Caramel Glazed Banana Donuts — Banana bread in the form of soft, fluffy baked donuts and donut holes!! No-mixer recipe that’s as easy as making muffins! The glaze makes them IRRESISTIBLE!!
Table of Contents
I love banana bread anything and could eat it every day and not tire of it. I have 40+ banana bread and banana recipes but no banana donuts. So I dusted off my donut pan and made some.
Baked donuts are just like making muffins but you use a donut pan instead. It’s a fast and easy recipe that uses oil rather than butter so there’s nothing to cream and no mixer to dirty.
The caramel glaze soaks into the donuts and donut holes and makes them even moister, softer, and more irresistible. Between the scent of warm banana bread and browned butter caramel, your house will smell like a bakery.
Ingredients Needed
To make the banana bread donuts, you’ll need:
- Egg
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Canola oil
- Sour cream
- Vanilla extract
- Mashed bananas
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Half and half
- Confectioners’ sugar
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Banana Donuts
The baked banana donuts are simple to make, as is the caramel glaze! Here are the basic steps:
- Donuts: Whisk together the donut batter like you would regular banana bread.
- Turn the batter into a greased and floured donut pan (I also used a regular muffin pan to make donut holes, more on that in a bit).
- Bake the donuts until cooked through, set, and springy to the touch.
- Glaze: While the donuts cool, make the browned butter caramel glaze. First, brown the butter.
- Stir in some brown sugar, then half and half, vanilla, and salt. Take caution because the mixture will bubble vigorously.
- The confectioners’ sugar gets whisked in last. Once that’s done, you’re ready to glaze the donuts!
Baked Donut FAQs
Yes! I only have one donut pan and made 6 donuts, and used my mini muffin pans to make 18 donut holes. Mix and match with whatever pans you have available.
Technically no, but I highly recommend doing so. The glaze is adapted from this Vanilla Caramel Glaze. It makes the donuts go from great to totally fabulous. I’ve made variations of the original glaze many times but this is the first time I’ve browned the butter. If you’ve never browned butter, read this tutorial. It’s the best 5 minutes you’ll spend all month.
Most likely yes, but you’ll need to thaw them overnight before using. Frozen fruit usually releases more liquid than fresh, so you might need to drain the bananas if they become watery. I’ve only used fresh bananas though, so I can’t say for sure.
What to Serve with Banana Donuts
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Banana Bread Donuts with Browned Butter Caramel Glaze
Ingredients
Donuts
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup canola or vegetable oil, liquid-state coconut oil may be substituted
- ¼ cup cup sour cream, lite is okay; or Greek yogurt may be substituted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas, about 2 large bananas
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
Glaze
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, browned (half of 1 stick)
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 3 tablespoons half-and-half or cream, plus more as necessary for consistency
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted (must be sifted)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
Instructions
Make the Donuts:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray one 6-count non-stick donut pan and two mini muffin pans with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pans; set aside. Alternatively, use the pans you have available including mini donuts, full-size muffins, etc. and adjusting baking times accordingly.
- To a large bowl, add the the egg, sugars, oil, sour cream, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
- Add the bananas and stir to combine.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and fold with spatula or stir gently with a spoon until just combined; don’t overmix.
- Turn batter out into prepared pans, filling each cavity about 2/3 to 3/4 full. I dollop the batter into the donut pan with a spoon but you can transfer to a large ziptop back, seal, cut one of the corners with a scissors, and pipe into the pans if that’s easier. For the donut holes, I use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop filled with about 1 heaping tablespoon batter.
- Bake for about 13 to 14 minutes, or until donuts and donut holes are cooked through, set, and springy to the touch. Both the donuts and donut holes each baked for about 13 1/2 minutes in my oven but all pans, climates, ovens, etc. vary so bake until done.
- Allow donuts and donut holes to cool in the pans while you make the glaze.
Make the Glaze:
- This is a fast moving recipe. Have everything in place before beginning. Brown the butter (click for a detailed tutorial) by cooking butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan until it’s amber to brown in color, about 5 minutes depending on pan size. I swirl the pan in the last minute or so to make sure I can really see the color changes. Butter will go through stages of hissing, sputtering, and making noise until the water cooks off at which point the browning occurs. Butter will smell nutty and aromatic.
- Turn the heat to medium-low, add the brown sugar, and cook for about 1 minute, stirring nearly continuously.
