Spiced and covered by a crunchy sugar coating, these doughnuts are the perfect holiday breakfast fare. They're baked, soft, easy to make and out of the oven in half an hour. And less messy than regular fried ones.
Ready in 30 minutes
Baked donuts, made with baking powder, are a quick alternative to deep-fried ones. They have become extremely popular and are part of many people's breakfasts.
For purists, they might not be worth calling them doughnuts, just little cakes. It may have been a twist generated by the need to eat less fried foods, who knows. And though I'm a big fan of old-fashioned fried donuts, they still get my vote.
They are a wonderful alternative to traditional ones, and these with gingerbread spices have all the right spices to make them as memorable and indulgent as fried ones.
They're joining the ranks of favorite holiday breakfast and brunch recipes with this French toast casserole and this stack of festive pancakes.
FAQ
Absolutely! Let the donuts cool completely, then freeze them without the coating in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. I like to wrap them individually first, so they don't clump. Thaw at room temperature, warm lightly in a 325°F (170°C) oven and coat with sugar before serving.
Yes, you can, but the donuts might have slightly less rise than freshly mixed batter. Tightly cover the bowl with the batter and refrigerate it for up to 12 hours. Let it come to room temperature before baking.
Steps to make baked donuts
Sift dry ingredients
It's necessary as some can clump during storage, like baking soda and spices. It also makes mixing with the rest of the ingredients easier without overdoing it.
Wet ingredients
Stir them until fully integrated, especially the egg whites, but don't beat.
Fill the donut pan
Using a piping bag makes the process easier. But you can use two small spoons to fill each mold.
Coating
Have all the different components ready before starting. I like to do it while the donuts are still warm and eat them directly.
Kitchen Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, utensils and equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend tracking how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Coating or glaze: If you don't want the crunchy coating, use a powdered sugar glaze with milk and spices. Wait until the doughnuts are completely cooled down to drizzle, or the glaze will melt.
- Adjust the spice flavor: Use dark molasses and more spices for a deeper gingerbread flavor. Instead of the gingerbread mix, you can use individual ones, omitting the ones you don't like (cloves, in my case). Ground cinnamon and ground ginger are a must, in my opinion, but the rest can be adjusted. I like allspice, for example, but many people don't.
- Donut pans: they're perfect to get that round shape. Make regular or mini donuts (you can buy mini donut pan online); the latter is a tad more laborious to fill, and the baking time will be less.
- Variations: use mini muffin pans and make baked donut holes. Add ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips or chopped nuts to the batter.
More holiday ideas:
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Gingerbread Baked Donuts
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Ingredients
Spiced donut batter:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons gingerbread spice mix, I use homemade gingerbread mix
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup milk, at room temperature
- ¼ cup molasses
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon sugar coating:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a donut pan with non-stick spray or soft butter.
Donut batter:
- Sift together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons gingerbread spice mix and ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.
- Whisk ½ cup brown sugar and 2 large eggs until smooth in a large mixing bowl; don’t beat.
- Add ½ cup milk, ¼ cup molasses, ¼ cup unsalted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir until fully combined but don’t overmix.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined, don’t overdo it or the donuts will be tough.
- Spoon or pipe the batter into the prepared donut pan, filling each cavity about ¾ full. It’s easier with a piping bag.
- Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the donuts spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached. Don’t overbake them or they’ll be dry.
- Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove and transfer them to a wire rack.
Cinnamon sugar coating:
- Combine ¾ cup granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon in a small bowl.
- While still warm, brush donuts with ½ cup unsalted butter or dip half of them in it, and roll it in the cinnamon sugar mixture. You can dip the whole donut in the butter, but I find it’s too much and makes them too heavy.
- Serve immediately.
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