Vanilla Glazed Baked Donuts
Donuts are such a classic treat, but making the traditional fried ones from scratch can be time-consuming. That’s where baked donuts come in!
These vanilla glazed baked donuts are not only easy to make in just 20 minutes, but they are also a healthier alternative to traditional fried donuts. They are dipped in a thick vanilla glaze and topped with colorful sprinkles, making them the perfect treat for any occasion.
Is there anything better than a warm, glazed donut? While donuts are traditionally fried, they’re just as good baked in the oven, with far less cleanup.
The texture is light and soft, like a cake or muffin, and the glaze is thick and infused with vanilla.
They are perfect for all occasions and any time of the day – breakfast, brunch, snack, and, of course, dessert. Don’t forget to double the recipe – these donuts disappear fast!
Looking for more homemade baked donut recipes? Check out our Cinnamon Sugar Baked Donuts and Baked Lemon Strawberry Donuts for more tasty options.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Tried and true: this recipe has been made so many times over the years, and it has over a hundred 5-star reviews. It’s been a reader’s favorite, especially on Instagram.
- Quick and easy: not only are these cake donuts healthier than their fried counterparts, but they also take a lot less time to make than traditional, yeasted donuts. No kneading, rolling, rising time, or messy frying.
- Perfect for special occasions: whether you’re celebrating a birthday or hosting a brunch, these vanilla donuts are a festive addition that everyone will enjoy.
- Kid-friendly: kids love to help! Let them dip the donuts in the glaze or add sprinkles of their choice!
Ingredients & easy swaps
For the donut batter:
For the vanilla glaze:
Here are a few notes about the ingredients for this recipe:
- Flour: all-purpose flour is the best option for this recipe, whether bleached or unbleached.
- Sugar – granulated sugar is used in the donut batter, while powdered sugar is used for the glaze.
- Baking powder: make sure it’s not expired for best results.
- Milk: you can use any type of milk, including skim milk, 1%, 2%, whole, or plant-based milk.
- Vanilla extract: pure vanilla extract will give you the best flavor. You can also experiment with other flavors such as cinnamon, nutmeg, chai spice blend, lemon extract, or almond extract.
- Food coloring and sprinkles: use your favorite colors and sprinkles. I used Wilton icing colors, pink and rose.
See the recipe card below for a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions.
Recipe variations
- Switch up the glaze: there are so many options to choose from: chocolate, lemon, coconut, mocha, or pumpkin. Or skip the glaze and dip each donut into some melted butter, then coat it in powdered sugar.
- Add-ins: add funfetti or chocolate chips to the donut batter.
- Toppings: top the iced donuts with some shredded coconut (toasted or not! ), sliced almonds, or chopped peppermint bark instead of sprinkles.
- Make them dairy-free: use your favorite non-dairy milk and vegan butter.
- Make them gluten-free: any 1-1 gluten-free flour will work.
How to make homemade baked doughnuts
Tips for success
- Grease the donut pan with non-stick cooking spray or butter to prevent sticking.
- The best way to measure flour is with a scale. If you don’t have one, fluff the flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and level it off with a knife.
- Use room temperature egg and milk. This will help the ingredients come together, creating fluffier donuts.
- Avoid over-mixing the batter to prevent tough, dry donuts.
- Use a pastry bag or a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off to fill the donut baking pan.
- Don’t overfill the pan cavities, or the holes in the middle will close up. If that happens, use a small round cookie cutter or the end of a piping tip to cut them out.
- Tap the pan gently on the countertop before baking to release any air bubbles in the batter.
- When making the glaze, make sure to sift the powdered sugar to remove any lumps before adding the milk. This will ensure a smooth and creamy glaze.
- Let the donuts cool completely before dipping them in frosting to prevent the glaze from sliding off or becoming too runny.
- If you want to add sprinkles, do it immediately after dipping the donuts in the glaze, as the glaze will harden quickly.
Make-ahead and storage tips
Make ahead – donuts can be baked and glazed up to 24 hours in advance. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature to keep them fresh.
To store — while baked donuts are best when eaten the same day, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Store the donuts in a single layer to keep the glaze from sticking to each other.
To freeze — freeze unglazed donuts in a single layer on a lined baking sheet before transferring them to a freezer-safe bag for 2 to 3 months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge and warm them up in the microwave before topping them with the glaze when ready to eat.
Recipe FAQs
If you don’t have a donut pan, use a muffin pan instead. Bake the muffins for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
I used a 6-cavity Wilton donut pan. (Not an affiliate link)
You can easily double or triple the recipe by adjusting the number of servings in the recipe card. The ingredient amounts will adjust automatically.
