Baked Vanilla Donuts — 🍩😍👩🍳 Making donuts at home is easier than you think! Full of rich vanilla flavor in both the batter and the glaze, these donuts are a family FAVORITE. They’re baked and not fried so you can have seconds! Perfect for springtime, Easter, and Mother’s Day but you can change the glaze color to suit the season or your mood!
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Baked Vanilla Donuts Recipe
Making donuts at home is easier than you think! And who doesn’t love a nice warm, fresh, baked donut.
That’s right, you don’t even have to fry these vanilla donuts. Instead, they’re baked and ready to go in 10 minutes.
The baked donuts are tender, moist, and cakey without being dry. They are denser than fried donuts although in some ways actually feel “lighter” because they’re not fried.
I was feeling inspired by springtime with Easter and Mother’s Day coming up and glazed the donuts with pastel-colored frosting. Of course, you can tweak the frosting or glaze color depending on the season or your mood.
I have a 2011 recipe for Baked Vanilla Glazed Donuts and today’s recipe is a near clone of that recipe in an effort that my readers today actually see the recipe rather than it lingering in a decade’s worth of archives.
Actually I have quite a few baked donut recipes which I showcased underneath the recipe card in case you’re feeling some homemade donut inspiration.
Ingredients in Baked and Glazed Vanilla Donuts
For the donut batter, you’ll need the following easy-to-find and very common fridge and pantry ingredients including:
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Buttermilk
- Eggs – Let them come to room temperature for easy mixing
- Melted butter
- Vanilla extract – Since vanilla is used twice, in both the batter and glaze, use a high-quality pure vanilla extract and not imitation. Or make your own vanilla extract
For the vanilla donut glaze, you’ll want to have on hand the following:
- Confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
- Vanilla extract
- Milk or cream
- Food coloring, sprinkles, glitter; optional
- White chocolate chips, optional
How to Make Vanilla Donuts with Frosting
Making your donut batter is so fast and easy. Just follow these straightforward steps:
Step 1: Preheat your oven and spray two 6-count donut pan very well with cooking spray.
Step 2: Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Beat together the wet ingredients in a separate medium bowl.
Step 3: Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix to combine. Fill the donut pan, spooning or piping the batter about 2/3-full, and bake until done.
Tip: While I was trying to be fancy, I put the batter into a piping bag, for the average person, just put the batter in a large Ziplock bag, seal, snip off a bottom corner, and pipe it into the cavities. Use a paper towel to clean off the center hole area or other areas of the doughnut pans if you’re a little messy.
Step 4: While they bake, make the vanilla glaze for the donuts by beating together the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth. Get creative if you want by adding food coloring to it.
Step 5: Allow the donuts to cool slightly. Then, dip the donuts in the glaze, or spread it on top. Transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely set up, and dig in!
Tip: Rather than piping on the glaze, simply dip one side of the donuts in the glaze, be it uncolored or colored. That’s much easier than piping!
How to Make Glazed Donuts with Different Color Glazes
Note: This section is entirely optional for those who want to be a little extra.
If you are going the colored glaze route and want to duplicate the look of my glazed donuts, you’ll want to tint approximately 4 bowls of the powdered sugar glaze.
You will likely need to make a double batch of glaze in order to have enough to divide it. Then, add food coloring to the bowls to create pastel glazes including:
- Light pink
- Lavender
- Yellow
- Baby blue/aqua/green
The Wilton 4-color pastel set is a good one.
Tips:
- For the pink and lavender distinction, add a drop of blue to the pink to create a more purple or lavender tone.
- To make the vertical stripes like I did, melt white chocolate chips, add food coloring, transfer to a small Ziplock, and pipe on.
- To finish off the donuts, I sprinkled edible glitter. Or, top them with sprinkles for ane extra pop of color.
Storage Instructions:
Donuts are one of those foods that tend to be at their best the fresher they are. However, they’ll keep fresh in an airtight container at room temp for up to 4 days. I am sure you could try freezing them although I haven’t.
Note that after you glaze the donuts, if they sit for a day or two, they will absorb the glaze and become heavier and denser. Don’t expect light and airy for any glazed donuts that are left over.
Recipe FAQs
No, you don’t technically have to frost your baked vanilla donuts. However, it’s recommended to add additional vanilla flavor and overall sweetness.
