Baked Banana Bread Donuts (Printable)

Tender baked banana bread donuts with cinnamon and nutmeg, ideal for a sweet breakfast or snack.

# What You 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 Topping

13 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
14 - 1-2 tablespoons milk
15 - 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

# Steps:

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 ripe bananas until smooth. Whisk in melted butter and brown sugar until thoroughly combined.
03 - Add eggs, milk, and vanilla extract to the banana mixture. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and uniform.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until well distributed.
05 - Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Avoid overmixing to prevent dense donuts.
06 - Spoon or pipe the batter evenly into the prepared donut cavities, filling each about 3/4 full to allow for rising.
07 - Bake for 10-12 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and donuts are golden brown.
08 - Let donuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
09 - In a small bowl, whisk powdered sugar with 1-2 tablespoons milk and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle or dip cooled donuts.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You get all the comfort of banana bread in a fun handheld portion that feels like a treat from a bakery.
  • These donuts freeze beautifully so you can always have something homemade ready for busy mornings.
  • The baked method means less mess and guilt than fried versions but still delivers that tender cake-like texture everyone craves.
02 -
  • Overripe bananas with black spots are not only acceptable but actually preferred for this recipe because they create the sweetest most flavorful donuts.
  • The batter should be thick and slightly sticky not runny or you'll end up with flat dense donuts instead of light fluffy ones.
03 -
  • Let your bananas come to room temperature before mashing so they incorporate more easily into the batter.
  • If you don't have a donut pan a mini muffin tin works perfectly for banana bread bites with the same great flavor.

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