Baked Donuts filled with jelly are incredibly soft, airy and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Just like our donut holes, this homemade donut recipe is easy and always gets rave reviews!
Donuts are the ultimate comfort food. The aroma from the oven and the little hint of jelly peeking out of the side make these irresistible. I am a sucker for classic home-baked treats like blueberry muffins or chocolate chip banana bread and these baked donuts do not disappoint!
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Baked Donut Recipe:
Baked donuts are cotton-candy soft and fluffy. I remember my Mother making apple piroshki (Russian fried doughnuts) after school and it is one of the food memories I will always treasure. Baked yeast donuts are even easier and is a tradition I’m continuing with my own family.
I’ll take one of these over a Krispy Kreme any day because they are way more satisfying – the perfect balance of fluffy center to sugar coated surface without the greasy mouth feel and my belly is always happier eating a homemade baked donut!
Is it Donuts or Doughnuts?
Which is the correct spelling? This is heated debate because donuts… mmm doughnuts! There’s even a National Donut Day and it’s the first Friday of June. It is the ultimate comfort food. The real question is – when were doughnuts invented? ‘Doughnut’ is the original old-school spelling but ‘donuts’ took off when Dunkin’ Donuts launched in 1950.
Most people will search for “donuts” online and it is the clear winner in popularity. The dictionary now recognizes ‘donut’ as a variant of doughnut so the word doughnut came first but both terms are technically correct.
Here’s our argument – old school doughnuts are deep fried, but these are new school baked donuts so we called them so.
Are Baked Donuts Healthy?
To put it delicately, baked donuts are the healthier option compared to traditional deep-fried donuts. They don’t leave you feeling as guilty about your choices. You only need 1 Tbsp of melted butter to coat all 12 donuts! Are donuts good for you? In the end, they are still sugar covered carbs… glorious carbs! Eat responsibly.
What is the Best Filling for Donuts?
We enjoy changing up the type of jelly in these baked donuts; strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, huckleberry,.. you name it! Whether you are using jam, preserves or jelly, pick one that is:
- Thick – a thick jelly won’t run out of the donut as easily
- Fairly Smooth – so the piping tip doesn’t get clogged
- Your favorite flavor – these are, after all, for you!
How to Make Cream Filled Donuts:
For a cream filling, you will need a stable, thick cream that won’t ooze out. The pastry cream from our eclairs is easy and excellent. Let the cream cool then fill the pastry bag fitted with a sharp tip and generously pipe into each donut.
For Cinnamon Sugar Donuts:
If you choose to omit the jam inside, you can add more flavor with a cinnamon sugar coating. In a small bowl, stir together and roll hot buttered donuts in this mixture:
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Love Glazed Donuts?
We enjoy these without glaze but if you desire glazed donuts, you can skip brushing with butter and rolling in sugar. Once donuts are cool enough to handle, dip into this glaze mixture then place on racks until glaze hardens:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup milk or water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
More Classic Home-Baked Treats:
- Baklava – once you try homemade, there’s no going back
- Chocolate Chip Cookies – soft, moist and perfect
- Snowball Cookies are melt-in-your-mouth good
- Russian Tea Cookies – buttery and studded with walnuts
- Italian Cookies a chocolate filled sandwich cookie
How to Ensure Super Fluffy Donuts?
The correct balance of wet to dry ingredients is critical in any dough recipe. Be sure to measure the ingredients correctly. Stir your flour with a spoon then spoon it into a dry ingredient measuring cup. Pushing a measuring cup into a flour bin can result in 25% more flour than is called for which will result in dense donuts.
Also, be sure to allow your dough to proof in a warm room (never more than 110˚F) or you will deactivate the yeast and the donuts will not rise properly.
Baked Donut Video Tutorial:
Watch Natasha make this easy and super fluffy baked donut recipe. P.S. There’s a guest star in this episode!
I hope this becomes your go-to baked donut recipe! They are irresistibly soft and there is nothing like warm homemade donuts.
Baked Donuts Filled with Jelly
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided, plus more for dusting*
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast, quick acting, (1 packet = 7 grams)
- 2/3 cup warm milk, 110˚F - microwave 35 sec.
