Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly coat a donut pan with nonstick cooking spray. Because the batter makes 8 donuts, grease two wells in a second pan if you have one, or bake the extra batter in a second round. Set the pan aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set the dry mixture aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, brown sugar, milk, and sour cream or yogurt until smooth. Add the melted butter and vanilla and whisk until fully combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until no streaks of flour remain; do not overmix. The batter will be thick.
- Scrape the batter into a large zip-top plastic bag. Cut off a corner with scissors and pipe the batter into the prepared donut molds, filling each mold about half to two-thirds full.
- Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, until the donuts spring back when gently pressed. Cool the donuts in the pan on a wire rack for 2 minutes, then remove them from the pan and place them on the rack to cool slightly. If you have extra batter, re-grease the pan and bake the remaining batch.
- In a shallow bowl, combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Dip each slightly cooled donut into the melted coating butter, then roll it in the cinnamon sugar until evenly coated.
- Serve the donuts as soon as possible after coating. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Why Bake Donuts Instead of Frying?
Every Saturday morning, without fail, my kids ask the same question: “Can we have donuts?” And for the longest time, that question gave me a little knot in my stomach. Because hauling out a heavy pot of oil, standing over a spluttering stove at 9 a.m., and dealing with that fried smell clinging to the curtains for the rest of the day? No thanks.
That’s how I landed on these baked cinnamon sugar donuts. They give you everything you want from the donut shop, the soft cakey crumb, the crackly sugar crust, the warm cinnamon aroma, without the grease splatter or the guilt. Baking skips the mess and the danger of deep frying entirely. And honestly? The texture comes out so tender that nobody at your table will miss the fryer.
Plus, it’s August. When it’s pushing 90°F outside, the last thing anyone wants is a bubbling pot of oil making the kitchen even hotter. These baked cinnamon sugar donuts are the perfect summer compromise: all the donut joy, none of the sauna effect.
Ingredients You Need for Baked Donuts & Why
Here’s the thing about baked donuts: every ingredient is doing a job. You can’t just swap things around willy-nilly and expect the same result. Let me walk you through the lineup.
- All-purpose flour (spooned and leveled): The backbone. How you measure it matters more than you’d think. Spoon it in, level it off, don’t pack it down.
- Baking powder + baking soda: The dynamic duo that gives these donuts their rise. Without them, you’d end up with dense little rocks.
- Ground cinnamon + nutmeg: This is your bakery flavor. The nutmeg especially. It’s subtle, but it’s what makes these taste like they came from a shop instead of a box.
- Brown sugar: Adds moisture and a touch of molasses depth that granulated sugar just can’t match.
- Sour cream or plain yogurt: The secret to moist baked donuts. It keeps the crumb tender and adds a slight tang that balances all that sweetness.
- Melted butter + vanilla extract: Richness and warmth. Use the good vanilla if you have it.
- Egg and milk: The binders that bring everything together.
For the coating, you’ll need granulated sugar, more cinnamon, and a half cup of melted butter. That butter is the glue that makes the cinnamon sugar coating for donuts actually stick, and I’ll explain exactly how that works in a minute.
Essential Tools for Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
You don’t need a fancy setup here, but a couple of specific tools make a world of difference.
- A donut pan: This is the big one. A standard 6-cavity donut pan gives you that classic ring shape. This recipe makes 8 donuts, so you’ll bake in two batches. If you have a second pan, grease two wells and do them all at once.
- A zip-top plastic bag: Your stand-in piping bag. Scrape the batter in, snip off a corner, and pipe. Way cleaner than trying to spoon thick batter into those little molds.
- A wire cooling rack: Essential for letting the donuts cool just enough before coating.
- A shallow bowl: For the cinnamon sugar. Wide enough to roll a donut around without making a mess.
No donut pan? No problem. Grease a muffin tin or mini muffin tin instead and bake your batter as muffin tin donuts. They won’t have the hole, but honestly, the kids won’t care one bit.
How to Make Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
This baked donut recipe comes together in about 30 minutes from start to finish. Here are the four big stages, along with the things I wish someone had told me before my first attempt.
Stage 1: Prep Your Pan and Whisk the Dry Ingredients
Heat the oven to 350°F and give that donut pan a good coating of nonstick spray. Don’t be shy here. A well-greased pan is the difference between donuts that pop out clean and donuts that tear in half. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The smell alone, that warm spicy combination, is enough to get the family wandering into the kitchen.
Stage 2: Mix the Wet Ingredients and Combine
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, brown sugar, milk, and sour cream until smooth. Stir in the melted butter and vanilla. Then pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and fold until no streaks of flour remain. And here’s where I need you to listen: do not overmix. I learned this the hard way when my first batch came out tough and dense. Stir just until combined. A few lumps are totally fine. The batter will be thick, that’s normal.
