Soft, Moist Banana Donuts (Printer-Friendly)
Soft, moist banana donuts baked golden, spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg; glaze or dust for a sweet breakfast or dessert.
# What You'll Need:
→ Wet Ingredients
01 - 2 ripe bananas, mashed
02 - 1/3 cup melted unsalted butter
03 - 2/3 cup granulated sugar
04 - 2 large eggs
05 - 1/4 cup whole milk
06 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
→ Dry Ingredients
07 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
08 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
09 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
10 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
11 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
→ Optional Glaze
13 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
14 - 1–2 tablespoons milk
15 - 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a standard donut pan with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, melted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.
03 - In a separate bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg until evenly distributed.
04 - Gradually fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients, stirring gently until just combined. Be careful not to overmix to keep the donuts tender.
05 - Transfer the batter into a piping bag or a zip-top bag with one corner snipped off. Pipe the batter evenly into the prepared donut pan cavities, filling each about three-quarters full.
06 - Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a donut comes out clean and the tops are lightly golden.
07 - Allow the donuts to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before glazing.
08 - Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl until a smooth glaze forms. Dip each cooled donut face-down into the glaze, then place back on the wire rack to set.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- These donuts have the cozy banana bread flavor you crave but in a fun, handheld shape that feels special without any extra effort.
- Baking instead of frying means you get a tender, moist crumb without the mess or guilt of deep frying.
02 -
- Overmixing the batter is the number one mistake that turns tender donuts rubbery, so stop stirring the moment the flour disappears.
- Filling the donut pan cavities more than three quarters full will cause the holes to close up, leaving you with round cakes instead of donuts.
03 -
- Use bananas that are so ripe you would normally throw them away, because that is when their natural sweetness and moisture peak.
- A zip-top bag with the corner cut works just as well as a piping bag and cleanup takes about three seconds.