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! 😉
I was wondering if you could link the pastry bag you use I don’t like the plastic disposable ones they sell now!
Hi Nancy! We use this bag here. All of our favorite tools can be found in our shop here.
My husband loved them. I wanted to add my 2cents worth on a couple of questions. 1) I buy my yeast in a jar, just regular yeast (not rapid rise or instant). Followed your directions and it worked just fine. Didn’t prove it 1st.
2) I made my dough last night through the kneading stage, then let it rise overnight in the fridge so all I had to do was roll out, cut and rise this morning. Again, worked fine.
3) I cut in traditional donut shape. Baked the same amount of time. Again, just fine.
Thank you for sharing that with us, Elizabeth!
HI Natasha,
Before I try this, I have a few questions. I have fast acting pizza dough yeast. Will that work?Many baked donut recipes recommend buttermilk. What type of milk do you use in your recipe?
Thank you!
Hi Julie, honestly I haven’t tested with that to advise. Either 2% or whole milk will work with this recipe.
I would like to make them just with chocolate chips and no filling. Would be ok? Thanks
Hi Pat, I have not tested that to advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Natasha, you know the way to my heart!!!! These turned out fabulous!!!! So easy to make! My oven doesn’t go that low to 100 degrees so I had to wait a little longer for the dough to rise at room temperature, but it was totally worth the wait! Will definitely be making these again!!! Thank you so much!!!
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Julia. I’m all smiles!
I just made these! They are not as soft and fluffy as I wanted them to be. However, I think that might be due to personal error, because perhaps my kitchen wasn’t warm enough for the dough to rise properly. Next time, I will rise the dough in the oven or wait until springtime when the room temperature is warmer. They taste great!
I hope they work out better for you next time Kelley!
I tried these today and it turned out to be absolutely delicious.. Everyone in the family loved it. Thanks a lot Natasha 😍
Thank you so much for sharing that with me and for your good feedback!
This is just a tip I learned from baking bread in Montana. Typically cold climate like yours.
I learned to heat 2 large pans of water on top of my stove. Put the lids on the pans.
Then I put my bread dough back in the bowl after kneading and cover with a tea towel. I place the bread bowl in between the two warm pans. It helps the dough rise without risking the oven being too warm.
Hope this helps.
Thank you for sharing that with us Bonnie!
I made them , omg ! Tasted so good
Thank you for the wonderful review!
I making some with raspberry jam and some with Bavarian cream and chocolate frosting on top of that one and my husband love those but they very very good you’re all your recipes thank you so much Susan Mc Govern
That sounds amazing, Susan! Thank you for sharing that with me.
I made these for my Sunday School class and they were wonderful. I filled 5 with homemade peach jam, 5 with strawberry jam and 5 without filling but rolled in cinnamon sugar. Thank you for this recipe.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Codi!
Hi! Love our videos and recipes! Just curious as to why you do the butter and sugar coating before filling them, rather than afterwards. Thanks!
Hi Kathy! I’m sure you can do it the other way too. We prefer it this way.
Hello from Singapore! Success on first try! I think the main thing is to get the texture of the dough right.. don’t dump the 1.5 cups of flour in all at once. Gradually add in flour and knead till dough not sticking to bowl anymore. I ended up with a quarter cup of flour left over. Doughnuts turned out very soft and pillowy! Piped 6 with raspberry jam and topped with sugar, the other 6 I topped them with cinnamon sugar. Thanks Natasha for the great recipe!
You’re welcome, Erica! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe!
I followed step by step and it totally didn’t come out the way yours did. It didn’t even rise at all. I feel like there are some steps that you left out because I naturally bake a lot and the steps here didn’t feel right. Usually I set aside the yeast with warm water/milk and let it bubble then I add it the rest of my ingredients but I decided to follow ur way and I’m disappointed. Waisted time staying home with kids for this when I could’ve have had a more productive day. I’m very upset.
Hi Angelina, I’m sorry to hear that. The way you are describing your process, it sounds like you used active dry yeast which would require the bubbling/activating before mixing in all of the dry ingredients. This recipe is written for instant yeast (also known as rapid rise yeast) which will make all the difference.
Very interesting that it did not work for you!! I’ve made this recipe twice and it’s worked perfectly both times. Hmm.. I wonder if it has to do with the humidity of where you live or the type of flour/yeast/etc used. 🙁
The best baked donuts ever! Thank you Natasha (and hubby). BTW, i love your kitchen (thanks for the tour!). Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I look forward to more of your cooking and fun! Scout
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you could join us on this tour!
Hi Natasha.
1. I want to make these non dairy. What can i use instead of milk? Almond milk? Orange juice? Suggestions?
2. Did then person who mentioned using margarine, ever get back with her findings?
Thanks
Hi E, I haven’t tried that substitution so it’s hard to guess, but I think it’s worth experimenting to make these dairy-free donuts. Let me know if you try it! I looked through the comments and don’t see any updates on the margarine.
We made these for Chanukah last night. They were delicious! Served them Sephardic style with the jam on the side. Also, I used maple bourbon sugar on top. Yes, we’re supposed to fry them for the holiday, but that is just too gross. 100% disappeared! More tonight. Thank you, Natasha!!!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Mollie!
can you make the dough, let it rest overnight and then bake them the next morning?
Hi Lue, I haven’t tested them as make-ahead donuts but being a yeast dough, that should technically work. If I were to experiment 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.
Hello,
A friend of mine tried to make baked donuts during a fair, but they ended more like bread, and she doesn’t know why.
Can you help us on this ?
I think it’s either because :
– the milk was just taken from the fridge, and not warm
– the room temperature was to high for the dough to rise and wait in the room (the oven was on all day long)
– it was not instant yeast
-… something else
Sorry for my mistakes in english, and thank you from France, and have a nice Christmas.
Hi Celine, it really could be any of those or a combination of all of them. The milk should be warm but not hot or it will deactivate the yeast. A warm room temperature is ok as long as it wasn’t hotter than 100˚F. A warm room is better for dough rising. Instant yeast should be used in this recipe or the method needs to be altered slightly to activate the yeast first. I hope that helps to troubleshoot.
I wanna try these. I have a doubt. Can I fry them instead? If yes, pls tell the method.
Hi, we have only baked these particular donuts, but I suspect it would work well. If you test it out, please let me know how it goes.
If the amount of flour is so critical why don’t you give us the number of grams? That would solve any problems whether it’s spoon into the measuring cup or not
Hi Cheryl, we have the metric conversation on the recipe post as well. I hope that helps.
I just made these and I was pleasantly surprised, they come out perfect. It’s so nice to have doughnuts that don’t have to be fried. I made mine smaller, so I got 28 and filled with strawberry jam, my 2 male roommates came home and within 10 minutes they were gone. I was lucky enough to get one and they were really good. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. .
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Debbie!
Thank you soooo much Ms Natasha for the recipes! I love it! I use it in my baking class and my students enjoy your delicious and sumptuous recipes.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Jeannie!
These donuts are mouthwatering! I would prefer to dust confection sugar on the ready donuts vs rolling in sugar since it was too sweet. But the texture of these are like the real good fried stuff!!! Thanks for the amazing recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Debbie!