Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

Did you know that tomorrow is National Donut Day?! I couldn’t leave you to celebrate such a special holiday without a donut recipe. These Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts are made with simple ingredients that you probably already have in your fridge and pantry, it’s basically a muffin batter baked in a “fancy” donut pan.

Before I found this recipe I thought that homemade donuts were difficult and time consuming. But these baked donuts are easy to make and oh so delicious. They are perfect with your morning coffee and it’s practically impossible to eat only one!

Brown sugar keeps these donuts moist and adds to the flavor they get from the cinnamon and nutmeg. One of the great thing about these donuts is that they are baked not fried, so no vats of hot oil or unnecessary calories. You can enjoy your donuts almost guilt free.

One of the best tips I found when I first got my donut pan was to fill a large zip top bag with the donut batter and cut a corner off and pipe into the donut pan. Y’all this makes it so easy and a lot less messy than spooning the batter into the pan.

If you still need to invest in a donut pan here are some options. One, Two,Three and how cute is this heart shaped donut pan.

Leave me a comment below with your favorite type of donut. I’m off to dream about these donuts!

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

Ingredients:

Donuts:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 large egg, room temperature
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup yogurt or sour cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Topping:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a donut pan with non-stick spray.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl whisk the egg, brown sugar, milk, and yogurt together until smooth. Add the melted butter and vanilla to the wet ingredients, whisking until fully combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix gently until just combined. The batter will be very thick.
3. Spoon the batter into the donut pan. I use a large zip top bag to do this, fill the bag and cut a corner off and pipe into the pan.
4. Bake for 8–10 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Allow to cool for about two minutes and then turn pan upside down over a wire rack set on a large piece of parchment paper or on a large baking sheet. Allow donuts to cool for a few minutes until you can handle them.
5. While the donuts are baking, prep the topping ingredients. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Melt the butter in a separate bowl. Dip the donuts in the melted butter and then dunk into the cinnamon sugar mixture coating all sides. The donuts are best served immediately.

Adapted from this recipe.