Love doughnuts? Love bananas? Well then, these banana doughnuts are for you! Soft, moist doughnuts reminiscent of banana bread, are baked not fried, then dusted with cinnamon sugar. A healthier option for breakfast or a snack.
It’s that time of year again when my banana trees are full of hundreds of bananas. Of course, since they all ripen at the same time it’s quite a challenge to find ways to use them up.
Neighbors come in handy as they love the tropical flavor that fresh right off the tree bananas have so I pass as many out as I can and still have plenty left to find a use for. In fact, I’ve learned to make quite a few recipes with bananas over the years. The family’s favorite is banana bread, so I bake up a regular version, a Peanut Butter Banana Bread with chocolate chips & a Tropical Coconut Banana Bread then freeze them for when we want to indulge.
But I’m no one-dimensional chef, so I usually pack my freezer full of frozen bananas to make smoothies and I always save some for Peanut Butter & Banana cookies for the grandkids and Banana Pancakes for some healthier breakfast options.
Today I had the biggest craving for doughnuts, and since I still had bananas left (yep there were that many!), I decided I would kill two birds with one stone and make some baked banana doughnuts. They are healthier than a lot of doughnuts, they are baked not fried, and packed with potassium, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, manganese, niacin & folate.
They are super simple to make, just some regular baking ingredients like flour, baking powder and baking soda combined with oil, eggs, a little sugar and some cinnamon. You can even change them up and add chocolate chips or dip the tops in chocolate. Just sayin’!
Summer is a great time for giving the kids a little treat for breakfast. It only takes about 10 minutes to prep and 12 minutes to bake and they’ll be following the delicious aroma right to the kitchen to make sure they get one. I know you’ll love them as much as we do.
Enjoy!
- 1-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup bananas, mashed (about 2 large)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup fat-free half and half (you can also use regular milk or buttermilk)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 6-cavity doughnut pans with nonstick spray. I used one pan & baked them one right after the other.
- In a large bowl, combine first 5 ingredients.
- In a medium bowl, mash bananas then stir in vanilla, eggs, vegetable oil and half and half.
- Pour in the banana mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until well combined.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan(s).
- Bake for 12 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool for 3 minutes in pan then invert onto wire rack.
- Immediately dip into cinnamon sugar to coat then allow to cool the remainder of the way.
- If using the chocolate glaze, heat chocolate chips and butter in a microwave-safe bowl until melted. Heat in 30 second increments, stirring in-between, so that the chocolate stays liquid.
- Let doughnuts cool slightly then dip tops into chocolate glaze. Allow chocolate to harden then store in airtight container.
Doughnuts are best eaten the same day but can be frozen for up to 2 months. If freezing, do not apply the chocolate glaze. Glaze when they have thawed & you are ready to consume.
Love doughnuts & other breakfast goodies? Check out our Breakfast Recipes to Wake Up For on Pinterest.
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