Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Donuts Recipe

This recipe for baked cinnamon sugar donuts is delicious and easy to make. Baked donuts are simple, and these taste amazing! This post contains affiliate links which earn me a small commission if you click on one and purchase.

I broke my no oven during summer rule today. After all, tomorrow is National Donut Day (National Doughnut Day?). And today is the first day of no school, so I have family members who deserve something special.

I love making homemade baked donuts. They come together quickly like muffins and don’t have spattering oil. Baked means I can consider them healthy, right? Ok, healthier?

Regardless, donuts are one of my favorite fun breakfast foods to make. That’s why I’ve posted just a couple donut recipes before from traditional chocolate frosted donuts to lemon donuts and even strawberry donuts. (See all my donut recipes at the bottom of the post for more ideas!)

How I missed the traditional cinnamon sugar donuts that I devour every time I go to a fair or other fried food mecca I don’t know. Today, I rectify that error. You’re welcome!

These cinnamon sugar donuts have a little tang to them from the cream cheese I add. I use just a little bit – enough to give it a little flavor without making it taste like cream cheese. If you don’t have any on hand, you can leave it out or use half as much sour cream in its place, but I love the little zip!

Personally, I like to make baked donuts because they’re easier for me. While I’ve made fried donuts before like these pumpkin donuts and yes, apple cider donuts, generally I turn to my donut pans and bake them to avoid the mess.

All you need for these is a donut pan. Around here, we make mini donuts for the sheer fact that my daughter believes you can eat “more” of them that way. Really that just means I let her have three mini donuts instead of one regular size donut. Guess which one uses more batter….

If you want to make full size donuts, this makes a dozen of them. For mini donuts, this creates 48. Any “leftover” donuts (we aren’t familiar with this concept at my house) are good for a day. Beyond that, freeze them in a tightly sealed container for up to a month.

Mini donut pans tend to come in just the 12 count size. Really, who makes 12 mini donuts? What recipe makes 12 mini donuts? Bite the bullet and get at least two pans to minimize your batch work. Worst case, you can use your mini muffin tin to make donut holes with the extra batter if you don’t want to wait. Or use a full size donut pan for some of all of these cinnamon sugar donuts.

My other pro tip? When you fill your pastry or zip top bag with the batter, place it in a glass and fold the top over the outside of the glass. This gives you two hands to work with and prevents your bag from falling over while you fill.

While most people use zip top baggies because that’s what they have in their pantries already, disposable pastry bags are pretty much the same cost and often easier to use since they’re cone shaped. You never end up with batter going to a corner and getting stuck there. I used to think that pastry bags were more expensive, but nope!

Tools You Need to Make Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

• Mini donut pan
• Small pan (for melting butter)
• Pastry brush
• Spatula
• Mixing bowl
• Liquid measuring cup
• Zip top bag (or pastry bag)
• Whisk

How to Make Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease mini donut pan(s) and set aside for later.

In a small pan, melt 5 tablespoons butter over low heat. As it gets almost melted, add cream cheese and stir until cream cheese heats and softens. Remove from heat.

Add flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and nutmeg to a large bowl. Stir to mix thoroughly.

In a liquid measuring cup, add the milk, egg, and vanilla. Whisk until incorporated. Add melted butter and warmed cream cheese and whisk again until distributed. If you use a two cup or larger measuring cup, no need to dirty an extra bowl!

Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients, and use a spatula to stir. Mix just until the white streaks disappear. You don’t want to overmix the batter – it’s ok if it’s a little lumpy.

Place your pastry or zip top bag inside a glass and fold down the top over the glass to provide a nice opening. Scrape the batter into the bag. Lift up the edges and twist the top so batter doesn’t spill out.

Snip a small piece from the bottom/corner of the bag. Pipe the batter into the donut pan(s), filling just slightly over half way.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes until the cinnamon sugar donuts spring back when you touch them.

While baking, melt the remaining three tablespoons of butter. In a small bowl, add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon, then stir and set aside.

Let the donuts cool for one minute, then finish each individually. Remove one donut at a time from the pan, which helps keep the others hot.

Use the pastry brush to lightly coat the top of the donut. Dip the donut into your cinnamon sugar mixture bottom side first, then flip to coat the donut in cinnamon sugar. The warm bottom absorbs cinnamon sugar, and the butter helps the top absorb some, as well.

Set the finished one aside, and repeat with each of the remaining cinnamon sugar donuts.

Serve immediately. Let any leftovers cool thoroughly, then store in a tightly sealed container on your counter for up to two days. Freeze anything remaining for up to a month, and make sure any container has as little air as possible.

Have you ever made cinnamon sugar donuts at home?

Need more donut inspiration? Check out my favorite recipes:

• Cereal topped donuts
• Chocolate dipped donuts
• Lemon donuts
• Strawberry donuts
• Pumpkin donuts
• Baked apple cider donuts
• Fried apple cider donuts
• Cereal milk donuts
• Raspberry glazed donuts
• Baked oatmeal donuts
• Chocolate chip banana bread donuts

Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

These baked cinnamon sugar donuts are delicious and easy to make. The secret ingredient gives it a little bit of a zing for a more flavorful donut. Light and airy, these are the perfect donuts to make for your next breakfast or gathering!

5 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 48 mini donuts

Calories: 55kcal

Author: Michelle

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Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar divided
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon divided
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease mini donut pan(s) and set aside for later.
• In a small pan, melt 5 tablespoons butter over low heat. Add cream cheese to mostly melted butter and stir. Remove from heat.
  8 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 ounces cream cheese
• Add flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and nutmeg to large bowl. Stir to mix thoroughly.
  1 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• In liquid measuring cup, add the milk, egg, and vanilla. Whisk until incorporated. Add butter and cream cheese.
  1/2 cup milk, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Pour liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients, and mix just until white streaks disappear. Do not overmix.
• Add batter to bag and snip a small hole in the bottom. Pipe batter into donut pan(s), filling just slightly over half way.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes until donuts spring back.
• While baking, melt remaining three tablespoons of butter. In a small bowl, add remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon, then stir and set aside.
• Let donuts cool for one minute, brush one donut at a time with butter on the top side and dip top and bottom into cinnamon sugar mixture to coat. Repeat with each remaining donut.
• Serve immediately. Let leftovers cool thoroughly, then store in tightly sealed container on counter for up to two days. Freeze anything remaining for up to a month.

Equipment

Nonstick Mini Donut Pan

Reusable Pastry Bags

Wire Cooling Racks

Notes

• This recipe has instructions for mini donuts. You can also make 12 full-size donuts. Follow the same instructions but use the larger pan. Increase cooking time to 10-12 minutes, and enjoy!
• For more tips and tricks, be sure to read the full article above.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1mini donut | Calories: 55kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 79mg | Sugar: 4g

This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.

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