These oven baked donuts are ultra soft, fluffy, and moist! They are so fun for breakfast, brunch, and dessert. These donuts take less than 40 minutes and come out better than your local bakery. They are totally customizable and great for any occasion!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- These baked donuts are quick and easy to make.
- This is a simple recipe that can be whipped up in no time.
- They are healthier than fried donuts.
- The donuts are moist and fluffy, with a slightly crispy exterior.
- They are versatile. You can customize the recipe to your liking by adding different flavors of glaze or toppings.
- They are perfect for any occasion!
- Baked donuts are a great dessert for potlucks, parties, or simply a weeknight treat.
- I love making these for a birthday breakfast!
- Check out these Chocolate Old Fashioned Donuts for another fun recipe.
Ingredients & Substitutes
These are the ingredients and substitutions for baked donuts. Scroll down to the bottom for the full recipe.
Use all-purpose flour for these donuts. I have also tested them using gluten-free flour with great success! I suggest using King Arthur Flour or Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour. You can also use cake flour to make them lighter in texture.
Granulated sugar adds the sweetness.
Baking powder helps these donuts rise while baking.
Add in a little salt to balance out the sweetness.
Milk helps thin out the donut batter.
Eggs make the donuts light and airy. I do not recommend using vegan eggs or another egg replacement.
Use unsalted melted butter. This adds moisture and a cozy buttery flavor.
Vanilla extract adds a delicious homemade flavor.
For the glaze, use powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Add in slightly more powdered sugar to thicken it. Add in slightly more milk to thin it out.
Lastly, feel free to add sprinkles, chocolate chips, coconut flakes, or nuts on top!
Taste & Texture
These baked donuts are moist and fluffy, with a slightly crispy exterior.
The glaze is sweet, creamy, and slightly tangy.
When you bite into a baked donut, the flavors and textures come together perfectly for a delicious and satisfying treat!
How to Make
Step 1
First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a donut pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Step 2
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
Step 3
In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, sugar, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract until well combined.
Step 4
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Step 5
Spoon the batter into a piping bag or a resealable plastic bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe the batter into the prepared donut pan, filling each cavity about 2/3 full.
Step 6
Bake the donuts for 11-14 minutes, or until they are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Step 7
Remove the donuts from the oven and let them cool in the pan for a few minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 8
For the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl until smooth and well combined. Add more milk if needed to achieve your desired consistency.
Step 9
If desired, add food coloring to the glaze for different colored donuts. Dip the cooled donuts into the glaze, allowing any excess to drip off.
Step 10
If desired, add sprinkles or other toppings to the glazed donuts.
Step 11
Let the glaze set for a few minutes before serving.
Step 12
Lastly, enjoy the freshly baked and glazed donuts!
Expert Tips for Success
Here are a few expert tips and tricks for making the best baked donuts.
Use room temperature ingredients. This will help the batter come together more easily.
Do not overmix the donut batter. Overmixing will make the donuts tough.
Bake the donuts until they are golden brown. Be careful to not overbake.
Let the donuts cool completely before glazing them. This will help prevent the glaze from melting.
Add more milk or more powdered sugar to reach the desired consistency.
Flavor Variations & Add-Ins
You can easily customize this baked donut recipe to your liking by adding different flavors of glaze or toppings. Here are a few ideas.
- Vanilla glaze
- Chocolate glaze
- Strawberry glaze
- Maple glaze
- Sprinkles
- Chocolate chips
- Nuts
- Fruit
- Apple cider
How to Serve & Store
Baked donuts are best served fresh.
Serve with a glass of milk, coffee, tea, or smoothie.
For a full brunch spread, serve with eggs, bacon, quiche, and fresh fruit.
This donut cake is so fun too!
However, these donuts can also be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, you can make these donuts ahead of time and freeze them. Just let them cool completely before freezing them. When you’re ready to serve them, thaw them overnight in the refrigerator and then glaze them.
To prevent the glaze from melting, let the donuts cool completely before glazing them. You can also refrigerate the donuts for a few minutes before glazing them.
You can decorate these donuts with a variety of different toppings, such as sprinkles, chocolate chips, or nuts. You can also pipe the glaze into different shapes, such as flowers or hearts.
No, baked donuts do not taste the same as fried donuts. The cooking method affects the texture, flavor, and appearance of the donuts.
Yes, baked donuts are generally healthier than fried donuts. Fried donuts are cooked in hot oil, which adds a lot of fat and calories to the final product. Baked donuts, on the other hand, are cooked in an oven, which uses less fat.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
The main difference between cake donuts and yeast donuts is the leavening agent used. Cake donuts are leavened with baking powder or baking soda, while yeast donuts are leavened with yeast. This difference in leavening agent gives the donuts their distinct textures and flavors.
Equipment Needed
Donut Pan: This is my favorite donut pan!
You May Also Enjoy
If you enjoy this baked donut recipe, please leave a rating and review! You can find more great recipes on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Check out these Breakfast Recipes for more delicious recipes!
Baked Donuts
Ingredients
For the donuts:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Food coloring, sprinkles, or other toppings (optional)
Instructions
- First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a donut pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar followed by the milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Spoon the batter into a piping bag or a resealable plastic bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe the batter into the prepared donut pan, filling each cavity about 2/3 full.
- Bake the donuts for 11 to 14 minutes, or until they are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.Bake until the donuts have sprung up.
- Remove the donuts from the oven and let them cool in the pan for a few minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl until smooth and well combined. Add more milk if needed to achieve your desired consistency.
- If desired, add food coloring to the glaze for different colored donuts. Dip the cooled donuts into the glaze, allowing any excess to drip off.
- If desired, add sprinkles or other toppings to the glazed donuts.
- Let the glaze set for a few minutes before serving.
