If you are looking for a healthier treat, baked mini donuts are always a great option! This gingerbread donuts recipe (baked) topped with a brown sugar glaze and walnuts are perfect for the season.
What Makes These Mini Donuts So Good
Bite-size desserts are the best because they are smaller portions, and you can still get a sweet treat without going overboard.
They are very easy to make. These can be done in about 20 minutes, so you don't have to spend hours in the kitchen.
These are perfect for snacking, or you can use them for brunch breakfast or even a healthier dessert.
These are healthier donuts not only because they are baked, but because I use whole wheat flour and reduce the sugar in them.
Ingredients
- all purpose flour
- whole wheat pastry flour-I like to use whole wheat pastry flour as it is a lower protein flour, it helps to create a tender donut
- baking soda
- salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves
- molasses
- brown sugar
- egg
- vanilla
- oil or butter
- milk
- powdered sugar
- walnuts
How To Make
Add all dry ingredients to a small bowl and mix together.
In another slightly larger bowl add all of your wet ingredients together and mix well.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients, and mix ONLY until they are combined. Do not overmix the batter.
Pipe them into your mini donut pans, filling halfway to three-quarters of the way full.
Bake for six to seven minutes. This isn't a very long time to bake, but trust me, they will bake very quickly.
As soon as they are done baking, remove them from the oven. And then turn them onto a cooling rack, allowing them to cool slightly.
Let's start with the brown sugar glaze. Add the brown sugar and milk to a pan, bring to a boil and cook for three to four minutes. Remove from the heat, add in your butter, mix it well and then stir in the powdered sugar. Dip your donuts in the glaze while the glaze is still hot, it will try to set up on you if you don't. If it starts to harden, just reheat it on the cooktop or the microwave. Top with crushed walnuts.
Notes
These donuts are very simple to make, let me give you a few tips that will help you make these donuts perfectly the first time.
I made these in mini-donut pans. You can also make them in regular-sized pans as well, just know you won't make as many and they will bake for about 10 minutes.
Do not overmix these donuts. This is always important when making mini donuts like this, but even more important when you are using whole wheat flour. You do not want these donuts to be tough, you want them to be tender.
I used whole wheat pastry flour in this recipe as it is a lower protein flour, this makes all the difference between a delicious baked donut and one that is a little bit tougher. You really can use any whole wheat flour you like, but I think you will get the best results from whole wheat pastry flour.
Be careful not to overfill your donut pans. These donuts will rise and will flow over if you aren't careful. One-half to three-quarters full is perfect for these.
Do not overbake! You might think six minutes is not enough time to bake these donuts, but I promise you it is. You do not want to overbake them or they will get dry.
FAQ Gingerbread Donuts
These donuts are best eaten within 24 hours of baking. You can hold them longer in the refrigerator, but I think they are best eaten right away.
Yes, of course! Use any whole wheat flour you like, just be mindful, it's just a personal preference.
Yes, this is very easy to double. My batch made 18 donuts, you can easily double the recipe. Just make sure you have three pans to use.
More Whole Wheat Dessert Recipes
- Cranberry Orange Star Brioche
- Snickerdoodle Bars
- Apple Doodle Cookies
- Carrot Cake Cookies
- Praline Pumpkin Pie
Gingerbread Donuts Recipe (Baked)
Equipment
- mini muffin pans
Ingredients
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 tablespoon canola or olive oil
- ¼ cup milk
Brown Sugar Glaze
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup milk of choice
- 1 tablespoons butter
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup chopped walnuts optional, but we love them!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray your mini muffin pans and set them aside.
- In a small bowl, mix the dry ingredients together. In another larger bowl, mix all the wet ingredients. Add the dry to the wet and mix only to combine.
- You can use a piping bag and tip as I did to fill the muffin pans, or you can add the batter to a ziplock bag and cut out the corner to fill them.
- Place in the oven and bake for 6-7 minutes. These will bake quickly, so make sure not to leave them in for too long!
- Remove from the oven and turn them out onto your cooling rack.
- For the glaze, add your brown sugar and milk to a small pan. Bring it to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Once it boils, let it cook for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and add the butter. Mix until it is melted, then add in the powdered sugar. It will try and be clumpy, so make sure and mix well.
- While the glaze is still warm, dip your donuts. Top immediately with the chopped walnuts.
- That is it! You are done. Now, sit back and enjoy. You deserve it.