These homemade easy spiced baked donuts with vanilla glaze are fluffy, packed with warm spices, and coated with a sweet vanilla glaze. These autumn donuts only take about 20 minutes to make from start to finish. They are the perfect cozy treat to make when you are craving something sweet. Enjoy them as dessert, or a sweet snack or breakfast.
If you have never made baked donuts before, take this as your sign to give them a try! They are so easy to make compared to fried donuts and offer a little healthier take on a classic dessert. The texture is somewhere between a cake and muffin. These donuts are similar to my cinnamon sugar baked apple donuts, but do not have the apple flavor and are packed with a little fall spices. And when you add all the warm spices that are used in these baked donuts, it comes out similar to a spice cake. Seriously, so GOOD! The entire family goes crazy over these spiced baked donuts and they never last long!
Why these easy spiced baked donuts with vanilla glaze work
If you have wanted homemade donuts but were worried about the time and effort to make them, this recipe is for you. Unlike the fried doughnuts that take time to raise and fry, these will be ready to eat in a little over 20 minutes. Hot and fresh from the oven! Store bought donuts just cannot even come close to compare to the homemade goodness. So why do these baked donuts work?
Fluffy and soft: If you have ever had store bought donuts that a little dense, these are NOT it! They are light, soft and fluffy. The added buttermilk added to the donut batter really helps with the texture of these donuts.
Tried and true: This is a donut recipe that we have made so many times and it comes out perfect every time!
Simple: You do not need many ingredients to make these homemade baked donuts. In fact, you probably have the majority of them already. They are simple, but delicious.
Perfectly sweetened: These fall donuts are not too sweet! They are lightly sweetened, enough where they will help with your sweet tooth, but not so much where the sugar is overwhelming.
Family Friendly: Because this recipe is easy, it makes it the perfect baking adventure to take on with the whole family. You can let the little hands help create these tasty baked donuts if you wish! And they are always a hit freshly out of the oven.
Tips and tricks when making these spiced baked donuts
- No piping bag? No problem! You can use a gallon sized zip lock bag instead. Place about 1/3 of the batter into the zip lock bag. Gently squeeze the batter down to one corner of the bag, and then cut off the corner with scissors. And now you have a have a piping bag to easily transfer the batter into the donut pan! You can also try to spoon the batter into the donut pan, but this method can be messy and more challenging.
- If you do not have a donut pan and want to make these baked donuts, turn them into muffins! Just line your muffin tins and bake a little longer, about 16-19 minutes, or until the muffins are just set.
- Let the donuts cool a little before dipping them into the vanilla glaze.
- The donuts are best enjoyed the same day! Although it’s easy to eat these up in one day, these will last about 24 hours sitting out on the counter.
Ingredient Substitutions and Variations
Greek Yogurt: You can swap the Greek yogurt for sour cream or a lactose/dairy free yogurt if needed.
Buttermilk: In a pinch, you can make your own buttermilk substitute by combining 1/2 cup milk with 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Stir and let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes before adding it the batter. If you need to make this dairy free, you can use a plant-based milk, such as almond or cashew milk, in place of the milk.
Milk: To make this recipe dairy free, replace the milk in the glaze with a plant-based milk.
All-Purpose Flour: If you are looking to make these donuts gluten-free, replace the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 ratio gluten-free flour for best results. I do not recommend almond or oat flour as a replacement.
If you give these easy spiced baked donuts with vanilla glaze a try, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below! I really appreciate your feedback!
And be sure to tag me on Instagram so I can see your creations.
From my kitchen to yours, happy baking! I hope you love these spiced baked donuts as much as we do!
Easy Spiced Baked Donuts with Vanilla Glaze
Ingredients
- 1/2 C. Sugar
- 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
- 1/2 C. Greek Yogurt
- 1/2 C. Buttermilk
- 1/2 C. Neutral oil such as avocado oil
- 2 Eggs
- 1 3/4 C. All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1/2 tsp. Baking soda
- 1 tsp. Baking powder
- 2 tsp. Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. Ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. Allspice
Vanilla glaze:
- 1 C. Powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract
- 2-3 Tbsp. Milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a donut pan with oil and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg and sugar together for about 30 seconds. Add in the vanilla, and buttermilk, oil, and Greek yogurt. Mix together until fully combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg together. Add the dry ingredients into the wet, and stir until just combined.
- Place about 1/3 to 1/2 of the batter into a piping bag or zip lock bag with one corner cut open. Carefully pipe the batter into the donut pan, making about 6-8 donuts depending on the size of your donut pan. Bake 10-13 minutes or until the donuts are just cooked through.
- To make the vanilla glaze, add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and 2 Tablespoons of milk into a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth. You can add an additional tablespoon of milk if you feel it is too thick.
- Let the donuts cool slightly before removing from the donut pan. Dip each donut into the vanilla glaze. Enjoy immediately!
