Happy National Donut Day, friends! And, the nerd and editor in me feels compelled to point out that yes, doughnut is the appropriate spelling. But, looks like we can’t be bothered with proper or full spellings these days - oh where did our attention spans go?! - so we’ve got a nice little nickname all picked out. Going with it. To celebrate this lovely little holiday, I’m bringing you some whole wheat cinnamon sugar baked donuts! Cinnamon-sugar toast was one of my favorites growing up. We had a toaster oven that we used for this toast - as well as for those Pillsbury cinnamon roll biscuits with the frosting. You know the ones - where by the time they were cooked, you hardly had any frosting left to put on them. Or was that just me?
Anyway, I would butter up some toast, add a healthy coating of cinnamon-sugar — we even had a spice jar of it already mixed and ready to go — and chow down. The simple joys, right? These donuts bring those same flavors back but in an even better package! I had asked for donut pans for Christmas several years ago - and got two from my lovely sister-in-law. Somehow, amidst J being a baby and our moving houses the following year, they never got used. #serioustragedy
Well, I’ve been making up for lost time. We’ve been on a baked donuts kick (as well as our waffle kick and never-ending muffin craze - seriously good breakfast eats here, if you ever want to stop by) and I’ve been trying out all kinds. The husband and kiddos are happy for me to experiment. 🙂 These cinnamon-sugar baked donuts are a definite favorite and such a classic combination for me. The sugar coating on top creates a fabulous crust for the donut, which is amazingly tender and soft on the inside. Perfect contrast. And let me assure you, baked donuts are every bit as delicious as their fried counterparts. I actually prefer them!
A few quick notes for you:
I suggest you buy two donut pans (I have these) so you have enough to make for guests. This recipe yields 6, which is perfect for just our family, but you will want to double up if you are serving people - these will be devoured! I use a plastic Ziploc bag to pipe these into the donut pans. Just put your batter into a sandwich or small storage bag, use some scissors to snip off one of the bottom corners of the bag and you can squeeze the batter out into your prepared donut pans. You can also just spoon it in, but I think this helps keep them neat and well-shaped. I always turn out my baked donuts as soon as they are finished. I find this helps to prevent them from getting soggy from the steam. I just use my oven mitt to turn the pan upside down on top of a paper towel or kitchen towel, then use my other hand, also in a mitt, to tap the bottom of the donut pan. They should fall right out. Just turn them every couple of minutes so the donuts cool on both sides (if you leave them sitting down, the bottoms will sit in that extra steam and moisture and get soggy). Give them just a minute or two to cool down - and to prevent sogginess - and then dip in your melted butter and then in your cinnamon-sugar mixture. Try not to drool. We have kept extras of these in the refrigerator for up to two days and they didn’t get soggy.
So whether it’s today, over the weekend, for Father’s Day, or just for a fun breakfast this summer, I hope you’ll join me on the baked donuts team.
(M is telling me photo shoot is over, snack time is on. I’m with her!) Enjoy!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but I receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated! You can keep extra donuts, even ones that have been buttered and sugared, in the fridge and they don’t get soggy. Ours were still great two days later.
Wilton Non-stick 6-Cavity Donut Baking Pans, Multipack of 2
