Description
Warm, fresh-baked cinnamon sugar donuts that are soft & tender, packed with cinnamon spice and coated in delicious cinnamon sugar. The perfect fall treat to enjoy with a hot beverage!
Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar Topping – you’ll only end up using about ½ or less of this, but we’re making extra to make it easier to dip!
- ¼ cup organic cane sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Note: I’ve tried dipping the donuts in coconut sugar and melted coconut oil—it’s a bit on the drier side and tastes too much like coconut. I don’t recommend unless you’re looking for a dry coconut donut haha.
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour or gluten free oat flour – if using homemade, make sure it’s very finely ground (not coarse)
- ½ cup finely ground, blanched almond flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup milk of choice
- 3 tablespoons melted butter of choice or coconut oil
- ¼ cup organic brown sugar (lightly packed) or coconut sugar
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For Coating Donuts:
- ¼ cup melted butter of choice
- The cinnamon sugar topping above
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Set aside two 6-cavity, nonstick donut pans.
- Make the Cinnamon Sugar Topping: Add sugar and cinnamon to a shallow, wide bowl. Whisk or stir the ingredients together until well mixed. Set aside for later.
- Make the donut batter: Whisk all dry ingredients together in medium bowl: all purpose flour or oat flour, almond flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Whisk all wet ingredients together in a large bowl: water, milk, butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla.
- Pour the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients. Whisk until just mixed, with no flour patches remaining. Be careful not to over-stir.
- Pour batter into a reusable piping bag, or a large gallon zip bag. If using the gallon bag, begin with a slightly wide tip trimmed off (not too big, but not super small) and test piping into one donut crevice. If it’s too small, go ahead and trim the hole larger. Note: using the piping bag will require some skill and quick movement, and with some practice it’ll get easier. Alternatively, you can use a small spoon to spoon the batter into each crevice, but it will be much messier.
- Pipe the donut batter into the crevices of the nonstick donut pans, filling each crevice nearly to the top. If needed, use a spoon to smooth batter into an even layer.
- Bake for 12-18 Minutes. Mine took 15 minutes. Test for doneness by sticking a toothpick into the thickest, tallest part of a donut. Once the toothpick comes out clean, the donuts are done. Set the donut pan onto a cooling rack and allow donuts to cool for about 5 minutes—or just until you can handle the pan with bare hands.
- Once cool enough to handle, bang the donut pan on a protected, hearty surface until the donuts jump up out of their crevices. Once all donuts have “jumped” out, flip the pan upside down over the cooling rack to deposit the donuts onto the rack to cool completely. Repeat for the other donut pan.
- Cool for about 30 minutes.
- Coat the donuts: Melt the remaining butter in a small bowl. Grab a basting brush—I prefer this kind with silicone bristles. Brush each donut in butter—one side if you prefer a donut just half-covered in sugar, the whole thing if you want the entire donut covered in sugar.
- Turn the butter-covered side of the donut into the pile of cinnamon sugar you prepared earlier. Gently press, twist and tilt the donut to coat. Repeat for all donuts. Enjoy!
Notes
Storing instructions: Donuts are best the first day as the sugar will dissolve over the course of the day. If you’d like to enjoy them the next day, wait until you’re ready to eat them to coat the donuts.
Freezing Instructions: Donuts will last up to 1 month in the freezer. Again, it’s best to coat the donuts in cinnamon sugar right before serving. Also, allow the donuts to thaw before coating or they’ll freeze up the melted butter
How to make Vegan: use organic sugar or coconut sugar, non-dairy milk, and vegan butter.
How to make Gluten Free: Gluten free oat flour works best. I haven’t tried using gluten free all purpose flour. If you do, comment below with which brand you used and how well it turned out. Your comments help readers to find baking success! 🙂
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
