Baking donuts instead of frying them is absolutely possible! While deep-fried donuts are delicious, baking offers a healthier alternative by significantly reducing the fat and calories. Baked donuts can be just as tasty when made with quality ingredients and care. Here’s what you need to know about baking vs frying donuts, and how to make baked donuts successfully at home.
The Difference Between Baked and Fried Donuts
The main difference between baked and fried donuts comes down to the cooking method. Traditional donuts are fried in hot oil, completely submerging the raw donut batter or dough to cook it. The oil crisps up the outside to a golden brown, and conducts heat to the inside of the donut to cook it through.
Baked donuts skip the fryer and are instead baked in the oven. The batter or dough is placed directly on a baking sheet or donut pan and baked until cooked through. While baked donuts won’t have the exact same texture and crispy exterior as fried, they can still be light, fluffy, and delicious.
Fat and Calorie Differences
Frying donuts adds a significant amount of fat and calories compared to baking:
| Donut Type | Fat (g) | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Fried yeast donut | 15 | 240 |
| Baked cake donut | 7 | 160 |
As you can see, baked donuts can have nearly half the fat and calories as traditional fried donuts. The fat used in baking also tends to be healthier, using unsaturated oils like canola or olive oil rather than solid fats like shortening used for frying.
Texture Differences
When donuts are fried, the hot oil dehydrates the exterior of the donut. This gives fried donuts a crispy, crunchy outside that breaks when you bite into it. The inside of a fried donut remains soft and moist.
Baked donuts won’t develop that same crisp, dehydrated exterior. They will have a softer, cakier texture throughout. But baked donuts can still be light and fluffy inside when properly leavened during baking.
Flavor Differences
Frying infuses donuts with the flavor of the frying oil, which is often shortening, vegetable oil, or clarified butter. This gives traditional fried donuts a richer, more indulgent taste.
Baked donuts allow more of the main ingredients’ flavors to shine through, like cocoa, spices, extracts, or fruit purees. Without excess oil, you may taste more subtle flavors rather than just the general “fried” taste.
Benefits of Baking Donuts
Here are some of the biggest benefits of baking donuts rather than frying them:
- Lower fat and calories – As shown above, baked donuts can have 50-60% less fat and calories than fried.
- Healthier fat – The small amount of fat used for baking is usually unsaturated oil rather than saturated shortening or lard used for frying.
- Easier – Frying requires careful oil temperature monitoring. Baking is as simple as mixing and popping in the oven.
- Less messy – Dealing with large amounts of hot grease can be dangerous. Baking minimizes oil splatters.
- Highlight flavors – Without strong “fried” taste, baked donuts allow other flavors like coffee, pumpkin, and nuts to shine.
Overall, baking makes donuts more approachable for the health-conscious. The trade-off is a different texture, but baked donuts can still be delicious!
Tips for Baking Donuts
Follow these tips to ensure your baked donuts are fluffy, moist, and full of flavor:
1. Use cake or quick bread recipes
Recipes for cake and quick breads like banana bread are ideal bases for baked donuts. They produce a tender, cakey texture perfect for baking. Look for recipes that use:
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder and baking soda for lift
- Butter, oil or milk to keep moist
- Eggs for structure
- Sugar and flavorings like vanilla
Avoid dense yeast doughs, which won’t bake up as lightly.
2. Ensure adequate leavening
Without frying’s crispy exterior, the inside of baked donuts needs to be extra fluffy. Be sure the recipe includes enough leavening agents like:
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Whipped egg whites
These react and expand from the heat of baking to lift your donuts up light and airy.
3. Keep the batter slightly thick
Too thin of a batter will cause baked donuts to spread and become misshapen. Aim for a thick, scoopable batter similar to cookie dough. Use less milk or flour if needed to achieve the proper consistency.
4. Fill donut pans 2/3 full
Don’t overfill donut pans or the dough will overflow and connect the donuts. Aim for about 2/3 full to leave room for rising. Use a cookie scoop or piping bag to portion the batter evenly into pans.
5. Let dough rise before baking
Even without yeast, baked donut dough needs time to relax and produce gas bubbles from the baking powder or soda. Let it rise 20-40 minutes before baking for the lightest texture.
6. Brush with flavored glaze or oil
For extra moisture and flavor, brush the warm baked donuts with:
- Vanilla glaze
- Maple glaze
- Chocolate hazelnut glaze
- Honey butter
- Flavored oil like coconut
Let the donuts cool slightly so the glaze firms up.
Baked Donut Recipes to Try
Get baking with these delicious and easy baked donut recipes!
1. Simple Baked Donuts
This basic baked donut recipe uses pantry staples you likely have on hand. They fry up quick and can be frosted or glazed as desired.
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease donut pans thoroughly.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, melted butter, milk, and vanilla.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
- Scoop the batter into a piping bag or resealable plastic bag and pipe into prepared donut pans, filling each ring about 2/3 full.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until puffed and lightly golden. Let cool 5 minutes in pan, then transfer to a wire rack. Glaze or frost while still warm.
2. Pumpkin Spice Baked Donuts
Pumpkin puree gives these donuts an extra moist texture and fall flavor. Dust them with cinnamon sugar for a sweet finish.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- For coating: 1/4 cup granulated sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease donut pans thoroughly.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, pumpkin, oil, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until combined.
- Scoop the batter into a piping bag or resealable plastic bag and pipe into the prepared pans, filling each ring about 2/3 full.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until set. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack.
- Mix cinnamon and granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll warm donuts in the cinnamon sugar to coat.
3. Baked Lemon Blueberry Donuts
Bursting blueberry flavor and bright lemon glaze make these baked donuts shine. The lemon zest aroma while they bake is amazing.
Ingredients:
For the donuts:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease donut pans thoroughly.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and lemon zest.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla.
- Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry just until combined. Then fold in the blueberries.
- Scoop the batter into a piping bag or resealable plastic bag and pipe into the prepared pans, filling each ring about 2/3 full.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until set. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack.
- For the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar and 2 tbsp lemon juice together until smooth. Add more lemon juice to reach a drizzling consistency. Stir in the lemon zest.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled donuts. Let set 15 minutes before serving.
Conclusion
With the right recipes and techniques, baking can produce donuts with all the taste and appeal of traditional fried donuts, minus excess oil and calories. Be sure to use cakier batters leavened with baking powder or soda, fill donut pans properly, and let the dough rise before baking. Brush warm baked donuts with sweet glazes, spices, or flavored oils to keep them moist and full of flavor.
So go ahead – whip up a batch of those favorite donuts in healthier baked form. Your waistline and tastebuds will thank you!
