These tasty vanilla glazed donuts take only minutes to prepare and less than 10 minutes to bake. Decorate with your favourite sprinkles and you have one fun (pretty) treat!
This baked donut recipe was originally posted in May of 2018 and has been updated with more recipe details and tips.
Have you made your own donuts at home? It couldn’t be simpler!
This easy baked donuts have been on rotation in our home for quite some time (sprinkles optional but not really, if you ask me).
My life changed when I purchased a donut pan (okay, tad dramatic, but it was so worth it).
I didn’t realize how easy baked donuts were to make. And because these are baked, they are so much better than their fried counter part.
So, what’s your favourite thing to enjoy with donuts? Coffee? A cold glass of milk? I’d have to say for me it would be coffee and I gotta dunk!
And I ain’t gonna lie. If it’s, like, 9 o’clock on Saturday night I just may enjoy one of these bad boys with a glass of vino.
How to Make Donuts at Home
- Preheat your oven and grease your donut pan with baking spray. Lay to one side.
- In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine.
- Add milk, egg, melted butter and vanilla extract to flour mixture. Use a hand mixer (or a spatula) to blend everything together.
- Spoon the mixture into the pan or place the mixture into a piping bag and pipe it in (do whatever you’re comfortable with). I just spooned in. This is a great tutorial on how to make a homemade piping bag (just adjust the tip to be a bit larger for the donut batter).
- Bake
- Allow donuts to cool completely before icing.
- Enjoy!
Tip: Tap the pan on a hard surface a couple of times so the batter is even and any air bubbles are released.
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Donut Glaze
All you need for a simple donut glaze is:
- Icing sugar
- Vanilla extra
- Water
Note: Gel food colouring was used (totally optional) for a pretty pink colour. I opted for ‘gel’ over liquid because it’s more potent and didn’t want to further loosen the donut glaze.
I used the tiniest bit of pink gel food colouring. That stuff is capital ‘P’ potent!!
Dip the tip of a wooden skewer into the gel pot and swirl it into the glaze until you’ve reached the desired colour that makes you happy.
If you prefer to skip the colouring, that’s okay too!
Tip: If you opt to using regular liquid food colouring, consider adding less water to the glaze.
How Long Do these Vanilla Glazed Donuts Last
Like with most baked goods, these vanilla donuts are best enjoyed when they are made because that’s when they’re at their optimal freshness.
More Tips
Allow the donuts to completely cool before glazing. Otherwise, the glaze will soak into the donuts.
Speaking of glaze, when making any icing sugar glaze, a little liquid goes a long way. It’s best not to add all the water all at once, but rather a teaspoon or so at a time until you’ve reached your desired consistency.
Note: If you happen to add too much liquid and your icing sugar is too runny, no worries! Just add a little more icing sugar to thicken again.
More Baked Donut Recipes
- Blueberry Donuts with Lemon Glaze
- Coffee Donuts with Peanut Butter Chocolate Glaze
- Coconut and Lemon Donuts
Hope you enjoy this recipe!
If you make these vanilla glaze donuts, be sure to leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed!
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Vanilla Glazed Donuts (with simple icing sugar glaze)
Ingredients
Donuts
- 1 cup all-purpose flour , sifted (spoon the flour in your measure cup and level off with a knife)
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup milk (I used 'whole' or full fat milk)
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- baking spray (for greasing pan)
- Sprinkles (garnish, to taste, optional)
Glaze
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or less if you want less vanilla flavour)
- 5 teaspoons water
- pink gel colouring (to desired colour, optional)
Instructions
Donuts
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 6-unit donut pan with baking spray and lay to one side.
- Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- To flour mixture, add milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Using a hand mixer, blend for a minute or two until just combined.
- Distribute donut batter into greased pan.
- Bake on middle rack of oven for 7 to 8 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean of wet batter when inserted into the donuts. Carefully remove pan from oven. Let rest 10 to 15 minutes before removing donuts from pan. Let cool completely on wire rack before icing.
- Invert donuts into glaze and distribute sprinkles over top. Place on wire rack and let glaze set for 10 minutes or so. Enjoy!
Glaze
- Add icing sugar to a bowl and add vanilla and water (a teaspoon or so at a time until you've reached your desired consistency … a little water goes a long way) and gel food colouring (if using). Whisk or stir with a spoon until everything is combined and smooth. Note: If using the gel food colouring, I suggest using a tiny amount on the tip of a toothpick to swirl into icing sugar mixture (again, a little goes a long way). If you are using a LIQUID food colouring, you'll want to add a little less water so you don't thin out the glaze too much.
Notes
Nutrition (ESTIMATE ONLY)
Nutrition estimate (if provided) is based on 1 serving.
