Banana Bread Donuts (Print Version)
Moist, cake-like donuts with ripe banana flavor and warm spices. Ready in under 30 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Wet Ingredients
01 - 2 ripe bananas, mashed
02 - 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
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 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
08 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
09 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
10 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
11 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
→ Optional Glaze
13 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
14 - 1 to 2 tablespoons whole milk
15 - 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a standard 12-cavity donut pan with butter or nonstick cooking 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 incorporated.
03 - In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg until evenly distributed.
04 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined — do not overmix, as this can make the donuts tough.
05 - Spoon the batter into the donut pan cavities or transfer to a piping bag for cleaner filling. Fill each cavity approximately three-quarters full.
06 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a donut comes out clean and the tops spring back lightly when touched.
07 - Allow the donuts to rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before glazing.
08 - In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until a smooth, pourable glaze forms. Dip each cooled donut top-down into the glaze, then return to the wire rack and let set for 10 to 15 minutes.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- These taste exactly like banana bread but cook in under twelve minutes, which feels like a small miracle on lazy mornings.
- The glaze is optional but transforms them into something that disappears at brunch gatherings before you even sit down.
02 -
- Overmixing the batter creates tough, rubbery donuts, so treat folding like a gentle conversation rather than an argument.
- Fresh baking soda and baking powder matter here more than you think, because there is no yeast to fall back on for lift.
03 -
- A piping bag filled with batter saves you from messy spills and ensures each donut cavity gets the same amount for even baking.
- Use bananas that are so ripe you would normally throw them away, because that is precisely when their sweetness and moisture peak.