Baked Donuts Recipe

Everyone loves donuts but when is the last time that you made your own? If you’re looking for a simple Spring dessert or Easter dessert that will have everyone hopping up and out of bed, this baked donuts recipe is for you.

While fried donuts are good, we love the taste of baked donuts in our house. They’re warm, delicious, and are just a much healthier version of this breakfast favorite treat. 

These Baked Donuts are certain to become a family tradition that you’ll be making together as a family for many Easter’s to come. 

It’s true that this recipe is simple, but trust me in the fact that the flavor is there. We’ve made these donuts so many times (even when it’s not Easter!) and we always find ourselves falling in love with them over and over again. 

What is the difference between baked donuts and fried donuts?

Baked donuts recipes are literally just cooking the dough without adding in a crust or grease. Frying donuts means that you’re coating them typically in some sort of mixture and then dipping them in grease.

Are cake donuts fried or baked?

Cake donuts, or old-fashioned donuts as we call them in our house, are usually going to be baked. This gives them that outer ridge that is delicious and a taste that everyone has come to love. 

What is the difference between cake donuts and yeast donuts?

Cake donuts tend to be a bit sweeter because of the ingredients added while yeast donuts tend to be a more simple process, using yeast as one of the main ingredients. This means that they’ll also be fluffier and larger as well. 

Ingredients for Baked Donuts Recipe

• 1 (15.25 oz) box Cake Mix – any flavor
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup milk

Frosting and Decorations for Bunnies

• 1 can vanilla frosting – canned frosting works best
• White Food Coloring, optional 
• Mini Marshmallows 
• Mini Chocolate Chips for eyes
• Pink Heart Sprinkle for nose
• White and Pink Nonpareil Sprinkles 

Frosting and Decorations for Chicks

• 1 can vanilla frosting 
• Mini Chocolate Chips for eyes
• Yellow and Orange Food Coloring
• Disposable Decorator Bag 

Directions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Coat doughnut pan with non-stick cooking spray AND wipe out excess with a paper towel.
• Mix all ingredients together until smooth. 
• Add batter to a disposable decorator bag or resealable bag.
• Pipe batter into the doughnut pan, filling ½ full. 

• Bake at 325 degrees for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the doughnut comes out clean.

• Cool in pan for 10 minutes, remove and cool completely on wire rack.

Frosting for Bunnies

• Add about ½ of the can of frosting to a microwave-safe bowl. 
• Heat about 30 seconds.

• Add white food coloring for a more vibrant frosting.
• Add wire rack on top of the baking sheet – to catch the drips.
• Mix well, the consistency needs to be runny but not too runny or hot.
• Turn doughnut upside down and dip the top into the melted frosting.

• Gently shake off excess
• Turn right side up and shake side-to-side to level frosting
• Place on a wire rack until firm

Decorations for Bunnies

• Add white nonpareil sprinkles to a small bowl
• Add a mini marshmallow to a toothpick (for dipping) and dip into melted white frosting

• Immediately dip into sprinkles and set to dry.
• Add pink nonpareil sprinkles to a small bowl.
• Cut 1 mini marshmallow in half diagonally.
• Immediately dip cut part into the sprinkles and set to dry.

• For face – turn mini chocolate chip upside down and insert into a doughnut for eyes.
• Add a very small amount of frosting to the heart sprinkle and add to a doughnut for nose.
• Dip the bottom of “tail” into the frosting and add to the doughnut.
• Dip the bottom of ears into the frosting and add to the doughnut.

• Set aside to dry

Frosting and Decorations for Chicks 

• Repeat frosting process as for bunnies, but coloring the frosting yellow.
• To decorate – add a small amount of frosting into 3 bowls and color each with dark orange (for beak and feathers), and 2 shades of orange for feathers.
• Add frosting to decorator bag fitted with a #4 tip for the feathers and #3 tip for the beak.
• For face – turn mini chocolate chip upside down and insert into a doughnut for eyes.
• Pipe on the beak with dark orange frosting.

• Pipe on feathers. 
• Set aside to dry.

You may also like these sweet desserts that you can make for Spring or Easter:

• M&M Chocolate Oat Bars – An Easter or Spring Dessert
• Easter Rice Krispies Treat – Adorable Easter Bunny Butt Dessert
• How To Make Easter Bunny Candy Bark – Fun Idea For Easter
• Easter Carrot Pretzel Rods – White Chocolate and Oreo Dipped

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