Baked Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts made with cinnamon and nutmeg baked into a soft doughnut that’s dipped in butter and coated in cinnamon sugar, ready in 30 minutes!

I love making a batch of these on the weekend for an easy breakfast throughout the week. For more breakfast ideas check out these Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins, Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats, and Strawberry Banana Muffins!

Four doughnuts stacked on top of each other coated in cinnamon sugar.

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts are the perfect grab-and-go breakfast on the weekends. You can make a big batch of these and freeze them, so you have a sweet treat any time! Or enjoy a warm doughnut out of the oven on the weekend. Serve with a hot cup of coffee on a relaxing morning.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients for cinnamon sugar doughnuts on a table.

Gluten Free All Purpose Flour. I always use 1:1 gluten free flour. Gluten free flour blends can vary, which affects the flavor. Stick with your favorite well-known brand. 

Sugar. A mixture of brown sugar and white sugar adds a deeper flavor to the cinnamon sugar doughnuts. You can use all brown or all white sugar, if that’s what you have. 

Butter. I always use unsalted butter. The amount of salt used in butter can vary, so it’s easier to add the salt later. 

You can swap the butter for vegetable oil. 

Baking Soda and Baking Powder. This helps keep the doughnuts from having a dense texture. 

Spices. Cinnamon and nutmeg are added to the dough to give a lot of great flavor, then cinnamon is used again mixed with sugar to coat the finished doughnut.

Eggs. Eggs help bind everything together, and the yolks add a small amount of fat to the recipe which also helps with the soft texture. 

Cream. Cream adds fat to the dough, giving it a soft texture. You can also use regular milk if that’s what you have. 

Vanilla. Vanilla extract adds flavor. You can change this around with almond extract, or even a peppermint extract (and a chocolate glaze). 

Salt. Salt helps with flavor and to balance the sweetness, so they’re not overly sweet. 

How to Make Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

Step by step photos of how to make cinnamon sugar doughnuts
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a stand mixer (or with an electric hand mixer), cream together the brown sugar, white sugar, and softened butter at medium speed.  
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients. Use a separate medium bowl and sift the dry ingredients into the bowl. 
  3. While mixing, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture. Then add the wet ingredients, mixing until everything is combined. 
  4. Add the dough to a piping bag with the corner cut off. Pipe the dough into a lightly greased doughnut pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until doughnuts are baked through and golden brown. 
  5. Add melted butter to one bowl, and whisk together sugar and cinnamon in another bowl. Gently brush each doughnut in butter, then dip in the cinnamon sugar mixture. 

How to Make Donut Glaze

You can also make these donuts with glaze (like Krispy Kreme!) instead of cinnamon sugar. 

  1. Whisk together 1 cup of powdered sugar with 3-4 tablespoons of milk, and a teaspoon vanilla extract. 
  2. Dip each donut in the glaze, then place on parchment paper to dry. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Do baked donuts taste the same as fried?

Baked donuts will have more of a cake texture than fried donuts. An added bonus is that these don’t require yeast, so they’re a lot faster to make. You also pipe the dough into the pan, instead of using a donut cutter. 

What is the proper ratio for cinnamon sugar?

I like to use 1 cup of granulated sugar to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. You can use more or less cinnamon to suit your taste.  

Why are my donuts not fluffy?

Baked donuts may turn out dense instead of fluffy for a few reasons. 
Over mixing. Be careful not to over-mix the dough, or while creaming the butter and sugar together. You want to mix everything until just combined. 
Leavening. Use double-acting baking powder. Regular baking powder, without “double-acting”, won’t have the same effect. 
Fats. The fat in the cream, butter, and egg yolks all help keep the donuts tender and fluffy, and not dry. Don’t leave these ingredients out. 
Over baked. Watch the time carefully to prevent over baking the donuts.

Storage

Room temp. Wrap the doughnuts in plastic wrap, or in an airtight container, and store at room temperature for 1-2 days. 

Freeze. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for 2-3 months. I like to also wrap the container in tinfoil or plastic wrap to help prevent freezer burn.

Thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours, or until room temperature. 

More Sweet Recipes

Cooking Tips

  • Instead of the cinnamon sugar coating, you can also dust the doughnuts with powdered sugar.  
  • If you don’t want dairy, you can swap the cream for an alternative like almond milk, and the butter for vegetable oil. 
  • If you don’t have donut molds, you can pipe the donut shape onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. 
  • The doughnut dough for baked doughnuts is thinner and more sticky than the fried doughnut dough. Expect it to work well with piping, but not for rolling out. 
Four doughnuts stacked on top of each other coated in cinnamon sugar with a hand holding the top one.

If you loved this recipe, be sure to leave a 5 Star review below, and tag me with a photo of your finished recipe on Instagram @Jacqui_DishingDelish!

Four doughnuts stacked on top of each other coated in cinnamon sugar.

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts made with cinnamon and nutmeg baked into a soft doughnut that's dipped in butter and coated in cinnamon sugar, ready in 30 minutes!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Review
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Jacqui
Yield: 18 servings

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups gluten free all purpose flour, cup for cup
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cups heavy cream

For the Topping

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Equipment

  • 2 doughnut pans
  • 1 Stand mixer or electric hand mixer

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a doughnut pan and set aside.
  • In a stand mixer, cream together brown sugar, white sugar, and softened butter at medium speed. In a separate bowl, sift together your dry ingredients.
  • Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar, mixing at medium speed. Add the wet ingredients slowly until everything is well combined.
  • Add the dough to a piping bag with the corner cut off. Pipe the dough into the doughnut pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until doughnuts are baked through and golden brown.
  • For the topping, add melted butter to one bowl, and whisk together sugar and cinnamon in another bowl. Gently brush each side of the doughnut in butter, then dip in the cinnamon sugar mixture, coating each side.

Notes

Click on the time in the instructions to start a timer!
Storage:
Room temp. Wrap the doughnuts in plastic wrap, or in an airtight container, and store at room temperature for 1-2 days. 
Freeze. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for 2-3 months. I like to also wrap the container in tinfoil or plastic wrap to help prevent freezer burn.
Thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours, or until room temperature. 
Tips
  • Instead of the cinnamon sugar coating, you can also dust the doughnuts with powdered sugar. 
  • If you don’t have donut molds, you can pipe the donut shape onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. 
Variations
  • If you don’t want dairy, you can swap the cream for an alternative like almond milk, and the butter for vegetable oil. 
  • For glaze instead of the cinnamon sugar topping, whisk together 1 cup of powdered sugar with 3-4 tablespoons of milk, and a teaspoon vanilla extract. 

Nutrition

Calories: 267kcal (13%)Carbohydrates: 33g (11%)Protein: 2g (4%)Fat: 15g (23%)Saturated Fat: 9g (56%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 59mg (20%)Sodium: 140mg (6%)Potassium: 53mg (2%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 23g (26%)Vitamin A: 492IU (10%)Vitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 39mg (4%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
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