HOMEMADE BAKED Sugar Donuts recipe that is easy to make and ready in 15 minutes. These simple and extra soft donuts taste just like raised sugar donuts from your favorite bakery!
Homemade Sugar Donuts Recipe
I love classic donuts. I’m not interested in the Blood Orange, Cafe Au Lait, Hibiscus, Passion Fruit, Horchata, Matcha and more from the donut shop. Give me a sugar donut. Give me a glazed donut. Give me a chocolate frosting donut with sprinkles.
These homemade baked sugar donuts are incredibly soft, fluffy, and absolutely irresistible. Thanks to the buttermilk in the batter, they bake up moist and tender with a light, airy texture—more like a classic raised donut than a heavy cake donut. If you love old-fashioned sugar donuts or warm bakery-style treats, these baked beauties are going to be your new favorite.
The best part? This recipe is simple and uses ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. The only special tool you’ll need is a donut pan (or 2)—and trust me, it’s a $10 investment that pays for itself the moment you pull your first batch of fresh, homemade baked donuts out of the oven.
Buttermilk Substitute With Vinegar
Not everyone keeps buttermilk around the house, but it is easy to substitute if you cannot make a run to the store. I know how it is when you want your donuts NOW! So instead, you can use 1 1/2 teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice plus enough milk to measure 1/2 cup. Stir it and let stand for 5 minutes. Then you’re good to go!
Buttermilk Substitute With Yogurt
Another option is using 1/2 cup of plain yogurt instead of the buttermilk. It’s much more common to have regular milk or yogurt in your house than buttermilk, unless you are someone who bakes all the time.
Storing Sugar Donuts
Let the donuts cool completely before storing. Place them in an airtight container or zip-top bag, separating layers with parchment paper so the sugar coating doesn’t rub off. Store at room temperature for 2–3 days. For longer storage, freeze the donuts (uncoated or coated) in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and warm for a few seconds in the microwave if you like them soft and warm.
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Homemade Baked Sugar Donuts
PrintIngredients
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
For the sugar coating
- 1/4 cup sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray donut pan with nonstick spray.
- Mix together oil, buttermilk, eggs, sugar, salt, baking powder and vanilla until combined.
- Stir in flour and continue to mix until smooth.
- Fill the donut pans up about 3/4 of the way.
- Bake donuts for 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven, let cool for 5 minutes, then remove donuts from pan.
- Put sugar in a sandwich bag.
- One at a time, drop your donuts in bag and shake lightly to cover.
- Eat right away or store in container.
J Corl says
This recipe turned out fantastic!!!! I used einkorn flour instead of modern wheat and they were sooooooo good!!
Ronda McCall says
Can i substitute any portion of the vegetable oil with applesauce to reduce the fat?
sophie says
What type of sugar do you use for these donuts?
Vel says
This recipe is EXCELLENT! I wanted to eat them all they were SOOOOO Good! 5 stars isn’t enough. Make it 10 stars
Ana says
I made this with gluten free flour and it was a success. They were moist and yummy! Next, I am trying your chocolate donuts. Thank you!
Janice Massey-Saylor says
Even I could make these!!! I have a pan that makes donut holes. Would the baking time vary much from the donuts?
Scott Entrup says
Great recipe! Made the first batch with buttermilk, second one with sour cream, worked perfectly, no change to the recipe. Thanks
Pamela says
Hey Scott, thanks for commenting, I’m so happy to hear you liked these donuts!
Vera W says
Any way to substitute soy milk for the buttermilk? My family can’t have anything with lactose in it. Thanks!
Pamela says
Hey Vera, disclaimer: I’ve never made these with soy milk but I don’t see why you couldn’t. I wouldn’t just add soy milk though, I’d make buttermilk soy milk. To do this use 1 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice plus enough soy milk to measure 1/2 cup. Mix and let stand for 5 minutes. Enjoy the donuts!
Tracy says
I love your page. So inspired
Pamela says
Thank you Tracy! 🙂
Sandy A. says
I was in the mood to bake today and it’s National Donut Day so these fit the bill! I made mini donuts instead of large. They are just like the minis you can buy at the fair! Excellent! I had to make a few standard ingredient amount modifications for high altitude.
Rebecca says
I live at 9000 ft, what were your modifications?
Thank you
Cathy says
This is by far the best baked donuts. They are a real big hit in my house. Thank you so much for posting this recipe.
Sindu Christian says
Thank you for the recipe. Family loved it. Ate it before I could take photos
Pamela says
Glad to hear you guys liked these donuts! Thanks for commenting! 🙂
Jrae says
This was so easy and delicious! I had tried another recipe and it was a total flop! These turned out fabulous!! Definitely a keeper 😊 Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Caitlin says
I don’t have a donut pan so I made them in a mini muffin tin. I put 2 tablespoons of batter in each tin and got exactly 24 (the number in the pan). I baked at 350 for 15 minutes (though started checking them at 10 minutes) and they were perfect. Tossed them in some cinnamon sugar I already had, and they are delightful! I will say, they don’t really taste like a donut to me, (either raised or cake donuts) but almost more like a vanilla cupcake. Still, delicious!
