Old-Fashioned Baked Donuts
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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 some of life’s simplest pleasures. I can never pass up baked chocolate donuts with peanut butter frosting or strawberry 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.
Why this recipe works
- A lot of vanilla and nutmeg is what makes these donuts taste so darn good! Don’t shy away from the full tablespoon of vanilla called for in the recipe.
- The batter is mixed like a muffin batter. Some clumps of flour may be visible but this is okay and will give you tender donuts.
- Apply the glaze while the donuts are still warm. This will cause the glaze to sort of melt and set in a thin layer just like true old-fashioned donuts.
It took several batches of failed donuts before I achieved exactly what I was looking for. The batter calls for simple ingredients that most people already have on hand.
I used melted butter and oil with the addition of buttermilk to keep the texture soft. Whole wheat flour combined with all-purpose flour keeps the donuts sturdy.
You don’t have to chill and roll the dough because these donuts bake in a donut pan. You can mix this batter by hand, making the process much simpler.
The baked donuts are soft and cake-like without being overly sweet, while the vanilla glaze adds just the right amount of extra sweetness. You can also dust them with powdered sugar if you wish to omit the glaze.
Recipe Ingredients
The ingredients are pretty standard pantry items. More than likely, you already have them on hand.
- Fats: You’ll need unsalted butter, vegetable oil, and eggs to make the best baked donuts.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar is used in the donut batter while powdered sugar is used for the glaze.
- Vanilla: Using pure vanilla extract will give you the best flavor. It’s in the donut and the glaze.
- Flour: A combination of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour is used for the donut. You won’t taste the whole wheat flour. Only a little is used to help give the donuts structure.
- Leavening: Both baking powder and baking soda help the donuts rise during baking.
- Spices: Nutmeg and salt are the only necessary spices. Nutmeg will give the you that familiar flavor.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is essential to this recipe! It keeps the donuts tender while offering a very slight tang. You can use sour cream but I don’t prefer it.
- Milk: Th glaze uses just a few tablespoons of milk.
Tools you’ll need:
- Mixing bowls: You need two mixing bowls.
- Whisk: A large balloon whisk is what I prefer for mixing. You don’t need to use an electric mixer.
- Piping bag: A disposable piping bag or ziptop bag with a small corner cut off works best for filling the donut pan.
- Donut pan: I like these donut pans, but they only hold six donuts. This means you’ll need to have at least 3 on hand to make this recipe.
How to make baked donuts
It’s super easy to make donuts at home! This recipe comes together in just a few short minutes.
The Batter – The batter is made by mixing the dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately. Then, combine the two and mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
The Glaze – To make the glaze, mix powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk together until smooth.
Step 1: Mix the batter
To make the donut batter, start by mixing the melted butter, oil, and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. You don’t need a mixer for this. Just use a large whisk and mix until combined.
Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until they are well incorporated.
In a separate bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg together until very well combined.
Whisk half the flour mixture into the butter mixture just until almost fully incorporated. Add the buttermilk and remaining flour mixture then mix just until no dry streaks of dry flour are visible.
ⓘ Don’t overmix the batter! It’s okay if it’s not perfectly smooth. Overmixing will cause the donuts to be tough.
Step 2: Bake
Using a disposable piping bag, pipe the batter into greased donut pans. Fill each cavity about ⅔ to ¾ full.
Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or just until the donuts spring back when pressed lightly with your fingertip. Take care not to overbake or the donuts will be dry.
Transfer the donuts to a wire rack and immediately make the glaze.
Step 3: Make the glaze
Combine powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk in a small bowl. Working with the warm donuts, dip the tops of each one into the glaze and return them to the wire rack.
You can enjoy the donuts while they are warm, or allow them to cool completely first. Once cooled, the glaze will set.
If you like this baked donut recipe, you’ll love these other donut recipes:
Baked Donuts
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, at room temperature
- 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 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
For the glaze
- 2 cups (240 g) confectioners' sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the donuts
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly spray three 6-cavity donut pans with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk the butter, oil, and sugar together until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, add the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Stir with a whisk to combine.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- In a medium bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla. Stir until smooth, adding more milk if needed.
- 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.
Notes
- Donuts are best served warm and fresh but will keep airtight at room temp for up to 4 days.
- The donuts can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight. If you’d like to serve them warm, heat them in the microwave for a couple seconds.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided is for convenience and as a courtesy only. It is not guaranteed to be accurate because nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator and input the exact ingredients and brands you used in the recipe.
Originally published August 2016. Post updated August 2020 with new photos, a video, and more details in the copy. No change to the recipe other than a bit more vanilla and nutmeg added.
This was excellent for Christmas morning! Made batter the day before. Had tried another recipe for baked donuts as a trial but too muffin like. This was the winner! OMG the perfect donut texture I’ve started a new tradition hopefully my son will help glaze and sprinkle next year:)
Can I make the batter the night before and put it in the refrigerator?
I don’t recommend it.
@Jen Sobjack, thank you, I forgot to tell you. These were an amazing Christmas morning absolutely delicious!
How long would you recommend the doughnuts bake at 425 if you used a mini doughnut pan?
I haven’t used a mini donut pan so I’m not 100% sure how long they’d take to bake. But these bake quickly with a regular donut pan so I suggest watching them closely.
This batter sets up perfectly in the oven and comes out easily of a well oiled donut pan. I will probably cut down on the nutmeg in the future but this recipe will be used often. I used a vanilla maple glaze and the result was divine. The taste reminded me of Tim Horton donuts but oh so much better! I’ll never leave the house for donuts again, and during COVID, when my food budget is stretched to the limit, I truly appreciate this. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe and for the time you invested to perfect it!
What am I doing wrong I fill my donut pan and when they bake they seem to come real close together on one side so they look like a weird donut how do I fill so they look like perfectly round donuts with a round center hole. I use a piping bag but don’t know what I’m doing wrong
It sounds like you may be filling the cavities too full. Try using a little less batter in each one.
Do you bake all 3 trays at once? Three different racks? Would convection bake with a 25 degree temp drop be good? I saw that Wilton has a 20 donut pan. Would it work as well as 3 x 6 pans? Thanks!
The 3×6 pans are small enough you can fit 2 on a rack at once. But I wouldn’t bake all 3 on separate racks. Pop the third one in after the first 2 have finished. I’m not familiar with a convection oven and can’t offer advice on how to bake with one. I’m sure the 20 count donut pan will work just fine. Fill any open cavities with water to promote even cooking.
Do you think I could add some pumpkin or applesauce to make a pumpkin donut or an apple flavored donut. I would add cinnamon instead of nutmeg for the apple donut and probably decrease the nutmeg slightly and add a touch of allspice to the pumpkin donuts.
I cannot recommend making changes that I’ve not tested. Adding pumpkin or applesauce will change the chemistry of the recipe and other changes are likely necessary.
Do you think I could use sourdough starter in place of the buttermilk?? These look great!
I don’t have experience working with sourdough starter but I don’t think it works as a replacement for the liquid in a recipe.
Do you absolutely need the whole wheat flour?
Also, do you need the donut pan or can you just cut out the doughnuts and doughnut holes?
The recipe requires a donut pan. It’s made with a batter, not dough.
It adds structure to the donuts but other readers have had success with replacing it with all-purpose flour.
Made a quick batch of these this morning and they were GREAT! I have Nordic donut pans, and I ended up with 14 donuts (as opposed to 18), filling cups about 3/4 full. Timing for me was right about exactly 8 minutes for baking. Loved the glaze also – simple and worked great! I also took a few of the donuts and dipped them in the glaze, and then into sprinkles and they turned out picture-perfect! Highly recommended!