- Remove the pan from the heat, allow it to cool for about 1 minute, and add 3 tablespoons cream, vanilla, and salt, taking caution because the mixture will bubble vigorously. Whisk aggressively to incorporate the cream and calm the bubbling.
- Add the confectioners’ sugar and whisk to combine. I absolutely recommend using sifted sugar so the glaze whisks up smooth, silky, and free from lumps. As necessary, add additional cream (or confectioners’ sugar) to reach desired glaze consistency.
- Dip the top of each donut and donut hole in glaze and allow to cool momentarily before enjoying. The glaze sets up fairly fast so you’ll want to dip fairly quickly, adding a splash of additional cream if necessary to thin it out.
Notes
- Donuts and donut holes are best warm and fresh but will keep airtight at room temp for up to 4 days.
- Extra glaze will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Reheat gently before using.
- Adapted from Cream Cheese-Filled Banana Bread and Vanilla Caramel Glaze.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Homemade Donut Recipes:
Baked Vanilla Donuts — Making donuts at home is easier than you think! Full of rich vanilla flavor in both the batter and the glaze, these donuts are a family FAVORITE.
Baked Chocolate Sprinkle Donuts with Chocolate Ganache — Making donuts at home is as easy as making muffins! These chocolate sprinkle donuts are baked rather than fried so you can have seconds, of course!
Baked Lemon Donuts with Lemon Glaze — These taste like the Starbucks lemon loaf, but in donut (or mini muffin) form!! Easy, no mixer recipe with a tart-yet-sweet lemon glaze that’s PERFECT! Lemon lovers will adore them!!
French Crullers (Dunkin’ Donuts Copycat Recipe) — Light and airy donuts with a soft and delicate interior, a lightly crisped exterior, and a sweet glaze that melts into every crevice!
Just wanted to say I made them last night and they were great!!! They cooked on the bottom rack in 11-12 mins. I doubled the recipe and it made exactly 24 doughnuts. And that glaze!!! Most doughnuts use the milk/powdered sugar combo that I generally don’t like. This was awesome!!!! Bringing them to work this morning and I’m very excited. Thanks!
You have lucky coworkers! Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
Could this recipe be used in the baby cakes doughnut maker? We love making doughnuts with our little maker, but I am concerned these might burn before they cook through.
I have the same fear as you but you have nothing left to lose other than a few dollars worth of ingredients. If you try it, LMK how it goes! You could also possibly thin out the batter a bit with a splash of milk or even water. That maybe could help solve the cooking-through issue but this is merely a guess.
Banana Bread Donuts are one of my favorites since I love banana bread! I love the caramel glaze you topped them with, I need to try that, I usually just roll mine in cinnamon & sugar. They look so delicious!
I love the idea of making banana bread in a donut tin! Definitely a fun way to mix things up!
XO – Sarah
https://beautyandblooms.com/
Might you able to use Dulce de Leche as a topping or Salted Caramel jarred toppings from Trader Joe’s?
You probably could however they are much thicker than the glaze I used so that will add a different texture element as well as flavor.
I love Banana Bread and I love donuts so this recipes a keeper!!
oh yummy! These look so divine!
You get an A+ on this recipe. I had a banana donut in chicago once and I still dream of it. This looks like my dreams come true, and even yummier.
I love food memories like that…where you recall a certain food and will never forget it because it was just that good!
Hmmm, I think I need to invest in a donut baking pan …
A great $10 fun little item :)
I have been so craving making donuts!! But seriously, that glaze. I could drink it with a straw!
There are two different baking times listed. In the description it says 7 – 9 minutes, in the recipe it says 13-14 minutes. Which is correct?
It depends on what size you’re making. For some people if they’re making very small donut holes, it will be shorter. Full size donuts, longer. Watch your donuts/donut holes and bake until they’re set, soft, and springy to the touch.
Oh what a great idea to use the donut pan instead of the muffin pan or loaf pan…and that glaze looks to die for!
I am a sucker for banana bread. And these donuts? Dear God they look amazing! Pinning and drooling :)
Thanks for pinning and I am a sucker for banana bread too!
a cappuccino, fresh fruit, and THIS?! sign me up sista
Glazed cake donuts are my favorite– banana bread and browned butter sounds wonderful! These look like they came right out of a bakery and I love those little flecks in the glaze.
The flecks were so tasty :)
Browned butter glaze is really my favorite. There’s no greater aroma than the smell of butter browning. I love it! And you’ve glazed baked donuts with it. WIN!
The smell just makes your house smell like a bakery!