Do you like cinnamon buns? Brownie points if you love Cinnabon cinnamon rolls like I do? If you’re a cinnamon roll fan, you’re going to love these donuts.
Really, who doesn’t love a cinnamon roll?
Warm baked dough that’s sweet, dense, cinnamony and sugary, ooey gooey, with frosting everywhere.
Yes, please.
I worked at the mall when I was in high school and between Panda Chinese food, Mrs. Field’s Cookies, and Cinnabons, I ate more sodium, grease, and sugar than should be legal or is good for the complexion. But hey, you’re only 16 and working next to the food court once.
I have such fond memories of Cinnabons. The dense texture of them, the flavors of the cinnamon, sugar, and melted butter, the warm dough, and that cream cheese frosting.
I always ordered extra frosting and it was 50 cents for that extra cup of frosting but when you’re in high school working at a minimum wage job, you notice the price of tea in China the price of extra frosting. But best use ever of 50 cents.
My grandma made the best cinnamon rolls, but since she’s not around and I had a cinnamon roll craving come over me, I knew I needed to figure something out. Working with yeast-based doughs is a kitchen fear I still need to tackle. Truth be told, I’ve never made traditional cinnamon rolls.
However, I thought that cinnamon bun style donuts was something I could handle.
And my hunch proved successful.
These donuts are baked but they are not cake, or dry the way that most baked or cake-style donuts are.
Not in the least.
They are actually pretty heavy, dense, and very moist. The texture reminds me of an underbaked muffin-top in some ways. Gooey and thick, not light, airy or fluffy.
The flavor is what you’d expect from a cinnamon bun. There’s cinnamon, sugar, brown sugar, melted butter.
And frosting. I paired the donuts with a vanilla cream cheese glaze that makes you want to dive in and bathe in it. I actually like a little donut with my frosting. A little coffee with my cream. Can you relate?
No donut pan? I’m sorry. You can buy one for $8 bucks at BB & B with a coupon or $10 without a coupon. You’ll be happy you did.
And if you really don’t want to do that, you can make these donuts as muffins in a muffin pan. I tried that with the leftover batter. The recipe yields what would be 7 donuts in my donut pan but rather than waiting for my one donut pan to come out of the oven, I made the remaining batter into two small muffins in my muffin pan. I baked the muffins for about 15 minutes and they turned out just dandy.
The whole donut recipe from start to finish, including making them, cooling, glazing, and doing the dishes is 30 minutes. That’s success.
But the fact that they remind me of Cinnabons is the best.
The recipe yields 6-7 donuts and we polished off 5 at once, right out of the oven.
Bu there was that one, lone, straggler donut. The next day, that straggler had become the perfect sponge for the cream cheese glaze.
Soaking up all that magical stuff and getting even heavier in weight and more full-bodied with flavor, which is just the way I like my baked goods: heavy, rich, dense, and intense.
Couldn’t think of a better way to Christen my new donut pan than with these.
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Baked Cinnamon Bun Donuts with Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze
Ingredients
Donuts
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon, add more if you like cinnamon or want a stronger ‘cinnamon bun’ taste
- ½ teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
- 6 tablespoons buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze
- ½ cup+ confectioners’ sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon+ cinnamon
- splash Milk, Half & Half, Cream, Heavy Cream, vegan milk
Instructions
- Donuts – Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees and lightly grease or spray a Nonstick 6-Cavity Donut Pan with cooking spray. Or, use a muffin pan.
- In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and optional salt.
- Add buttermilk, egg, vanilla and melted butter. Whisk to combine.
- Use a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip (or a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off) to pipe the batter into a 6-donut pan. Or just be extra neat and do this with a spoon (my preference).
- Bake 8 to 11 minutes, or until doughnuts spring back when touched are are set. Donuts will not be golden brown, but should be springy. Allow to cool slightly before removing from pan, about 5 minutes.
- Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze – While donuts are baking or cooling, make the glaze by combining powdered sugar, cream cheese, vanilla extract, cinnamon, with a small splash milk. Whisk to combine, adding the milk as necessary, until desired consistency is achieved.
- Dip the donuts into the glaze. Donuts are best fresh, but will keep airtight at room temp for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Alright, officially sold on the whole donut pan thing
Hi Averie! I’m going to try this out using Lactose free milk. My son is lactose intolerant and loves cinnamon rolls. We’ll see what happens!
