Baked Doughnuts
Imagine the fluffiest, chewiest morsel of homemade doughnut goodness you have ever had, and you have these baked doughnuts.
I can’t go another minute without telling you that these baked doughnuts…well, they will probably change your life just like they did mine.
Imagine the fluffiest, chewiest morsel of doughnut goodness, warm from the oven and coated in a glorious butter, cinnamon-sugar mixture. And the doughnut holes? Utterly unreal.
Baked not Fried
The astounding thing is that they are baked. BAKED! Baked and not fried.
I’m not arguing that these baked doughnuts are healthy, by any means, but compared to their fried cousins – well, I’ll take these soft, tender baked doughnuts any day.
Baked Doughnut FAQs
Yes! You can freeze the dough prebaked (shaped into doughnuts) or after they are baked.
Probably 3/4 inch to 1 inch.
I grate nutmeg on a rasp grater, the same tool I zest a lemon/orange with. If you absolutely can’t find whole nutmeg (it should be fairly widely available at grocery stores) go ahead with your ground nutmeg.
One Year Ago: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
Two Years Ago: Strawberry Cream Puff Cake
Three Years Ago: Creamy Chicken Fettuccine
Homemade Baked Doughnuts
Ingredients
Doughnuts:
- 1 ⅓ cups warm milk, 95 to 105 degrees
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) butter
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 5 cups (710 g) all-purpose flour
- A pinch or two of nutmeg, freshly grated
- 1 teaspoon salt
Topping:
- ½ cup (113 g) butter, melted
- 1 ½ cups (318 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Place the warm milk in the bowl of an electric mixer. Stir in the yeast and sugar. Add the butter. Mix the eggs, flour, nutmeg, and salt.
- Beat the dough with the dough hook attachment (or with a wooden spoon and eventually your hands) for 2-3 minutes at medium speed. Adjust the dough texture by adding flour a few tablespoons at a time or more milk. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl and be very soft and smooth but still slightly sticky – don't overflour! Knead the dough for a few minutes (again, by mixer or by hand) and then transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for about an hour or until it has doubled in size (the exact time will depend on the temperature of your kitchen).
- Punch down the dough and roll it out to about 1/2-inch thickness on a lightly floured counter. Using a doughnut cutter or a 2-3 inch circle cookie cutter, cut out circles in the dough.
- Carefully transfer the circles to a parchment- or silpat-lined baking sheet and stamp out the smaller inner circles using a smaller cutter. Be sure to make the holes large enough that as the doughnuts rise again and bake, they don't fill in the doughnut hole with the puffiness of the dough.
- Cover the tray with lightly greased plastic wrap. (At this point, you can refrigerate the doughnuts overnight or proceed with the recipe.) Let the doughnuts rise for about another 45 minutes, until they are puffed and nearly doubled.
- Bake in a 375 degree F oven until the bottoms are just golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Start checking the doughnuts around minute 8. They should still be pale on top, not golden and browned, and just barely baked through.
- Remove the doughnuts from the oven and let cool for 1-2 minutes. Dip each one in the melted butter and toss or sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar. Serve immediately.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Tartlette who snagged it from 101 Cookbooks
196 Comments on “Baked Doughnuts”
These baked doughnuts are quite bread-like. Not bad per se, but not definitely not anything you’d get out of a doughnut shop, and fortunately I was prepared for this outcome, having read the comments beforehand. Just looking at the recipe, I think the 710g of flour to 1 1/3 milk ratio is too high, but I did find Pastry Chef’s comments helpful and added a bit more milk (and yes, I weighed the flour), although likely not enough since my doughnuts were still fairly comparable to rolls. Some I rolled thinner with larger holes; they baked up in about 6-8 min and once dipped in a somewhat sticky vanilla glaze they tasted more doughnut-like when compared to ones I rolled out to a half inch and cut with a standard doughnut cutter.
Delicious vanilla glaze: 1/3 cup butter + 2cups powdered sugar + 1-2 tsp vanilla – bring to a low boil in a pot, and let boil for a few minutes. Thin out with a little hot water to desired consistency (whisk into mixture while it’s boiling).
