Delicious Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts (Printer-friendly)

Soft, fluffy baked donuts coated in sweet cinnamon sugar. Ready in under 30 minutes for a perfect breakfast or dessert treat.

# 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

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a standard donut pan thoroughly with nonstick spray or butter.
02 - Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl until evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir gently until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
05 - Spoon or pipe batter into prepared donut pan, filling each cavity approximately three-quarters full.
06 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until donuts are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
07 - Let donuts rest in pan for 3 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack.
08 - Mix granulated sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl until well combined.
09 - Brush each warm donut lightly with melted butter, then roll in cinnamon sugar mixture until completely coated.
10 - Serve immediately while warm or allow to cool to room temperature.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • These come together in under 30 minutes from start to finish which is dangerous knowledge
  • Baked not fried means way less mess and zero guilt about having seconds or thirds
  • The cinnamon sugar coating creates this irresistible crunch that gives way to impossibly soft cake inside
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter is the number one way to end up with tough hockey pucks instead of tender donuts
  • Letting them cool just those 3 minutes in the pan makes all the difference between donuts that hold together and ones that crumble when you coat them
  • The butter brush needs to be light and gentle or the coating gets soggy instead of staying crisp
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients incorporate better and create a more tender texture so don't skip this step
  • A piping bag gives you those perfect professional looking donuts but a spoon works absolutely fine if you don't mind rustic shapes

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