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–+ servings
Red velvet donuts. Light and fluffy red velvet donuts, topped with a glorious cream cheese glaze and red velvet cake crumbs. Recipe by movers and bakers
5 from 1 vote

Red Velvet Donuts (Baked)

These strikingly vibrant baked red velvet donuts are the ultimate treat for a special breakfast or a sweet afternoon pick-me-up. Because they are baked, not fried, they are incredibly easy to make at home without the mess of hot oil.
Servings 9 servings
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the donuts

  • 60 g (¼ cup) yogurt
  • 65 ml (¼ cup) whole milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 large egg
  • 2.5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 0.5 tsp red food colouring
  • 140 g (1 cups) plain (all purpose) flour
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 80 g (¼ cup + 3 tbsp) brown sugar

For the cream cheese glaze

  • 3 tbsp cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 tbsp whole milk
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla
  • 200 g (1 ½ cups) icing (powdered) sugar

Instructions

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.
    2.5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • Mix together the milk and yogurt in a small bowl or jug until smooth. Add in the egg and vanilla, mixing. Drizzle in the melted butter whilst whisking to prevent the butter solidifying on contact with the cold liquids. Add in the food colouring and mix until evenly coloured. Set aside.
    60 g (¼ cup) yogurt, 65 ml (¼ cup) whole milk, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 large egg, 0.5 tsp red food colouring
  • In a separate, large bowl, sift together the plain (all purpose) flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Add the brown sugar to the bowl and give it a quick mix together.
    140 g (1 cups) plain (all purpose) flour, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 0.5 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking powder, 80 g (¼ cup + 3 tbsp) brown sugar
  • 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 cream cheese glaze

  • Place the cream cheese, milk, vanilla and icing (powdered) sugar into a small bowl 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.
    3 tbsp cream cheese, at room temperature, 1 tbsp whole milk, 0.5 tsp vanilla, 200 g (1 ½ cups) icing (powdered) sugar
  • Carefully dip the top of each cooled red velvet donut into the cream cheese glaze, then place on a wire rack to settle and firm up slightly.
  • Optional: if you wish, you can crumble up part of one of the donuts to sprinkle over the top of the rest. If you wish to keep all the donuts, decorate simply with the glaze or use any other sprinkles you wish to instead. Enjoy!

Notes

  • If you have not got yogurt to make the buttermilk, you can easily make it another way! For this recipe, simply stir together 125ml room temperature whole milk with 1 tbsp lemon juice. Leave to sit for 15 minutes, then use in place of the yogurt/milk mixture in this recipe.
  • 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 as much either.
  • When combining the wet and dry ingredients together, do not over mix. Stir only until combined, then transfer to the pan and bake.
  • Use cream cheese at room temperature, as it will help it mix with the other ingredients more easily.
  • A small whisk or fork is best to mix the glaze together, to ensure all the ingredients are well combined and smooth.
  • 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.
  • I gather any crumbs from my donut tins to sprinkle on top of the donuts. If you prefer, you can leave the glaze plain or decorate with different sprinkles instead.
    • Author: Andrea
    Calories: 240kcal
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American, British
    Keyword: Baked Donuts with Cream Cheese Glaze, Baked Red Velvet Doughnuts, No-fry donut recipe, Red velvet cake donuts from scratch, Red Velvet Donut Recipe, Red Velvet Donuts

    Nutrition

    Calories: 240kcal