These eggless cinnamon sugar donuts are so quick and easy to make, they are ready in under an hour! My baked donuts are light, moist and wonderfully cakey, and then these eggless donuts are dredged in the most glorious cinnamon sugar!
For the love of baked donuts
It has been a year now since I have owned my donut pan, and honestly, it is the most amazing thing! I love being able to whip up a sweet treat for the whole family in under an hour. Plus, as much as I love traditional donuts, I adore the cakey version I get from baking them in a pan.
Using my donut pan, I have shared with you how to make several donut recipes, including these yummy Biscoff donuts, and these versatile baked donuts with a few different topping options. However, many of you have also been asking me to share a recipe for eggless donuts, and so here we are! These eggless donuts are just as moist, light and fluffy (and downright delicious!) as their egg-using counterparts, so brilliant too if you have run out of eggs!
What ingredients do I need to make these eggless cinnamon sugar donuts?
- 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.
- Soft light brown sugar: this adds sweetness but also a little extra moisture to the bake.
- Baking powder/bicarbonate of soda: these are the leavening agents in this bake and are essential for a light and fluffy donut!
- Salt: enhances the flavour of the bake. You will not taste it, don’t worry!
- Cinnamon: this warming spice adds a gentle cosy flavour to the donuts. Using it as part of the cinnamon sugar coating too adds to the beautiful warmth of these donuts.
- Milk: one half of the ingredients, for this recipe, required to make the buttermilk. Adds to the liquid requirement of the recipe.
- Yogurt: the other half required for the buttermilk. Adds to liquid needs for these donuts, but also makes for tender soft donuts and aids rising when it reacts with the bicarb in the recipe.
- Melted 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!
- Granulated sugar: this gives the signature crunch of the cinnamon sugar coating, due to the larger granules that caster or icing (powdered) sugar offer.
What equipment do I need to make baked donuts?
- Donut pan*: you will need a 6 hold donut pan to make baked donuts.
- Digital kitchen scales*: whilst I do provide cup measurements for all my recipes, I always recommend using digital kitchen scales to weigh your ingredients out instead. Weighing out your ingredients is much more accurate than measuring by volume, as you do with cups, and will ensure better results. Digital scales are now relatively inexpensive and widely available.
- Measuring spoons*: for measuring smaller quantities such as tablespoons (tbsp) and teaspoons (tsp), I would recommend getting a set of spoons as they would be far more accurate than using your everyday eating spoons.
- 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*: totally optional, but good to aerating the dry ingredients.
- Spatula*: to use to mix ingredients together
- Piping bag*: again, totally optional, but I find it much easier to pipe my donut mixture into my pans than to spoon in. Especially in this eggless donut recipe where my mixture is quite thick.
- Small bowl*: for melting butter and the cinnamon sugar mixture used to coat the donuts.
- Pastry brush*: for brushing donuts with melted butter before dunking in cinnamon sugar.
How to make eggless cinnamon sugar donuts
These donuts use simple ingredients you probably already have at home. The donut mixture takes just a few minutes to come together, and your home will smell amazing as these beauties bake!
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 milk and yogurt in a small bowl or jug until smooth.
Step 3: In a separate, large bowl, sift together the plain (all purpose) flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), salt and cinnamon. Add the brown sugar to the bowl and give it a quick mix together.
Step 4: Into the large bowl (with the dry ingredients), tip in the yogurt mixture, melted butter and vanilla and give it all a mix, but only until just combined. Overmixing will make the donuts tougher, so this is important! The mixture will be quite thick, this is just fine.
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.
Step 6: While you wait, prepare the topping ingredients: melt the butter in a small bowl, and separately mix the sugar and cinnamon together. When the donuts are cool, brush them all over with some melted butter, then toss in the cinnamon sugar mix. 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 you greased the pan before baking, they should easily pop out.
How long do these eggless baked donuts last? How do I store baked donuts?
These donuts will last 2-3 days if stored in a cool place and in an airtight container. However, these eggless cinnamon sugar donuts are best enjoyed on the day they are made.
Can you freeze donuts?
Absolutely! Freeze your donuts before you glaze or decorate them for best results, and freeze for up to two months. Keep reading for how to freeze your 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 your donuts
When you want to enjoy your frozen donuts again, just thaw them in the fridge for a couple of hours, then microwave them at 50% in short bursts to warm up. If you are short on time (or you forget to pop them in the fridge!), you can warm them in short bursts directly in the microwave, but this can run the risk of drying your donuts out, so I wouldn’t advise this unless you’re desperate!
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, yogurt and butter. Also make sure to grease the tins and brush the donuts with dairy free butter.
Additional tips for making these eggless cinnamon sugar donuts
- Make sure you have prepared your tools before you start mixing: grease the pan and preheat the oven. It is easy to forget once you start mixing!
- This recipe makes a thick mixture. It will bake up into a lovely light donut, no need to fret on that!
- Leave the donuts to cool completely before decorating. They really do not take long, maybe twenty minutes or so. Doing it sooner could result in the donuts breaking or crumbling as you brush with butter or douse with cinnamon sugar.
- When dipping the donuts in the cinnamon sugar, do them one at a time, to ensure the brushed on butter still sticks to the cinnamon sugar mix.
Troubleshooting
If you have any other questions about this recipe, please use the comments below to ask away and I will do my best to help! And if you made and enjoyed this, I would love to hear from you too!
And remember too: if you make this recipe for eggless cinnamon sugar donuts, please do consider leaving a rating and review below, I would love to know how you enjoy making them! You could even post a picture on Instagram and tag me when you share it with the world! 😊
More donut recipes to enjoy
Have a look at these other delicious donut recipes on my blog:
Oreo donuts: if you are looking for the best baked Oreo donuts, you have just found them! Cakey soft donuts topped with a tangy glaze, utterly delicious!
Chocolate fudge donuts: my chocolate fudge donuts are a chocaholic’s dream! Moist chocolate donuts, fudgy chocolate glaze and more chocolate to decorate. Yum!
Lemon blueberry donuts: fluffy lemon donuts, pops of blueberry and a stunning blueberry glaze make these donuts a real showstopper!
Happy baking, my friends! x
Recommended equipment I used *
Donut pan | Digital kitchen scales |
Measuring spoons | Mixing bowl/Small bowl |
Sieve | Jug |
Whisk | Spatula |
Piping bags | Brush |