Mitzi says
Can you use flavored yogurt in place of the buttermilk ?
Julie says
Just tried this today, and they came out DELISH! I made a vanilla glaze, and a chocolate glaze, and my husband devoured them! 10/10, would recommend again and again!
Heather says
While this tastes amazing! (I added some vanilla Bean paste to the batter and used vanilla infused sugar for the coating, it didn’t rise as high as yours. In fact, it barely rose above the doughnut pan. Not sure what went wrong as it was new baking powder, not over mixed. But still tastes amazing!
Karen Othen says
I made these in muffin tins, as we didn’t have donut ring tins. I hadn’t got buttermilk so I did them with yoghurt Instead. Husband, a real donut lover, thinks they are fab! Might need to buy some ring tins now!
Nia says
Made this recipe, my only downfall was I forgot to grease the tins but otherwise these tasted amazing! Great recipie.
Maria says
I tried them today with plain yogurt instead of buttermilk and they turned great. I’ve used a silicone muffin pan with 🦋🐝🐞 and they looked awesome! My son loved them!
Hanna says
Sooo nice, quick! Family loved it! I didn’t have a dougnut pan and since we are on lockdown with Covid-19 virus I could not get one, so I used silicone muffin pans – one with rose patern. It worked well, just have to spray real good with non-stick.
Pamela says
Hey Hanna, thanks so for sharing! So happy to hear you guys liked these donuts – in muffin pans! Stay healthy, thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Mary says
Great, easy & quick recipe. Definitely a keeper. I also added cinnamon to the coating which my family loves.
Michelle estrada says
They taste delicious. I had a blast making them with my daughter.
Only problem I had was I waited the five minutes and even though I sprayed the pan real good they stuck and upon removing them they broke to 2 pieces. Any suggestions
Heather Hunt says
These turned out great! Cakey and light. I dipped first batch in Sugar and the second batch in a cinnamon sugar mix. I also took your advice on making homemade butttermilk and used the lemon juice suggestion
Pamela says
Hey Heather, thank you so much for commenting and letting me know you enjoyed the donuts! Those cinnamon sugar donuts sound SO good! 🙂
JP says
Can the batter be mixed up and refrigerated ahead of time (and then used within 24-48 hours)? Thanks!
Pamela says
Hey JP, 24 hours should be ok, although the donuts might not rise as nicely. On the day you plan on baking them, remove the batter from fridge and bring to room temperature before baking them.
Liz says
Very easy to make and tastes so good. I can’t stop myself from eating!!!
Liz H
Pamela says
Hey Liz, glad to hear you liked this donuts recipe! Thanks for commenting, keep on enjoying them! 🙂
Sandy H says
This is my family’s favorite donut recipe, even my grandkids love helping me with them. Thank you for sharing.
Pamela says
Thanks Sandy, I’m glad these are a hit with your family! 🙂
Cat says
Hi! I just tried this recipe with Gluten Free All Purpose Flour. They were amazing!!! Now, I can finally have donuts, too! Thanks for the recipe…can’t wait to make a bunch for the grandloves. God Bless! 🙂
Pamela says
Hey Cat, thanks for the smile! Glad to hear these donuts were a hit! Keep on enjoying them! 🙂
Norma says
These donuts are sooooooo good. I make them every year over Labor Day for our annual family weekend. I make at least 3 dozen and there isn’t a crumb left. I use the powdered buttermilk and they taste great. I just posted this recipe on the Weight Watchers website. It’s 4 Smartpoints if you’re on the 2019 Blue Plan. I usually get 16 donuts out of this recipe!
Judy says
These were great! Turned out perfectly and that’s rare for me on the first time trying a new recipe. I even used the vinegar and milk substitute for the buttermilk. That’s something I never have in the house.
No, the tops didn’t brown, but I simply flipped them over after baking and they looked and tasted fantastic!
I’ll definitely make these again and probably try some different toppings, just to make them a little different each time! Although just using the sugar was delicious too!
Also, no problem getting them out of the doughnut pan. I used the Pam baking spray and they popped out easily!
Pamela says
Hey Judy, I’m so happy to hear you liked these Sugar Donuts and that they turned out perfect. I hope you keep on enjoying them! Thanks for commenting! 🙂
John says
Good morning
I have 20 doughnut pan. How long do I cook them in a convection oven?
Thank you.
Pamela says
Hey John, most people recommend lowering the temperature by 25°F when baking in a convection oven. I’d keep the time about the same, but I’d check on them regularly, as you might need to pull them 1-2 minutes earlier. Enjoy the donuts!