The Best Baked Donut Recipe

I’m sharing my glazed sour cream donuts baked in the oven in under an hour using a special donut pan, a Fresh Donut Recipe I developed #ad.

I’ll be honest, I never liked frying at home so I perfected The Best Baked Donut Recipe that cooks in under an hour and still gets that pillowy center. It’s a Fresh Donut Recipe that uses sour cream and a touch of vanilla extract to keep things tender and lightly flavored.

I bake them in a special donut pan and finish with a shiny glaze that kids fight over. If you’re into quick wins, think of this as How To Make Glazed Donuts Easy without the mess.

Stick around, you might be surprised how fancy they look for so little fuss. #ad #sponsoredpost

Ingredients

• All purpose flour: Gives structure and lots of carbs, little fiber, low protein but reliable.
• Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness and crisp crust, pure carbs no nutrients, easy to overdo.
• Eggs: Bind and add protein, give lift and moisture, they also helps browning.
• Sour cream: Adds tang and moisture, makes donuts tender, adds fats and a little protein.
• Butter: Rich flavor and fat, helps tender crumb, not healthy in large amounts.
• Vanilla extract: Tiny bit of flavor booster, no calories worth noting, makes it taste homey.
• Powdered sugar glaze: Super sweet thin coating, mostly sugar and carbs, looks pretty with sprinkles.

Ingredient Quantities

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Nonstick cooking spray or softened butter for the pan
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (for glaze)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons milk (for glaze)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for glaze)
• Pinch of salt (for glaze)
• Sprinkles or chopped nuts for topping (optional)

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a donut pan well with nonstick spray or softened butter, make sure you get into the nooks so they dont stick.

2. In a medium bowl whisk together 2 cups all purpose flour, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg if using.

3. In another bowl beat 2 large eggs briefly then add 1 cup sour cream, 3 tablespoons melted butter (cooled a bit) and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; room temp eggs and sour cream help the batter mix smoother.

4. Pour the wet into the dry and stir until just combined, do not overmix or the donuts get tough, a few small lumps are fine.

5. Spoon the batter into a piping bag or a zip top bag with a corner snipped off and fill each donut well about 3/4 full, or spoon it in carefully; tap the pan on the counter to release air bubbles.

6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the tops are lightly golden and they spring back or a toothpick comes out clean, let them cool in the pan for 1 to 2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack.

7. While they cool make the glaze by whisking 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 to 3 tablespoons milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and a pinch of salt until smooth, add more milk if you want a thinner glaze.

8. Dip warm (not piping hot) donuts into the glaze or spoon the glaze over them, shake off excess and place back on the rack so the glaze can set.

9. Sprinkle with sprinkles or chopped nuts right away while the glaze is wet so they stick, or leave plain if you like.

10. Let glaze firm for a few minutes then enjoy, store leftover donuts in an airtight container for up to 2 days or freeze unglazed ones for longer.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven preheated to 350°F, yep its part of the gear
2. Donut pan (6–12 cavity) plus a pastry brush or nonstick spray for greasing
3. Two mixing bowls, one for dry stuff and one for wet stuff
4. Measuring cups and spoons (2 cups, 3/4 cup, tbsp and tsp sizes)
5. Whisk for mixing drys and glaze, and a rubber spatula or wooden spoon for folding
6. Piping bag or a zip-top bag with a corner snipped (or just a spoon if you prefer)
7. Wire cooling rack and a toothpick or cake tester to check doneness
8. Small bowl for the glaze and a small whisk or fork for stirring

FAQ

The Best Baked Donut Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• All-purpose flour: swap to a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose blend (make sure it has xanthan gum) for gluten free, or use whole wheat pastry flour 1:1 for a nuttier flavor, it will be a bit denser.
• Sour cream: replace cup for cup with plain yogurt (regular or Greek) or use buttermilk 1:1; Greek yogurt may need a splash of milk if too thick.
• Eggs: for each large egg use 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water (let sit 5 minutes) or 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce; flax keeps structure, applesauce adds moisture.
• Granulated sugar: substitute light brown sugar cup for cup for extra moisture and a caramel note, or use coconut sugar 1:1 for a less refined, slightly darker taste.

Pro Tips

– let cold ingredients warm up first — eggs and sour cream should sit at room temp for about 20 minutes and melted butter should be just warm not steaming, it makes the batter emulsify easier and helps prevent little flour lumps, trust me it matters.

– dont overmix, stop when the batter is just combined and a few small lumps remain, overworking = dense, tough donuts; if you have time let the batter rest 10 minutes so the flour can hydrate for a lighter crumb.

– use a piping bag or zip-top for neat filling and tap the pan firmly on the counter to pop trapped air, if you still see big bubbles poke them with a toothpick before baking so you dont get holes.

– for the glaze start a bit thicker then thin it with milk a tad at a time till it coats nicely, dip warm (not piping hot) donuts so the glaze sets without sliding off, add a teaspoon of light corn syrup to the glaze for extra shine if you want, and always sprinkle while the glaze is wet so toppings stick.