Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts make every morning special! Use a donut pan for this simple donut recipe for oven-baked donuts, which are cooked until golden brown, then dusted with a delightful mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Easy baked donuts have an exceptional taste without yeast or the mess of frying!
It only takes a few minutes to whip up these sweet bites of heaven, and I’ll bet you already have everything you need right in your pantry and refrigerator. And the best part, cleanup is easier, and they have far fewer calories than regular fried donuts.
More quick bread recipes:
Did you know the definition of quick bread is any bread, which can be prepared quickly without yeast? And these delicious donuts fit that definition perfectly. Other popular quick bread recipes on my blog include Zucchini Banana Muffins, Buttermilk Banana Bread with Blueberries, Unforgettable Lemon Bread with Lemon Glaze, Apple Cranberry Muffins, Easy Orange Cinnamon Rolls, and Easy Southern Peach Bread. Need more recipes or menu ideas? Check out all of my bread recipes here.
Donut Toppings:
Of course, if you don’t like cinnamon sugar on your donuts, you can cover them with powdered sugar, or top them with any number of other creative toppings. How about Cookies & Cream, Birthday Cake, or Peanut Butter and Jelly toppings? Check out this post from Good Housekeeping to find out how to make these next-level toppings.
If you like to keep things simple, these homemade baked donuts are merely irresistible. And, warm from the oven, they are delicious without any topping.
Donut Pan Recipe:
I have a special donut pan which I ordered from Amazon, and they are relatively inexpensive. Now, you can find them just about anywhere, and they usually come with either six or a dozen spaces. If you don’t have a pan, don’t worry, you can use a mini-muffin tin. Your donuts will taste the same, and they will have a little different shape.
Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts Ingredients:
You will need the following ingredients for this simple donut recipe: butter, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, baking powder, baking soda, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, salt, vanilla extract, flour, and milk.
How to make Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Spray the donut pan lightly with a baking spray containing flour or lightly grease it with butter.
Combine melted butter, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a mixing bowl and mix on medium until it is smooth.
Add eggs, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla to the mixing bowl. Mix on low to combine.
Add one cup flour to the batter, mix well, then add one-quarter of the milk. Continue adding the flour and milk in stages, beginning with the flour, and ending with the milk. Continue mixing until everything is combined.
Spoon the batter into a gallon size Ziploc bag or piping bag.
Cut a small hole in one corner of the bag and pipe the batter into the pan. You can use a small spoon, but it is much easier to pipe it in. Do not fill the donut well up to the rim. Leave about 1/4 of an inch to allow them to rise.
Bake the donuts for 10-12 minutes or until the tops are light golden brown. (The top will be lighter in color than the bottom of the donuts.)
Remove the pan from the oven, and let the donuts cool for about 5 minutes before removing from the pan. Place them on a wire rack to cool.
To make the cinnamon sugar donut topping:
To make the cinnamon sugar donut topping, mix one cup of sugar with two teaspoons of cinnamon in a shallow bowl or plate. Then melt four tablespoons of butter in a shallow bowl or plate. Take a donut and dip into the butter, then dredge in the sugar mixture.
Enjoy!
Sharon’s Expert Tips:
If you don’t have a pan, don’t worry, you can use a mini-muffin tin. Your donuts will taste the same, and they will have a little different shape.
If you want to make powdered sugar donuts, put about a cup of powdered sugar in a bag, drop one donut in while it is still warm and shake gently. Dust off the excess sugar and serve.
For quick and easy glazed donuts, mix 2 cups powdered sugar with 1/4 cup milk and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Pour the glaze over the donuts. You can also add other flavorings instead of the vanilla. Try maple syrup, lemon juice, or even some melted chocolate.
For even more donut topping ideas, check out this post from Good Housekeeping.
Store leftover oven-baked donuts in an air-tight container for up to 2 days or freeze for up to one month. To thaw, put in the refrigerator overnight. You can also heat the donuts in the microwave for a few seconds.
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Easy Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts Recipe
Ingredients
Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs large
- 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Spray the donut pan lightly with a non-stick baking spray containing flour or lightly grease it with butter.
- Combine melted butter, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer, mix on medium until the mixture is smooth.
- Add the eggs, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla and mix on low until everything is well combined.
- Add one cup of flour to the mixture, mix well on low, then add 1/4 cup of the milk. Continue adding the flour and milk in stages, beginning with the flour, and ending with the milk until all flour and milk is thoroughly combined into the batter. Do not overmix.
- Spoon the batter into a gallon size Ziploc bag or piping bag. Cut a small hole in the corner and pipe the batter into the donut pan. Do not fill the donut well up to the rim. Leave about 1/4 of an inch at the top to allow them to rise properly.
- Bake the donuts for 10-12 minutes or until the top is light golden brown.
- Remove the pan from the oven, and let the donuts cool for about 5 minutes before removing from the pan and placing them on a rack to cool.
Cinnamon sugar topping directions:
- Mix one cup of sugar with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon in a shallow bowl or plate. Melt 1/2 cup butter in a shallow bowl. Take a donut, dip into the butter, then dredge in the sugar mixture.
Notes
Nutrition
*This post updated September 7, 2019, to include expanded text and additional tips to ensure this recipe can be made perfectly the first time! No changes to the actual recipe.
Awesome! We made donut holes with our cake pop pan also. 350 degrees for 23 min.
We have allergies so we made them gluten and dairy free. My girls were over the moon excited to eat donut holes again! Thank you for the recipe!!
I followed the recipe as is and not only was it easy, but the results were delicious. My husband said they were the best donuts he ever had!
As both an editor and a professional cook, nothing drives me crazier than a recipe that lists an ingredient but doesn’t mention where or how to use it. In this case, you don’t mention the 1/4 cup of oil.
I added the oil at the egg stage. This was my first time making doughnuts, so that was a bit of a guess. The dough was very elastic and I almost wonder if the oil was the cause. Final result were ok. Very cakey and less moist than I was hoping for.
Hi Gary, You are right and it drives me crazy too! I have corrected the recipe to show that the oil and butter should be added together with the sugars. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know.
All my best,
Sharon
Although I didn’t have a donut pan, I decided to give these a try. What a great recipe and actually easy also. Since I didn’t have donut pan, I made the first batch in my muffin pan. The second batch I made in my cake pop pan. Although both batches tasted great, the ones from the cake pop pan actually looked like donut holes. Thanks for this great recipe.
Special request for these the next time we visit 🙂
Of course!