Even a plain vanilla donut glaze, without the food coloring, as I show in Baked Vanilla Donuts with Vanilla Glaze bumps up the flavor and overall “donut authenticity” level. This is a no-fuss way to get your donuts looking and tasting better!
Because let’s face it, you would never walk into a bakery or donut shop and buy an unglazed donut. Well, I wouldn’t nor would my family have any interest in them either!
People love to ask when I call for buttermilk in a recipe if they can get away without it. The answer for these homemade baked donuts is that buttermilk is required.
For those who live by a Trader Joe’s, they have the cheapest buttermilk that I can find but it’s also great quality. If you’re wondering what to do with the rest of the container, check out all my recipes with buttermilk.
I have never tried making baked donuts with powdered shelf-stable buttermilk although it would probably work.
The point of a donut recipe should be to end up with donuts, right? However, if don’t have a donut pan you can make “donuts” but baked as muffins.
You’ll have to monitor the baking time, but approximately 15 to 20 minutes is a good starting point.
I have not made mini donuts. Mini muffins are the closest I have gotten.
However, I’m sure you could make these baked donuts as baked mini donuts, although I personally don’t have the patience. Fill the mini donut pan about 2/3-full and watch them like a hawk in the oven since they will cook in a couple of minutes is my guess.
Baked Vanilla Donuts
Equipment
- 2 (6-count) Donut Molds
- 2 Medium Bowls
- 1 Wire Rack
Ingredients
Donuts
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, optionally sifted for lighter donuts
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Glaze
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted for best results
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 to 3 tablespoons milk, half-and-half, or cream
- Food coloring, sprinkles, glitter; optional
- ½ cup white chocolate chips, optional
Instructions
Donuts
- Preheat oven to 350F and spray two 6-count donut molds very well with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
- To a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and whisk to combine; set aside.
- To a separate medium bowl, add the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and stir until just combined; don't overmix.
- Transfer the batter into a piping bag with large tip OR my recommendation to keep it as easy as possible, transfer the batter to a large Ziplock bag, seal it, and cut off one of the bottom corners with a scissors taking care not to make too big of a slit.
- Carefully pipe the batter into the prepared molds, taking care to fill each mold to 2/3-full. Not more (the will inflate like balloons in the oven) and not less (they'll be flat and skimpy looking). Blot any messes in the center areas or in any area of the donuts pans with a paper towel.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, on the center rack, rotating pans once midway through baking for optimal results. Donuts are done when they look set and are springy to the touch.
- Allow donuts to cool in the pans for about 5 minutes before removing and placing on wire racks to cool completely. While the donuts cool, make the glaze.
Glaze
- To a medium bowl, add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and drizzle in the milk slowly, as needed, whisking constantly, until you achieve a consistency that is just runny enough to adhere to the donuts but not so much it will run right off. Aim for slightly thicker than thinner if in doubt. If you need to, add a bit more confectioners' sugar or bit more milk if your glaze is too runny, or too thick, respectively.
- If you are making multiple colors of glaze, do that now by adding uncolored glaze to separate bowls (up to 4) and add a few drops of pastel food coloring (or the colors of your choice) to each bowl, as desired, and stir well to combine so there are no streaks. Tip – If you're going to do multiple colors of glaze, I recommend doubling the glaze recipe so that you have a sufficient quantity to add each to the various bowls before adding the food coloring.
- Dip the donuts in the glaze for about 1 to 2 seconds, shaking lightly afterward, and allowing excess glaze to drip back off into the bowl. Place donuts on parchment paper or a wire rack after they're been glazed. Repeat the process with as many colors as desired.
- Optionally, to create vertical stripes, melt 1/2 cup white chocolate chips in the microwave in 15-seconds bursts until it can be stirred smooth. Add food coloring to achieve desired shade. Transfer to a small Ziplock bag, seal, snip a corner with a very small slit, and pipe onto the donuts.* (See Notes)
- Optionally, add edible glitter, sprinkles, or any other festive garnishes as desired before the glazes sets up fully, about 20 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Easy Baked Donut Recipes:
Baked Chocolate Sprinkle Donuts with Chocolate Ganache — Making donuts at home is as easy as making muffins! These chocolate sprinkle donuts are baked rather than fried so you can have seconds, of course!
