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I have a confession. I bought a donut pan 3 weeks ago and I waited THIS LONG to break it in.
Surely, I must be crazy. 
You see, I’ve always been a jelly donut person. Sweet powdery sugar, warm fluffy dough, luscious fruity jam. But after baking up my first batch of (healthy!) donuts using my new donut pan, I may be seriously reconsidering that.
I admit that I was a little hesitant to buy a donut pan because I always had the notion that baking donuts was complicated. Much to my surprise, baking up donuts is SO EASY. Much easier than you would ever imagine.
The donut pan I bought was less than $10 at Target. They can also be found online.
These donuts are fantastic. Baked moist banana bread. Rich, smooth dark chocolate. And sprinkles. Ohhh the sprinkles. They just make everything better!
And did I mention? These are healthy. The donuts are whole wheat and obtain most of their moist texture from mashed bananas instead of butter. There is a touch of oil, but not much. And you can make the donuts sugar free if you use Splenda.
How something this insanely guilty tasting can actually be healthy is beyond me. They are so soft and cake like, yet much healthier than your traditional donut.
Baked Banana Bread Donuts
makes 8-9 donuts
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar (or Splenda granular)
- 3 Tablespoons canola oil (or melted coconut oil)
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (1 very small banana)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon Chobani Vanilla 0% greek yogurt (or any vanilla or plain yogurt)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour)
- Dark Chocolate Glaze (recipe below)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray donut pan with nonstick spray. Whisk together the egg and sugar for about 4 minutes until light in color. Stir in the banana, oil, vanilla and yogurt.
In a separate bowl, mix together the salt, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and flour. Slowly pour dry mixture into wet mixture. Stir together until just combined (do not overmix).
Using a piping bag or a ziplock bag with the corner cut off, pipe the batter carefully into prepared donut pan making sure each cavity is only 2/3 full. Bake for 10-12 minutes (donuts should be fluffy and should spring back when touched – mine took exactly 10 minutes). Allow to cool slightly before removing from pan, about 5 minutes.
Dark Chocolate Glaze
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (or semi-sweet)
- 1 tsp light corn syrup
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp water
- chocolate sprinkles (optional)
While the donuts are baking or cooling, melt the chocolate chips, corn syrup, butter, and water together in a small bowl in the microwave (about 30 seconds). When the donuts have cooled for 5 minutes, dip the tops into the chocolate glaze and sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles. Allow to cool on a cooling rack.
*Confused about which Splenda to use if you make these sugar free? Make sure you are using Splenda No Calorie Sweetener Granulated.
*Donuts are best served fresh the same day. This recipe only yields 8-9 donuts, so feel free to double or triple if making for a group.
RECIPE SOURCE: Top with Cinnamon
© Sally’s Baking Addiction. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe.
PS: here are some more healthy treats to enjoy 
Baked Cinnamon Bun Donuts w/ Vanilla Glaze
Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Bars
Strawberry Banana Muffins (fat free, 90 calories each)
Dark Chocolate Cherry Nutella Granola
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{ 44 comments… read them below or add one }
“much to my surprise, baking up donuts is SO EASY. much easier than you would ever imagine” <– yes I agree! I had no idea until recently either.
These look great. I LOVE banana bread!
Just saw them on FG
I have a brand new donut pan too! Only used it once. But this is inspiration to break it out again. These look so delectable! And because they’re healthy I can eat 2!
thank you Reeni! i actually ate two.. one with the glaze and one without right afte ri made them lol
I just made donuts again this weekend. I love easy they are to do!!!
Banana bread is my favorite bread and now they are mini sized donuts that are sugar free? Awesomeness times 10!!!!!
i agree, donuts are SO easy to make. much easier than i ever expected. i see many donuts in our futures!
oooooh yummy ! thank you so much for those “gulty free” recepies !!!
oups, meant “guilty”
Thanks Mo! i like adding from guilt-free recipes to my website to balance out all the sugar and butter – especially from those oreo brownies you loved!
I recently bought a donut pan too and love it. Your donuts look really delicious:)
Raina, i just love my new donut pan too
I have to make this recipe, it just sounds and looks so delicious!!
Thanks Catalina!
oh my gosh, sally — these look SOOO good! i love that they’re baked — means I can have more
i really need to invest in a donut pan! i can see how creative one can get with them!
julie definitely get a donut pan – i’m sure i’d gawk over your donut creations all day long!
What a great flavor you used for these donuts, Sally! Love the combination. The donuts look so light and fluffy, too. Definitely tempting for a morning treat. Thanks for sharing!
Banana & dark chocolate – i love the combination too!
A donut pan is on my wishlist!
