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!!
Easy Baked Banana Donuts
I love banana bread anything and could eat it every day and not tire of it. I have 40+ banana bread and banana recipes but no banana donuts. So I dusted off my donut pan and made some.
The last time I made donuts was early 2014 so I was overdue. These baked donuts are just like making muffins but you use a donut pan instead. Less than $10 bucks and a fun way to change up banana bread or most any quick bread, and baked donuts are so much healthier than fried.
It’s a fast and easy recipe that uses oil rather than butter so there’s nothing to cream and no mixer to dirty. Oil keeps quick breads softer and springier than butter, and sour cream (or Greek yogurt) is extra insurance for soft, springy, bouncy, fluffy baked donuts.
The glaze soaks into the donuts and donut holes and makes them even moister, softer, and more irresistible. Between the scent of warm banana bread and browned butter caramel, your house will smell like a bakery.
What’s in Baked Banana Donuts?
To make this easy baked donut recipe, you’ll need:
- Egg
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Canola oil
- Sour cream
- Vanilla extract
- Mashed bananas
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Half and half
- Confectioners’ sugar
How to Make Banana Bread Donuts
Simply whisk together the banana donut batter like you would regular banana bread. Then, turn the batter into a greased and floured donut pan (I also used a regular muffin pan to make donut holes, more on that in a bit).
Bake the banana donuts until cooked through, set, and springy to the touch. While the donuts cool, make the browned butter caramel glaze.
To make the glaze, brown the butter. Stir in some brown sugar, then half and half, vanilla, and salt. Take caution because the mixture will bubble vigorously. The confectioners’ sugar gets whisked in last. Once that’s done, you’re ready to glaze the donuts!
How to Store Baked Banana Donuts
These donuts and donut holes are best warm and fresh but will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 4 days. Extra glaze will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Reheat gently before using.
Tips for Making Baked Banana Donuts
I only have one donut pan and made 6 donuts and used my mini muffin pans to make 18 donut holes. Mix and match with whatever pans you have available.
The glaze is adapted from this Vanilla Caramel Glaze. It makes the donuts go from great to totally fabulous. I’ve made variations of the original glaze many times but this is the first time I’ve browned the butter. If you’ve never browned butter, read this tutorial. It’s the best 5 minutes you’ll spend all month.
Note that the glaze comes together very quickly, so be sure to have the ingredients measured and laid out before starting the recipe.
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Banana Bread 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!!
Ingredients
Donuts
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil (liquid-state coconut oil may be substituted)
- 1/4 cup cup sour cream (lite is okay; or Greek yogurt may be substituted)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas)
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
Glaze
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, browned (half of 1 stick)
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 3 tablespoons half-and-half or cream, plus more as necessary for consistency
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted (must be sifted)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
Instructions
Make the Donuts:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray one 6-count non-stick donut pan and two mini muffin pans with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pans; set aside. Alternatively, use the pans you have available including mini donuts, full-size muffins, etc. and adjusting baking times accordingly.
- To a large bowl, add the the egg, sugars, oil, sour cream, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
- Add the bananas and stir to combine.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and fold with spatula or stir gently with a spoon until just combined; don’t overmix.
- Turn batter out into prepared pans, filling each cavity about 2/3 to 3/4 full. I dollop the batter into the donut pan with a spoon but you can transfer to a large ziptop back, seal, cut one of the corners with a scissors, and pipe into the pans if that’s easier. For the donut holes, I use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop filled with about 1 heaping tablespoon batter.
- Bake for about 13 to 14 minutes, or until donuts and donut holes are cooked through, set, and springy to the touch. Both the donuts and donut holes each baked for about 13 1/2 minutes in my oven but all pans, climates, ovens, etc. vary so bake until done.
- Allow donuts and donut holes to cool in the pans while you make the glaze.
Make the Glaze:
- This is a fast moving recipe. Have everything in place before beginning. Brown the butter (click for a detailed tutorial) by cooking butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan until it’s amber to brown in color, about 5 minutes depending on pan size. I swirl the pan in the last minute or so to make sure I can really see the color changes. Butter will go through stages of hissing, sputtering, and making noise until the water cooks off at which point the browning occurs. Butter will smell nutty and aromatic.
- Turn the heat to medium-low, add the brown sugar, and cook for about 1 minute, stirring nearly continuously.
- Remove the pan from the heat, allow it to cool for about 1 minute, and add 3 tablespoons cream, vanilla, and salt, taking caution because the mixture will bubble vigorously. Whisk aggressively to incorporate the cream and calm the bubbling.
- Add the confectioners’ sugar and whisk to combine. I absolutely recommend using sifted sugar so the glaze whisks up smooth, silky, and free from lumps. As necessary, add additional cream (or confectioners’ sugar) to reach desired glaze consistency.
- Dip the top of each donut and donut hole in glaze and allow to cool momentarily before enjoying. The glaze sets up fairly fast so you’ll want to dip fairly quickly, adding a splash of additional cream if necessary to thin it out.
