Banana Bread Donuts (Print Page)

Moist, cake-like donuts with ripe banana flavor and warm spices, ready in 27 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - 2 ripe bananas, mashed
02 - ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted
03 - ⅔ cup granulated sugar
04 - 2 large eggs
05 - ¼ cup whole milk
06 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

07 - 1½ cups all-purpose flour
08 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
09 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
10 - ½ teaspoon kosher salt
11 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 - ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

→ Optional Glaze

13 - ½ cup powdered sugar
14 - 1–2 tablespoons whole milk
15 - ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

# Directions:

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, and granulated sugar until well blended. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the milk and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth.
03 - In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg until evenly distributed.
04 - Gently fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients using a spatula, stirring just until combined. Take care not to overmix, as this can make the donuts dense.
05 - Transfer the batter to a piping bag or use a spoon to fill each donut pan cavity approximately three-quarters full, ensuring even distribution.
06 - Bake on the center rack for 10 to 12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the thickest part 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 invert onto 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 the glaze set for 10 to 15 minutes.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They have all the cozy comfort of banana bread but cook in just 12 minutes, which means you can go from craving to eating in under half an hour.
  • The cinnamon and nutmeg make your kitchen smell like a bakery that secretly knows what autumn feels like year round.
  • No deep frying required, so you get the fun shape without the mess or the guilt.
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter is the fastest way to turn these from tender and cakey into tough and rubbery, so stir with a gentle hand and walk away the second everything is combined.
  • Let the donuts cool completely before glazing or the heat will thin the glaze into a transparent, dripping mess that never properly sets.
03 -
  • Use bananas that are so brown and soft you would normally throw them away because that level of ripeness means maximum natural sweetness and intense banana flavor.
  • Let the melted butter cool for a few minutes before adding it to the eggs and milk so everything emulsifies smoothly instead of turning into a clumpy, greasy mess.

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