switch it to the pan utilizing a piping bag or a big zip-top bag with the nook snipped. Simply spoon the batter into the bag, trim off a backside nook, and squeeze the batter into the donut cavities.
Identical to this:
The donuts bake up VERY shortly. Allow them to cool within the pan for a pair minutes, then a further couple of minutes on a cooling rack.
The Finest Cinnamon Sugar Coating for Donuts
This of completion is what actually makes these freshly baked donuts shine. Every heat donut will get:
- A fast dip in melted butter
- A beneficiant roll in cinnamon sugar
The butter helps the coating stick and offers the donuts that impossible to resist old school donut store taste. Each chunk is delicate inside with a evenly crunchy, candy exterior.
Favor icing in your donuts as an alternative? Attempt my strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla donut frostings as an alternative.
Baked Donuts Success Ideas
- Don’t overmix the batter. For delicate and springy donuts, combine simply till the components are mixed.
- Pipe the batter into the pan. For the best donut form, pipe the batter into the donut pan utilizing a zipped-top bag with the nook snipped (or use a piping bag). As a result of the batter is thick, spooning it into the pan may be messy.
- Take pleasure in them recent. These donuts are greatest loved the identical day, however leftovers preserve properly for about 2 days, or you possibly can freeze them.
These baked cinnamon sugar donuts are a type of recipes that feels particular however couldn’t be simpler to make. They’re delicate, buttery, warmly spiced, and coated in simply the correct quantity of cinnamon sugar. Serve them heat with espresso, add them to a weekend brunch unfold, or bake a batch simply since you’re craving donuts!
And when you’re baking for a crowd, go forward and double the recipe—they disappear quick!
P.S. On the lookout for a baked chocolate cake-style donut recipe? You will discover one on web page 205 of my NYT best-selling cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101!
Description
These baked cinnamon sugar donuts are delicate, moist cake-style donuts made in a donut pan as an alternative of fried. Prepared in about 45 minutes, this simple do-it-yourself donut recipe is coated in melted butter and cinnamon sugar for traditional bakery-style taste. The recipe yields simply 8 donuts, so remember to double the recipe when you’re feeding a crowd.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease donut pan(s) with nonstick spray. Put aside.
- Make the donuts: In a big bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg collectively. Put aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, brown sugar, milk, and bitter cream collectively till easy. Whisk within the melted butter and vanilla. Pour the moist components into the dry components and blend till simply mixed. Don’t overmix. The batter will likely be very thick.
- Spoon the batter into the donut cavities or, for ease, I like to recommend transferring the batter into a big zip-top bag. Reduce a nook off the underside of the bag and pipe the batter into every donut cavity, filling every about midway.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or till the perimeters are evenly browned. To check, evenly press the highest of a donut. If it springs again, they’re finished.
- Cool donuts within the pan for two minutes, then switch to a cooling rack. Re-grease the pan and bake the remaining donut batter.
- Prime the donuts: Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Dip the donuts within the melted butter, then dunk into the cinnamon sugar combination, coating all sides.
- These donuts style greatest served shortly after coating. Cowl leftover donuts tightly and retailer at room temperature for 1–2 days or within the fridge for as much as 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Directions: You’ll be able to freeze the baked donuts for as much as 2–3 months. For greatest outcomes, freeze them earlier than including the butter and cinnamon sugar coating. Let the donuts cool utterly, then place them in a freezer-friendly container or zip-top bag with parchment between layers to stop sticking. Thaw the donuts in a single day within the fridge or at room temperature for a pair hours. Heat them briefly within the microwave for about 10–15 seconds, if desired. As soon as thawed and barely heat, dip every donut in melted butter and roll within the cinnamon sugar coating earlier than serving.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): Donut Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack
- Muffins: You’ll be able to bake this batter in an ordinary 12-count muffin pan as an alternative of a donut pan. The recipe yields round 8 muffins. Fill every muffin cup about 2/3 full and bake on the similar temperature for about 18-20 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted within the heart comes out clear. Let the muffins cool for a couple of minutes, then dip the tops and sides in melted butter and coat within the cinnamon sugar combination.
- Milk: For the donut batter, any milk works, dairy or non-dairy. I’ve examined with unsweetened vanilla almond milk, entire milk, and skim milk.
- Can I Double This Recipe? Sure, completely. The recipe yields simply 8 donuts. To double for 16 donuts, merely double all the components.
