Wake up to warm baked cinnamon sugar donuts! Ready in 45 minutes, this simple from-scratch recipe yields perfectly spiced and ultra moist donuts. Always a crowd pleaser, I recommend making a double batch for larger gatherings.
Do you have a donut pan? Add this fun baking tool to your collection because today we’re making baked cinnamon sugar donuts. Most of my donut recipes are baked, not fried, so you have many delicious ways to use that pan!
Why You’ll Love These Baked Donuts:
- No electric mixer required
- Baked, not fried
- Buttery and flavorful
- Soft and cakey
- Spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg
- Sweetened with brown sugar
- Generously coated in cinnamon sugar
- Just like your favorite donuts from a bakery
Two Parts to Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
- Donuts: We’re using my standard baked donut recipe as the base. It’s what I use for my baked maple donuts, chocolate frosted donuts, lemon poppy seed donuts, and banana donuts. In fact, today’s donuts are just like my chai spice donuts but without the chai spices. It’s a very thick batter that produces tight-crumbed, cakey donuts. You’ll need a small handful of basic ingredients like flour, egg, leaveners, and milk. I like to add a little Greek yogurt to the donut batter for a moisture punch (sour cream works too) and prefer sweetening them with brown sugar. Add cinnamon as well as a little nutmeg– it truly gives these donuts that special bakery taste and aroma.
- Cinnamon Sugar Topping: A mixture of cinnamon and sugar finishes off these donuts. Dip each donut into melted butter, then generously dunk each into the cinnamon sugar. If you love this cinnamon sugar addition, you will flip for these Nutella stuffed cinnamon sugar muffins! Prefer icing on your donuts instead? Cinnamon bun donuts with vanilla glaze are for you!
Quick Overview: How to Make Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
You only need a couple bowls and a spatula– no mixer required.
- Make the donut batter. Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another bowl. Whisk to combine both. So easy!
- Fill the donut cavities. Transferring donut batter into the donut pan can be tricky, so I always suggest using a zipped-top bag to pipe the batter. (You can see me doing this in my pumpkin donuts post.) Just spoon the batter into a large zipped-top bag, trim off a bottom corner, and squeeze the batter into the pan. The donut batter is thicker than you’d expect, so it pipes pretty neatly.
- Bake. They bake up VERY quickly!
- Make the topping. Combine the cinnamon and sugar together in one bowl and melt the butter in another. I usually do this as the donuts bake.
- Dip into topping. Dip the warm donuts into the melted butter, then dunk each into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Make sure to coat every side!
No donut pan? Use a muffin pan instead! For 8-10 donut muffins, bake at 350°F (177°C) for 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts Video Tutorial
More Donut Recipes
- Glazed Doughnuts (fried)
- Baked Sprinkle Donuts
- Pumpkin Donuts
- Apple Cider Donuts
- Maple Bacon Doughnuts (fried)
- Powdered Sugar Donut Muffins
Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 donuts
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
There is nothing like waking up to fresh-baked cinnamon sugar donuts, but what makes this recipe a winner is how EASY it is.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup (65g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milk*
- 1/4 cup (60g) yogurt*
- 2 Tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Topping
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a donut pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- Make the donuts: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a medium bowl. Set aside. Whisk the egg, brown sugar, milk, and yogurt together until smooth. Add the melted butter and vanilla, whisking until fully combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. The batter will be very thick.
- Spoon the batter into the donut cavities—I highly recommend using a large zipped-top bag for ease. Cut a corner off the bottom of the bag and pipe the batter into each donut cup, filling 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Allow to cool for about two minutes and transfer to a wire rack set on a large piece of parchment paper or on a large baking sheet. Bake the remaining donut batter (there is usually enough batter for 1-2 more donuts) and once baked, transfer to the wire rack. Cool donuts for at least 10 minutes before topping.
- Top the donuts: Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Dip the donuts in the melted butter, then dunk into the cinnamon sugar mixture coating all sides.
- Donuts are best served immediately. Leftovers keep well covered tightly at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: You can freeze the donuts for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm up to your liking in the microwave. I usually just zap ’em for a couple seconds.
- Special Tool (affiliate link): Donut Pan
- Muffins: You can make this recipe into 8-10 muffins using a muffin pan. Bake at the same temperature for 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Milk: Skim milk, 1%, 2%, whole, almond milk, soy milk, or coconut milk is OK. I like to use buttermilk. Room temperature is best for this recipe.
- Yogurt: Nonfat, low fat, vanilla, plain, Greek or regular yogurt is OK. I like to use low fat plain Greek yogurt. Room temperature is best for this recipe.
Keywords: baked donuts, cinnamon sugar donuts, baked cinnamon sugar donuts
Absolutely LOVE this recipe! So quick and easy, and yields a perfect amount of donuts for my partner and I I jazzed it up with your apple pie spice in the donut and in the sugar – the only thing missing (but not really!) was the cider. I brush the melted butter onto to the donut and the sugar holds as well as if I’d done the dunk. I so appreciate your recipes and the work that goes into crafting a recipe. You’re a treasure!
