Baked Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts

No donut pan required! Hot out of the oven and ready for breakfast, these baked cinnamon sugar doughnuts are soft, sweet bites of heaven.

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts – These soft, buttery cinnamon sugar doughnuts are baked but taste fried! | thecomfortofcooking.com

How is it that a doughnut can cure just about any ail? Oh, you had a rough day? No worries, here’s a glazed. A not so great review at work? Help yourself to a chocolate frosted. A sack full of worries heavy on your back? Just top ‘em with sprinkles.

WHYYYYY must doughnuts tempt us away from the Kashi and closer to the ooey, gooey custard filling?

It’s been just enough time that I’ve been pouring over making a batch of delicious homemade doughnuts and not doing anything about it, until I just had no choice. So, the day has come. Lucky you.

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts – These soft, buttery cinnamon sugar doughnuts are baked but taste fried! | thecomfortofcooking.com

It’s been about 2 weeks, 3 days, 8 hours and 5.238 seconds since I made these doughnuts, but the inner pastry fiend in me thinks that’s way too long. My primary care physician, however, would disagree.

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts – These soft, buttery cinnamon sugar doughnuts are baked but taste fried! | thecomfortofcooking.com

A little in-motion donut dunking action to further whet your appetite! Just TRY to stop watching.

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts – These soft, buttery cinnamon sugar doughnuts are baked but taste fried! | thecomfortofcooking.com

This recipe from Mel’s Kitchen Café, is sensationally simple for a baked doughnut and just as tasty as the two-buck ones at your local bakery. Banish your bulky fryer and all the calories that come with it for these sweet and fluffy doughnuts made at home!

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts – These soft, buttery cinnamon sugar doughnuts are baked but taste fried! | thecomfortofcooking.com

The texture is cakey and terrifically moist, and worth every ounce of effort you put in. As a special treat for someone or just to hog them all to yourself (oink!), these doughnuts are an absolutely delicious way to welcome any morning!

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen doughnuts

Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cups warm milk, 95 to 105 degrees
  • 2 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons softened butter
  • 2 large eggs
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • A pinch or two of nutmeg, freshly grated
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Place warm milk in the bowl of an electric mixer. Stir in the yeast and sugar. Add the butter, eggs, flour, nutmeg and salt. Beat the dough with the dough hook attachment (or with a wooden spoon and eventually your hands) for 2-3 minutes at medium speed. Adjust the dough texture by adding flour a few tablespoons at a time or more milk. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl and be very soft and smooth but still slightly sticky – don’t overflour! Knead the dough for a few minutes (again, by mixer or by hand) and then transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for about an hour or until it has doubled in size (the exact time will depend on the temperature of your kitchen).
  2. Punch down the dough and roll it out to about 1/2-inch thickness on a lightly floured counter. Using a doughnut cutter or a 2-3 inch circle cookie cutter, cut out circles in the dough. Carefully transfer the circles to a parchment- or silpat-lined baking sheet and stamp out the smaller inner circles using a smaller cutter. Be sure to make the holes large enough that as the doughnuts rise again and bake, they don’t fill in the doughnut hole with the puffiness of the dough. Cover the tray with lightly greased plastic wrap. (At this point, you can refrigerate the doughnuts overnight or proceed with the recipe.) Let the doughnuts rise for about another 45 minutes, until they are puffed and nearly doubled.
  3. Bake in a 375 degree F oven until the bottoms are just golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Start checking the doughnuts around minute 8. They should still be pale on top, not golden and browned, and just barely baked through.
  4. Remove the doughnuts from the oven and let cool for 1-2 minutes. Dip each one in the melted butter and toss or sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar. Serve immediately.
  5. Enjoy!

Did you make this recipe?

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Join the Conversation

  1. I cannot get enough of your ridiculously gorgeous donuts my friend :D

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

  2. I couldn’t ever say no to these delicious cinnamon-y delights! I love baked donuts and these look amazing! :)

  3. These sound so freaking fantastic! My great aunt had a similar recipe that she would make for me when I was little! I’ve since lost it, so this was such a nice recipe to wake up to :)

  4. These are making my mouth water. Gorgeous photos and a lovely recipe!

  5. Holy donuts. I must say- they look utterly fantastic. And baked.. which I like and deeply appreciate. :)

  6. Looks AMAZING! Great in-motion photo too! :) Going to have to try these!

  7. Georgia, these are gorgeous! And who doesn’t love a good doughnut??

  8. I will only say the same sentence as Homer Simpson “Mmmmmmmm, donuts” :)

  9. These look fantastic, Geogia! I love that you baked the doughnuts – it removes any guilt ;).

  10. LOVE that in-action shot!! These pictures are making me CRAVE cinnamon sugar like no other. Preferably in DOUGHNUT form! Georgia, you take the most beautiful photos!

  11. As Sally said, that donut dipping shot is awesome! And I totally need to go to the donut shop and get a cinnamon sugar donut! I’m in SF visiting Jason and I just don’t have any of my bakeware to make this!

  12. Bakes donuts that look soft and chewy? A must try! I am pinning it for future reference!

  13. Oh my, Georgia! Love all of these photos and that action shot! You’ve stepped it up, girl, with this one. ;)

  14. Oh goodness! They look so light and fluffy eventhough they are baked. Definitely bookmarking this!!

  15. Georgia…I don’t know what it is about donuts, either. But I have to tell you, your lead picture just makes me smile! And that dunking one had me mesmerized! These look fabulous! : )

  16. This was what I had been craving for the past 2 days! I was dreaming of a sugary cinnamom donut with a chocolate dip… thanks for the recipe!

  17. Baked doughnut? That makes it healthy, right? Ir at least healthier than frying!

  18. So amazing! I haven’t jumped onto the doughnut train just yet but these are definitely making a case for doing so!

  19. Love the animation! I also love that these are baked so I can consider having one or two :)

  20. I soooo need a doughnut pan!! These look fab and your photos are great too!

  21. You don’t need one for this recipe, so you’re in luck!

  22. I am thoroughly impressed. And hungry.

  23. I have been hemming and hawing about making baked donuts for longer than I care to remember. This post, these photos have just managed to spur me into action. They are definitely on my to-do list, the one that does not get ignored ;)

  24. I lovee donuts~ I`m devastated that they are so unhealthy! These look fabulous!

  25. They are petite and delectable!

  26. I love cinnamon sugar donuts, especially those that are homemade!

  27. these just came out of the oven :) they are amazing. i also melted some chocolate and drizzle that on some of them

  28. Aw gawd! I LOVE these. Like, LOVE! I’ve never made doughnuts before, but these will drive me to the “dark end” – LOL!

  29. The list of donut recipes I’m finding to bake with my daughter keeps growing, and growing…

  30. My mouth is watering!!! A must try. By the way I have a ton of your recipes in a folder. It’s so easy to grab one and get started. Thanks

    By the way the motion picture was great!

  31. I want!! Like, a basket would do ;)

  32. Oh my gosh, I’m drooling! These are my kinda donuts, Georgia :)

  33. Wow, these look amazing! Would it be possible to freeze them after baking?

  34. Never tried it, but I’m sure it would be fine.

  35. I don have instant yeast in the pantry. Can I use a packet of instant dry yeast? Rapid rise?

  36. Instant dry yeast is instant yeast. Rapid rise should work fine.

  37. could I use a donut pan for these? its pretty shallow

  38. These don’t require a donut pan since they’re a yeast dough, but you could try it.

  39. Made these this evening. They are amazing! They taste just like a fresh baked doughnut from a bakery. I’ve tried other doughnut recipes before and none of them tasted anything like this. Thanks!!

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