I love donuts, but I don’t love all those empty calories. These baked vanilla donuts satisfy my donut cravings with way fewer calories! They’re easy to make in under 30 minutes, and they have a deliciously sweet and sugary glaze on top. I never feel like I’m missing out with these delicious donuts!
These baked vanilla donuts are so easy to make with just 7 ingredients! I used vanilla cake mix to keep things simple and enriched it with milk and vanilla extract. The glaze is super simple, too– just milk, sugar, a little butter, and some vanilla. These baked donuts are quick, easy, and so tasty!
What’s in This Baked Vanilla Donut Recipe?
- Vanilla Cake Mix: Makes these donuts super easy to prepare.
- Milk: Hydrates the donuts and helps thin the glaze.
- Vegetable Oil: Makes the donuts moist and tender.
- Egg: Binds the donuts to give them structure.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the vanilla flavor of the donuts and the glaze.
- Butter: Unsalted butter makes the glaze shiny and rich.
- Powdered Sugar: Sweetens the glaze and gives it structure.
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How to Store
In an airtight container at room temperature, these baked vanilla donuts will stay fresh for up to 2 days. If stored in the refrigerator, they will keep for up to 1 week.
Tips for Success
- Don’t fill up the donut tins all the way! Just ¾ of the way full is enough batter, that way they have room to rise as they bake.
- I’ve found that Ziplock baggies are the easiest way to store donuts. Just make sure the donuts are completely cooled to room temperature and the glaze has dried before storing.
- Making these donuts around Christmas? Use eggnog instead of milk in the glaze!
Baked Vanilla Donuts Recipe
These baked vanilla donuts satisfy my donut cravings with way fewer calories and way less hassle! Ready in under 30 minutes– yum!
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total Time
: 25 minutes
Servings: 12 donuts
Ingredients
For the Donuts
- 15.25 ounces vanilla cake mix (1 box)
- ¾ cup milk
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg optional
For the Glaze
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted (⅛ stick)
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1¼ cups powdered sugar
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Donut Tin
- Hand Mixer
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a 6-count donut tin with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, milk, vegetable oil, egg, vanilla, and nutmeg (if using). The batter should be quite thick, but add a little extra milk if it seems too thick to work with.15.25 ounces vanilla cake mix, ¾ cup milk, ⅓ cup vegetable oil, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Using a spoon or spatula, fill the donut wells about ¾ full. Bake for 10 minutes and let cool in the pan for another 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining batter.
- While the donuts bake, make the glaze. In a medium mixing bowl, add the melted butter, milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir into a paste consistency.1¼ cups powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon milk, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- While the donuts are still warm, dip each one face down into the bowl of glaze and tip back over and place on the cooling rack.
- If you want extra glaze let the first round of glaze cool and then dip again into the glaze mixture. You may have to double the batch and you can slightly heat the glaze to make it spread easier.
Notes
Storage: Store baked vanilla donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Nutrition Facts
Baked Vanilla Donuts Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 donut)
Calories 262
Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Trans Fat 0.2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 20mg7%
Sodium 262mg11%
Potassium 54mg2%
Carbohydrates 43g14%
Fiber 0.4g2%
Sugar 28g31%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 78IU2%
Vitamin C 0.001mg0%
Calcium 102mg10%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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