These Gingerbread Donuts will make any Christmas morning festive and sweet. The donuts are full of warm gingerbread spices, are super soft and fluffy, and are coated in cinnamon sugar!
These baked gingerbread donuts takes everything we love about a gingerbread cookie and places it inside of a moist and cakey breakfast treat! Spices such as cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg are combined with molasses to make a super quick and easy donut.
Instead of adding a glaze (which you totally can!), these donuts are coated with cinnamon sugar. In under 30 minutes you can have freshly baked donuts sitting on your table, making the holiday mornings both sweet and simple.
Looking for more gingerbread recipes? Then check out these: gingerbread muffins and gingersnap cookies.
Why You'll Love These Donuts:
- The quick prep time makes them a perfect breakfast choice.
- They're baked, not fried.
- With warm spices, they're a great choice for the winter months.
- All you need are mixing bowls.
- They're covered in cinnamon sugar!
This donut recipe is best when served right away, but they will last on the counter in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Baked donuts are so much easier (and less messy) to make compared to fried, but you will need a donut pan in order to make them. If you plan on making donuts often enough, I highly recommend you get one!
Baking Tips:
- Donut Pan: Since we are making donuts, you will need a donut pan. I recommend a silicone donut pan like this one or a non-stick one. I have both of these and use them interchangeably. Be sure to spray your pan with non-stick spray.
- Donut Batter: I find it so much easier to scrape the donut batter into a pastry bag or a zipped-up sandwich bag and pipe the batter into the donut cups. This method makes it less messy, too.
- Molasses: Be sure to use unsulphured molasses, as it contains no preservatives or artificial flavors. I like to use Grandma’s molasses as it is pure molasses.
- Cinnamon Sugar Coating: Make sure that both the donuts and melted butter are cooled before dipping the donuts into the butter and then the cinnamon sugar. Dip each donut about 3 times into the cinnamon sugar.
Ingredients Needed:
Here are some of the ingredients we'll need:
- All-Purpose Flour: Unless otherwise stated, I like to use all-purpose flour for my recipes. This is the base and structure for the donuts.
- Baking Powder: I find that donuts rise better with baking powder instead of baking soda.
- Spices: A combination of ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg are used to create that warm gingerbread flavor.
- Molasses: Use unsulphured molasses, as it contains no preservatives or artificial flavors.
- Yogurt: Using yogurt in baked goods, like donuts, help them to be more moist and soft. Feel free to use either plain or vanilla yogurt.
How To Make Baked Gingerbread Donuts:
- Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- Wet Ingredients: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the melted butter, egg, brown sugar, molasses, milk, yogurt, and vanilla extract until combined.
- Combine Ingredients: Add the wet ingredients into the dry and gently fold together using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until combined (be careful not to over mix).
- Bake: Scoop the batter into a piping bag and pipe the donut batter into each donut cup, filling it up just barely to the top. Bake for 9-11 minutes and allow the donuts to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them over to a wire rack.
- Cinnamon Sugar Coating: Dip the cooled donuts into the melted butter (just one side of the donut) and then into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Repeat with the rest of the donuts. I dipped each donut into the cinnamon sugar three times.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes you do, since we’re making donuts. I recommend Wilton’s non-stick donut pan (I have two of these) or this silicone one.
Yes you can! You will have a total of 12 donuts. Just be sure to bake each pan separately.
Although these donuts are best consumed the day of, they will last in an airtight container on the counter for 3 days.
If you made this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below. I love hearing from you!
Also, please share a photo with me of your creation on either Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. It brings me so much joy to see you make my recipes. 🙂
Happy baking!
More Winter Recipes To Try:
Gingerbread Donuts
Equipment
- Donut Pan
- Mixing Bowls
Ingredients:
Gingerbread Donuts:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup yogurt (plain or vanilla)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon Sugar Coating:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 6-count donut pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
Gingerbread Donuts:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the melted butter, egg, brown sugar, molasses, milk, yogurt, and vanilla extract until combined. Add the wet ingredients into the dry and gently fold everything together using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until combined (be careful not to over mix).
- Scoop the batter into a piping bag or a zipped-up sandwich bag. Simply cut a corner off of the bottom of the bag and pipe the donut batter into each donut cup, filling it up just barely to the top.
- Bake the donuts for 9-11 minutes (10 minutes is perfect for me). To check if the donuts are done, touch the top of one carefully with your finger. If it bounces back, they're done. You could also take a toothpick to check the center. If it comes out clean, then they're done. Allow the donuts to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before carefully removing them and setting them on a wire rack to finish cooling.
Cinnamon Sugar Coating:
- In a microwaveable-safe bowl, melt the butter. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Dip the cooled donuts into the melted butter (just one side of the donut) and then into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Repeat with the rest of the donuts. I dipped each donut into the cinnamon sugar three times.
- Keep leftover donuts in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days.
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