Colorful Glazed Donuts: the best recipe for fun, vibrant, baked donuts

Love donuts but don't love how unhealthy they are? These colorful glazed donuts are the answer! Rather than being fried like most classic donuts, these vanilla-glazed donuts are baked in the oven, which makes them a slightly healthier treat.

They also only take about 20 minutes to make. It doesn't get much better than that. These tasty baked donuts are soft, fluffy, and tender, with a delicious vanilla flavor, and are decorated with a bright, colorful glaze.

You can even customize the flavor and colors – perfect for birthdays and other special occasions.

Baked Donut Ingredients

To make these tasty donuts, you'll need several key ingredients.

Flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, egg, oil, and butter are all a must.

You'll also need some buttermilk – this is the secret ingredient for ultra-tender, fluffy baked donuts.

To flavor, the donut batter, use vanilla extract and nutmeg.

For the glaze, you'll need powdered sugar, milk, white food coloring, and some bright food coloring of your choice.

How to Make Baked Donuts

Making baked donuts at home is super easy, and calls for much less time and effort compared to old-school donut recipes. No waiting for the dough to rise. Just mix up the batter and bake! Here's how to make baked glazed donuts.

Start by heating your oven to 425F and spraying a donut pan with cooking spray. Mix the melted butter and sugar in a bowl. Beat in the eggs, oil, and vanilla, and set aside. Grab another bowl, and sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. This will help your batter to be less lumpy. Whisk to combine.

Beat half the flour mixture into the oil mixture. Pour in buttermilk, then add in the remaining flour. Make sure not to overmix the batter. You want it to be just combined.

Put the batter into a piping bag. Fill each well of the donut pan about halfway to three-quarters full with batter. Bake the donuts for 7 to 9 minutes. Let the donuts cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer them to the rack to cool completely.

How to Make the Colorful Glaze for Donuts

Once the donuts are cool, make the glaze. Sift the powdered sugar into a bowl. Beat in the milk until the glaze reaches your ideal consistency. Mix in the white food coloring.

Divide the glaze into separate bowls. Color each bowl with your desired shade of food coloring. We recommend using the boldest, brightest colors you can find to make ultra-festive, fun donuts.

Put the rack with the donuts over a baking sheet to catch drips. Dip the top of each donut into the glaze, then pop it back onto the rack. Repeat until all the donuts have been glazed. Garnish with sprinkles or other toppings such as chopped nuts, cereal, crushed Oreos, and so on.

Tips for making Colorful Glazed Donuts

Don't overmix the batter.

You can use other spices to flavor your donut batter such as cinnamon, allspice, pumpkin pie spice, and cloves.

Swap out the vanilla extract for other flavored extracts like almond, orange, lemon, or add in some cocoa powder.

Don't leave out the buttermilk. This is what makes the donuts so tender. If you don't have buttermilk, substitute milk and add in a tablespoon of white vinegar or use Greek yogurt.

If you don't have a donut pan, you can use a muffin pan or baking pan and place some foil in the center to make the hole in the center of the donut.

The donuts are done when they're slightly springy to touch.

How to Store Glazed Donuts

Keep your donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425F. Grease a donut pan with cooking spray.

Whisk butter and sugar in a bowl. Beat in the eggs, oil, and vanilla.

In a second bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk to combine.

Beat half the flour mixture into the oil mixture.

Pour in buttermilk, then add in the remaining flour. Mix until just combined.

Pour the batter into a piping bag.

Fill each well of the donut pan about halfway to three-quarters full with batter.

Bake for 7 to 9 minutes. Remove from oven and let the donuts cool for 5 minutes in the pan.

Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the glaze, sift the powdered sugar into a bowl.

Beat in milk until the glaze reaches your preferred consistency. Mix in the white food coloring.

Divide the glaze into separate bowls. Color each bowl with your desired shade of food coloring.

Once the donuts are cool, set the rack over a baking sheet to catch drips.

Dip the top of a donut into the glaze and return the donut to the rack. Repeat with remaining donuts.

Garnish with sprinkles or other toppings.

Notes

Use room temperature ingredients to make your donuts.