Delicious Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts (Printable)

Soft baked donuts coated in warm cinnamon sugar, ready in under 30 minutes.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

06 - 3/4 cup milk, room temperature
07 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
09 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

→ Cinnamon Sugar Coating

10 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
11 - 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
12 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a standard donut pan thoroughly with nonstick spray or butter to prevent sticking.
02 - Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until uniformly blended.
03 - Whisk milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl until completely smooth and emulsified.
04 - Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined—some small lumps should remain. Avoid overmixing to prevent tough donuts.
05 - Transfer batter to a piping bag or zip-top bag with corner snipped. Pipe batter into prepared pan, filling each cavity approximately three-quarters full.
06 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until donuts spring back when touched lightly and a toothpick inserted into the thickest part emerges clean. Tops should be pale golden.
07 - Let donuts rest in pan for 3 minutes to set. Carefully invert pan to release donuts onto a wire rack. Continue cooling until warm but still manageable to handle.
08 - While donuts cool, combine granulated sugar and ground cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Mix thoroughly to distribute cinnamon evenly.
09 - Brush each warm donut generously with melted butter using a pastry brush. Immediately press buttered side into cinnamon sugar mixture, coating thoroughly. Repeat on reverse side.
10 - Transfer coated donuts to a clean wire rack or serving plate. Serve while still warm for optimal texture and flavor, or allow to cool completely to room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The baked version gives you all the comfort with less mess and guilt
  • These come together in under 30 minutes from start to finish
  • The cinnamon sugar coating creates that perfect crunchy outside
02 -
  • Overfilling the donut pan will cause them to lose their shape while baking
  • Letting them cool for exactly 3 minutes makes them easier to handle and coat
  • The coating sticks best when the donuts are still slightly warm
03 -
  • Use a piping bag or ziplock with the corner snipped for the neatest donut shapes
  • Room temperature ingredients prevent the batter from becoming too dense

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