Baked Banana Bread Donuts (Print version)
Tender baked banana-flavored donuts with cinnamon and nutmeg, ideal for a sweet breakfast or snack.
# What you'll need:
→ Wet Ingredients
01 - 2 ripe bananas, mashed
02 - 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
03 - 2/3 cup light brown sugar
04 - 2 large eggs
05 - 1/4 cup whole milk
06 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Dry Ingredients
07 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
08 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
09 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
10 - 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
11 - 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
12 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
→ Optional Glaze
13 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
14 - 1–2 tablespoons milk
15 - 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
# How to make it:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 12-cavity donut pan with cooking spray or butter.
02 - In a large bowl, mash the bananas until smooth. Whisk in melted butter and brown sugar until fully incorporated and mixture is creamy.
03 - Add eggs, milk, and vanilla extract to the banana mixture. Whisk until smooth and uniform in texture.
04 - In a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until well blended.
05 - Gradually fold dry ingredients into wet mixture using a spatula. Mix until just combined—do not overmix as this will toughen the donuts.
06 - Spoon or pipe batter into prepared donut pan, filling each cavity about 3/4 full. A piping bag or zip-top bag with corner snipped works best for even distribution.
07 - Bake for 10–12 minutes until donuts are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
08 - Let donuts rest in pan for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
09 - In a small bowl, whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth and drizzle-consistency. Dip tops of cooled donuts into glaze or drizzle over using a spoon.
# Expert suggestions:
01 -
- These capture everything you love about banana bread in an adorable handheld portion that feels special enough for company but easy enough for Tuesday morning.
- Baking instead of frying means you get all the comfort with less mess and slightly less guilt, plus they stay incredibly moist thanks to those ripe bananas.
02 -
- Overfilling the donut cavities is the number one mistake I made while testing this recipe, so resist the urge to add more batter.
- These are best served the same day but can be revived with 10 seconds in the microwave if they've been sitting around.
03 -
- Room temperature ingredients blend together more easily and create a more tender crumb.
- Use a piping bag or ziplock bag for filling the pan, it's so much easier than spooning and gives you more control.