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted, divided
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup jelly or jam, (no large fruit pieces)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar , to roll donuts
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 1/4 tsp (1 packet) instant yeast and 1/4 tsp salt.
- Add warm milk, 3 Tbsp melted butter, 2 egg yolks and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, and whisk vigorously to combine well.
- Cover with plastic wrap and rest at room temperature 10 minutes, until some bubbles form on the surface.
- Add remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, adding just enough until dough holds together and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl (Add the last 2 Tbsp of flour only if needed) and knead in the bowl 5 minutes. If dough is really sticking to your hands, dust lightly with flour then continue kneading with clean dry hands. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a 100˚F oven for 45 min or at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 375˚F with rack in the center of the oven.
- Turn dough out onto a floured surface and roll the dough out to just under 1/2” thick. Cut circles using a 2 1/2 inch round cookie cutter. Re-roll scraps if needed to make 12 donuts total. Place donuts on prepared baking sheet, cover with a tea towel and let rise in a 100˚F oven for 20 min or at room temperature 45 min, or until puffed. Bake uncovered in the center of a preheated oven at 375˚F for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden on top.
- Right out of the oven, brush a hot bun all over with remaining 1 Tbsp melted butter and roll in a bowl of sugar to coat lightly with sugar. Cut a deep slit in the side of each donut and pipe jam with a pastry bag into each one.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Enjoy your home-baked donuts and “Do-nut Worry, be Happy!” I couldn’t resist! 😉
Good morning from Alberta, Canada
What suggestions do you have if my stove will not heat below 170F?
Hi Tina, you might have to experiment, but I would preheat to 170˚F then turn the oven off. Put the bowl on a hot pad in the oven (so the bottom of the bowl doesn’t get too hot, then prop the door open with a wooden spoon. After it’s done rising, don’t forget to take the hotpad out of the oven.
Hi Natasha,
Can I use dry active yeast instead since I dont have quick yeast?
Hi NF, I haven’t tested these with active dry yeast, but typically, when substituting with active dry, you would use 25% more active dry yeast and you would need to let it prove first in the warm 105˚F milk for 7 minutes or so. Mix the other dry ingredients together in step 1 (except for the yeast). Add warm milk to a bowl and sprinkle the top with yeast and let that sit for 7 minutes then add remaining wet ingredients and whisk together per the recipe. Here is an article that helps with understanding the various types of yeast and how to substitute
Hi Natasha! will you please share fried donuts with chocolate glaze and chocolate filling…….thanks in advance…….Maryam
Thanks for your suggestion, Maryam. Hopefully, we can try to do this in the future.
YOU’RE WELCOME!
Hi, can margarine be used in place of butter?
Hi Crys, I have not tested that with margarine to advise but I imagine that should also work. If you do an experiment, please let me know how you like that.
Hi Natasha try your homemade donuts. Filled them with Apricot jam they were fantastic. I love all your recipes. They ate easy an quick. You are Fantastic. Thank You. Antionette Smith Jacksonville, Fl
Great idea with the apricots! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
Beautiful..
Is there any substitution for egg yolk though?
Hi, I haven’t tested with anything else.
I tried this recipe several months ago, but I guess I’d done something incorrectly, because they came out very small and dense. However, I knew I wanted to try again sometime. I’ve been craving donuts lately, so I tried this recipe again yesterday… they are PERFECT! I can’t wait to keep making them and experiment with different jelly flavors.
I’m so glad that worked our Kelley! Thank you for sharing this great review with me!
ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! I will never ever eat a store-bought donut again! I have never tasted a donut as good and wholesome as this!
THat’s just awesome Henna! Sounds like you found a new favorite!
Easy to make, looks great, light and fluffy but They tasted a bit yeasty.. not sure if I did something wrong or if that is the norm. Any thoughts?
Hi Patti, I haven’t had that experience with yeast taste. I would be sure your ingredients are not expired. Was anything else possibly altered in the recipe or process?
Delicious! I’m so glad I found this recipe for BAKED donuts! I used active yeast and filled half with custard and the other half with raspberry preserves. I got 10 big and 10 mini donuts out of the written recipe. Next time will make the dough a day ahead so I can let them proof early the next morning and enjoy for breakfast!
Hello Becca, that sounds like a great plan! Thanks for giving this recipe a perfect rating, we appreciate you sharing your experience with us!