Nutrition information (if provided) is provided as a courtesy and should be considered an estimate only. Ingredients can vary and Girl Heart Food makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are guidelines only.
Andrea
Just made these as a trial run for my daughters upcoming donut themed birthday! These will be perfect for the donut bar. Can they be made the night before? How would you store?
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
So happy to hear that, Andrea! Like with most baked goods, it’s best enjoyed the day it’s made because it’s freshest. But in a pinch you could definitely make the day before. Store in a dry, airtight container 🙂 Happy birthday to your daughter!
Emily @ Robust Recipes
Beautiful donuts! The perfect treat to make for a pink themed baby shower! 🙂
Girl Heart Food
Thank you Emily 🙂 They sure are – gotta love pink!
Monica | Nourish & Fete
Dawn, these look and sound SO good! I bought a donut pan a few months ago and can you believe I have YET TO USE IT!? Basically a major crime, I know. Fortunately now I have the perfect recipe to break it in with, because these sound delicious. Weekend breakfast here I come! Not to mention they are perfect for celebrating a new baby girl. 🙂
Girl Heart Food
Thank you Monica!!! Time to break out that pan! After all, it is the weekend 🙂 Have a good one!
Miriam
They are almost too pretty to eat – what a lovely idea for a virtual baby shower! I like that your homemade version is healthier than the fried ones you get in the store, I’d definitely have two with a nice cold glass of milk 🙂 Have a nice weekend, Dawn!
Miriam x
Girl Heart Food
Awww- thanks Miriam!! Have a nice weekend too 🙂 XO
Shashi at SavorySpin
Oh my! These are so adorable! LOVE LOVE LOVE the rise on these! I haven’t made donuts since I moved into my condo – IN OCTOBER and now that so needs to change! Loving that pink hue – food coloring isn’t my best friend as I always put in too much or two little – you have the perfect pink hue on these and I love the sprinkles too! Oooh… 3 more days for the weekend Dawn! I hope you have been having a wonderful week! And congrats to Katherine!
Girl Heart Food
Thank you Shashi!!! It’s time you break out that donut pan….after all it IS Friday 😉 Have a wonderful weekend, my friend! XOXO
Kevin O'Leary
These are so pretty! Love the sprinkles!
Girl Heart Food
Thanks Kevin! Gotta have the sprinkles 😉
Kelly Lynns Sweets and Treats
First off, I love baked donuts…but that GLAZE!!! I’m drooling! Thanks for being a part of the party! XOXO
Girl Heart Food
Me too! Thank you so much, Kelly!! And I really appreciate you organizing such a fun party! Happy to be part of it! XOXO
Sarah
I don’t have a donut pan, but I def look at them whenever I’m in a kitchen store! These look great- how perfect for a baby shower!!!
Girl Heart Food
You need to get your hands on one! Thanks Sarah 🙂
Katie Crenshaw | A Fork's Tale
These are the prettiest pink donuts ever!!! LOVE them. What a clever idea for creating a baby shower party round up!! I love it. I would make all of these recipes for any occasion though. They all look great.
Girl Heart Food
Awww – thanks so much, Katie!!
Kim | Give it Some Thyme
My kids will bow at my feet for making these!! So awesome, Dawn! And that shade of pink is just perfect!
Stephanie | 31 Daily
These are so darling, Dawn! So perfect for baby showers or just when you need a little pink to make you happy! Can’t wait to surprise my pink loving little niece with these :)!
Girl Heart Food
Thank you Stephanie! I hope she loves them 🙂
Milena
Beautiful spread for a fun event! Possibly more pink food than I’ve ever seen in one place:) I love it. I need to try making baked donuts, yours always look so perfect. Have a wonderful week, Dawn! With a batch of donuts like these I don’t think that you’ll miss meat at all:) I wouldn’t.
Girl Heart Food
Me too! Though, I do love pink! Thank you Milena! The meatless March has been interesting so far 😉 Have a great week!
[email protected]
So excited for Katherine! Her friends have pulled together a beautiful shower! I love baked donuts – and these are so pretty! Have a great week, my friend! XOXO
Girl Heart Food
Me too! Thank you Annie! Same to you 🙂 XOXO
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
Beautiful and absolutely perfect for a baby shower!
Girl Heart Food
Thank you Jennifer 🙂
David @ Spiced
I haven’t pulled out my donut pan in a couple weeks now…and that’s a couple weeks too long! These look like the perfection of baked donuts. In fact, they remind me of the iconic “Simpson’s donut”…which is another way of saying they’re perfect! I’m actually making a cake this weekend for a gender reveal party, and now I’m kinda thinking we need donuts instead. 🙂 Well done, my friend!