★★★★★
I have made these several times and every time I do people RAVE! I should print the source on a place card to save me emailing everyone the recipe.
★★★★★
I know that the form of butter matters a lot in a recipe, so I wanted to ask: why does this recipe call for melted butter and not softened butter?
Hi Ward, in this light baked donuts recipe, we don’t need the structure that creaming room temperature butter with sugar provides – butter is adding moisture and flavor here.
These were as advertised: soft, moist , lots of cinnamon flavor. Reading comments that some bakers just got 6 donuts, I made a double recipe to make 12 donuts. Had a little extra batter which I tossed. Your donut recipes really should be revised to make 12. Most donut pans are 6, so why proportion your recipe for 8?
★★★★★
I made this recipe and the donuts by themselves were delicious and fluffy; however, I found when I added the topping according to the instructions, there was just too much sugar on them and the donuts were also falling apart. Perhaps next time I will leave the topping off, or try brushing the donuts with butter and then sprinkling the topping instead?
★★★★
Do you have high altitude baking adjustments? (About 6000-6500’ elevation)
Hi Meg, We wish we could help, but we have no experience baking at high altitude. We know some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html .
These were amazing! I loved them a lot and the taste was beautiful, I could really taste the brown sugar and vanilla. Something I’d like to say is that your recipes are not good, but fantastic! They always turn out amazing and I love your ideas.
★★★★★
I did not like the taste, at all. I tried making bagels once, too. I’ve decided that bagels and donuts are better left to the experts…the franchises. 😉
★
First time trying baked doughnuts and this recipe is a winner!
★★★★★
These donuts turned out great! I used a piping bag and it filled a whole pan of mini donuts, so 12 donuts. I had no issue with the topping, because I followed the directions and waited 10 mins for them to cool before dipping them. I used lactose free Activia vanilla yogurt. The donuts were moist and the cinnamon/nutmeg flavoring was perfect. Hubby did his happy dance while eating them, so will definitely be making these again!
★★★★★
Hi sally!
This is more of a general question as it’s the ONE issue I have following your recipes (this one is a repeat for when we have company or I need a treat to take somewhere)
The edges of my baked goods (banana bread, donuts, cakes) always have a chewy, hard ridge. Is there a trick to preventing this.
Hi Kirst, this could be a few things. Do you have an oven thermometer? You oven may be running hotter than it reads, which is causing it to bake faster and along the edges first. When you do see this happening, you can use aluminum foil to tent the edges of your baked goods so that they don’t brown too fast, while allowing the middles to continue to cook. Finally, use a toothpick to test for doneness. It’s possible that your baked goods are just slightly overdone, leading to the hardened edges. Hope these tips help for your next bake!
This recipe tastes like pancake. Even my five year old commented, ” Are we making pancake? ” While we were mixing the ingredients. The original donut recipe (fried donuts) on this website is waaaaay better.
now this is the first time i have ever made BAKED donuts.. i thought they wouldn’t be as good as fried. i was so wrong!! these are the best donuts i have had in a long time! they were finished in a single day! thank you so much 🙂
★★★★★
I made these as directed, but didn’t have yogurt so I substituted whole milk ricotta. My wife and I were both BLOWN AWAY with these donuts! The mouth-feel is so rich and decadent, despite the low fat content. Absolutely a keeper, and I’m looking forward to trying some with different flavor profiles.
★★★★★
Good taste. We’re allergic to eggs so use ener-g egg replacer and it worked well. The butter and cinnamon sugar mixture at the end was FAR too much. I was slightly irritated at wasting half of it. I’ve mad the apple cider donuts and wasn’t expecting this recipe to be so small. I BARELY got 7 regular size donuts. It’s a bit of a hassle to make for such a small yield, especially when you have a family of 5 without doubling it. Definitely halve the butter and cinnamon sugar at the end and wait until your donuts are cool before dipping.
★★★★
Amazing! I subbed Pillsbury Gluten free flour 1:1 ratio. I went ahead and filled the pans to use the batter on one 6 count with none left over. They turned out perfect. We have a problem with gf items being dry but not these. Favorite gluten free donut ever!! I doubled the recipe and froze some with no problems. Thank you!
★★★★★
These are amazing, they turned out perfectly just as described and pictured. They also freeze and heat up really well. I can’t wait to branch out and try the glazed donuts and the Nutella cinnnamon sugar muffins. Thanks so much for the fantastic recipe!
★★★★★
Wonderfully delicious, so easy to make, and taste just as good as any fried doughnut,
Thank you for the recipe
★★★★★
Mine came out fine, but I a bit dry. I substituted for a low carb flour (which claims to be 1:1 usable for AP. It’s King Arthur Keto flour). It still came out edible though. Any suggestions on making it more moist though? Thanks!
★★★★
Hi Lynn! We’ve never tried the low carb flour you mention, so we can’t say for sure, but it might be impacting the final taste and texture of your donuts. Also, be sure to 1) spoon and level your flour and 2) not over bake, both of which can contribute to dryness. Thanks so much for giving these donuts a try!
