Baked cakey donuts are my absolute favourite, and these Easter donuts certainly do not disappoint! A light and fluffy vanilla donut, topped with a speckled vanilla glaze, a chocolate nest and adorable mini eggs, these little beauties are my current seasonal obsession!
Why you will love these Easter egg donuts
- Adorable and cute! My children love these Easter donuts. They are a fabulous and sweet seasonal twist on a baked donut, and they are such fun to make and eat too!
- Cake not bread. Personally, I actually prefer baked donuts with a cake texture over the bread type. I find it lighter and more adaptable with flavours. Besides, who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too?!
- Easy to make. The making of these is so simple, no need for electric mixers or hours of proving. You can make and be eating these beautiful donuts in under an hour!
- Widely available ingredients. Use easily available ingredients in making this, so there is no need to go shopping especially as you probably have most of the ingredients at home already!
What ingredients do I need to make these Easter egg doughnuts?
- Flour: this recipe uses plain (all purpose) flour. I prefer using plain flour so I can control the amount of raising agent in the bake.
- Caster sugar: for sweetness in these delicious cakey donuts.
- Baking powder/bicarbonate of soda: the leavening agents in this bake and essential for a light and fluffy donut!
- Salt: enhances the flavour of the Easter doughnuts. You will not taste it, I promise!
- Egg: for rise and structure in the donuts.
- Milk: the liquid requirement of the Easter donuts recipe. Also used in the glaze to achieve the consistency required.
- Butter: this is the fat content of the recipe. Butter helps keep the bake moist and trap air during baking, leading to a fluffier bake.
- Vanilla: purely for flavour. Yum!
- Icing/powdered sugar: the finer granules dissolve better to help make a smooth and not grainy glaze for these Easter themed donuts.
- Cocoa: used to make the speckle decoration on the pretty blue glaze of these Easter donuts.
- Chocolate flakes: crumbled up and used to create a “nest” on the donut for the mini eggs to sit in. If you cannot find this, chopped chocolate will work perfectly too!
- Mini eggs: to top the Easter baked donuts. The crowning glory, if you will!
What equipment do I need to make baked donuts?
- Donut pan*: I use two six hole donut pans to make these Easter donuts.
- Digital kitchen scales*: I provide all my measurements in cups, however I would encourage all bakers to weigh out ingredients when baking. A set of digital kitchen scales is so useful and totally an essential baking tool for me.
- Measuring spoons*: a set of dedicated measuring spoons is essential for any baker. This is because these are more accurate than using everyday teaspoons and tablespoons, which can vary greatly in size.
- Pastry brush*: to brush the donut pan before filling with donut cake mixture. Also used to flick the speckles on the glaze in this Easter donut decorating ideas.
- Mixing bowl*: any bowl large enough will do, plastic, glass, the choice is yours!
- Sieve*: to remove larger clumps of ingredients and aerate the dry ingredients.
- Jug*: for mixing together the wet ingredients before adding to the dry.
- Whisk*: to mix together the dry ingredients and wet ingredients before combining to make the mini egg donuts. Also used when making the duck egg speckled glaze.
- Spatula*: to use to mix ingredients together when combining wet and dry.
- Piping bag*: totally optional, but I find it much easier (and neater!) to pipe my donut mixture into my pans over spooning it in.
- Small bowl*: for making the vanilla donut glaze to top the easter donuts.
How to make Easter donuts
These baked donuts are super easy to make! Simply make the donut mixture and bake. Then, whilst the donuts cool, prepare the vanilla glaze for donuts. Dunk the donuts, add the speckle decoration, top with flaked chocolate and mini eggs, and dig in!
For the donuts
Step 1: Brush the donut pan with some melted butter and set it aside. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F whilst making the donut mixture.
Step 2: Mix together the egg, milk and vanilla in a small bowl or jug until smooth. Drizzle in the melted butter, whisking as you do, to combine everything together smoothly. Set aside.
Step 3: In a separate large bowl, sift together the plain (all purpose) flour, caster sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and salt.
Step 4: Tip the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix through until just combined and smooth. Transfer the mixture into a piping bag, if using.
Step 5: Spoon or pipe the mixture into the donut pan, making sure it is no more than ⅔ full. Bake in the preheated oven for 9-10 minutes until springy to touch and a skewer comes out clean. Cool for a few minutes in the pan, then gently remove and leave on a wire rack to cool completely before glazing and decorating.