Girl Heart Food
Waaaaay too long 😉 Right?! Gotta love The Simpsons! Thanks David – they definitely would be great for that!
Deepika|TheLoveOfCakes
These are so pretty!! Love how quick and easy they are..and the best part is that the recipe makes a small batch, which saves me from eating too many donuts 😀
Girl Heart Food
Haha – so true 😉 Thanks Deepika!
Marie
I really need to invest in a doughnut pan. These look so fluffy and perfect and so pretty for a baby shower.
Girl Heart Food
You do!! Thank you so much, Marie 🙂
Leanne | Crumb Top Baking
I love that these are so quick and easy to make Dawn! Great for a baby shower, but also perfect for birthday parties!
Girl Heart Food
They sure are 😉 Thanks Leanne!
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
These donuts are so cute and perfect for a baby shower, or any occasion at all! You are so right about the gel food coloring – very potent. I have a shoe box full of them. I had one that leaked all over…I guess the lid wasn’t quite on right. Oh what a mess, but at least it was in a box and not just in my cupboard!
Girl Heart Food
Totally! Oh no! Good thing it was in that box!! That would have been quite the mess to clean up!
maria | kitchenathoskins
This is such perfectly baked donut, beautifully embellished for a baby shower!! Been a while since I’ve used a donut pan. Time to get it out:)
Girl Heart Food
Thanks so much Maria 🙂 !!
Katherine | Love In My Oven
My life definitely changed after buying a donut pan 😉 Dramatic, but true! Haha these sound terrific, Dawn! I can’t wait to them out – I love making baked donuts for the boys and I – and SOOOOON I can make these pretty pink ones for my little gal! THANK YOU for being a part of this special shower. I am such a lucky girl! Much love to you my dear friend! XO
Girl Heart Food
Haha – right 😉 ?! Thanks Katherine! I bet you and your little girl will bake lots of yummy things together. XO
Thao @ In Good Flavor
These donuts are so adorable and girly, perfect for a baby shower! I’ve never donuts with vino, but since you brought it up, I’ll have to give it a try…you know in the name of research! 🙂
Girl Heart Food
Haha – yes, in the name of research 😉 Thanks Thao!
Marissa
aww, I love Katherine! This is so sweet Dawn! Your donuts look amazing and what a fantastic baby shower menu!
Girl Heart Food
She is so sweet, right? Thank you Marissa! Hope you’re having a lovely weekend 🙂 XO
[email protected]
Coffee and dunking are a must! I used to own a coffee shop and made hundreds of donuts everyday so My donut eating days are far behind me. But these look amazing.
Girl Heart Food
Totally!! Thanks Patrick 🙂
Lily
Looks like great minds think alike! We both seem to like pretty pink donuts with sprinkles:) You can never have too many donuts for any celebrations. Thanks for sharing your version!
Girl Heart Food
Haha – definitely 😉 I agree! Thanks Lily! Back at ya!
Ben|Havocinthekitchen
When I’m buying a donut somewhere (Swear – this doesn’t happen often!), I won’t normally grab a colored/sprinkled one as I prefer simple and decadent stuff. But these bad guys look so beautiful and positive that I won’t be able to resist but grab a few 🙂 Well done!
Girl Heart Food
Haha – thanks Ben! Nothing like a simple glazed donut…with coffee, of course 😉
Michelle
Yum, these pink donuts are so cute and look delicious! Thanks for reminding me that I have a donut pan sitting in the cupboard waiting to be used again!
Girl Heart Food
Yes! Break out that donut pan 😉 Thanks Michelle!
Kim | The Baking ChocolaTess
You’re tempting me again Dawn! Those gorgeous donuts look so whimisical and fun to eat!!
Girl Heart Food
Thank you so much, Kim 🙂 !!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen
I love making homemade cake donuts Dawn, and haven’t made a batch in a while! Time to break out the donut pan! These beauties are totally inspiring me!
Girl Heart Food
Woo hoo! Happy to hear that 🙂 Thanks Mary Ann! XO
Cyn
Oh, you go got this girl feeling like Homer Simpson with these gorgeous pink glazed donuts.
Girl Heart Food
Haha – love it! Thanks Cyn!
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen
My favorite thing to enjoy with donuts is more donuts. Maybe also a cup of coffee :). My life changed when I bought a donut pan too–what were we doing with ourselves before donut pans were a thing? Clearly, we were not truly living! These donuts sound perfect for a Saturday morning, Dawn! Have a wonderful day!
Girl Heart Food
Haha – right?! Thanks Kelsie! Have a wonderful day too 🙂
Liz
Time to dust off my donut pan! My family would love to wake up to these beautiful breakfast treats!
Girl Heart Food
Definitely 😉 Thanks Liz! Happy weekend 🙂