Easy prep, less mess. Why fry when you can bake?
Charlotte Gomez / BuzzFeed
If you've never made homemade donuts before, they can seem intimidating. đ©
But they're really not! Especially if you go the easy baked donuts route. Not only does baking (instead of frying) donuts cut down on prep, cleanup, and potential mess, but you'll also find that the end results are just as delicious, if not more so.
When baking donuts, there are a couple things that are nice to have, though they're not required. With traditional O-shaped donuts, a non-stick baking donut pan can come in really handy. If you're making donut holes, you can bake those on a regular sheet pan or in a mini-muffin tin. If you're making filled donuts, pipe the filling in using a pastry bag with a tip or a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off.
Here are 21 baked donut recipes to get you started:
1. Dairy-Free Chocolate Glazed Donuts
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Dairy-free donuts? We can vouch for these: these are delicious. They're divine. And they're bites of donut heaven.
Recipe: Dairy-Free Chocolate Glazed Donuts
2. Bacon, Egg, And Cheese Donuts
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If sweet breakfast treats aren't your thing, then these savory twists on a breakfast favorite will tickle your tastebuds and whet your appetite.
Recipe: Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Donuts
3. Fruity Cereal Donuts
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It's like Froot Loops meets a donut, without the pain of the fryer.
Get the recipe: Fruity Cereal Donuts
These super fluffy donuts allow you to have some fun and to experiment with the fillings. Use store-bought or homemade jelly â or try dulce de leche, vanilla cream, or chocolate-hazelnut spread.
Get the recipe: Baked Donuts Filled With Jelly
5. Chocolate Frosted Donuts
All the best parts of a chocolate donut without any of the frying.
Get the recipe: Chocolate Frosted Donuts
6. Nutella-Stuffed Cinnamon Sugar Donut Holes
These are made in a mini-muffin pan âand then you'll pipe the filling in using a pastry bag or Ziploc bag with the corner cut off.
Get the recipe: Nutella-Stuffed Cinnamon Sugar Donut Holes
7. Lemon Donuts With Lemon Glaze
Packed with lemon flavor, these donuts are a great breakfast or brunch treat.
Get the recipe: Lemon Donuts With Lemon Glaze
All the flavors of a perfect chai latte in delicious baked donuts.
Get the recipe: Chai Baked Donuts
9. Oreo Donuts
Oreos in donut form! Serve them with a glass of cold milk for a trip back to childhood.
Get the recipe: Oreo Donuts
10. Baked Chocolate Donut Holes
James Ransom / food52.com
The recipe makes about two dozen donut hole. (But fair warning that they disappear quickly!)
Get the recipe: Baked Chocolate Donut Holes
When in doubt, you can't go wrong with a classic.
Get the recipe: Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
12. Red Velvet Donuts
If you want to satisfy your red velvet cravings, these donuts are the way to go.
Get the recipe: Red Velvet Donuts
Banana bread donuts on their own are great. But add a maple cream cheese icing and some bacon bits and then they're practically a masterpiece.
Get the recipe: Banana Nut Bread Donuts With Maple Cream Cheese Icing and Bacon
14. Chocolate-Coconut Cake Donuts
Alpha Smoot / food52.com
The coconut milk icing and toasted pistachios on top really take these to the next level.
Get the recipe: Chocolate-Coconut Cake Donuts
15. Peanut Butter Frosted Baked Chocolate Donuts
Is there a better flavor combination than chocolate + peanut butter?? (There is not.)
Get the recipe: Peanut Butter Frosted Baked Chocolate Donuts
16. Mocha Cake Donuts
These mocha treats are ready in less than 30 minutes, making them a great afternoon baking project.
Get the recipe: Moka Cake Donuts
17. Maple Glazed Donuts
If I could maple glaze everything, I would. In the meantime, these donuts will do.
Get the recipe: Maple Glazed Donuts
18. Coffee Cake Donuts
The secret to these coffee cake donuts? A brown sugar and cinnamon crumb topping.
Get the recipe: Coffee Cake Donuts
19. Spiced Apple Cider Donut Holes
All of fall in one bite âand delicious enough to be eaten year-round.
Get the recipe: Spiced Apple Cider Donut Holes
20. Blueberry Baked Donuts
A pinch of cardamom in the dough adds a really nice depth of flavor to these donuts.
Get the recipe: Blueberry Baked Donuts
21. Pumpkin Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
Pumpkin baked goods should be eaten all year long. Just saying.
Get the recipe: Pumpkin Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
22. Baked S'mores Donuts
The frosting here is totally fool-proof âit's just marshmallow fluff heated quickly in the microwave.
Get the recipe: Baked S'mores Donuts
23. Nutella Filled Baked Donuts
Anything that can act as a vessel for chocolate-hazelnut spread is a good thing.
Get the recipe: Nutella Filled Baked Donuts
These are glazed with caramel then topped with chopped nuts â which gives you the perfect salty-sweet, chewy-crunchy combo in each bite.
Get the recipe: Baked Caramel Apple Donuts