- Finally, enjoy the freshly baked and glazed donuts!
Notes
- Do not overmix the donut batter. Mix until just combined.
- Use a piping bag or Ziplock bag to add the batter to the donut pan.
- Original Recipe: The original recipe had 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tablespoons butter and no additional flavorings. I have adjusted it to taste. You can decrease the butter and the sugar to the original amounts but then the glaze becomes an integral part of the sweetness and flavor.
- Allow the donuts to cool completely before adding the glaze. Chef Note: I glazed mine while still warm to get a thinner coating that would set.
- If the glaze is too thick, add slightly more milk. If the glaze is too thin, add slightly more powdered sugar.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Why is my batter so dry? I can barely stir it, even though I followed the recipe exactly!
Hi Steve! It sounds like something may have been slightly off with the measuring, because this batter should be thick but definitely able to be stirred and piped into the donut pan. A quick check: did you use the full ¾ cup of milk and 3 tablespoons of melted butter? Also, be sure you’re using large eggs, as smaller ones can affect the consistency. Let me know and we’ll troubleshoot together! ~gvd team
Followed recipe exactly (including not overmixing). I’m a pretty seasoned baker so this wasn’t my first rodeo in the kitchen. They weren’t terrible when still warm, however once cooled, the donuts were very dense and quite dry. Will be looking for another recipe to try instead unless anyone has any good ideas for a riff on this one to fix the texture issue.
Hi TK, I’m happy to hear that you are a seasoned baker, but things still happen to us seasoned bakers, even professional ones. I’ve tested this recipe myself for flavor after complaints about it being bland (I agreed & changed it). My best guess is that yours were over baked. These bake pretty fast especially in a dark metal pan. Once they were glazed, they preserved their moisture for a day and then taper off from there. There isn’t much fat or sugar to keep it – even fried donuts are best the day they are fried. You might also consider checking your leavening and your expectations. Baked donuts are not the same as fried donuts and they don’t have as much sugar and butter as cake to make them moist. ~Lindsey
I tried them today, followed the recipe exactly as written, but they tasted raw even though they were fully baked. Honestly I’m disappointed in this recipe 🙁
I’m sorry you had that experience, Maya. I’m not sure what “raw” but fully baked tastes like, so I really can’t help you there. ~Lindsey
great recipe. quick and delicious and my family loved it and it has ingredients form around the huse. Highly recomend this.
Hi Mikayla! Thank you so much for coming back to rate and comment! We love that you got to enjoy these with your family. Happy baking! ~gvd team
Tried this recipe for the 1st time and what a HIT!!! Perfect texture and the taste is just amazing!!!
Thank you for sharing 🙂
Thank you, Sunera! I am so glad you enjoyed it! My family did as well! Thank you so much for taking the time come back to comment and rate the recipe! It means so much to us! ~Lindsey
GOOD SATURDAY MORNING
I DON’T HAVE A DONUT TRAY, AND I DON’T WANT TO BUY ONE, BUT I DO HAVE A 12 CUP BAGEL TRAY, I’M GOING TO USE INSTEAD. THANKS FOR YOUR RECIPE, THE DONUTS SOUND WONDERFUL.
Hi Harold! That sounds like a great idea! While I haven’t tested this recipe in a bagel tray, it should work similarly—just keep an eye on the bake time since it might be a little different. You’ll know they’re done when they’re lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let me know how they turn out and happy baking! ~gvd team
These were delicious and easy to make. What type of container is best for storage? I used a Tupperware container. The vanilla glaze soaked into the doughnut making them dense. I also made peanut butter frosting/glaze. Most of that has run off. Will be making again. Was thinking about leaving them plain and frosting before eating but that defeats the purpose of grabbing and eating a doughnut!
Thanks for your recipe and advise.
Mary
Hi Mary! I’m so glad you enjoyed the donuts and that you experimented with different glazes! For storage, an airtight container is best (Tupperware is perfect). Let the donuts cool completely before glazing (this prevents the warm donut from absorbing the glaze too quickly). And, for a firmer glaze, add a bit more powdered sugar to thicken it up. Hope that helps and happy baking! ~gvd team
Can I use something else versus eggs?
Hi Bee, you are certainly able to omit them or try flax eggs, but I do not know if either will work in this recipe or not. Happy experimenting! ~Lindsey
So, my first attempt at baking these were a success according to my family. However, I am a little more critical of my beginner skills.
I found them to be a little too dense and I’m wondering if I over mixed the batter. Also, would you recommend reducing the oven temp if using dark colored pans?
Cheers
Todd
Hey Todd! I am the new owner but I have made this recipe several time because of the very strong opinions in the comments! lol. I agree with you but the second time I took extraordinary care not to over-mix the batter and even leave a few lumps. Therefore, I can confidently say that I think it is the limitations of all-purpose flour. I personally found the bake times too long and my second round, I only had to be 9 minutes. I also have dark colored pans. Since you asked and are clearly lovely, I’m going to give you a little secret. I’ve been testing my own recipe for baked chocolate donuts and I used a combination of all-purpose and cake flour to combat the textural issue we both had. I haven’t had the chance to try that in these donuts but if you wanted to give it a go, you could use 3/4 cup (93g) all-purpose flour and 1 1/4 cups (150g) cake flour. I didn’t sift it – just whisk it together like the original recipe.
Cheers right back atcha, Todd! ~Chef Lindsey
My kids & I have made these 4 days in a row now. So so easy and really good. We even made mini muffins with some leftover batter. Love that it’s ingredients I always have on hand.
Hi Lindsay! Thank you for taking the time to come back to comment and rate! I actually just bought donut pans in order to try this recipe for myself. Even though I have 10 years of experience as a pastry chef in restaurant kitchens, I have never baked donuts before! ~Chef Lindsey