Baked donuts are delicious but they will NEVER taste 100% like fried donuts! :)
Traditional yeasted donuts are made with a yeast dough that requires proofing time, is rolled out, cut into circles, and then deep fried.
Baked donuts are made with a regular batter, like a cake or muffin. The batter is piped or poured into a donut pan and baked.
More baking recipes we love
Have you tried this baked donuts recipe yet? Did you make any modifications or put your own spin on it? Share your feedback with us in the comments below. We can’t wait to hear from you! And if you have any questions, we are always here to help!
How To Make It: Baked Donuts with Vanilla Glaze
Ingredients
For the donuts:
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (70 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter melted
- 1 egg at room temperature
- ⅓ cup+1½tablespoon (100 ml) skim milk at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the vanilla glaze:
- ½ cup (80 g) powdered sugar sifted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 small pinch of salt
- 1 or 2 tablespoons milk
- Optional: food coloring and sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Spray a donut pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
Make the donuts
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, milk, butter, and vanilla extract.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir together until no flour bits remain and all the ingredients are well combined. Try not to over-mix the batter.
- Spoon the batter into the donut cavities or use a large ziplock bag. Cut a corner off the bottom of the bag and pipe the batter into each donut cavity, filling ¾ of the way full. Make sure not to overfill them!
- Place the pan in the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and transfer the donuts onto a wire rack to cool completely. While the donuts cool, make the glaze.
Make the glaze.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Add 1 tablespoon of milk, and whisk to combine. If the glaze is too thick, add additional milk, ½ teaspoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
- Add food coloring if you wish.
Assemble
- Dip the donuts in the vanilla glaze, twisting each donut as you remove it to allow the excess glaze to drip back into the bowl. Return to the wire rack, and immediately top with sprinkles. Allow the glaze to set at room temperature for about 30 minutes before stacking or serving.
Notes
- Milk: whole, low-fat, or non-fat will work. Feel free to substitute a plant-based alternative. You will need a couple of tablespoons for the glaze as well.
- Use a pastry bag or ziplock bag to fill the donut pan.
- Don’t overfill the pan cavities, or the holes in the middle will close up.
- Scaling the recipe: you can easily double or triple the recipe. Simply click on the number of servings in the recipe card and slide the toggle that appears to the number of servings you want to make. The ingredient amounts will change accordingly.
- Storage:baked donuts are best when eaten the same day but can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. You can freeze unglazed donuts for up to 2 months.
Thank you for the simple, yet delicious recipe! I’m too scared to ever try to fry something so throwing these into the oven was a great option to me. They are just the right amount of sweetness I’d want. I also made them without a donut tray and they came out just as well, just cooked a bit long. So simple and fun!
Hello! Can you use buttermilk instead of whole milk? Thank you!
Yes, you can use buttermilk. :)
These came out awesome. I did use whole wheat flour and 1/2 tsp baking powder (read somewhere that the addition of baking powder mimics self rising flour). Also added 1/2 tsp cinnamon and a couple shakes of nutmeg. Also oat milk instead of cow milk. Didn’t make a glaze, just spritzed with I can’t believe it’s not butter and shook in mix of raw sugar and cinnamon.
my first baked Doughnuts, super happy with the result, thanks.
Awesome
These donuts are the best! They turned out perfect. I doubled the recipe, as I have two donut pans. I added cherry emulsion and vanilla extract, and a handfull of finely chopped maraschino cherries. Topped with chocolate glaze. So good! Thanks for the great recipe!
Your version sounds delicious, Coral! I love maraschino cherries! :)
I made these for breakfast. They are very simple to make and delicious.
Easy to follow recipe! My almost 2 year old loved helping pour and mix the ingredients. Simple enough for little helping hands.
This was great and way easier than I thought. Thanks
Perfect!
Super easy recipe and super tasty as well! Flavorful but yet plenty of room to customize! I made mini honor Simpson donuts for a simpsons birthday and they were a huge hit!
Terrible terrible terrible…so cute but I could have saved myself all the trouble and used pancake mix!! These do NOT taste like donuts but taste like pancakes…..sadly disappointed!
Sorry for the disappointment BUT baked donuts will NEVER taste like fried donuts!
Amazing!! My first time making donuts, and they’re lovely. I mean, if me a 10 year old girl can make them, then anyone can!!
So glad to hear that, Maia! :)
My daughter and I just tried these this morning and they were AWESOME. Excellent replacement for fried donuts which are a lot more work, time and mess – not practical to make on a week day morning. I also live in a very high altitude area where baking is not easy and these still came out perfect. Thank you.
Thank you for the feedback, Alison!