I searched the internet and didn’t really find a recipe that stood out to me as being simple enough for a first go-round with these pans but yummy enough to be successful.  So, I took inspiration from a few places and came up with my own recipe.

I made these three ways… first I shook them in cinnamon-sugar and second, I dunked them in glaze and third, I dunked them in glaze and sprinkles.

I think for my first round of baked doughnuts using these pans, they turned our pretty good! I’m not sure if they’re going to make it to my husbands work tomorrow! HA!

PS…. I even dressed a few of the mini’s up for Valentine’s Day!  These would make a super simple, easy treat for teachers on the special day of love!

Enjoy!

Baked Sour Cream Doughnuts
Makes about 1 dozen full size and 1 dozen mini doughnuts

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 tsp salt

2 2/3 cup flour
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 425 F degrees.  Grease doughnut pans with cooking spray.
2. Cream together the butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla until smooth.  (About 4 minutes)
3. Mix in the baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.  Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl so that everything is incorporated.
4. On low speed, add half the flour and mix until just combined.
5. Mix in the sour cream then add the remaining flour.  Mix just until combined.
6. Add the milk and bring up the speed to medium for about 15 seconds or until the batter is glossy and smooth.  Do not over mix!
7. Using a pastry bag, fill the holes of the doughnut pan 5/6 full.
8. Bake for 10 minutes, rotating pan after about 7 minutes.  (This time works for both the full size and minis.)
9. NOTE:  The bottoms of the doughnuts will be a bit browner than the top, but this will be covered by any glaze or cinnamon you add to the doughnuts.
10. Let cool in pans for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool a few more minutes before glazing.

Cinnamon-Sugar
1-2 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp melted butter

1. Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a zip-loc bag.
2. LIGHTLY brush doughnuts with melted butter on all sides.  NOTE:  You don’t want to brush on too much butter because they won’t dry properly and will get mushy.
3. Place 1-2 doughnuts at a time in the sealed zip-loc bag and gently shake the doughnuts until covered.  Be careful, because they are warm, they are very fragile and can break or crack, so shake GENTLY!
4. Place on wire rack to cool completely before storing.

Glaze
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1-1 1/2 tbsp milk

sprinkles

1. In a bowl with a flat bottom, whisk together the sugar and milk until smooth.  Add a few more drops of milk if you want a thinner glaze, but be careful a little milk goes a long way.
2. Place sprinkles in a flat bottomed bowl just big enough to fit the doughnut.
3. After the doughnuts have cooled, dunk the tops in the glaze and swirl a bit to shake off the excess.
4. Immediately dip glazed top into the sprinkles.
5. Set doughnut on cooling rack to drip.
6. Allow doughnuts to set up for at least an hour before storing in containers with lids.
7. If you are just glazing the doughnuts, set them on the cooling rack immediately after dunking and shaking off excess glaze.

I bought the last two cans of pumpkin at the commissary 10 days ago and I have been hoarding it.  I’ve made pumpkin french toast, pumpkin spice syrup and now pumpkin donut holes.  I’ve got about 1 1/2 cups of pumpkin left that I’m going to have to make something with… Maybe more syrup, that didn’t last long in my house!

These donut holes aren’t your traditional fried donuts… they are baked.  But don’t get too excited cause then they’re drenched in butter.  So I guess the calories you’re saving by not frying them you’re gaining back with the stick of butter that’s melted all over them.

But really… all fattening calories aside, these little bites of heaven are so yummy, you won’t be able to eat just one!!

Enjoy!

Donut Holes
Makes at least 48 donut holes

10 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 cups pure pumpkin puree (I used about half a 29oz can)

Cinnamon/Sugar Coating
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, meleted
1 1/2 cups sugar + 2-3 tbsp cinnamon, combined

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
2. Lightly spray mini muffin pans with cooking spray.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and pumpkin puree.
5. With the paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar (about 2 minutes).
6. Beat in eggs, one at a time and beat on high until light and fluffy.
7. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions pumpkin mixture.  Mix only until just combined.
8. Using the smallest ice cream scoop, scoop a dollop of batter into each hole of the muffin pan.
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpic comes out clean.
10. Allow to cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes.
11. Coat each ball in melted butter then sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar mixture until completely coated.  Let sit out to dry for several hours.  If you don’t, the butter won’t dry and you’ll have wet/mushy donuts. Yuck!
12. Pop a couple in your mouth along the way.

I decided to get creative with a few of them… tossed in cinnamon sugar and topped with a glaze and sprinkles!

Java Cupcake’s Cake Doughnuts

Adapted from “Janet is Hungry”
Makes approx 12 donuts with holes

1 cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk
4 ¼ cups flour (plus a little more if dough is sticky)
1 ½ bottles Canola oil or two inches in your pot (you can also use peanut oil or your favorite frying oil)

Large metal or cast iron pot
Oil thermometer

Cinnamon Sugar
Sprinkles

Glaze
Combine:
2 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup whole milk
½ tsp vanilla

1. In a large bowl mix the sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.

2. Add eggs, milk, vanilla and melted butter. Beat well.

3. Sift the flour. Add 1 cup at a time until incorporated. Add up to ¼ cup more flour if the dough is sticky.

4. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for one hour in refrigerator.

5. Remove dough from the refrigerator and begin heating about 1-2″ of oil to 360F in the pot.

6. Working half the dough at a time, roll it out on a floured surface to about 1/2″ thickness.

7. Use whatever cutter (cookie cutter, doughnut cutter) you have to cut circles about 3 inches wide… I used a big plastic cup from my cabinet. For the center hole, I used a skinny shot glass, about an inch wide. These both worked perfectly! You can use whatever size you have in your kitchen.

8. Using tongs or a wire basket type spatula, gently place the doughnuts in batches into the hot oil. I did mine three at a time. They will sink to the bottom at first then rise to the top.

9. Once they rise, wait about 20 seconds then flip them over. Flip them a couple more times as they cook. They should take about 3 minutes to cook and will be a golden brown.

10. Remove from the oil and set them on paper towels to drain excess oil and to cool.

11. Repeat the process with the donut holes.

12. At this point you can either roll the donuts in cinnamon sugar or you can dip them in glaze and decorate with sprinkles or you can just enjoy them plain!