Baked Donuts

These old-fashioned baked donuts will remind you just how delicious breakfast can taste! This simple recipe will give you familiar old-fashioneds without all the hassle of rolling, cutting, and frying the dough.

This baked donut recipe is perfectly sweet and cakey without being too sugary. The donuts make a great breakfast treat or delicious snack at any time of day!

I’m a sucker for a fresh hot donut. Coffee and donuts for breakfast are one of life’s simplest pleasures. I can never pass up baked chocolate donuts with peanut butter frosting or strawberry cake donuts.

A few weeks ago, I had a major craving for old-fashioned donuts, but the idea of having to pull out the fryer and clean up grease splatters didn’t appeal to me.

So, I went on a mission to find and perfect a baked version that tastes just like this classic cake donut.

Through my research, I discovered that there are two types of old-fashioned donuts. One uses sour cream and the other uses buttermilk.

I tested both during the development process and prefer buttermilk best in this baked version.

Ingredients

For The Donuts

• ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• ¼ cup (60 g) vegetable oil
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour
• ⅔ cup (83 g) whole wheat flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk

For The Glaze

• 2 cups (240 g) confectioners’ sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

Make The Donuts

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly spray three 6-cavity donut pans with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the butter, oil, and sugar together until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined.
3. In a separate bowl, add the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Stir with a whisk to combine.
4. Stir half the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, followed by the buttermilk, then the remaining flour. Stir just until combined after each addition. The batter will be thick.
5. Transfer the batter into a disposable piping bag or zip-top bag with a small corner cut off. Pipe the batter into the prepared donut pans, filling each cavity ⅔ to ¾ full.
6. Bake for 7-9 minutes, or until donuts spring back when pressed lightly with your fingertip. Set the donuts on a wire rack while you make the glaze.

Make The Glaze

1. In a medium bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla. Stir until smooth, adding more milk if needed.
2. While they are still warm, dip the donuts into the glaze and set them on a wire rack placed over parchment paper. Enjoy the donuts warm or allow them to cool. The glaze will set as they cool.