The donuts look so good! And its awesome that they are baked! I never saw a donut pan before
i found my donut pan at Target. i know, i like that they are healthy
Oh how super delicious! I’ll take 10.
Hehe… I feel like everything tastes better in the shape of a donut… even healthy stuff! Cute!
haha that is so true, Jess!
oh these look WONDERFUL, banana bread donuts, YUM. I love my donut pan, I have the mini pan also and love those cute little bite sized treats. Guess I’ll be getting my donut pan out real soon….these are too fantastic to pass up.
I made these tonight and they are sooo delicious.
The soft warm banana bread with the dark chocolate glaze is a phenomenal combination.
But I think some of the recipe is missing. I had started the recipe and realized that I hadn’t used the sugar or egg yet and that there wasn’t a temperature for the oven. I mixed the egg and sugar in with the wet ingredients and baked them at 425 for about 8 minutes and they came out delicious still!
Eliza – for some reason, half of my recipe directions was deleted! I just updated it now. I sincerely apologize for the tech error! I’m so glad they still came out well and you were able to improvise. Thank you SO much for letting me know.
haha no problem! Since the ones I made tonight have already been eaten up , I’m making more tomorrow and will print the rest of the recipe to use
I have always wanted a doughnut tin, At the moment I’m shaping mine using a cup & a shot glass! These look beautiful, and really tasty!
Emma @ Food, Fork and Good recently posted..Jubilee Baking
cup + a shot glass?? How creative, Emma!
I subbed sour cream for the yogurt and the results were fabulous! (and I don’t feel guilty about eating them…:) )
Katie recently posted..Bacon Cheese Grits with Beans and Slaw
I haven’t made these donuts in a few weeks and now I kind of want one! I’ll have to try them with sour cream. Thanks Katie!
That’s so strange because it’s just banana bread in donut form, not much different than a muffin, but because you put the glaze on top, it’s a fantastic looking donut! Not fair, now I need to get a donut pan!
Peanut Butter Boy recently posted..Express Eats: Peanut Butter Sushi
I highly suggest getting a donut pan! Mine was only $8 at Target.
Hi Sally,
I get newsfeeds of your blog on my Facebook wall
and I’m going to make your banana nutella peanut butter
Bread today just been waiting for the bananas to ripen
Enough. I just wanted to compliment you on your
Flavor combinations!! I thought I was only person
That thought up outrageously sinful desserts but I see
From reading your blog there is a sisterhood of us!!!
We all need to unite and start bakeries where these
Amazing treats can be shared with the world! I can’t
Tell you how sick I am of boring old sugar cookies
And cream puffs etc!! Thank you for your recipes!!!!
Boring old sugar cookies and cream puffs will never make an appearance here… I like fun, extravagent, yet EASY recipes! We are a lot alike, Melody! thanks for stopping by.
These look delish and I can’t wait to make them but I’m at a loss for how you are considering them to be sugar-free??
Thanks Kristin! By using splenda, the donuts themselves (without the glaze) would have no added refined sugar in the recipe.
mmmmmm banana donuts with choc glaze were AMAZING!!!
kids at school loved them to bits
I’m happy to hear that Jordy! And they are somewhat healthy, which I love about this recipe!
Not a fan of splenda…I used to use it all the time…til I found out how bad it really is for the human body…but these donuts are fantastic with the sugar…plus there is nothing boring about a good sugar cookie recipe…use your imagination
Hi Sven – I love sugar cookies and never said they were boring.
Glad you enjoyed these!
I made these donuts this morning….used my baby cakes mini donut maker that my kids received as a gift and they turned out great! Baby cakes appliances run hot with no temp control so you have to move fast and keep an eye on it! But it worked out great! Moist delicious little donuts! I got 19 minis out of the recipe and had some chocolate glaze leftover from another recipe for dipping (similar to yours though, so I don’t think we missed out)…had some leftover mashed up banana that I made a glaze out of for some others just to test it out….rainbow sprinkles on some and Guittard chocolate sprinkles on others….The whole family loved them with only an empty plate and stray sprinkles/glaze left as evidence. Thanks for another great recipe….now my son is begging for monster cookies this afternoon having seen your recipe out on my desk waiting patiently to be made….maybe one last splurge before the weekend is over….
I am SO glad to hear that you loved these! I’ve never tried out a donut maker before – I just have the donut pan to stick in the oven. I might have to get one – and one to make mini donuts.
Love the rainbow sprinkles you threw on top. 
You will love the monster cookies!
i bought a donut pan just for making this recipe. I had them in the oven within an hour of buying it. These are absolutely magnificent. I love anything banana. I cant wait to try your other donut recipes!! Just amazing!
These are my favorite donuts ever Merissa! I’m so happy you love them too
Thanks for letting me know.
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