Baked Banana Donuts with Brown Butter Glaze

I know what you're thinking - another banana recipe? Apparently I can't stop myself lately. I confess, it's become something of a tradition now to make these banana pancakes on Sundays, and generally I eat a banana a day, so I usually have some fast ripening bananas around. This time, I decided to go down the baked donut route. How can that go wrong? 

Answer: it can't.

You may notice a slight difference between the above picture and the very top picture. That's because the very top was taken right after I put the glaze on, while the above was taken the next morning, so some of the glaze sank into the actual donut. It's better when they're fresh. Though they're not bad or anything after a night, the glaze is seriously amazing when it's fresh. OMG I could just eat the glaze by itself.

I mean, come on! Brown butter glaze? Hell to the yes!

One thing I will warn you about - these are sweet. So, if you're looking for something not quite so sweet, then, well, maybe these aren't quite for you. But if you are? I don't think you'll regret making these. And as a bonus, they're super easy to make.

Baked Banana Donuts with Brown Butter Glaze
Author: Jen @ Fresh From The…
Servings: 1 Dozen Donuts
Prep time: 00:10

Cook time: 00:10

Total time: 00:20

Simple baked donuts with a delicious glaze that you could eat with a spoon, if only you didn’t feel super guilty afterward.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 ripe banana, mashed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/2 Tablespoon melted unsalted butter
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. If your donut pan is not non-stick, lightly grease it.</ li>

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add in the buttermilk, banana, egg, vanilla and butter and mix until just combined.
3. Spoon the mixture into your donut pan. They should be about 3/4 full.
4. Bake for 8-10 minutes until baked through. They should spring back when lightly pushed. Rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.
5. To make the glaze, brown your butter (heat over low heat for about 6-8 minutes). Remove from heat and whisk in the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla.
6. Dunk your completely cooled donuts in the warm glaze, then place back on your rack to let them set. I put some paper towels underneath so they wouldn't drip everywhere.

Recipe via Rumbly Tumbly

Chocolate Cake Doughnuts

As the saying goes, when the cat's away, the mice will play. Or, in my case, when the boyfriend's away, I will bake things with chocolate and stuff them in my face! Yes, my friends, we have a rare chocolate recipe on this here blog today. Feast. Your. Eyes.

And tastebuds.

I've tried a couple different baked donut recipes in the past (browned butter baked donuts, vanilla baked doughnuts), but had yet to try a chocolate-based version. So when I saw these a couple days ago, I knew I had to try them out. And let me just tell you, I was not disappointed. In fact, I would say these are the best donuts I've made yet. They're not too sweet, the chocolate flavor is there but it's not overwhelming. They are super moist and light, and the little mini chocolate chips add a little something extra, though I would say you could make them without and they would be just as good.

These make about 10 donuts total, or doughnuts. As you can see, I apparently switch back and forth between using donut and doughnut. Just try and stop me! But yes, this recipe had me using both of my donut pans, but you can always make one batch and let them cool before making the rest. Of course, you do have to let these cool in the pan completely, so having two pans really helped move things along here.

My glaze is maybe not as thick as I would like, but it definitely is still tasty and does add an extra degree of moistness to the donuts as well. You can always add more powdered sugar to your glaze recipe to give yourself a thicker coating. I also only glazed one side of the donuts, as I find that doing both sides can make them a bit sticky to eat. But again, that's personal preference for you!

Chocolate Cake Doughnuts
Author: Jen @ Fresh From The…
Servings: 10 Doughnuts
Prep time: 00:10

Cook time: 00:08

Total time: 00:18

Simple and yummy recipe for chocolate doughnuts you can bake in the oven rather than fry.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder

• 1/4 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 6 Tablespoons sour cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups (or more) powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 Tablespoons milk

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients – flour, sugar, cocoa powder, mini chocolate chips, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients – vanilla, egg, sour cream, milk, and vegetable oil. Add the wet to the dry and stir until just combined.
3. Spray your donut pans with cooking spray and fill each cavity about 3/4 full. Bake for about 8 minutes.
4. Let the donuts cool in the pan(s), then in a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the glaze ingredients, sitting until well-combined, then remove from heat. You can add more powdered sugar if you would like the glaze to be thicker.
5. Dip each doughnut into the glaze. You can do one or both sides. Set on a cooling rack to dry.

Recipe via The Stiers Asthetic

Vanilla Baked Doughnuts

I need to start baking donuts more often. They're a cinch to make, requiring no mixer - just a bowl and a quick mix with your hand. Easy peasy lemon squeezey. And the results? I mean, come on.

This time around, I was not a dummy and did not try to force all of the dough into the 6 cavity donut pan. That was just silliness when I made the brown butter donuts. When you have two donut pans, just use them both, duh! Also? Please do make sure you spray these with non-stick spray for these. I know when your pan is supposed to be non-stick, usually you don't need to do it, but trust me here - just do it.

