Love donuts? Love bananas? Well then, these baked banana donuts are for you! Soft, moist doughnuts reminiscent of banana bread, are baked not fried, then dipped into dark chocolate or cinnamon sugar. A healthier tastier donut option for breakfast or a snack.
Do you ever wonder what to do with all those bananas that tend to gang up on you and ripen all at once? I love bananas and anything made with them and I hate to waste even one bite, so I've learned to whip up anything and everything with them. And it's all good!
Family favorites include my easy banana bread and all its varieties like Peanut Butter Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips, Double Chocolate Banana Bread and Tropical Coconut Banana Bread. I make them all at once and freeze them for whenever the banana bread craving hits me.
Of course, there are lots of other things you can do with bananas. Freeze them to make smoothies, bake up Peanut Butter Banana Cookies for the grandkids, whip up healthy Banana Pancakes for breakfast, or make these quick and easy baked banana donuts with chocolate glaze for a special treat.
Why You'll Love Chocolate Glazed Banana Donuts
- They're baked not fried
- Easy to make, no mixer required!
- Quick breakfast treat, taking just 25 minutes
- Healthier than fried donuts with less sugar needed due to the sweetness of the banana
- These baked cake donuts are dipped in a chocolate glaze!! Need I say more?
FAQs About Banana Donuts
They are best eaten the same day but will keep at room temperature for 1-2 days.
Yes, They can be frozen for up to 2 months. If freezing, do not apply either the cinnamon sugar or the chocolate glaze. Thaw and then glaze when ready to eat.
A baked cake doughnut, such as this, is made with sweetened dough that uses baking powder and/or baking soda as a leavening agent. A fried doughnut is usually a yeast doughnut that uses yeast as the leavening agent.
I don't think donuts can be considered healthy but baked doughnuts are lower in fat, calories, and sugar than fried ones. And this one has all the benefits of bananas on its side supplying potassium, Vitamin C, manganese, niacin, and folate.
How to Make Baked Banana Donuts
Gather the simple ingredients to make these banana bread-like doughnuts.
Donut batter
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. (photo 1)
- Mash bananas using either a potato masher, a fork or a small food chopper. (photo 2)
- Stir in vanilla, eggs, vegetable oil, and half and half. (photo 3)
- Pour in the banana mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. (Here you can even stir in chocolate chips if you're a chocolate lover like me.) (photo 4)
- Dough will be stiff. (photo 5)
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan(s) and bake for 12 minutes. (photo 6)
- Cool for 3 minutes in pan then invert them onto a wire rack. If dipping into cinnamon sugar, do it as soon as you take the donuts out of the pan. If coating with chocolate, wait until they are cool then proceed as shown below.
Tip: If the donuts are sticking to the pan, run a small silicone spatula around the edges then invert onto wire rack.
Chocolate Glaze for donuts
- Place butter and dark chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl.
- Melt in 30-second increments, stirring in-between until all chips are melted and the mixture is smooth. It usually takes close to 1 minute.
- Dip banana donut into warm chocolate glaze then place on wire rack. Let the chocolate set then store in airtight container or resealable plastic bag.
Cinnamon Sugar for donuts
- Immediately dip into a mixutre of cinnamon and sugar then allow to cool the remainder of the way.
Whether it's winter, summer vacation, or a sleep-over, it's 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 happen to know us big kids love them as much as the kids do. Enjoy!
Variations
- Add mini chocolate chips to the batter
- Add toasted nuts to the batter. They are especially good with pecans!
- Substitute a vanilla or caramel glaze for the chocolate glaze
- After dipping in the chocolate glaze, drizzle with peanut butter that has been warmed to a liquid state.
If Donuts are your thing, check these out!
Baked Lemon Blueberry Donuts for a bright and cheery breakfast for spring and summer.
Mint Chocolate Donuts have a surprise healthy ingredient tucked into this breakfast treat.
Gluten-Free Vanilla Donuts with chocolate glaze are for everyone in the family.
Baked Pumpkin Donuts with cinnamon crumb topping are perfect for fall.
For a special breakfast or Mother's Day treat try this Almond Danish Pastry with vanilla icing.
Find lots more breakfast recipes here on 2CM!
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Baked Banana Donuts with Chocolate Glaze
Ingredients
Doughnuts
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup bananas, mashed (about 2 large)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup fat-free half and half (you can also use regular milk or buttermilk)
Chocolate Glaze
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- 2 Tablespoons butter
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- 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 6 ingredients.
- In a medium bowl, mash bananas then stir in vanilla, eggs, vegetable oil and half and half.
- Pour 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.
Chocolate Glaze Option
- Place the chocolate chips and butter together in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in-between, until the chips are completed melted. It should take a little less than 1 minute.
- Let the doughnuts cool slightly then dip the tops into the chocolate glaze. Place back on the wire rack and allow the chocolate to set before storing. Store in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag.
Cinnamon Sugar Option
- Mix cinnamon and sugar together on a flat plate.
- While the donuts are still warm, dip into the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat then allow to cool on wire racks before storing.
Notes
FAQs About Banana Doughnuts
How long will these doughnuts last?
They are best eaten the same day but will keep at room temperature for 1-2 days.Can these doughnuts be frozen?
Yes, They can be frozen for up to 2 months. If freezing do not apply either the cinnamon sugar or the chocolate glaze. Thaw and then glaze when ready to eat.What's the difference between a baked and fried doughnut?
A cake doughnut, such as these, is made with sweetened dough that uses baking powder and/or baking soda as a leavening agent. A fried doughnut is usually a yeast doughnut that uses yeast as the leavening agent.Is a cake doughnut healthy?
I don't think doughnuts can be considered healthy but cake doughnuts are lower in fat, calories, and sugar than fried ones. And this one has all the benefits of bananas on its side.Nutrition
This post has been updated with easier-to-follow instructions and photos. The original post was published on June 25, 2017.
