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Baked Donuts

Baked Donuts

Updated October 29, 2026

Tender, cake-like donuts baked in a donut pan and finished with a simple vanilla glaze or a cinnamon sugar coating.

Most donut pans have 6 cavities, so this batter makes two batches. Let the pan cool a few minutes and re-grease it before the second batch. If batter is too thick to pipe, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until it pipes smoothly but still holds its shape.

Donuts are best eaten fresh but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Make only one coating, either the glaze or the cinnamon sugar; both are listed so you can choose. If you go with the glaze, you'll only need 1/2 cup sugar and 3 tbsp butter.

Cook time
1 hr 6 min
Rating
…

Ingredients

Scale
Measurement units
  • nonstick cooking spray (or brush with melted butter)
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 5 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons half-and-half
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

Prepare pan and oven
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease donut pan lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
Most donut pans hold 6, so plan on baking in two batches.
Equipment: donut pan
Mix dry ingredients
Whisk together all-purpose flour (1 ½ cups) granulated sugar (½ cup) baking powder (1 ½ teaspoons) and salt (¼ teaspoon) in a large mixing bowl.
Equipment: whisk, mixing bowls, shallow bowl
Mix wet ingredients
Whisk together milk (¾ cup) eggs slightly cooled melted butter (3 tablespoons) and vanilla extract (1 teaspoon) in another mixing bowl until smooth.
Equipment: whisk, mixing bowls, shallow bowl
Combine and fill
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just combined; do not overmix.
Transfer batter to a piping bag with a large round tip.
Pipe batter into the greased donut pan, filling each cavity two-thirds full.
Equipment: donut pan, piping bag with large round tip
Bake donuts
Bake at 350°F for 9–11 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted into a donut comes out clean.
Equipment: donut pan
Make the coating
For vanilla glaze, whisk powdered sugar (1 cup) half-and-half (2 tablespoons) and vanilla extract (½ teaspoon) in a shallow bowl until smooth and thick but dippable, adding a splash more if it's too stiff.
For the cinnamon coating, stir the remaining granulated sugar (½ cup) and ground cinnamon (1 tablespoon) together in a shallow bowl.
Equipment: shallow bowl, whisk
Cool and bake the second batch
Cool donuts in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack.
If baking in batches, let the pan cool for a few minutes, re-grease it, fill with the remaining batter, and bake the same way.
Equipment: wire rack, donut pan
Coat while warm
While the donuts are still warm, dip the tops into the glaze, let the excess drip off, and set them back on the rack for about 10 minutes to firm up.
For the cinnamon coating, brush each donut with the remaining melted butter (2 tablespoons) and toss it in the cinnamon mixture.
Equipment: wire rack, donut pan

Tomorrow's Meal

Skillet Donut French Toast

Day-old baked donuts split, soaked in cinnamon custard, and griddled in butter until crisp-edged

You'll need to pick up:

EggsMilkButterFresh berries

Quick overview:

  1. 1.Split day-old donuts in half horizontally like a bagel
  2. 2.Whisk 2 eggs, 1/3 cup milk, and a pinch of cinnamon in a shallow dish
  3. 3.Dip each donut half in the custard for a few seconds per side
  4. 4.Cook in a buttered skillet over medium heat 2–3 minutes per side until golden and set
  5. 5.Serve topped with fresh berries

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