Hi Natasha,
I am looking forward to making these donuts. The only instant yeast that I have is Bread Machine instant yeast. Do you know if that should work.
Hi Heather, to be honest, I haven’t tested with that before. You may need to alter the recipe slightly based on the package instructions for the instant yeast.
Hi! Great recipe and super easy to follow!
May I just ask if I could substitute the melted butter with oil instead to make it even healthier? And would it be possible to fill the donuts with cheese before baking? If so, would it be advisable to fill it before the last proof or after the last proof?
Thank you, Pat. I have not tested that with oil to advise but I imagine that should also work. If you do experiment, please let me know how you like that.
Would anyone know the measurement of active yeast? I don’t have instant active yeast
Hi Lee, I haven’t tested these with active dry yeast, but typically, when substituting with active dry, you would use 25% more active dry yeast and you would need to let it prove first in the warm 105˚F milk for 7 minutes or so. Mix the other dry ingredients together in step 1 (except for the yeast). Add warm milk to a bowl and sprinkle the top with yeast and let that sit for 7 minutes then add remaining wet ingredients and whisk together per the recipe. Here is an article that helps with understanding the various types of yeast and how to substitute.
Hi Natasha, I love this recipe! Made it a couple of times already:) Can I make the dough the night before? If so, what is the process please?
Thanks!
Hi Rachel, I haven’t tested them as make-ahead donuts but being a yeast dough, that should technically work if you refrigerate it before baking. If I were to experiment with making them as overnight donuts, I would place the rounds onto a prepared baking sheet, cover them and refrigerate before the last rise. Let them puff/rise the next day at room temperature before baking.
Hi Natasha,
I just made these doughnuts, I made some adjustments to make them dairy free, I was worried they wouldn’t turn out. But they did! They taste amazing. I tried them without the jam filling and they where absolutely Devine. Thank you for sharing great recipes.
You’re welcome, Kristina! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Hi, Natasha just want to clarify something. Is it 4tbsp butter or 3tbs butter? Your youtube recipe says 3tbsp. Just want to make sure. Hope you see this and reply to me. Thank you!
Hello! I suggest following the recipe which is 4 Tbsp unsalted butter melted, divided.
It’s 3 Tablespoons of butter IN the dough and 1 Tablespoon to brush ON top of the donuts when they are done baking.
Hi Natasha i am not able to get this recepie right
Hi Emily! I’m happy to troubleshoot! Can you provide some details of what you are experiencing? Was anything possibly altered in this recipe?
As a cook in my 60’s, and having spent a lifetime hating frying food, I just had to try these. They are amazing! Light, fluffy, exactly as I remember from childhood but without the calories or smell of the oil. Due to a mix up in my day I had to freeze the dough after the first rise and cook the next day – truly wonderful.
Thank you!
Fantastic! I am so glad you loved it, Mandy.
Hey! Can I cut a whole In the
Middle? You know like not whole donut
I haven’t tried that yet to advise but others commented and shared this “I used the dough recipe to make donuts with holes and covered with glaze. Yum yum yum!”
Thank you! Can I refrigerate the dough?
Hi Nuri, I haven’t tested them as make-ahead donuts but being a yeast dough, that should technically work if you refrigerate it before baking. If I were to experiment with making them as overnight donuts, I would place the rounds onto a prepared baking sheet, cover them and refrigerate before the last rise. Let them puff/rise the next day at room temperature before baking.
Hi there!
I’m just wondering if this recipe needs adjustment if I am baking from a high altitude
Hi Megan, I haven’t tried baking this yet from a high altitude but I hope this guide can help.
Hi Natasha,
Thanks for such a good recipe. I followed the instructions to the letter and the doughnuts were perfect. Even the cooking time was spot-on (10 minutes). Most online recipes I’ve tried have had to be tweaked in one way or another but not this one.
Perfect!
Correction: The cooking time should have been 10 minutes. My mistake!
That is so awesome to hear! Thank you so much for your kind words and excellent feedback, we appreciate it.
Hi Natasha.
We love your recipes❤️
Can I use a kitchenaid mixer to knead the dough?
Love from Canada!
Hello Victoria, I imagine that should work too.