Cinnamon Sugar Donuts have a fluffy baked cinnamon donut base and are rolled in cinnamon sugar for a simple but delicious donut. These donuts can be ready in less than 30 minutes and are perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a sweet snack!
It is hard to beat a baked donut. They are so easy to make (goodbye Krispy Kreme, Little Debbie, and Walmart bakery!), they aren't fried, made without yeast, and the flavors can be switched up with minimal effort. Like adding dulce de leche to Cinnamon Sugar Donuts to make them Churro Donuts!
If you're looking for more easy and delicious donut recipes check out these Lemon Poppy Seed Donuts, Cinnamon Roll Donuts, or Blueberry Donuts.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Cinnamon Sugar Donuts are so easy to throw together for a fun snack or a delicious breakfast or brunch treat. This
- From the time you gather all of your ingredients until you are eating these delicious donuts is less than thirty minutes.
- Baked donuts are healthier than fried donuts. You skip all of the oil, making these donuts better for you! If you're looking for another healthier breakfast or brunch option this Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash is for you!
- These donuts are made without yeast, so you don't have to wait around for them to rise. Yeast can be so fun to bake with and this White Bread Recipe is an easy way to dip your toes in!
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Ground Cinnamon will add flavor to the donuts. Cinnamon also flavors these Cinnamon Roll Pop Tarts.
- Full-fat sour cream will make the donuts extra moist and fluffy.
- It will be easier to incorporate the egg into the batter if they are at room temperature.
- Vanilla extract is a must in baked goods just like salt. Real vanilla adds a better flavor than imitation vanilla.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- The sour cream can be substituted for greek yogurt.
- You can add chocolate chips, nuts, or fruit to these donuts to change up the flavor.
- These donuts can be made in a mini donut pan for bite-sized treats!
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Step-By-Step Instructions
STEP 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (F). Spray your donut mold with non-stick spray and set it aside.
STEP 2: In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the flour, light brown sugar, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Be sure there are no lumps.
STEP 3: In a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients.
STEP 4: Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until they are well combined. The batter will be thick.
STEP 6: Spoon or pipe the batter into your molds and fill them up about ¾ of the way to the top. Place your donuts in the pre-heated oven. They usually take about 15-17 minutes to bake, but I started checking them around 10 minutes to see if the pan needs to be turned. Remove from the oven and let the baked cinnamon donuts cool in the molds until cool enough to remove. Then cool the donuts completely before rolling in cinnamon sugar.
STEP 7: In a small bowl combine the sugar and cinnamon. Mix until well combined.
STEP 8: When the donuts have mostly cooled roll each donut in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat fully.
Expert Tips
- Use a silicone mold. There a million donut molds out there, but I prefer silicone molds by a long shot. They make it so easy to remove the donuts after baking.
- Don't overmix. If you want tender and fluffy donuts make sure you only mix as much as you need to. Overmixing the batter will make the baked donuts tough.
- Use a piping bag to fill your mold. This is not necessary, but it will give your donuts a much cleaner looked and it's easier to fill the molds this way.
- Oil the donut mold. A must! Oiling the mold will make it much easier to remove the donuts and clean the molds.
Recipe FAQ's
I wouldn't recommend it. Donuts are best eaten the same day that they are made. You can, however, make the batter ahead of time, refrigerate it or freeze it (depending on how far ahead of time you are making the donut batter), and then bake the donuts when you are ready to eat them.
Baked donuts are denser and cakier than a fried donut, but they don't lack any flavor.
Room Temperature: Cinnamon sugar donuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, though they are really best the day they are baked.
Refrigerator: If stored correctly in an airtight container the donuts can last up to 1 week in the fridge.
Freezer: If stored correctly in an airtight container the donuts can last up to 2 months in the freezer.
More Recipes You'll Love
If you tried these Cinnamon Sugar Donuts or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I so appreciate hearing from you!
Recipe
Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
Ingredients
For Cinnamon Donut:
- 1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (107 grams) light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup (114 grams) full-fat sour cream
- 2 ½ tablespoons (35 grams) unsalted butter melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
For Cinnamon Donuts:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Spray your donut mold with non-stick spray and set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the flour, light brown sugar, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon.
- In a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients, make sure the melted butter has cooled or it will curdle the sour cream and cook the egg.
- Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until they are well combined. The dough will be much thicker than you think it will be, so don’t be alarmed. Also, be sure not to overmix your dough or your baked donuts will be tough.
- Spoon or pipe the batter into your molds and fill them up to the top. If you’re using a silicone mold, place it on a cookie sheet before you put them in the oven, this will make it easier to get them in and out of the oven.
- Place your donuts in the pre-heated oven. They usually take about 15-17 minutes to bake, but I started checking them around 10 minutes to see if the pan needs to be turned. You’ll know they are finished when you lightly press on a donut and it springs back.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then remove from pan and allow to cool.
For Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
- In a small bowl combine the sugar and cinnamon. Mix until well combined.
For Assembly:
- When the donuts have mostly cooled roll each donut in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat fully.
Notes
- The provided nutrition information is an estimate. The calorie accuracy is not guaranteed.
- Use a silicone mold. There a million donut molds out there, but I prefer silicone molds by a long shot. They make it so easy to remove the donuts after baking.
- Don't overmix. If you want tender and fluffy donuts make sure you only mix as much as you need to. Overmixing the batter will make the baked donuts tough.
- Use a piping bag to fill your mold. This is not necessary, but it will give your donuts a much cleaner looked and it's easier to fill the molds this way.
- Oil the donut mold. A must! Oiling the mold will make it much easier to remove the donuts and clean the molds.
Mark says
Haven’t made these yet. I don’t have all purpose flour. Any subs for this? I have whole wheat flour and almond flour. These look really good.
Ellie Haley says
You can definitely use whole wheat flour without changing the proportions! Almond flour would call for additional changes to the recipe
Mark says
Thank you for responding. I will make these this weekend.
Mark says
I used wheat flour but there wasn’t enough liquid. The batter was clumpy and not liquid so I believe you would have to use all purpose flour for best results.