For the speckled egg glaze and decoration
Step 1: Place the icing (powdered) sugar and vanilla into a small bowl with 2 tbsp milk and whisk to combine until smooth and thick. Add more milk, depending on how thick you like the glaze. I prefer it quite thick, so it sets on the donuts, but if you prefer it to drip off, add a little more milk. Add the food colour according to how strong you want the colour to be.
Step 2: Carefully dip the top of each cooled vanilla donut into the blue glaze, then place on a wire rack to settle and firm up slightly.
Step 3: Once the donuts have been dipped in the glaze, make the speckle paint by mixing the cocoa and vanilla with a little water. Dip the tip of a pastry brush in the cocoa paint and flick it over the donuts to create a splattered speckle effect on the glaze.
Step 4: Lightly break the flakes into chunks, or roughly chop some chocolate if not using flakes. Arrange over the donut hole to look like a nest, then top each donut with mini eggs to finish. Enjoy!
How do you remove the donuts from the tin?
Once you have removed the donut pan from the oven, let it sit on a cooling rack for 2-3 minutes. Then, very gently, use a (rounded) knife to gently ease the donuts to make sure they are loosened from the pan. If the pan was lightly greased before baking, they should release from the tin easily.
How to store Easter donuts
These donuts will last 2-3 days if stored in a cool place and in an airtight container. However, these Easter donuts are best enjoyed on the day they are made.
Can you freeze mini egg donut?
Absolutely! Freeze donuts before you glaze or decorate them for best results. Donuts can be frozen for up to two months. Keep reading for how to freeze the donuts.
How to freeze donuts
I would recommend not decorating the donuts before freezing, but doing it after they have been defrosted instead. Wrap each donut snugly in cling film (plastic wrap), and place in an airtight container. Place the container in the freezer and freeze for up to two months.
How to thaw donuts
When you want to enjoy the frozen donuts again, simply remove them from the freezer and the packaging. Place on a cooling rack, brushing off any ice crystals, and leave to thaw for a few hours. Then continue with your glaze and decoration. That’s it!
Can I make these donuts gluten free and dairy free?
Yes! You can substitute the plain (all purpose) flour for a gluten free flour blend. For dairy free options similarly use a plant based milk and butter. Also make sure to grease the tins with a dairy free butter.
Additional tips for making this easy Easter donuts recipe
- When making the donut mixture, mix the wet and dry ingredients together only until combined, do not over mix. Over mixing the cake mixture will result in a tougher more gummy cake donut, not a light and fluffy one.
- Sift the icing (powdered) sugar to remove any lumps before mixing with the liquids to make the glaze. This will give you a much smoother glaze to dip the donuts into.
- A small whisk or fork is best when mixing the glaze together, to ensure all the ingredients are well combined, smooth and the glaze is lump free.
- I would recommend using a gel food colour in this recipe. Gel food colours give a much stronger colour than liquid colours do, and they do not affect the flavour or texture as much. This is important so you can maintain the consistency of the glaze for donuts.
- Add extra milk a few drops at a time to achieve the glaze consistency you prefer. I like my glaze quite thick, but do add more milk to make it thinner if this is your preference.
- You do not need very much cocoa speckle paint for these donuts. Lightly dip the brush in once made and flick over from a height to get a lighter speckled effect. If you want larger flecks, flick nearer the donuts or try adding a little more cocoa paint to the brush.
Troubleshooting
If you have any questions about Easter donut ideas, please comment below and I will do my best to help. And do remember: if you enjoy this recipe for Easter donuts, please leave a rating and review below. You could even post a picture on Instagram and tag me when you share it with the world. You already know I would love to see!
Easter recipes inspiration ideas
Easter sugar cookies: These sweet little Easter sugar cookies are so simple to make and delicious to eat! Time to get creative with plenty of Easter cookies decorating ideas!
Mini egg cheesecake: Looking for an easy Easter dessert for the abundance of mini eggs in your home? Stuck for Easter cheesecake ideas? You may have just found what you are looking for! This no bake mini egg cheesecake is so simple to make and uses just seven ingredients! This perfect Easter no bake cheesecake could not be easier to make!
