Deliciously light and fluffy doughnuts packed with vanilla flavour. These Baked Vanilla Doughnuts are simple to make and perfect for any occasion.
what are baked doughnuts
Baked doughnuts are really quite different from fried doughnuts. They have a lighter batter similar to cake batter. This differs from fried doughnuts that are more of a bread dough which uses yeast.
I absolutely love fried donuts, but I have never been brave enough to try them at home because I am not keen on deep frying.
Baked doughnuts are far more simple to make at home because there is no hot fat involved! I like to think this also makes them slightly healthier.
baked doughnuts are so simple to make
I think baked doughnuts are even easier to make than cakes. There is no creaming of butter and sugar involved – a bowl and a spoon is all you need!
Because these doughnuts use oil, the mix is very easily combined by hand. You don’t need a mixer or electric hand whisk to make these. In fact it is more hassle to use them I think!
The ingredients come together so easily and quickly with just a wooden spoon which makes these super simple to make.
Do you need special doughnut tins?
You do need to buy specific doughnut tins to make these Vanilla Baked Doughnuts. Doughnut tins are quite readily available these days and aren’t too expensive.
Try and buy a doughnut tin that is quite deep. There are some you can buy that are quite shallow so you will get a thinner doughnut.
Make sure you grease the tins well and the doughnuts should pop out very easily. I like to use spray oil for this.
If you really didn’t want to buy the doughnut tins, you could use a muffin tin. Obviously they wouldn’t be doughnut shaped but they would still be tasty.
Again you would need to make sure you thoroughly grease the tin before adding the doughnut batter.
Don’t over fill the tins!
These Vanilla Baked Doughnuts are simple to make, but there is one very important step. The only critical step in this recipe is to make sure you don’t put too much batter into each doughnut hole.
Now you may think this sounds simple enough, but take it from someone who knows; you need less batter than you may think!
For example when making cupcakes, you are usually recommended to fill the cases three quarters of the way. With these baked doughnuts, just under half full is plenty. If in doubt, fill them less than you think.
Don’t get me wrong, if you over fill them it is by no means the end of the world. The only difference will be that instead of having the hole in the middle that a doughnut should have, this will fill in and they will come out of the oven looking more like a muffin.
How to make the vanilla glaze
Making the glaze for these Vanilla Baked Doughnuts does involve a little bit of trial and error.
I always find making glazes with icing sugar a little temperamental. One day you will need a certain amount of liquid and the next you will need more or less.
Also it does differ depending on which milk you use. I used whole milk for extra creaminess which is slightly thicker than semi skimmed milk which is thicker than skimmed milk.
Depending on which milk you are using, you may need to use less. This is why I always advise adding a little bit of milk, mixing and then adding a little more.
If you do add too much, it isn’t the end of the world, just add a little more icing sugar.
Also how much milk you add will decide how thick your glaze is. If you prefer a thicker glaze for your doughnuts, add less milk. If you prefer a thinner glaze, add more milk. Make the glaze how you like it.
decorating your doughnuts
It is up to you how you would like to decorate your doughnuts. Keep them simple or go as crazy as you like!
I like to use gel food colouring to colour the icing. You can buy this in most large supermarkets and online. It is stronger than liquid food colouring so you only need a very small amount.
If you aren’t going to colour your icing, you may either want to leave the vanilla extract out, or use clear vanilla instead of pure vanilla so it doesn’t turn the glaze slightly brown.
You can then add whichever sprinkles you like – get creative!
How many donuts does this recipe make?
Donut tins can vary in depth slightly. Some tins are shallower meaning your finished doughnuts will be thinner than if you have a deeper tin.
I think my donut tin is relatively deep and this recipe makes 12 doughnuts.
The main point to remember is you don’t want to overfill the tin so if in doubt, make more doughnuts than try to use all the batter to make 12.
If you have a shallower tin you might be able to make between 14 and 16 doughnuts.
how long will these doughnuts keep for?
As with most doughnuts these are best eaten the day you bake them or the next day. They will still be ok for a couple of days longer but not as fluffy.
If you would like the doughnuts to keep for longer I would recommend freezing them.
how to freeze the doughnuts
To freeze the doughnuts, let them cool completely to room temperature. Once they are cooled you can then transfer them to a container or bag and freeze un-iced.
When you want to eat them, leave them at room temperature for a couple of hours to defrost. Once they are fully thawed, you can glaze and decorate them as normal.
Other recipes you might like
- Baked Nutella Doughnuts
- Mini Egg Chocolate Glazed Baked Doughnuts
- Hot Cross Bun Baked Doughnuts
- Small Batch Vanilla Cupcakes
- Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberries & Whipped Cream
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Baked Vanilla Doughnuts
Deliciously light and fluffy doughnuts packed with vanilla flavour. These Baked Vanilla Doughnuts are simple to make and perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
For the doughnuts
- 190 g plain flour
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ⅛ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- 30 g unsalted butter melted
- 60 ml vegetable oil
- 125 ml semi skimmed milk
- 95 g caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- spray oil
For the glaze
- 160 g icing sugar
- 2 tbsp whole milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- food colouring
- sprinkles
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 200ºC (fan assisted, 220ºC non fan) spray the doughnut trays with oil
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Mix together 190g plain flour, ¾ tsp baking powder, ⅛ tsp bicarbonate of soda and ¼ tsp salt
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In a separate jug whisk together 30g melted butter, 60 ml vegetable oil, 125ml semi skimmed milk, 95g caster sugar, 1 egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract
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Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing to combine
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Once all combined, spoon the doughnut batter into a piping bag and pipe into the prepared tin. Fill the tins half way
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Bake in the oven for 8 – 10 minutes or until a cocktail stick comes out clean. Allow to cool on a wire rack
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When the doughnuts are completely cooled, make the glaze by whisking together 160g icing sugar, 2 tbsp whole milk, ½ tsp vanilla extract and a pinch of salt in a bowl
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Add food colouring if you are using and mix thoroughly before dipping each doughnut into the glaze
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Add any sprinkles while the glaze is still wet
Recipe Notes
These are best eaten on the day you bake them.
Nutritional information is given as a guide only and may vary.
Melanie says
Love these!!!!
Curly says
Thank you 🙂
Chloe says
These sound delicious, I had no idea that cakey doughnuts were so easy to make at home!
Curly says
They’re easier than a lot of people may think! And tasty too!
ELAINE says
These are so yummy and pretty! So much healthier than deep fried donuts.
Curly says
So pleased you like them 🙂 They’re a lot easier to make than deep fried ones too.
Lesley says
Wow these are beautiful and your recipe is really straightforward. I looked at this recipe at the wrong time of the day – doughnuts for lunch perhaps! What I would do for one of those right now with a cuppa!
Curly says
Haha doughtnuts are my weakness Lesley! Thanks 🙂
Helen says
So pretty! I’m always afraid of deep frying too, so baked donuts do seem to be the answer 🙂
Thanks for linking up with #CookBlogShare
Curly says
Thanks Helen 🙂
Rebecca - Glutarama says
Can’t beat a baked doughnut. These look amazing
Curly says
Thank you Rebecca!
Janice says
Oh, I love these! I’m not a fan of deep-frying so a baked doughnut is perfect for me and they are so pretty.
Curly says
Thanks very much Janice 🙂
Corina Blum says
These are really pretty! I love making homemade baked doughnuts too although I always wish they lasted longer than they do!
Curly says
Thanks 🙂 That’s always the downside!
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie says
YUM! These sound amazing… and they look super pretty too! Eb 🙂
Curly says
Thanks Eb 🙂