I followed the recipe to a T but these aren’t donuts, they’re buns. I decided to fry the last batch instead of baking them and they came out good yeah, but it’s not what I was craving, I wanted some decent BAKED donuts and I didn’t get them. The “buns” are ok too I guess, just really disappointed that they’re not donuts. Oh well.
For me, as some have commented, these donuts turned out more like a dense sweet bread. Clearly others have had success with this recipe, so maybe I did something wrong. I didn’t use a stand mixer, so perhaps mixing it by hand changed the texture, or perhaps I overkneaded. Seems like there’s some margin for error with this recipe.
Thanks anyways for sharing this recipe. I will continue my donut-making attempts.
Hi Mel! We absolutely love these baked doughnuts! My two young boys are now begging me to make a powdered sugar version! Do you have any tips for doing powdered sugar instead of cinnamon sugar topping? Is it as simple as dipping them in butter and then shaking with powdered sugar? Thanks!
Hi Tracy! I think you should be able to toss the hot, baked doughnuts in powdered sugar (may not even need to coat with butter first)
Thank you for the recipe! I halved the recipe, and got 9 doughnuts and 9 doughnut holes. We didn’t have any eggs, so I substituted 1/4 cup yogurt and it worked fine. I also browned to butter that was for dipping the doughnuts in to make them extra delicious.
Followed the recipe exactly as written. Donut holes were delicious from it, but the donuts themselves were too heavy. Had to throw the rest of them out. Not a keeper, sadly
I made this recipe but it didn’t turn out well. I halfed it so I don’t know if the ratio was off but they were very flat and not fluffy. The yeast proofed so that wasn’t the issue.
I made this recipe last night. I made one batch this afternoon and they are amazing! It made a lot more donuts than the recipe states how long can they stay in the refrigerator?
Probably a couple of days.
Pretty disappointing. Definitely shouldn’t be calling this a donut recipe they just taste like bread …. Yummy bread, but definitely not a donut
How long do you cook the donut holes?
Made these today and they came out awesome! Mine were light and airy. Thank you for posting ☺️
I just made these today and they came out like biscuits. I noticed a few others said this as well, but there was no response as to what might have happened. I followed the recipe straight on, measured everything just so, except for the yeast. I used active dry which I proofed per instructions. The dough seemed fine but didn’t rise that much on the second rise. I would love any suggestions from you or anyone on this thread so I can enjoy them as fluffy donuts like so many others have. Thanks in advance!
Hi Liz, I think it just boils down to taste preference. They aren’t going to taste like a fried donut, but if they rise long enough, they should be fluffy.
You can try proofing them on the second rise. Preheat your oven to 180. Put them in for 15-20 minutes, or until doubled in size. Take out, heat the oven to 375, and bake.
These turned out amazing!! Wasn’t expecting too much considering they are baked but they taste just as good if not better then fried donuts. Would definitely recommend making these!!
My kids loved them!
Does the butter in the dough need to be melted or at room temperature? I would like to make these today, so I’d appreciate any advice!
Either works, I usually use softened butter
Turned out to be soft and delicious!! Replaced egg with flax seeds.
HELOW.
Im hoping You might be able to help.
Years ago i once you’re to bake every week..Now I know longer have any one to cook cakes for.
I still like to make.
Picklets Once like my aunty would make.
We always visted on saturday.
Her boy’s and my siblings we all be lineing up ready to be given.
Plant.
I dont rember how she made these.
Tastey treats and i was hoping.
You might have a recipe.
Hi Mel, I made the doughnut holes today, and they are awesome!!! In case you didn’t get my message.
Didn’t add any more flour, or milk to it. And it was 8 mins to bake and they were perfect!!
I do have pictures too, I’ll send to you if you’d like.
Oh can you freeze these when done? I’m not sure and I don’t want them to go bad.
Your right about eating only one or two lol they’re so good. My fiancé loves them too, he was getting from store, these are 100% better. I used the raw sugar in them, and to roll them in, it didn’t raise his sugar.