Thanks!
Ok there is a reaction chemically that happens between buttermilk (because it’s an acid) and baking powder. If you are not using buttermilk, I would recommend adding a little more baking powder and a little baking soda to help with the leavening. I’m sure it will be fine but just letting you know that upfront…LMK how they turn out for you if you make them.
Another effing amazing recipe a la Averie!! You rock girl!!
Oh my gosh you are KILLING me with these. They look delicious! I wonder if it would work at all to use a gluten free flour. Because Cinnabons are my absolute favorite thing ever, and I miss them. And all of their dense, cinnamony, sugary, goodness.
I am sure you could make these with GF flour. I actually want to try that too. I just don’t have any GF blends that I love…yet.
yum! welcome to world of baked donut making :)
O.k. I am definitely making these this weekend! They look scrumptious :) I tried a recipe for pumpkin donuts topped w/ cinnamon & sugar in my new donut pan and while they were decent, I have a feeling these will blow them away. Thanks so much once again – you’re so inspiring :)
report back if you make them! :)
I am pretty sure you’ll dig these. I am a tough critic when it comes to desserts and they made me happy and the fam, too.
THOSE look wonderful! I can tell how moist they are from their crumb.
Tried Cinnabon once. Did not like. There was a fake flavor in there that I couldn’t identify, probably because it was a weird imitation of a real flavor.
I have to agree with other commenters on how gorgeous your photos look! I seriously want to eat the screen, and you captured the obviously perfect texture so well that I can taste it. I want these donuts!
Ever since you posted about the donut makers, I’ve been wanting to buy one & even mentioned it to my sister. She kinda hinted that I’m getting one for Christmas, sooo…this recipe is getting book-marked ’til then ;)
Also, I reviewed your Butterfingers & made them vegan (SO GOOD!). I posted several link-backs & gave you credit, but because I made it so differently (not just one or two ingredients), I kinda had to re-post it. I hope this is okay…let me know :) xx
commented on the post…wow, they look awesome!
and the food sites hated these pics on this post. Thanks for telling me you like them. Funny, what readers/friends like, the food sites don’t. And when they take my pics, I don’t get nearly the praise from my friends and readers. Sort of ironic, eh!
ok I spoke too soon LOL
https://tasteologie.notcot.org/post/15444/
YUM. This is getting bookmarked.
you’re only 16 and working next to the food court once <- One hopes so, right? ;)
The photos of these alone are drool-worthy. I loved cinnabons, but they always remind me of airports now. I bet these would be great with my Penzey's cinnamon.
FG rejected the pics…I knew they would. They aren’t pretty enough. It’s hard to make all that frosting look pretty I guess…in their eyes :)
Augh! I worked in a bakery for years and you could chase me with a doughnut. Tried your Butterfinger Bars tonight and those are so sweet I only want to have a sliver. Which makes them the perfect sweet IMO!
Glad you tried them and yes, they are sweet. But they taste like a butterfinger, don’t they!
All I can say OMG! These looks so good! I LOVE Cinnamon Rolls, but stay away because of fat and calories, but yours aren’t bad, not bad at all! I love that! Whats even better I don’t have to eat everyone in one sitting, since you said they taste just as good the next day! I am so wanting one! On my list for Saturday morning! I can’t wait!!! Thank you!
Yes, I have made donuts and YES I love Cinnamon Roll’s any kind from anywhere!!!
to be honest, I am not a HUGE donut fan in general…they are just way too sweet and that pastry texture I am not a fan of…however with that said I think that homemade donuts are completely different and YES PLEASE!! those look so decadent and delish! I hope you had company to serve them to! :)
i’m officially drooling. It’s breakfast time where I am right now and how I wish I were about to eat one of those! It’s been a while since I’ve had a cinnamon roll from cinnabon, but from what I remember, they’re pretty darn tasty ;) ANd they smell amazing every time I walk by.
These donuts looks fabulous, awsome job. Cinnamon is amazing, a total fall happy flavor and scent for me.
1. Yes, but it’s been ages since I’ve had a traditional cinnamon roll and Cinnabon’s make me think of the airports since every airport food court seems to have one.
2. Nope, not yet. I tried begals once, kind of close – right?