These are really quite like little delicious cupcakes in doughnut form. Light and airy little round cupcake doughnuts? Sure, we'll go with it. But seriously, I don't think you'd regret making these! Get to it!

Vanilla Baked Doughnuts
Author: Jen @ Fresh From The...
Servings: 8 Doughnuts
Prep time: 00:05 

Cook time: 00:11

Total time: 00:21

Lightly flavored baked doughnuts that are super easy to make at home.

Ingredients:

For the Doughnuts:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 Tablespoons buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
For the Glaze:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-2 teaspoons milk (or heavy cream or half and half)

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 325°F. Lightly grease, or use cooking spray, your donut pan(s).
2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add in the buttermilk, egg, vanilla and melted butter. Whisk or stir to get all combined together.
3. Spoon (or go crazy and use a pastry bag) the dough into your prepared pans, about 2/3 full for each donut.
4. Bake for 8-11 minutes until the donuts spring back when touched. They won't look browned or anything, but they should be a bit set. Mine took 10 minutes. Then let that sit in the pan for about 5 minutes before removing.
5. While they're cooling, make your glaze. Whisk together your powdered sugar, vanilla and milk until you get your desired consistency. I did about 1 1/2 teaspoons of milk. Dip your donuts into the glaze and then let set on a plate. You can always add some sprinkles for extra flair at this point as well.

Recipe via Averie Cooks

In photos:

Mix up your dry ingredients - flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

Then mix in your wet - egg, buttermilk, vanilla.

You can pipe that into your cooking-sprayed pans, or just spoon them in. That's what I did. As you can see, I got 7 donuts out of the deal.

Bake those for 8-11 minutes until they are springy to the touch. Mine took about 10 minutes. Let those sit in the pan for 5 more minutes while you prepare your glaze.

For your glaze, mix up your powdered sugar, milk (or water) and vanilla.

Then get to dipping. It's up to you which side you dip, but it usually tends to be the side that was in the bottom of the pan.

This glaze didn't stick out a lot on these. If you want a thicker glaze that is more apparent, add more powdered sugar. 

Eat 'em up!

Brown Butter Baked Donuts

So what's the deal here? Am I supposed to call them donuts or doughnuts? I'm left in a conundrum. It seems like it can be either way! I'm going donuts, just because that is how I have always and forever done it. Ok then.

Donuts!

Yes. Baked donuts are a thing right now. They've become such a thing, that even though it seemed silly to get a donut pan, I put one on my Christmas list anyway. These are the first donuts in what I'm sure will be many varieties. They're a pretty basic version with some browned butter and just a regular ole glaze. Nothing too fancy here, because sometimes all you really want is a plain donut.

In the original recipe, there was a whole lot of nutmeg going on. Now don't get me wrong, nutmeg is a perfectly decent spice, but too much of it can be super overwhelming. Also, it seems a bit weird in a donut unless you're going totally holiday-themed. So I'm recommending NO nutmeg. I mean, add a pinch if you really like the stuff, but otherwise, these don't need them.

Brown Butter Baked Donuts

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, browned
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• FOR THE GLAZE:
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 2-4 Tablespoons water or milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cooking Directions

1. Place one of your oven racks in the upper third and preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease your donut pan and set aside for now.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together your flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Set that aside for the moment.
3. Brown your butter. Basically you melt your butter over medium-high heat until it starts turning brown and gives off that lovely nutty aroma. It changes pretty quickly, so keep your eye on it. Put that aside to cool a little.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together your egg, buttermilk and vanilla, then add in your browned butter and whisk some more.
5. Add those wet ingredients to your dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Dollop the dough into your prepared pan, about 3/4 full of batter per donut.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes. You can insert a toothpick or testing device to make sure that they are cooked through, as the tops do not really brown. Let them cool in the pan a little before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Now, make your glaze. Whisk together your sugar, milk/water and vanilla until you get the consistency you like. When your donuts are cool, dip them with the top side down into the glaze. You can sprinkle with toppings at this point or dip both sides to get more of a completely glazed donut thing going on. Set for 30 minutes and eat within two days before they go stale.

(Adapted from Joy the Baker)

In Pictures:

Whisk together your flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.

Brown your butter. Marvel in the delicious smell.

Whisk together the butter, egg, buttermilk and vanilla.

Mix your wet with your dry. Love the brown better specks.

Dollop into your donut pan and bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes.

While they're baking, whip up your glaze. Some powdered sugar, milk and vanilla do the trick.

The tops don't brown or anything, so be careful not to overcook. These are also mostly a little overfull.

Let them cool in the pan a little, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Then dip in your glaze. You can just dip one side, or dip both if you want it fully glazed. Let those sit for 30 minutes if you can before chomping down!