Thank you so much for sharing. Your GOOD!!
queenelizabeth (Ellen)
Yes, you can freeze them. Glad you liked the recipe!
Terrible! Did not taste anything like doughnuts. More like dinner rolls. It was so disappointing and a complete waste of time.
I made this recipe and the donuts came out really nice. Everyone loved it. Thanks for sharing it.
This is nothing like a donut. Tastes like a dinner roll.
Great recipe! I made this not an hour ago and my family gobbled most of them! We will definatly make this again!
These came out really yummy. I made the dough in my bread machine and rolled out per the recipe. Baked in convection oven at 375 for about 5 minutes. Perfect!
Should maybe do the note about the yeast which kind and what to do first as aposed to last line of recipe
Can these be frozen without the 2nd rise?
I’ve been looking for a recipe of donuts where I don’t fry them as the winter is here and I can’t open my windows to let the fried smell out. THANK YOU!!
I’ve only ever frozen them after they have baked but you could try that.
These are SOOOOOO good! One question- my finish work needs help! Do you just dip one side in butter, or the whole thing? Mine ended up tasting very buttery with clumpy buttery sugar. Can’t wait to try these again!
You can roll the whole doughnut in butter or just dip the top – whatever works best for you!
Not a good recipe, wasted an afternoon on flopped doughnuts.
Can I use coconut oil instead of butter?
Can definitely try (haven’t tried it myself)…
At any point can you freeze these?
You can freeze the dough prebaked (shaped into doughnuts) or after they are baked.
Did not work more like a dinner roll. Will not try again,waisted 2 hours of my day.
You’re such a brat
Very very bad came out very doughy and tasted horrible overall
They were actually really good, no idea what they are talking about.
Really popular at potluck too.
Once they are rolled and cut can you freeze them?
I haven’t tried that but usually yeast doughs like this freeze pretty well.
I made this recipe using all purpose gluten free flour. I have recently been diagnosed with celiac disease and this recipe has filled my need for baked goods! Gluten free flour makes the recipe slightly more dense and dry but with the addition of a little extra milk it workers out great!
I did not like this recipe at all
Hey mel,
I made these today and they were a huge hit! The texture and taste reminded us of a Auntie Anne’s cinnamon and sugar pretzel. Thank you so much for another great recipe!
I was looking for a baked donut recipe without using a donut pan and found a blog that linked to this recipe! Why I didn’t look here in the first place!! Duh!!
I can’t wait to try them! Do you have any tips on how to add some apple flavor either with shredded apple, apple sauce or apple butter? I am not sure at what point it could be added and how it may affect baking time. Thanks!
I haven’t tried that so I don’t know what to suggest – you could try some grated apple; usually if doing so the baking time will be a bit longer because of the wetness of the apples.
Hello, Mel:
I first came across this recipe from 101 Cookbooks website back in 2008, but felt compelled to comment here, although I very seldom post comments.
First, you definitely picked a winner! Aside from brioche doughnuts, these hold their own any day against fried version.
For those who feel the donuts are “bready,” adding too much flour sounds to be the likely culprit.
FWIW, these donuts are ~56% hydration, including the egg, once converting the measurements to grams. I use a bit less flour to get ~60 – 65% hydration. This also results in baked breads and pastries remaining fresh up to 4 – 5 days.
The higher the hydration, the softer baked breads/pastries, but for this non-brioche, I wouldn’t push past 70 – 75%.
The dough needs to be fairly soft, but not overly sticky, although soft doughs can be a challenge for some home bakers.
A tip is to check the side label of the mfg. flour used. Most AP flour in the U.S. states 30g = 1/4 C.
While many folks balk at using metric measurements and weighing ingredients, doing so provides accurate and consistent results each and every time.
A last tip is to mix only the milk and flour initially and hydrate 20 – 30 mins just to begin gluten development. This allows any soft dough to be more easily handled.
The dough may also be chilled overnight in fridge before shaping, but requires a bit of advance planning.
