The BEST Baked Cinnamon-Sugar Donuts
Donuts count as breakfast food right? Because I’ve got a whole container of delicious cinnamon-sugar donuts I plan to snack on alongside my morning coffee this week. I guess if I eat them at breakfast, then technically it’s a breakfast food...
Confession: As much as I love a trip to Krispy Kreme (as any North Carolina gal does), I’ve mostly avoided donuts since I had my gallbladder surgery two years ago. A byproduct of that operation has been that fried food upsets my stomach a little (...and sometimes a lot). But I couldn’t avoid donuts forever. Dear boyfriend LOVES donuts. I think they probably rank close to the top in terms of favorite desserts for him. I knew I wanted to tackle a donut recipe eventually, but I felt especially inspired to give it a try this past week. And I’m so glad I did because now I have my go-to baked donut recipe.
These baked donuts are light, airy, and simple to make. Perfect for when you’re craving donuts, but want a “healthier,” not-fried option.
How to Make the BEST Baked Cinnamon-Sugar Donuts
Beautiful souls, this recipe is so simple and so quick to make. I’ve been clerking at a law firm here in Chapel Hill this summer and usually I’m exhausted by the time I come home. After work, I just want to kick my feet up, listen to the new Taylor Swift album, and enjoy a low-key evening to wind down. Juggling everything that comes with being a #workinggal can be hard, but it’s so worth it. The downside is sometimes weeknight baking (and recipe-testing) can end up on the backburner until I have a day off.
God bless these cinnamon-sugar donuts though, because they were a complete game-changer. I’ve been able to recipe-test them to my heart’s content this week even after a busy workday. A big bonus is that at only 15 minutes of actual bake time, this is a fantastic recipe for when you want donuts NOW. And don’t we all?
First things first, preheat that oven to 350℉. You’ll want to have a 6-well donut pan handy for this recipe. I was able to snag one from Sur La Table on sale for $10. You really don’t have to break the bank for some homemade donuts. Lightly grease the pan with some oil, or non-stick baking spray. I’ve started using Baker’s Joy spray and it’s been the best thing since sliced bread for me.
Next, have two bowls ready to go. In the first one, just toss in the dry ingredients (1 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp nutmeg). In the next (and preferably larger bowl), melt 1/4 cup butter in the microwave. Then add in 1/2 cup granulated sugar and stir to combine. Add in one egg, and stir a little. Then finish with 1/4 cup whole milk and 1 tsp vanilla extract.
Finally, fold your dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Resist the urge to overmix (or else risk too much gluten development)—you only want to mix until just incorporated. Transfer the batter into either #1) a piping bag, or #2) a sealable ziploc bag. The latter is usually the route I take because I always have plastic baggies handy (I wish I could say the same for piping bags).
If you go with the #2 option as well, simply spoon the batter into the ziploc bag and seal, then snip off a ½ inch hole in one of the corners. Pipe the donut batter into the wells of the donut pan. Don’t overfill or the donuts will lose their perfect lil shape when baking.
Pop the pan into the preheated oven, and bake for 13-15 minutes. Let the donuts cool in the pan before transferring to a rack to finish cooling. It’s as simple as that.
Don’t skip out on making the delicious topping. All you need is a bowl with melted butter and another with cinnamon and sugar. Dip each side of the cooled donuts into the butter, then into the cinnamon-sugar. Super easy. Super convenient. Super delicious.
The perfect alternative to fried donuts. And an easy, on-the-go breakfast treat.
The BEST Baked Cinnamon-Sugar Donuts
Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temp.
- ¼ cup whole milk, room temp.
- 1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- Oil/non-stick baking spray for greasing the pan
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Lightly grease a 6-well donut pan. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, melt the butter in the microwave and let cool. Then add in the granulated sugar and stir to combine. Whisk in the egg, the milk and the vanilla until incorporated.
- Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined, and remember to resist the urge to overmix.
- Transfer the donut batter into a piping bag, or use a sealable ziploc bag instead! For the ziploc-bag method, just add in the batter, seal the bag, and snip a ½ inch hole in one of the corners to make a makeshift piping bag. Pipe the mixture evenly into the wells of the donut pan. Be careful not to overfill, or else the donuts will lose their shape.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes. Let the donuts rest in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- In a small bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon.
- Dip each side of the donuts in the melted butter. Then roll the donuts in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until well-coated. Enjoy!
