Description
These baked cinnamon sugar donuts are soft, moist cake-style donuts made in a donut pan instead of fried. Ready in about 45 minutes, this easy homemade donut recipe is coated in melted butter and cinnamon sugar for classic bakery-style flavor. The recipe yields just 8 donuts, so be sure to double it if you’re feeding a crowd.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & 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 or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (60g/ml) milk, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (60g) sour cream or plain yogurt, at room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Topping
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a donut pan with nonstick spray. This recipe makes 8 donuts, so grease 2 cavities of a second donut pan or bake in batches. Set aside.
- Make the donuts: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, brown sugar, milk, and sour cream/yogurt until smooth. Add the melted butter and vanilla, whisking until fully combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overmix. The batter will be thick.
- Transfer the donut batter to a gallon-size zip-top plastic bag and use scissors to snip off the tip of one bottom corner. Pipe the batter into the donut pan cavities, filling each about 1/2–2/3 full.
- Bake for 9–10 minutes or until the donuts spring back when lightly pressed. Cool the donuts in the pan set on a cooling rack for 2 minutes, then remove them from the pan and place on the rack to slightly cool before coating. Re-grease the pan and bake the remaining donut batter.
- Coat the donuts: Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Dip the donuts in the melted butter, then dunk in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, coating all sides.
- These donuts taste best served shortly after coating. Cover leftover donuts tightly and store at room temperature for 1–2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: You can freeze the baked donuts for up to 2–3 months. For best results, freeze them before adding the butter and cinnamon sugar coating. Let the donuts cool completely, then place them in a freezer-friendly container or zip-top bag with parchment between layers to prevent sticking. Thaw the donuts overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature for a couple hours. Warm them briefly in the microwave for about 10–15 seconds, if desired. Once thawed and slightly warm, dip each donut in melted butter and roll in the cinnamon sugar coating before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Donut Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack
- Muffins: You can bake this batter in a standard 12-count muffin pan instead of a donut pan. The recipe yields around 8 muffins. Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full and bake at the same temperature for about 18–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool for a few minutes, then dip the tops and sides in melted butter and coat in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Milk: For the donut batter, any milk works, dairy or nondairy. I’ve tested with unsweetened vanilla almond milk, whole milk, and skim milk.
- Can I Double This Recipe? Yes, absolutely. The recipe yields just 8 donuts. To double for 16 donuts, simply double all of the ingredients.