Anytime this is done, the dough is soft, pliable and extremely easy to shape next day.
Again, you did your readers a valuable service to re-post a great baked donut recipe.
Here’s to continued happy baking and cooking!
Thank you for all the tips!
Do you mind giving me some friendly input? I can’t have dairy products but I would love to try your recipe. If I use almond or soy milk it would have less fat content than milk, and if I use margarine instead of butter and of course would have more water than actual fat. I’m thinking this might be a Kill for dairy free version. Do you think from a Baker’s perspective that it would be better to just stick with dairy-free recipes instead of converting when it comes to yeast doughnuts specifically?
Hi Brandie – that’s a good question…and one I don’t really know the answer to. I do think using dairy-free substitutes will definitely alter the outcome, but I’ve also heard from a lot of readers over the years who have successfully subbed in dairy alternatives. As for these doughnuts, I can’t remember if someone has successfully made them with dairy free ingredients…but it’s probably worth a try if you are up for experimenting.
I use margerine instead of real butter in my donuts quite often and the trick is to use a tiny bit less than it calls for with butter because of the oil from the margerine fills in the rest.
1/2 Cup butter = 1/3 Cup margerine
As to your inquiry about the non-dairy milk you can use it but the texture will be slightly different. If you aren’t opposed to coconut then I recommend coconut milk which can typically be found either refridgerated or canned in the Asian section of the food store. Canned tends to have a better fat content for baking but it’s not sweet/just drinkable if you have remainder. So I highly recommend the refridgerated type which does have the creaminess that’s nice for baking and is usable afterwards for smoothies, coffee creamer, etc.
Have fun baking!
I know this is probably really late, but for others. Almond milk and soy milk work great!!! I also can’t have any dairy so please take my advice
AMSOLUTELY AMAZING
i’m in love with cinnamon sugar version, but I made some other variations too.
They are so soft and fluffy, I made 2 parts and it took 6 dozen (70 doughnuts) and let them raise longer than you recommend. Also added more yeast (fresh)
Thank you so much for this recipe, I will use ut again ❤
Great recipe! I halfed it for lack of self-control around doughnuts and it still turned out perfectly. I just use a coffee mug to cut them and made a long John out of the leftover dough. I didn’t cut any holes but used my thumb to press into the center which I filled with homemade jam once they were covered with the sugar. I sprinkled a little more sugar on afterward too!
Can these be made into long johns? I always have issues cutting them – which leads me to not making them very often. My son has asked for them for his birthday party breakfast. My issue is they after I cut the doughnut it reconnects before I can pick it up – leading to funny shaped donuts and frustration for me!
Thanks for any help or input regarding long johns – figured I could frost them..
I haven’t made them that way, but I think that would probably work!
Yummmm. These were great, straight from the oven. Anyone experiment with glaze instead of cinnamon sugar? Thanks for another great one, Mel!
Well Kate, I decided find an answer to your query since I, too, enjoyed the cinnamon sugar topping but my kids wanted to sail into the uncharted territory of sprinkled baked doughnuts.
I tried two chocolate doughnut glaze recipes from the internet, but the first was grainy and the second one wouldn’t stick to the doughnuts (deal-breaker!). I would have tried basic ganache (chocolate + heavy cream), but I didn’t really want to chill my warm doughnuts just so the ganache could set.
So I did a 1/4 recipe of chocolate cream cheese frosting (from the red checkered BH&G cookbook) and added a little milk to thin it out. And that worked splendidly! I found you can dip the doughnuts or pick them up & ice them. Both sprinkles & crushed peanuts stuck very well.
In the future, I’ll probably do half the batch cinnamon sugared and half glazed/frosted with toppings.
Hope that helps!
These doughnuts are becoming a snow day must!! These doughnuts make 6 snow days doable…my kids now say they never want any other kind of doughnut! You nailed it once again sweet Mel!
Why didn’t I remember these on all our snow days??
Hi Mel was just wondering what butter to use for this recipe. Unsalted or salted butter?
Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Salted. 🙂