Baked Coffee Donuts

Baked Coffee  donuts are a classic combination — the best thing about these donuts is that they combine the best from both worlds!

Coffee donuts have a fluffy, almost cakey base with a delicious coffee glaze. This treat can be served for breakfast, as a snack, or as a delicious dessert with your afternoon latte!

Why I Love Baked Donuts

These donuts are baked instead of fried. Some purists may argue that these are not “donuts” at all, merely cupcakes dressed in a ring-shaped form.

I don’t entirely disagree; however, these are so much fun to eat and a healthier option than classic donuts! These donuts are also much lighter; with these, you won’t feel the heaviness in your stomach that some feel with classic fried donuts.

Baked donuts are also simple to make, which means they are great for beginning bakers. This recipe is super quick — within 30 minutes you will have freshly baked donuts at your table!

Additionally, baked donuts are quite versatile. You can easily take the base recipe for these donuts and switch out the coffee for virtually any other flavoring and they will still be delicious!

Are Baked Donuts Healthier?

Yes, baked donuts are healthier than fried donuts. The difference is not in the dough, but in the fact that you will not be ingesting any extra fat from the oil associated with frying donuts.

A typical fried glazed donut will have around 269 calories, while a baked donut will have much less.

Ingredients For Coffee-Baked Donuts

You can make these delicious donuts with some simple ingredients that are likely already in your pantry. Here is what you’ll need:

• Flour. Use plain, all-purpose flour. Measuring is very important — use either a kitchen scale or make sure you spoon the flour into a cup and level it off with a knife.
• Brown Sugar. Use brown sugar as it adds flavor and a softer texture.
• Baking Powder. This is an important leavening agent that helps your donuts puff up.
• Sour Cream. Use full-fat sour cream to make your donuts extra moist and fluffy.
• Butter. I always add unsalted butter when baking because no standard of salt can be added to butter by the companies. You need to be wary of salt when baking — if you accidentally add extra salt, your baked goods may be too salty!
• Eggs. This recipe calls for eggs, and the easiest way to incorporate the eggs into your batter is if the eggs are at room temperature.
• Instant Coffee. Instant coffee granules will provide extra flavor without any extra liquid.
• Chocolate Chips. Chocolate and coffee are best friends; who am I to separate them?
• Milk. You can use plain milk, plant-based milk, or water — you just need something to thin down the glaze. I prefer dairy milk for the flavor it adds, but it’s up to you.
• Powdered Sugar. This will give sweetness to the glaze and create a smooth texture.
• Kahlua (Or Coffee Liqueur). My special ingredient — add your choice of coffee liqueur to the glaze to elevate the donuts and make them even tastier!

My Special Ingredient

As mentioned previously, you can add Kahlua to the coffee glaze to kick these donuts up a notch. Kahlua has a full-bodied, rich, and sweet flavor as well as a strong coffee taste, with notes of vanilla and caramel on the finish.

As you know, Kahlua does have alcohol, so keep an eye on any minors (especially toddlers!) that might be scampering around the kitchen.