Baked Halloween donuts are a simple, festive treat perfect for the spooky season. Dress them up with colorful icings, sprinkles, or a dusting of spiced sugar for a playful finish.
These bite-sized baked donuts make an excellent alternative to cupcakes, cake pops, or macarons. They don’t require refrigeration, can be prepared ahead of time, and are easy to transport for parties, school events, or bake sales.
Baked donuts have become popular across many regions, including Southern California, where shops and bakeries showcase the demand for baked alternatives to traditional fried donuts.
You can easily adapt this recipe to be vegan by swapping the egg for a flax egg or applesauce, using melted coconut oil or vegetable oil in place of butter, and selecting any plant-based milk you prefer.
Ingredients
This straightforward baked donut recipe uses a handful of pantry staples and is easy to customize. The core dry and wet ingredients include all-purpose flour, baking powder, and your choice of spices, plus the items listed below.
- Spices: Use pumpkin pie spice or your own blend, or simply stick with ground cinnamon. A touch of vanilla extract enhances flavor.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar is classic, but brown sugar or coconut sugar can be used for different flavor notes.
- Melted butter: Salted butter adds flavor; substitute melted coconut oil, shortening, or neutral vegetable oil if desired.
- Egg: One large egg binds the batter; use a vegan egg replacement if needed.
- Milk: Any milk works—dairy or non-dairy such as almond, oat, or soy milk.
Assembly Instructions
Baked Halloween Donuts
Yield: 32 mini donuts
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon pumpkin spice
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup melted salted butter
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Sugar Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 2 Tablespoon whole milk
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- a couple drops of orange food coloring, if desired
Chocolate Glaze
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- 1 Tablespoon salted butter
- ½ Tablespoon light corn syrup
- 1 Tablespoon milk
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a mini donut pan with butter, cooking spray, or vegetable oil and prepare a piping bag with a small round tip.
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Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, beat the sugar and egg until light and slightly thickened. Add the dry ingredients to the sugar and egg mixture and stir until just combined.
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Whisk together the melted butter, milk, and vanilla. Add to the batter in two additions, mixing until incorporated. Let the batter rest 3–5 minutes to thicken slightly.
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Pipe the batter into the prepared donut pan, filling each mold about two-thirds full. Bake 10–12 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 2 minutes before unmolding, then cool completely on a rack before decorating.
Sugar Glaze
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In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, milk, pumpkin spice, and vanilla until smooth and thick. Add more confectioners’ sugar if needed. If the glaze firms too quickly, warm briefly in 10-second microwave intervals until smooth and spreadable.
Chocolate Glaze
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Combine chocolate chips, butter, corn syrup, and milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in short 15-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth.
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