Baked, not fried, these brown butter cinnamon sugar donuts are ready in 20 minutes! The baked donuts are light, fluffy, and dipped in melted butter. Coated in the most delicious cinnamon sugar mixture, this baked donut recipe is sure to become a family favorite! Jump to the recipe card, preheat your oven to 350, and bake these today!

Cinnamon Sugar Donuts: The Best Baked Donut Recipe?

What’s your perfect breakfast in bed meal? For me, it’s coffee and donuts! Specifically, cinnamon sugar donuts! I love them so much, but rarely have the time to make them the old-fashioned way anymore.

Between making the dough, letting it rise, and deep frying, it’s a daylong project!Which is why I love recipe for baked cinnamon sugar donuts. It’s so easy and takes about 20 minutes start to finish. And the results are incredible! 

You’ll need a donut pan. But the donuts are worth the investment! Soft, fluffy, and covered in a finger-licking crunchy cinnamon sugar coating. We make these almost every weekend!

Ingredients for Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

• Unsalted Butter: You’ll brown the butter for the donut batter. And simply melt the butter for the cinnamon sugar mixture. But feel free to brown the butter for the cinnamon sugar mixture to intensify the brown butter flavor. 
• All-Purpose Flour: I have had several readers say that 1 for 1 GF flour also works well. I do not suggest subbing almond flour or coconut flour.
• Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances all of the other flavors in the donuts.
• Baking Powder: Flour and baking powder give our baked donuts their rise. Do not replace this with baking soda. And make sure the baking powder is fresh. 
• Ground Nutmeg: Just a pinch adds the most delicious flavor to the donuts.
• Ground Cinnamon: Adds richness and spice. 
• Granulated Sugar: We use this for our crunchy and sweet cinnamon sugar coating.
• Light Brown Sugar: We use this sugar for baking the donuts because it adds moisture and sweetness to the donut batter.
• Egg: Large eggs work best, and make sure to bring it to room temperature before use.
• Vanilla: You’ll love the flavor pure vanilla extract adds to this recipe! It adds so much richness. 
• Milk: I suggest using whole milk, but in a pinch, a plant based milk will work.

Special Equipment for Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts: You’ll need a Donut Pan

• A donut pan is required for this recipe. Click here to check out the one I’ve been using for the past 5 years! It’s a workhorse and very affordable.
• Non-stick baking spray is the best way to grease your donut pan. If you can’t find non-stick spray, you can butter and flour the mold the old-fashioned way. Just be sure to get every little nook and cranny so your donuts don’t stick to the donut pan.
• Ziplock Bag or Large Piping Bag is the easiest way to fill the donut molds. Although you can technically spoon the batter into the molds, it’s much easier and neater to pipe.

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How to Make Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

1. Prep the Pan: You’ll want to generously spray a 6 mold donut pan with non-stick spray. This is also a good time to preheat the oven to 350.
2. Make the Donut Batter: Brown the butter, then set it aside to slightly cool. In a one bowl combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl whisk together the wet ingredients. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, being sure not to over mix. Over mixing the donut batter will cause dry donuts!
3. Fill the Donut Molds: Spoon or pipe the batter into the prepared pan. The donut batter will be thick, this is normal.
4. Bake the Donuts: They’ll be ready in about 10 to 11 minutes, or when they spring back when lightly pressed.
5. Cool the Donuts: Let the donuts to cool in the baking pan for 5 minutes. Then gently flip the pan over and unfold them. Place them on a cooling rack while you make the cinnamon sugar coating.

The Cinnamon Sugar Mixture makes the Cinnamon Sugar Donuts…

Make the Cinnamon Sugar Coating is so easy! 

1. Melt the butter and pour it into a wide shallow bowl. A wide bowl makes dipping the cinnamon sugar donuts much easier! But almost any bowl will technically work. 
2. In a separate bowl combine the sugar and cinnamon. If you really love cinnamon, feel free to add an extra teaspoon to the cinnamon sugar mixture. 
3. Dip both sides of each donut in the melted butter, making sure to cover every nook and cranny. Then roll the wet donut in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Again, making sure it’s well covered. 

How to Store this Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donut Recipe?

These baked donuts are best served and eaten within 24 hours of baking! But they will keep, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature, for 3 days. They might be a little dry by day 3, but that just makes them even better for dunking in coffee or tea!

More Baked Donut Recipes:

• Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins
• Pumpkin Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
• Brown Butter Churro Donuts
• Blueberry Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
• Nutella Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

Ashley Manila

Baked, not fried, these brown butter cinnamon sugar donuts are ready in 20 minutes! The baked donuts are light, fluffy, and dipped in melted butter. Coated in the most delicious cinnamon sugar mixture, this baked donut recipe is sure to become a family favorite! Jump to the recipe card, preheat your oven to 350, and bake these today!

5 from 13 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American, Baking, Donuts

Servings 6 baked donuts

Ingredients

 

For the Brown Butter Donuts:

• 2 and 1/2 Tablespoons (35g) unsalted butter melted until browned
• 1 and 1/4 cups (150g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup (106g) light brown sugar packed
• 1 large large egg room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (113ml) milk whole milk works best but other varieties will work in a pinch

For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating:

• 4 Tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup (199g) granulated sugar
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Instructions

 

For the Brown Butter Donuts:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Generously spray a 6 mold donut pan with non-stick spray; set aside.
• Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium-heat. Cook butter, stirring frequently, until it's turned golden brown and smells slightly nutty. Remove from heat and set aside.
• In a medium-sized bowl combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg; set aside. In a separate medium-sized bowl combine the browned butter and sugar; beat well. Whisk in the egg and vanilla. Stir in the milk.
• Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, being sure not to over mix.
• Spoon or pipe the donut batter into the prepared pan and bake for 10 to 11 minutes, or until the doughnuts spring back when lightly pressed. Allow the donuts to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before gently unmolding them and transferring them to a cooling rack.
• In the meantime, make the cinnamon sugar coating.

For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating:

• Melt the butter in a small pan over medium-heat. You can also melt it in the microwave, if desired.
• Once melted, transfer the butter into a wide, shallow bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl combine the sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

Assembly:

• When the donuts are cool enough to handle, dip them in the melted butter, being sure to coat both sides and the edges, then roll the donut in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Notes

Donuts are best eaten the day they’re made.

Keyword donuts, doughnuts, breakfast treats

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