Homemade Mini Baked Donuts Recipe
Ditch the greasy deep fryer and whip up these delightful Mini Baked Donuts! Our easy recipe uses simple ingredients to create fluffy, flavorful donuts perfect for breakfast, snacks, or sweet treats.
Craving donuts but want to skip the guilt (and mess) of deep-frying? Look no further than these adorable Mini Baked Donuts! This recipe is your gateway to homemade donut bliss, minus the hassle.
We’ll ditch the hot oil for a simple baking method, resulting in fluffy, tender donuts packed with flavor. We used a mini donut maker to make the process a lot easier! Whether you’re a seasoned baker or a complete beginner, this recipe is sure to become a new favorite.
Get ready to transform everyday ingredients into bite-sized pockets of joy. Our recipe is easily customizable, so you can enjoy them plain, glazed with your favorite flavor, or dusted with creative toppings. Imagine a batch of warm mini donuts, perfect for breakfast, afternoon snacks, or anytime you need a delightful pick-me-up!
Ingredients Needed
For the baked donuts:
- All purpose flour — For gluten free donuts, check out our recipe here.
- Granulated sugar
- Milk
- Egg
- Softened unsalted butter
- Baking powder
- Honey
- Salt
- Nutmeg
- Cinnamon
For the glaze:
- Powdered sugar
- Half and half
- Vanilla extract — Or seeds scraped vanilla bean
- Gel food coloring of choice
- Sprinkles — Optional
We made a traditional vanilla glaze for our mini donuts. If you’re interested in other glaze flavors, checkout our chocolate glaze, white chocolate glaze, or pink lemonade glaze recipes.
How to Make Mini Baked Donuts
1 — Preheat your donut maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This typically involves plugging it in and letting it heat up for a few minutes. Or if baking in the oven, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2 — In a large bowl, mix the softened butter, egg, and sugar throughly.
3 — In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.
4 — Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches, alternating with the milk and mixing until just combined. Don’t over-mix, as this can make the donuts tough.
5 — Using a spoon or a small piping bag, fill each donut mold in your donut maker (or donut pan if baking) with batter up to about ¾ full. Don’t overfill, as the batter will expand slightly during cooking.
6 — Close the donut maker and bake the donuts according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This typically takes around 3-5 minutes, but baking times may vary depending on your donut maker. Or bake for 7 minutes in the oven. A toothpick inserted into the center of a donut should come out clean when they are done.
7 — Carefully remove the donuts from the donut maker and let them cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes before decorating or glazing (optional).
How to Make Donut Glaze
1 — In a small bowl, whisk together the half and half and vanilla extract (or vanilla bean seeds) until well combined.
2 — Add the powdered sugar to the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth. The glaze should be thick enough to coat the donuts but still be pourable. If it’s too thick, add more half and half, 1 teaspoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.
3 — Optional: Add a few drops of gel food coloring and whisk until well incorporated. Start with a small amount of food coloring and add more until you reach the desired shade.
4 — Dunk your cooled donuts into the glaze, letting any excess drip back into the bowl. Once glazed, decorate with sprinkles if desired.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Let the batter rest for 5-10 minutes before using. This allows the baking powder to activate and will result in fluffier donuts.
- Don’t reuse leftover batter. The baking powder loses its effectiveness with time, and the donuts may not rise properly.
- If your donut maker doesn’t have a non-stick surface, lightly grease it with cooking spray before adding the batter.
- For a richer glaze, substitute 1 tablespoon of melted butter for 1 tablespoon of half and half.
- If the glaze becomes too thin after adding sprinkles, you can try chilling it in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to thicken slightly.
- This glaze is best used immediately, as it will thicken over time.
- These mini donuts are best enjoyed fresh, but they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Mini Baked Donuts Recipe
Equipment
- Mini donut maker optional
Ingredients
For the mini donuts:
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 egg beaten
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the glaze:
- 1 tbsp half and half
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- Gel food coloring of your choice
- Sprinkles optional
Nutrition
Instructions
To make the donuts:
- Preheat your donut maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Or if baking in the oven, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a large bowl, mix the softened butter, egg, and sugar throughly.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches, alternating with the milk and mixing until just combined. Don’t over-mix, as this can make the donuts tough.
- Using a spoon or a small piping bag, fill each donut mold in your donut maker (or donut pan if baking) with batter up to about ¾ full. Don’t overfill, as the batter will expand slightly during cooking.
- Close the donut maker and bake the donuts according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This typically takes around 3-5 minutes, but baking times may vary depending on your donut maker. Or bake for 7 minutes in the oven. A toothpick inserted into the center of a donut should come out clean when they are done.
- Carefully remove the donuts from the donut maker and let them cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes before decorating or glazing (optional).
To make the glaze:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the half and half and vanilla extract (or vanilla bean seeds) until well combined.
- Add the powdered sugar to the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth. The glaze should be thick enough to coat the donuts but still be pourable. If it’s too thick, add more half and half, 1 teaspoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.
- Optional: Add a few drops of gel food coloring and whisk until well incorporated. Start with a small amount of food coloring and add more until you reach the desired shade.
- Dunk your cooled donuts into the glaze, letting any excess drip back into the bowl. Once glazed, decorate with sprinkles if desired.
Don’t forget to share your Mini Baked Donuts with us on Instagram using the hashtag #sugarandclothloves. We always love seeing all of your creations! Looking for more quick and delicious recipes? Find them all right here!
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