Donuts are a beloved Canadian treat. Oven baked donuts have a different texture than the coffee shop but no deep fryer required! Dense, a little cake-like, and very similar to old-fashioned cake donuts, they're well worth making – especially with a maple glaze. Try our baked chocolate donuts, too.

Overhead image of a batch of six oven-baked maple glazed donuts.
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Ingredients

Ingredients to make baked donuts to become maple glazed donuts.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

  • White sugar: cane sugar in place of white sugar for the donuts if you want.
  • Flour: use pastry flour instead of plain flour for even softer donuts.
  • Make it dairy-free: use vegan butter in stick or block form and dairy-free milk.

Method

Baked donuts steps 1 to 4, mixing the batter and before and after baking.

Step 1: mix the wet ingredients together until smooth.

Step 2: sift in the dry ingredients and gently mix until smooth.

Step 3: pipe the batter into a greased donut tin.

Step 4: bake until lightly golden and turn out onto a rack to cool before glazing.

Top Tips

  • Sift the flour: it's important to remove any lumps when making the donuts, and sifting is the easiest way to do this.
  • Don't over mix: too much mixing of the donut batter will make for a tough end result due to overworked gluten.
  • Serve immediately: like fried donuts, baked are best not only the day they're baked, but as soon as possible.

Recipe Notes

If you don't have a piping bag, you can cut the corner off a plastic bag and use that instead. You can try spooning the batter into the donut tin but it's a bit too thick for this.

These can be made in a mini muffin tin if you don't have a donut tin. They'll need about 10 minutes, but do a skewer test to be sure.

This recipe only makes 6 because the donuts are best when freshly baked. If you want to serve a crowd, simply double the amounts.

How to Store

Storage: baked donuts are best eaten fresh. If you do have extra to store, place them on a plate covered with an overturned bowl that won't touch the glaze. This keeps the glaze from perspiring.

Freezing: freeze in an airtight container without glaze for up to 3 months. Thaw fully before glazing and serving.

A single glazed donut on a small plate with a bite taken out of it.

FAQ

Do baked donuts taste the same as fried?

Baked donuts are a little lighter tasting than fried, since they don't contain as much fat, and they have a different texture.

Can I bake donuts instead of frying?

It's good to use a specific baked donut recipe if you want to bake them, as some fried donuts won't turn out well in the oven.

Are donuts baked or boiled?

Donuts are either baked or deep-fried, but they're never boiled like bagels.

If you make this Baked Donut recipe or any other dessert recipes on the Baked Collective, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more baking, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

A tray filled with glazed donuts.
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Easy Baked Donuts

Donuts are a beloved Canadian treat. Oven baked donuts have a different texture than the coffee shop but no deep fryer required! Top with maple glaze for a classic treat.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time14 minutes
Total Time39 minutes
Author: Kelly Neil
Yield: 6

Equipment

  • Standard donut tin
  • Piping bag
  • Round piping tip
  • Mixing bowl
  • Whisk
  • Wooden spoon or rubber spatula
  • Measuring cups and spoons or a digital kitchen scale
  • Wire rack

Ingredients

For The Baked Donuts

  • â…“ cup sugar
  • â…“ cup whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons butter melted (plus extra for lightly greasing the donut tin)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup white flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Lightly grease a six cavity standard donut tin with melted butter and set aside. Have a piping bag fitted with a large round tip ready.
  • Combine the sugar, milk, melted butter, vanilla, and egg in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together until smooth and well combined.
  • Use a small sieve to sift in the flour and baking powder. Add the salt. Switch to a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Gently fold and stir the batter together until the flour is just combined with the wet ingredients.
  • Spoon the batter into the prepared piping bag. Pipe one full circle of batter into each donut cavity, slightly avoiding the raised centre column.
  • Divide any remaining batter evenly among the donut cavities until the piping bag is empty. Lightly wet a fingertip and smooth the top of the batter where any piping begins and ends.
  • Place the donut tin in the preheated oven and bake the donuts for 12 to 14 minutes, or until they are pale golden, and the tops spring back when gently pressed with a finger. Turn the donuts out onto a wire rack and cool completely before glazing.

Notes

  • If you don’t have a piping bag, you can cut the corner off a plastic bag and use that instead. You can try spooning the batter into the donut tin but it’s a bit too thick for this.
  • These can be made in a mini muffin tin if you don’t have a donut tin. They’ll need about 10 minutes, but do a skewer test to be sure.

Nutrition

Serving: 1donut | Calories: 176kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 311mg | Potassium: 56mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 178IU | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 1mg

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