Hot cross bun cookies: These tempting hot cross bun cookies will be the ones you need this Easter. Packed with sultanas, orange and cinnamon, they have crisp edges, a chewy middle, and are just divine!
Mini egg cupcakes: These cupcakes are a perfect balance of rich and deeply chocolatey cupcakes, soft and light vanilla buttercream ruffle, and delicious mini eggs to finish it off. If you are looking for an Easter themed cupcake that everyone will enjoy, look no further: you have just found it!
Thanks so much for joining me today, my friends. Happy Easter and happy baking! x
Recommended equipment I used *
| Donut pan | Digital kitchen scales |
| Measuring spoons | Pastry brush |
| Mixing bowl/Small bowl | Sieve |
| Jug | Whisk |
| Spatula | Piping bag |
Easter Donuts
12
servings20
minutes10
minutes479
kcal30
minutes1
hourAdorable mini egg topped chocolate nests are the crowning glory of these delightful Easter donuts!
Keep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
- For the donuts
1 large egg
80 ml (¼ cup + 1 tbsp) milk
1 tsp vanilla
4 tbsp melted unsalted butter
150 g (1 cup + 1 tbsp) plain (all purpose) flour
65 g (¼ cup + 1 tbsp) caster sugar
0.5 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
0.5 tsp salt
- For the speckled egg glaze and decoration
150 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) icing (powdered) sugar
0.5 tsp vanilla
2-4 tbsp milk
0.25 tbsp cocoa powder
0.25 tsp vanilla
3 flakes (or roughly chopped chocolate)
130 g (½ cup + 2 tbsp) mini eggs
Directions
- For the donuts
- Brush the donut pan with some melted butter and set it aside. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F whilst making the donut mixture.
- Mix together the egg, milk and vanilla in a small bowl or jug until smooth. Drizzle in the melted butter, whisking as you do, to combine everything together smoothly. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, sift together the plain (all purpose) flour, caster sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and salt.
- Tip the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix through until just combined and smooth. Transfer the mixture into a piping bag, if using.
- Spoon or pipe the mixture into the donut pan, making sure it is no more than ⅔ full. Bake in the preheated oven for 9-10 minutes until springy to touch and a skewer comes out clean. Cool for a few minutes in the pan, then gently remove and leave on a wire rack to cool completely before glazing and decorating.
- For the speckled egg glaze and decoration
- Place the icing (powdered) sugar and vanilla into a small bowl with 2 tbsp milk and whisk to combine until smooth and thick. Add more milk, depending on how thick you like the glaze. I prefer it quite thick, so it sets on the donuts, but if you prefer it to drip off, add a little more milk. Add the food colour according to how strong you want the colour to be.
- Carefully dip the top of each cooled vanilla donut into the blue glaze, then place on a wire rack to settle and firm up slightly.
- Once the donuts have been dipped in the glaze, make the speckle paint by mixing the cocoa and vanilla with a little water. Dip the tip of a pastry brush in the cocoa paint and flick it over the donuts to create a splattered speckle effect on the glaze.
- Lightly break the flakes into chunks, or roughly chop some chocolate if not using flakes. Arrange over the donut hole to look like a nest, then top each donut with mini eggs to finish. Enjoy!
Notes
- When making the donut mixture, mix the wet and dry ingredients together only until combined, do not over mix. Over mixing the cake mixture will result in a tougher more gummy cake donut, not a light and fluffy one.
- Sift the icing (powdered) sugar to remove any lumps before mixing with the liquids to make the glaze. This will give you a much smoother glaze to dip the donuts into.
- A small whisk or fork is best when mixing the glaze together, to ensure all the ingredients are well combined, smooth and the glaze is lump free.
- I would recommend using a gel food colour in this recipe. Gel food colours give a much stronger colour than liquid colours do, and they do not affect the flavour or texture as much. This is important so you can maintain the consistency of the glaze for donuts.
- Add extra milk a few drops at a time to achieve the glaze consistency you prefer. I like my glaze quite thick, but do add more milk to make it thinner if this is your preference.
- You do not need very much cocoa speckle paint for these donuts. Lightly dip the brush in once made and flick over from a height to get a lighter speckled effect. If you want larger flecks, flick nearer the donuts or try adding a little more cocoa paint to the brush.