Banana Donuts with Browned Butter Caramel Glaze — Banana bread in the form of soft, fluffy baked donuts and donut holes! No-mixer recipe that’s as easy as making muffins! The glaze makes them IRRESISTIBLE!
Baked Lemon Donuts with Lemon Glaze — These taste like the Starbucks lemon loaf, but in donut (or mini muffin) form! Easy, no mixer recipe with a tart-yet-sweet lemon glaze that’s PERFECT! Lemon lovers will adore them!
Baked Chocolate Peanut Butter Donuts with Vanilla Peanut Butter Glaze — The ultimate flavor combo of chocolate + peanut butter in easy baked donut form!
Baked Eggnog Donuts with Rum Glaze — Easy and perfect for the holidays to use up that eggnog!
Baked Cinnamon Bun Donuts with Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze — Do you like cinnamon buns? Brownie points if you love Cinnabon cinnamon rolls like I do? If you’re a cinnamon roll fan, you’re going to love these donuts.
Hi! Can’t wait to try these!
Would I be able to add an apple walnut topping to these?
Hi Ro yes for sure you could do that. Sounds delish!
I have been looking for a baked donut recipe and this one is the best one I have seen . Thank you hon . big hugs,jan
I am glad this is just the one you were looking for Jan!
This is the first time Iโve made donuts. The recipe was easy and delicious. Kiddos loved picking out glaze colors.
This is the first time Iโve made donuts. The recipe was easy and delicious. Kiddos loved picking out glaze colors.
This is the first time Iโve made donuts. The recipe was easy and delicious. Kiddos loved picking out glaze colors.
I’m glad you had success your first time making donuts and that your kiddos loved helping and picking out glaze colors!
I love this donut recipe – it’s just so easy! Since I’m counting carbs, I’ll try it with Whole Wheat Flour and maybe replace the butter with coconut oil (just because, butter has no carbs) and instead of the icing, I’d sprinkle confectioners sugar on top….this should work, right?
Baking with whole wheat flour can be a bit tricky. I suggest using one that’s intended for baking and pastries. And do not exceed 50% whole wheat flour if using it to replace AP flour. Enjoy!
Wow, these donuts look tasty and PINKY DAZZLING!!! How pretty they are.
Wow, these donuts look tasty and PINKY DAZZLING!!! How pretty they are.
These were great! I bought donut pans specifically for making baked donuts and they are so fun to use. I cut the amount of glaze in half and I felt like it was still a good amount on the donuts. Otherwise, I followed the recipe as written.
These were great! I bought donut pans specifically for making baked donuts and they are so fun to use. I cut the amount of glaze in half and I felt like it was still a good amount on the donuts. Otherwise, I followed the recipe as written.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad these were great and that now you have donut pans! Thanks for leaving this comment and stopping by, it’s been awhile. Hope you are doing great!
I still faithfully read your blog. Sometimes life gets in the way of leaving comments. :)
Well I truly appreciate your faithful readership!! That is wonderful to hear!
My little girls (ages 3 and 9) made these with me for a little treat today…we did mini donuts as that is the only donut pan we have. We halved the recipe because we don’t need that many sweets. We are also cow dairy free so we used unsweetened coconut milk with lemon juice to create the buttermilk effect. I colored part of our glaze yellow with some Color Kitchen food powder coloring and part of it a pretty blueish purple using Blue Butterfly Pea Flower powder. They turned out great and super cute.
My little girls (ages 3 and 9) made these with me for a little treat today…we did mini donuts as that is the only donut pan we have. We halved the recipe because we don’t need that many sweets. We are also cow dairy free so we used unsweetened coconut milk with lemon juice to create the buttermilk effect. I colored part of our glaze yellow with some Color Kitchen food powder coloring and part of it a pretty blueish purple using Blue Butterfly Pea Flower powder. They turned out great and super cute.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you were able to make these with your girls! And that you were able to also improv for a dairy-free buttermilk substitution.
great
Hello Averie: would you be able to substitute gluten-free flour for this recipe and which gluten-free flour would you recommend: measure for measure or all purpose gluten-free flour? Thanksย
I do not know because I haven’t tried it. You could possibly try with a GF flour specifically intended for baking such as the Cup 4 Cup style flour.