Peanut Butter Donuts

An easy batter made from creamy peanut butter and classic baking ingredients transforms into soft and fluffy Peanut Butter Donuts. Decorated in a tempting vanilla glaze, these donuts make for a comforting dessert or a sweet breakfast.

Easy baked peanut butter donuts

Ever since I made a Peanut Butter Burger, I had it in my head that I wanted to start creating more recipes with peanut butter. Creamy, nutty, and satisfying, peanut butter is truly one of the best ingredients for both savory and sweet recipes.

We’re putting the savory recipes on hold for now and making my signature Peanut Butter Donuts instead! They’re a soft dessert or a sweet breakfast treat that bake up in a flash. Perfect for the family or when you want to impress friends.

These peanut butter donuts are baked in a donut pan rather than fried, making them a much healthier option you can eat any time of the day. I can’t think of a better way to start the day than with a peanut butter donut and an Extra Strong Coffee Brownie. Talk about a reason to wake up in the morning!

Just like in these Peanut Butter Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies, creamy peanut butter transforms desserts into chewy and decadent treats. It sure makes these peanut butter donuts extra filling and gives them an irresistibly soft and fluffy texture.

How to make peanut butter douts

I recommend making this recipe in a donut pan. These pans are usually inexpensive and will give you perfectly shaped and evenly cooked donuts every time. Plus, you can use it to make all of my other donut recipes!

Make the donut batter by mixing the wet ingredients together in a large bowl until combined. Next, add in the dry ingredients and whip until a thick batter is formed. 

Evenly distribute the donut batter into your prepared pan.

Bake the donuts until they turn golden brown. 

While the donuts are cooling on a rack, make the icing by whisking together the sugar, vanilla, and milk in a bowl.

Dip each cooled donut in the vanilla glaze and place them on a cooling rack until the icing sets completely.

Don’t have a donut pan?

While a donut pan helps baked donuts form their signature shape, you don’t necessarily need one to make this recipe. Instead, you can use a muffin pan! This recipe makes 8 to 10 peanut butter donut muffins.

Make sure you only fill the muffin tin 2/3rds of the way to prevent them from spilling over. Bake at 350°F for 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Recipe tips

1. Be careful not to overfill your donut pan. Each indentation should be no more than 3/4 of the way full. If you add too much batter, the donuts will bake over the edges and lose their shape.
2. To prepare this recipe ahead of time, make the donut batter the night before and store it in a covered container in the fridge. 
3. Don’t overmix the batter! This will make the dough tough and the donuts will lose their light and fluffy texture. 
4. For less mess, use a piping bag or a Ziploc bag with an end cut-off to pipe the donut batter into the pan.
5. If you’re adding decorations on top of the glaze, make sure you add them immediately after icing so it doesn’t harden.

How to decorate peanut butter donuts

These donuts are dunked in a simple vanilla icing made from powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Keep this icing handy as it also pairs well with scones or drizzled on top of your favorite muffins! You can dress up these donuts with just the glaze or with more fun toppings, like:

• A drizzle of Homemade Raspberry Jam
• Spread with Pumpkin Butter
• Rainbow or chocolate sprinkles
• Chocolate Brownie Frosting
• Peanut butter chips
• Chocolate glaze and nuts
• A drizzle of peanut butter
• Matcha Tea Frosting

Storing baked donuts

If eating immediately: Simply leave the donuts out on the cooling rack or on a serving dish at room temperature. If they sit out longer than 4 hours, cover with plastic wrap or transfer to a cake serving dish with a lid. 

Storing leftovers: To keep them fresher longer, store the peanut butter donuts in the refrigerator in a single layer in an airtight container. Stacking them can cause the icing on the donuts to stick to each other. They should stay fresh for 2 to 3 days in the fridge.

More donut recipes to try

• Baked Strawberry Donuts
• Baked Chocolate Donuts with Peanut Butter Frosting
• Glazed Carrot Cake Donuts
• Jelly Donut Holes
• Coffee Chocolate Donuts
• Blueberry Muffin Donuts

More peanut butter desserts you might like

• Peanut Butter Fudge
• Homemade Peanut Butter Oreos
• Snowman Peanut Butter Balls
• Peanut Butter Blossoms
• Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
• Fudge Donuts with Peanut Butter Frosting

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