Monday, January 14, 2013

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Mini Doughnuts

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Mini Doughnuts

Sure, we're focusing on lighter, healthier eating this month but that doesn't mean there's nothing sweet. I need something sweet. No, really. Even the most delicious dinner will disappoint me if there's no dessert. Fortunately, Santa ticked a couple of items off my holiday kitchen wish list and one of them was a mini doughnut pan. Actually, I got both the regular and mini pans so there will be all kinds of doughnuts in our future.

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Mini Doughnuts
The advantage of the pans, of course, is that they allow the doughnuts to be baked and not fried. And the recipe itself contains surprisingly little fat. I'm not saying that eating the whole batch is exactly good for your figure but a couple of minis with a cup of tea or a glass of milk really hit the spot for less than 200 calories. I looked up all sorts of baked doughnut recipes and they're all a little different so I borrowed bits of each and made a couple of test batches.

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Mini Doughnuts
They came out so cute. Tasty little bites of cinnamon sugar goodness. I really did only eat a couple but Brian demonstrated how delicious they were by finishing off the rest. And now I'm excited to try different flavors and glazes. Lemon, chocolate, pumpkin, ginger...there's going to be a lot of doughnut baking going on here. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 Cup all purpose flour
1/4 Cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 Teaspoon baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1 Teaspoon vanilla
1 Egg
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1/4 Cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk

Coating:
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 Cup sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Mini Doughnuts
In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla, egg, melted butter and buttermilk. Add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until thoroughly combined.

Spray a mini doughnut pan with non-stick cooking spray and fill each cavity about 2/3 full. Note that if you fill them more, the doughnuts will rise above the pan and look more like mini muffins than doughnuts. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 10 - 11 minutes. The doughnuts will not be very brown but they should be springy to the touch. Allow them to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before turning them out.

While they're baking, combine the 1/4 cup of sugar with the tablespoon of cinnamon in a bowl and have the 2 tablespoons of melted butter ready in another bowl. Quickly dip each doughnut into the butter and then roll them around in the cinnamon sugar mixture. This recipe makes 24 mini doughnuts. I have a 12 cavity pan so I made them in two batches.

32 comments:

  1. I need to get a donut pan so I can try these! I agree, at least the minis cut the calories. Thanks!

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  2. Great minds think alike Anita! These look amazing. Great pics too!

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  3. Oh how did you know these were my favorite kind of donut!?? SO good!

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  4. Could these look any better? I wish I had a dozen to take with me to work! Thank you for sharing with us. I hope you have a great start to your week. Stay healthy, happy, and warm!

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  5. AW such pretty tasty little donuts! Like lil bits of heaven! Cinn/sugar goodnesss

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  6. We would make short work of these at our breakfast table :) These are so cute and looks delicious!

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  7. i can't wait to see all the delicious donuts you come up with! these sound soooo good!

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  8. Doughnuts are my weakness. Well doughnuts, cookies, brownies, krispie treats, and cheesecake. But definitely doughnuts in the list!

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  9. I don't love all doughnuts but suggary doughnuts have a spot in heart that can't be denied! LOVE...and love baked doughnuts.. i have a pan, and I think I might make these tomorrow. Yummmm I can already see myself dunking them in my coffee.

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  10. You know I've had a mini donut pan for over a year & have only made donuts once! I need to break that baby out!

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  11. Ooooh! Yum... These look so good! I could eat more than on of these little bites!

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  12. I want a donut pan. I never wanted one before but...I'm going to blame you Anita, when one shows up in my kitchen next week! These look so light and airy. Cinnamon and sugar is always a winner.

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  13. I love my donut pan. I'm due for some donuts, I think. Yes, I am.

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  14. Santa was good to you!!! I like a wee bit of something sweet, too, after my dinner...but it might take two of these gems to satisfy me :)

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  15. Donuts are my weakness and these look wonderful!

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  16. You know, I never was a donut person really, until I had a donut pan to make them myself! Yours look perfect.

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  17. I looked at those mini donut pans, but decided I would eat too many of them. Now I want that pan, because your little gems look so good, and cinnamon sugar, is my favorite type of donut.

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  18. aah these look soooo tempting..:)

    Siri

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  19. I just found you on the Daily Food Buzz, and how can I resist these sweet little donuts, with the promise of more to come? I'm hooked and look forward to following your blog, with your furry little sous chef! Thanks for sharing!

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  20. I just got some donut pans for the holidays too and have been having some fun with them - these look darling, love 'em!

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  21. You're right - These are so cute - Gotta pull my donut pan back out :-)

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  22. These doughnuts would be great for breakfast with a cup of coffee. Thanks for posting this.

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  23. So cute! I love the idea. I've been planning to make some doughnut muffins - would love to try out this recipe and see how I could adapt it to a muffin tin (unfortunately no doughnut pans for me).

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  24. I got a mini doughnut maker for Christmas. :) I need to make these!

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  25. Would the donut machine work for these or would I have to use a donut pan? Looks so good!

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    1. Hi Stephanie,

      Unfortunately I don't know the answer to your question. I don't own a donut machine and this recipe was formulated for oven baking. If you do try it in a donut machine, please come back and let me know how it turned out. Good luck!

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  26. Do you have to use butter milk? There's always 1 thing I have to go buy that I never use.

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    1. Buttermilk makes baked goods a little fluffier and more tender but yes, you can use regular milk. The doughnuts will be a touch more dense but, in such a small amount, it should be OK. If you do end up buying buttermilk, use the search feature on the side bar to search for lots of other baked treats on this blog that call for it. Good luck.

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  27. Hi Anita, thanks for sharing this recipe! This look amazing. Do you mind if I use/repost your donut photos?

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    1. Hi Bruce - I would need to know exactly where and in what context before allowing that. Please contact me at hungrycouplenyc@yahoo.com and give me details. Thanks.

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  28. just made a batch of these, they are sublime! so hard not to eat all of them in one sitting!

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    1. Oh, I'm so glad you enjoyed them. Thank you for telling me!

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