This baked gingerbread donuts recipe is perfect for Christmas time! These delicious delights are both festive and scrumptious. Topped with a sugary glaze and holiday sprinkles, they’re sure to be a crowd pleaser either for breakfast or dessert. Bonus: they’re super easy to make too. Plus, since they’re baked and not fried, you won’t feel as guilty when you reach for seconds.
For this recipe, you will need a couple of donuts pans. This recipe yields about a dozen and a half regular-size donuts, so I used three 6-cavity pans. You can also opt to make them in a mini donut pan as well.
How to Make Baked Gingerbread Donuts
The ingredients you will need for the gingerbread donuts include:
- 3 cups of all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp of baking powder
- ½ tsp of baking soda
- ½ tsp of salt
- 2 tsps of ground ginger
- 1 tsp of ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp of ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp of cloves
- ¼ tsp of allspice
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup of dark brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup of granulated sugar
- 1 cup (or 2 sticks) of melted butter, salted
- 1 cup of buttermilk
- ½ cup of molasses
- ½ tsp of vanilla extract
Before you get started, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease your donut pans with cooking spray. At this time, you can also take your four eggs out of the fridge and set them aside, as it’s best for them to not be too cold when they get added to the mixture.
In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices—ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. I just love this combination of spices, because it gives so much flavor to these donuts. Whisk all of the dry ingredients together until combined. Then, make a small clearing in the center of the mixture where your wet ingredients can be added in just a few minutes. Set aside.
Next, crack the four eggs into a separate medium-sized mixing bowl. Use a fork to scramble each yolk. Then, add in the packed brown sugar and granulated sugar. Use your fork to break the brown sugar down, then whisk the ingredients together. Once combined, add the melted butter, buttermilk, molasses, and vanilla extract. Whisk until incorporated.
Pour the wet ingredients into the large mixing bowl containing the dry ingredients. Use a whisk to mix together until the batter is smooth. Now it’s time to fill your donut pans! Use a piping bag or a cookie scoop to transfer the batter into each donut cavity. Then, use a small frosting spatula to smooth out the tops of each donut.
Bake your donuts for 15-17 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle of one comes up clean. Once they are done baking, let them cool completely. In the meantime, you can begin making your donut glaze.
Gingerbread Donut Glaze
As your gingerbread donuts cool, you can begin making the glaze. You will need the following ingredients:
- 3 Tbsp melted butter, salted
- 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- 6 Tbsp of half and half
- ¾ tsp of vanilla extract
- Lots of holiday sprinkles!
In a small mixing bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Next, add in the powdered sugar, half and half, and vanilla extract. Use a small whisk to combine. Right before you are ready to frost the donuts, pop the glaze in the microwave for 15 seconds to get it warm and gooey. Pour your holiday sprinkles into a separate small bowl and have it on standby.
Dip each gingerbread donut one-by-one face-down into the glaze. When you lift each donut back up, let the excess glaze drip back into the bowl. Immediately dip the donut glaze-side down into the bowl of sprinkles. Place on a plate to set and repeat until all donuts are glazed. Serve and enjoy on a cold December morning with a hot cup of coffee!
Gingerbread Donuts
This baked gingerbread donuts recipe is perfect for Christmas time! These delicious delights are both festive and scrumptious. Topped with a sugary glaze and holiday sprinkles, they’re sure to be a crowd pleaser either for breakfast or dessert.
Ingredients
Gingerbread Donut Batter
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsps ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp clove
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup (or 2 sticks) melted butter salted
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Gingerbread Donut Glaze
- 3 Tbsp melted butter salted
- 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 6 Tbsp half and half
- 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
- holiday sprinkles
Instructions
Gingerbread Donut Batter
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease your donut pans with cooking spray.
-
In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices—ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Whisk all of the dry ingredients together until combined. Then, make a small clearing in the center of the mixture where your wet ingredients can be added in just a few minutes. Set aside.
-
Next, crack the four eggs into a separate medium-sized mixing bowl. Use a fork to scramble each yolk. Then, add in the packed brown sugar and granulated sugar. Use your fork to break the brown sugar down, then whisk the ingredients together. Once combined, add the melted butter, buttermilk, molasses, and vanilla extract. Whisk until incorporated.
-
Pour the wet ingredients into the large mixing bowl containing the dry ingredients. Use a whisk to mix together until the batter is smooth.
-
Use a piping bag or a cookie scoop to transfer the batter into each donut cavity. Then, use a small frosting spatula to smooth out the tops of each donut.
-
Bake your donuts for 15-17 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle of one comes up clean. Once they are done baking, let them cool completely. In the meantime, you can begin making your donut glaze.
Gingerbread Donut Glaze
-
In a small mixing bowl, melt the butter in the microwave.
-
Next, add in the powdered sugar, half and half, and vanilla extract. Use a small whisk to combine.
-
Right before you are ready to frost the donuts, pop the glaze in the microwave for 15 seconds to get it warm and gooey. Pour your holiday sprinkles into a separate small bowl and have it on standby.
-
Dip each gingerbread donut one-by-one face-down into the glaze. When you lift each donut back up, let the excess glaze drip back into the bowl. Immediately dip the donut glaze-side down into the bowl of sprinkles. Place on a plate to set and repeat until all donuts are glazed.
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Serve and enjoy on a cold December morning with a hot cup of coffee!
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