Notes
- Donuts and donut holes are best warm and fresh but will keep airtight at room temp for up to 4 days.
- Extra glaze will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Reheat gently before using.
- Adapted from Cream Cheese-Filled Banana Bread and Vanilla Caramel Glaze.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 604Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 352mgCarbohydrates: 98gFiber: 2gSugar: 74gProtein: 5g
More Banana Desserts:
Cream Cheese-Filled Banana Bread – Banana bread that’s like having cheesecake baked in! Soft, fluffy, easy and tastes ahhhh-mazing!
Fudgy Banana Bars with Vanilla Bean Browned Butter Glaze – The banana equivalent of moist, fudgy brownies! Best use ever of ripe bananas!
Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars — A FAST and EASY dessert that is on the HEALTHIER side with only 1/4 cup butter and no oil!! Bold banana flavor, chewiness from the oats, and plenty of chocolate in every bite!!
Upside-Down Banana Bread Cake — Don’t settle for making another loaf of plain banana bread when you can have caramelized banana slices on top of soft banana cake!!
Banana Bread Bars with Vanilla Bean Browned Butter Glaze — Banana bread in bar form with a glaze that soaks in and is just so.darn.good!
Six-Banana Banana Bread – Six bananas in one loaf of bread means an extremely soft, moist, and richly flavored bread!
Can you use frozen bananas?
I never have so I cannot say for sure what will happen to the batter.
Excellent recipe! I made with namaste gluten free flour and these were delicious and no grainy texture. A+
I’m glad to hear that gluten-free flour worked out great in this recipe for you!
I made these this morning to use up expiring bananas and to test run my new donut pans. I didn’t add the glaze to reduce calories, but they are delicious! I sprinkled some with a little powdered sugar and others with cinnamon and sugar. Will be saving this recipe to make again.
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad it came out great for you!
Made these today and they are a hit with the whole town! I wish I could share my picture! So moist and sweet! I make this frosting for my angel food cake, you can use milk if you don’t have cream
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it worked out great for you! Good to know you’ve made this frosting with milk – I love it way too much :)
am super excited to try this. Great to hear all the pointers in the comments. Thanks for this. I bake banana bread once a week, so it is time to take it up a notch. Yummos!!! Can’t wait. Now, to locate a donut bake pan.
Enjoy!
Just wanted to say I made them last night and they were great!!! They cooked on the bottom rack in 11-12 mins. I doubled the recipe and it made exactly 24 doughnuts. And that glaze!!! Most doughnuts use the milk/powdered sugar combo that I generally don’t like. This was awesome!!!! Bringing them to work this morning and I’m very excited. Thanks!
You have lucky coworkers! Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
Could this recipe be used in the baby cakes doughnut maker? We love making doughnuts with our little maker, but I am concerned these might burn before they cook through.
I have the same fear as you but you have nothing left to lose other than a few dollars worth of ingredients. If you try it, LMK how it goes! You could also possibly thin out the batter a bit with a splash of milk or even water. That maybe could help solve the cooking-through issue but this is merely a guess.
Banana Bread Donuts are one of my favorites since I love banana bread! I love the caramel glaze you topped them with, I need to try that, I usually just roll mine in cinnamon & sugar. They look so delicious!
I love the idea of making banana bread in a donut tin! Definitely a fun way to mix things up!
XO – Sarah
http://beautyandblooms.com/
Might you able to use Dulce de Leche as a topping or Salted Caramel jarred toppings from Trader Joe’s?
You probably could however they are much thicker than the glaze I used so that will add a different texture element as well as flavor.
I love Banana Bread and I love donuts so this recipes a keeper!!
oh yummy! These look so divine!
You get an A+ on this recipe. I had a banana donut in chicago once and I still dream of it. This looks like my dreams come true, and even yummier.
I love food memories like that…where you recall a certain food and will never forget it because it was just that good!
Hmmm, I think I need to invest in a donut baking pan …
A great $10 fun little item :)
I have been so craving making donuts!! But seriously, that glaze. I could drink it with a straw!
There are two different baking times listed. In the description it says 7 – 9 minutes, in the recipe it says 13-14 minutes. Which is correct?
It depends on what size you’re making. For some people if they’re making very small donut holes, it will be shorter. Full size donuts, longer. Watch your donuts/donut holes and bake until they’re set, soft, and springy to the touch.
Oh what a great idea to use the donut pan instead of the muffin pan or loaf pan…and that glaze looks to die for!
I am a sucker for banana bread. And these donuts? Dear God they look amazing! Pinning and drooling :)
Thanks for pinning and I am a sucker for banana bread too!
a cappuccino, fresh fruit, and THIS?! sign me up sista
Glazed cake donuts are my favorite– banana bread and browned butter sounds wonderful! These look like they came right out of a bakery and I love those little flecks in the glaze.
The flecks were so tasty :)
Browned butter glaze is really my favorite. There’s no greater aroma than the smell of butter browning. I love it! And you’ve glazed baked donuts with it. WIN!
The smell just makes your house smell like a bakery!