Breakfast / Donuts, danish & sticky buns
Cinnamon Sugar Baked Donuts
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Dipped in melted butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar while they're still warm. Pull the pan out and the kitchen fills up with people who just happened to wander in.
The short version
Mix a thick batter with brown sugar, sour cream and nutmeg, pipe it into a donut pan and bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes. Dip the warm donuts in melted butter and roll them in cinnamon sugar.
What makes ours better
small changes, very loud compliments
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Add nutmeg. Nutmeg is the flavor of a cake donut from a donut shop. A quarter teaspoon is all it takes, and without it these taste like a plain muffin.
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Use brown sugar and sour cream. Brown sugar adds moisture and a little caramel, and sour cream keeps the crumb tender and slightly tangy, so the donuts stay soft past the first hour.
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Pipe the batter. The batter is thick. Snipping the corner off a zip-top bag gets it into the pan without a mess, and the donuts keep their ring shape.
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Dip in butter while warm. Melted butter acts as glue for the cinnamon sugar and tastes like the fried version. Warm donuts soak it up evenly.
What you need
check the pantry before you promise anyone
- All-purpose flour1 cup
- Ground cinnamon½ teaspoon
- Ground nutmeg¼ teaspoon
- Egg1 large
- Packed light or dark brown sugar⅓ cup
- Whole milk¼ cup
- Sour cream or plain yogurt¼ cup
- Unsalted butter2 tablespoons
Donuts
Coating
yes, all of the butter
Steps
apron on. phone down. mostly.
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Heat the oven, grease the pan
Set a rack in the middle of the oven and heat it to 350°F. Grease a donut pan well with nonstick spray or soft butter, getting into every cavity and around the center posts.
If you skimp on the grease the donuts stick at the posts.
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Whisk the dry ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
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Mix the wet ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk the egg and brown sugar until combined. Whisk in the milk, sour cream, melted butter and vanilla.
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Combine
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and stir with a spatula just until you can't see flour. The batter is thick, like a muffin batter. Scrape it into a zip-top bag and snip off one corner.
Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears. Too much stirring makes tough donuts.
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Pipe into the pan
Pipe the batter into the cavities, filling each about halfway and going around the center post. You will have enough for 6 donuts in the first batch and 2 in the second.
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Bake
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops spring back when pressed and the edges are lightly golden. Cool in the pan for 2 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. Wipe and regrease the pan and bake the rest.
About 11 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Coat while warm
Stir the sugar and cinnamon together in a shallow bowl. Put the melted butter in another. Dip each warm donut in the butter on both sides, letting the extra drip off, then roll in the cinnamon sugar. Eat them the same day.
Good to know
the stuff I’d tell you over the phone
- No donut pan? Use a 12-cup muffin tin, filling 8 cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350°F for 18 to 20 minutes and call them donut muffins.
- To double the batch, double everything. The batter keeps in the fridge for 1 hour, but bake the donuts as soon as you can.
- For a glazed donut, skip the butter and sugar and dip the cooled donuts in a glaze of 1 cup powdered sugar and 2 to 3 tablespoons milk.
- Storage. Best the day they are made. Store coated donuts in an airtight container for 1 to 2 days. Freeze uncoated donuts for up to 3 months, then thaw, warm for 5 minutes at 300°F and coat.
Questions, answered
asked and answered at the kitchen counter
Can I make baked donuts without a donut pan?
Yes. Use a muffin tin and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. You get donut muffins that taste the same.
Why are my baked donuts dry?
They baked too long or the batter was overmixed. Take them out as soon as the tops spring back, usually at 10 to 12 minutes, and stir only until the flour disappears.
Can I make the batter ahead?
Not by much. Baking powder starts working as soon as it's wet, so bake within about an hour. Mix the dry ingredients ahead and keep them in a jar.
How do I get the cinnamon sugar to stick?
Dip the donuts while they're still warm, in melted butter first. Cold donuts don't absorb the butter, so the sugar slides off.
Can I use buttermilk instead of sour cream?
Yes. Replace both the milk and sour cream with a total of ½ cup buttermilk. The donuts will be a little lighter and less rich.
From the table
Made it? I want the full report: first bite, best compliment, and who tried to take the leftovers home.
Made it?
tell me the truth, then tell me who had thirds
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Published October 28, 2026.