Mmm…SO good! The first time I made these, I used a pan with heart-shaped donut rings but I think I over-filled them and they were a bit too large, but so tasty. The next time, I used a mini-muffin pan and filled the cavities about 2/3 to 3/4 full, baked for 9 mins, and they came out like perfect donut holes. They are sensational! My picky son said we HAVE to make these again. Thank you Sally – you and your recipes are simply the BEST!
★★★★★
I was interrupted at about two minutes before these would have been done (9 minutes wasn’t long enough) so I turned the oven off and let them sit in there. They were still fluffy and delicious, despite being more browned on one side. I used 1/4 c (4 Tbsp) butter to dip and it was enough for 6 tall donuts.
These are great. I make them every two weeks or so and they are a hit at home. I usually double the recipe and end up with 20 doughnuts. They are versatile and stand the test of substitutions (I sometimes sub the butter for olive oil or the eggs for skyr and typically use an AP and whole wheat flour mix ). I personally prefer these without the cinnamon sugar icing and opt instead to up the spice by adding ground clove, ginger and cardamom to the cinnamon and nutmeg. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m doubling the recipe or if it’s because of the moulds I use (silicone which I place onto a large sheet pan) but the cooking time is off for me. Mine usually need to stay into the oven for a good 20 minutes before they’re ready.
★★★★
Excellent recipe! Enough batter for 8 donuts. Baked well. After I waited for the 2 minutes after coming out of the oven, they dipped well in the butter and cinnamon-sugar…not soggy. Delicious with a light texture. Definitely will make this recipe again
★★★★★
These were not good at all. I followed the recipe exactly and they tasted like there was too much baking powder – kind of like a sour/zesty taste. If I did make them again I’d cut back on the baking powder but I probably would not makes these again.
★★
Hi Dani! Usually when we can taste baking powder in baked goods it indicates that our baking powder may not be fresh anymore. Also make sure to whisk the dry ingredients together before mixing all the batter to ensure there are no clumps. Thanks for giving these a try!
I’m sorry to say this was a very bad recipe. First of all it only fills one standard donut pan (6 donuts) with a little left over. The taste was horrid. The instruction to dip the donut in melted butter when hot was not a good one, the donut soaked up the butter like a sponge, and then when it was dipped in cinnamon sugar it got all glunky. I know you won’t publish this review since you only publish the positive reviews, but I do hope you take this feedback to heart. I thought this was a good website, but don’t think I’ll be trying a recipe from here again.
★
I disagree. I use this recipe all of the time. Dipping them in butter and the donut soaking them up is the whole point. It ensures they’re moist. Hold the donuts over the bowl and sprinkle them with the sugar or give them a minute to settle after dipping then roll them.
You should try this recipe again. I have made it many many times and they always make 8 donuts which are light and tasty. Let the donuts cool before you dip the tops in meted butter and dip in the cinnamon sugar
★★★★★
To make these diabetic friendly, I used whole spelt flour, 1/6 cup Truvia brown sugar blend for the brown sugar, 1/4 cup Truvia baking blend mixed with cinnamon for the topping (you can blend it in the blender beforehand if you like powdered sugar), and Skyr Icelandic yogurt 0%. The recipe made six donut-muffins in the muffin pan, so by my calculations that’s about 30g carbohydrate and 9 grams of fat per donut. Not too bad!
★★★★★
Can you use Splenda instead of sugar?
Hi Jorja! We’d love to help but we are not trained in baking with sugar substitutes. For best taste and texture (and so you don’t waste your time trying to adapt this recipe since it may not work properly), it may be more useful to find a recipe that is specifically formulated for Splenda. Thank you!
Hi! We love this recipe! Just one little suggestion- in the ingredients list you might want to note that the milk and yogurt should be at room temperature, not in the notes in case someone doesn’t scroll down to read the notes about which milk/yogurt you can use! (Might have just happened to me since I’ve made this recipe before and knew which milk and yogurt to use but forgot that it should be room temperature!)
Excellent recipe, thank you Sally! I bought some donut pans from Aldi last Xmas & used them for the first time today. Simple & easy.
★★★★★
These were a big win with my family. I have been a skeptic for years about trying out baked donuts. I grew up with homemade fried donut recipes and did not think baking would bring a reasonable result. I love many of your recipes so finally broke down and bought the pans after reading through your recipes and comments. I was not disappointed. Thanks for bringing another amazing treat, especially one so simple to make, to my kitchen! I won’t toss my fried raised donut recipes, but I love that I can make these without the mess of hot oil.
★★★★★
What kind of yogurt is best for the donuts? Greek yogurt?
Hi Anadil, nonfat, low fat, vanilla, plain, Greek or regular yogurt are all OK. We like to use low fat plain Greek yogurt.
Absolutely delicious. I made half the topping which was a perfect amount. Will definitely make again.
Quick question. If I don’t have yogurt can I just double the milk??
★★★★★
Hi Diane, You can use sour cream instead. OR replace BOTH the milk and yogurt with a 1/2 cup buttermilk.
I tried this. It was amazing taste so delicious. I wish I could share the result. I made this recipe and made my own ganache using butter and semi-sweet chocolate chips.
★★★★★