Stage 3: Pipe the Batter and Bake
Scrape the batter into your zip-top bag, snip a corner, and pipe it into the donut molds. Fill each one about half to two-thirds full. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, until the donuts spring back when you press them gently. Let them cool in the pan for 2 minutes, then transfer them to the rack. This is the moment your kitchen starts smelling like a bakery, and I promise, people will appear out of thin air.
Stage 4: Dip, Roll, and Devour
Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Dip each slightly cooled donut in the melted butter, then roll it in the cinnamon sugar until every inch is covered. The residual warmth of the donut melts the butter just enough to grab the sugar, creating that crackly crust. Don’t coat them while they’re piping hot though. I’ve made that mistake too, the sugar melts right in and you lose the crunch entirely.
Tips for Perfect Baked Donuts Every Time
Here’s what went wrong when I first tested these, so your first batch goes right.
- ❌ Overmixing the batter: Makes donuts dense and tough. ✅ Mix just until the flour disappears.
- ❌ Skimping on the pan spray: Donuts tear and stick. ✅ Grease generously and re-grease between batches.
- ❌ Coating while too hot: The sugar melts instead of crunching. ✅ Let them cool for a few minutes first.
- ❌ Packing your flour: You’ll get dry, crumbly donuts. ✅ Spoon and level, always.
- ❌ Waiting too long to serve: These are best fresh. ✅ Eat them within a few hours of coating.
Follow these and you’ll have fluffy baked donuts, every single time. I promise, this is way easier than it looks.
The Best Cinnamon Sugar Coating for Donuts
Let’s talk about that coating, because it’s honestly the star of the show. The question I get most often is how to get cinnamon sugar to stick to baked donuts. The answer is simple: it’s the butter.
The melted butter acts as the glue. When you dip a slightly warm donut into it, the butter soaks in just enough to make the surface tacky. Then the cinnamon sugar clings to every nook and cranny. The result? That signature crackle when you bite in, the little crunch of sugar crystals against your teeth, the way the cinnamon lingers on your lips. It’s the texture that makes a donut feel like a donut.
If you want a lighter coating, brush the butter on with a pastry brush instead of dipping. You’ll get a thinner layer, less sweet but still delicious. I’m a full dip person myself, but you do you. Either way, you’re about to have a plate of the best baked cinnamon sugar donuts you’ve ever made.
Variations & Flavor Twists
Once you’ve mastered the base baked cinnamon sugar donuts recipe, it’s fun to play around. Here are a few of my favorite twists:
- A pinch of cardamom or allspice: Add it to the cinnamon sugar mixture for a custom spice blend that feels fancy.
- Muffin tin donuts: Grease a standard muffin tin, fill the cups about two-thirds full, and bake at 350°F for 18 to 20 minutes. You’ll get about 8 muffin-style donuts.
- Mini donut holes: Use a mini muffin tin with about 1 tablespoon of batter per cup. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, then roll in the cinnamon sugar for poppable, snackable bites.
- Whole wheat swap: Replace the all-purpose flour with white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour for a heartier version.
- Dairy-free option: Use non-dairy milk and vegan butter. They work beautifully in this cinnamon sugar donuts recipe.
These are all optional tweaks. The base recipe is already perfect as written, but if you’re feeling adventurous, go for it.
How to Store and Serve Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
Here’s the honest truth: baked cinnamon sugar donuts are best the day you make them. That crackly coating is at its peak within the first few hours. But if you have leftovers, which is honestly rare in my house, here’s how to handle them.
Keep them tightly covered at room temperature for 1 to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. For longer storage, freeze them before coating. Cool them completely, stack them in a freezer-safe container with parchment between the layers, and they’ll keep for a couple of months. When you’re ready, thaw and reheat in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds, then roll in fresh cinnamon sugar to bring back that crunch.
As for serving? Pile them on a plate, pour the coffee, and watch them disappear. They’re a kid-friendly breakfast treat that genuinely feels like a weekend event. Add some fresh berries on the side if you want to feel extra put together.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Bottom Line
If you’ve been scared off by baked donut recipes that turned out dry and sad, give these baked cinnamon sugar donuts a shot. The sour cream keeps them moist, the butter coating makes them indulgent, and the whole thing comes together in about 30 minutes. That’s a serious win for a busy Saturday morning.
When your family inhales these, and they will, come back and tell me. I’d love to hear how they turned out. And if you’re looking for more breakfast inspiration, let’s connect on Pinterest. I’m always pinning the recipes my own crew begs for.
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