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Baked Old Fashioned Glazed Donuts

Baked Old Fashioned Glazed Donuts have the qualities of the classic version – they are soft and cakey on the inside and covered in delicious glaze on the outside – but without the hassle (and added calories) of frying. This baked version is easier to make, healthier than frying, and the perfect sweet treat to enjoy with breakfast!

In a world of gourmet donuts, nothing satisfies me as much as a classic old fashioned donut! I’ve always been partial to these cakey donuts, preferring them over their yeasty cousins.

Old fashioned donuts from the donut shop are deep-fried and saturated with oil, so I wanted to make a healthier homemade version by baking them instead. They are cake-like after all, and cakes are baked, right?

This Baked Old Fashioned Glazed Donuts recipe is very much like the classic fried version except for the fact that it is baked instead and so it isn’t saturated with oil. These donuts have the same cake texture I love, the perfect amount of sweetness, but without all the extra calories. There is one notable difference between the baked version vs the fried – the fried version has a crispier exterior that baking just doesn’t achieve, but it’s not something I miss, to be honest.

Closeup of a Baked Old Fashioned Glazed Donuts on a platter.

There is no need to stand over a pan of hot oil, frying donuts in batches. This baked version is much easier. You just whip up the batter and then bake them all at once. That cuts down significantly on hands-on time, freeing you up to put on a pot of hot coffee so it’s ready to go when the donuts are baked.

Closeup of a baked old fashioned donut covered in glaze.

  • They’re delicious! The donuts are perfectly sweetened and wonderfully cake-like.

  • Baking donuts is easier to do as they can all cook up at once instead of frying them in batches.

  • Baking donuts eliminated all the excess oil and calories that come with deep frying.
Topview of a platter of baked old fashioned glazed donuts.

Ingredients in Baked Old Fashioned Glazed Donuts

  • Egg

  • Butter: melted.

  • Sugar: White granulated sugar is used in the donut batter and confectioner’s sugar (aka icing sugar or powdered sugar) is used to make the glaze.

  • Milk: Buttermilk is used in the batter. A little milk is also used to make the glaze.

  • For flavor: Vanilla extract, ground nutmeg, salt.

  • Leaveners: Baking powder and baking soda.

  • Flour: all purpose flour.

**Note: Ingredient quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card at the end of this post.**

How to make Baked Old Fashioned Glazed Donuts

  1. Prep. Preheat oven to 350F and lightly grease your donut pans.

  2. Mix together the sugar and wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, butter, sugar, vanilla extract and buttermilk.

  3. Add the dry ingredients. Sprinkle in the salt and nutmeg. Add the baking powder and baking soda and slowly stir in the flour until everything is combined and you have a thick batter.

  4. Pipe the batter into a donut pan. Place the batter in a piping bag and pipe into the donut pan, filling each cavity 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 12 minutes or until the toothpick inserted into the middle of a donut comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack.

  5. Glaze. Mix the glaze ingredients in a bowl. The mixture should be thin enough to run a bit but not too runny. You are looking for the consistency of honey. Add a little more milk or sugar to reach the desired consistency. Carefully dip one side of the donuts in the glaze. The glaze should coat half of the donut when you do this. Flip back over and let them cool on a cooling rack with a tray underneath to catch any drips from the glaze.
Baked Old Fashioned Glazed Donuts on a teal colored platter.

Storing donuts

While these baked donuts are best when served fresh, you can store them for a few days. Once they are cooled completely, store them in an airtight container and keep at room temperature.

Freezing donuts

These donuts can also be frozen for future snacking. To freeze them, once they are cooled and the glaze is set, place them in a freezer safe bag or container and freeze. They will keep for a couple of months stored this way. When you want to enjoy them, thaw the donuts in the fridge overnight and then pop them in the microwave or in the oven to warm them up.

If you intend to freeze some of the donuts and know this before making them, I recommend waiting to glaze them until after you have thawed and reheated them as the glaze may change slightly (e.g. cracking) due to the freezing and thawing process.

Closeup of a baked old fashioned donut covered in glaze.

You may also like these other sweet breakfast recipes:

Baked Apple Donuts
Classic Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Blackberry Coffee Cake
Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins
Lemon Raspberry Muffins
Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal

Closeup of a Baked Old Fashioned Glazed Donuts on a platter.

Baked Old Fashioned Glazed Donuts

Catherine
Baked Old Fashioned Glazed Donuts have the qualities of the classic version – they are soft and cakey on the inside and covered in delicious glaze on the outside – but without the hassle (and added calories) of frying.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 9 servings
Calories 312 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 large egg
  • 3 tablespoons butter melted
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 cups all purpose flour

For the glaze:

  • 2 cups confectioners sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons milk

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350F and lightly grease your donut pans.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, butter, sugar, vanilla extract and buttermilk.
  • Sprinkle in the salt and nutmeg. Add the baking powder and baking soda and slowly stir in the flour until everything is combined and you have a thick batter.
  • Place batter in a piping bag and pipe into the donut pan, filling each cavity 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 12 minutes or until the toothpick inserted into the middle of a donut comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack.
  • Mix the glaze ingredients in a bowl. The mixture should be thin enough to run a bit but not too runny. You are looking for the consistency of honey. Add a little more milk or sugar to reach the desired consistency.
  • Carefully dip one side of the donuts in the glaze. The glaze should coat half of the donut when you do this. Flip back over and let them cool on a cooling rack with a tray underneath to catch any drips from the glaze.

Note: Metric ingredient measurements are provided as a courtesy using a third-party calculator and are rounded to the nearest unit. The recipes provided on this site have not been tested with metric measurements and their accuracy cannot be verified.

Nutrition

Calories: 312kcalCarbohydrates: 61gProtein: 5gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 326mgPotassium: 83mgFiber: 1gSugar: 39gVitamin A: 199IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 98mgIron: 2mg

The nutritional information provided is based on third-party calculations and is an estimate only. Accurate nutritional facts will vary based on the particular brands used, portion sizes, measurement accuracy and more.

Keyword baked donuts, baked not fried, donuts, doughnuts, glazed
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5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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