These banana donuts with brown butter glaze are quick, easy, and irresistibly delicious. They taste just like banana bread but are lighter and bake much faster. Topped with a fragrant brown butter glaze, these baked banana donuts make a cozy breakfast or an afternoon snack any time of year.
Why Should You Make This Recipe
I recently fell in love with baked donuts and have been testing many variations. These baked banana donuts are a wonderful addition to a collection of quick, comforting donut recipes. You’ll love them because:
- Moist, tender texture: These banana donuts with brown butter glaze stay wonderfully moist for days. They bake to a golden brown and smell just like a warm loaf of banana bread.
- Simple and fast: Made with the same ingredients as banana bread, these donuts come together in two bowls and a whisk and bake much faster than a loaf.
For another cozy breakfast idea, try brioche French toast casserole or mini pancakes.
Ingredients
This baked banana donuts recipe uses basic pantry ingredients you likely already have.
For the Banana Donuts
Dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt.
Wet ingredients: light brown sugar, eggs, mashed bananas, melted butter, and vanilla extract.
For the Brown Butter Glaze
Unsalted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, a pinch of cinnamon, and a little room-temperature milk. Banana chips make a pretty optional topping.
Substitutions
This recipe is designed to be quick and flexible. If you need swaps, these work well:
- Spices: Swap ground cinnamon for a spice blend you like—pumpkin spice, chai spice, or apple pie spice all pair nicely. Total spice amount is about 2 teaspoons.
- Butter: Salted butter can be used—omit or reduce added salt in the recipe. Vegan or dairy-free butter works too.
- Sugar: Use a refined sugar substitute like maple sugar to reduce refined sugar.
- Eggs: This version has not been tested without eggs.
Alternatives
- Cinnamon-sugar topping: Brush the cooled donuts with melted butter and roll in a cinnamon-sugar mixture for a classic finish.
- Chocolate glaze: Melt chocolate chips with a small amount of butter or cream and dip the tops of cooled donuts for a chocolate-banana combination.
How To Make
These brown butter glazed banana donuts are as easy as making banana bread but much faster. Follow the straightforward steps below.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 6-count donut pan or a muffin pan if you don’t have a donut pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In another bowl, whisk the light brown sugar, eggs, mashed bananas, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth.
- Combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk until just combined and smooth—don’t overmix.
- Fill the pan. Spoon or pipe about three heaping tablespoons of batter into each prepared cavity—about 3/4 full.
- Bake 10–12 minutes. Donuts are done when the tops spring back when lightly pressed. Let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool further.
- Make the brown butter glaze while the donuts cool. Melt butter over low heat. As it melts and foams, stir frequently. When the foam subsides and the butter develops a nutty aroma and light brown bits, remove from heat. Pour the brown butter into a bowl, leaving most of the toasted bits behind. Whisk in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and a teaspoon of room-temperature milk until smooth. Add more milk until the glaze reaches a dip-able consistency.
- Glaze and finish. Dip each cooled donut into the brown butter glaze and let excess drip off. Place glazed donuts on a rack to set for a minute or two, then top with banana chips if desired. Let the glaze fully set for about an hour before serving.
How To Store, Freeze and Thaw
These baked banana donuts taste best the day they’re made, but they can be stored and enjoyed later.
- Unglazed donuts: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for a day, or refrigerate up to 2 days. Place parchment between layers if stacking.
- Glazed donuts: Best the same day. If needed, store in a single layer in an airtight container in the fridge for 1–2 days; they will dry out after that.
- Freezing: Freeze unglazed donuts in an airtight container up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then glaze and enjoy.
M’s Expert Tips
- Bring ingredients to room temperature: This improves mixing and texture.
- Use very ripe bananas: Lots of brown spots make for the best banana flavor and sweetness.
- Measure flour correctly: A food scale ensures consistent results.
- Mash bananas well: Aim for a smooth mash; 1 cup mashed banana is about 3 medium bananas.
- Don’t overmix: Mix dry ingredients into the wet just until combined for tender donuts.
- Cool briefly in the pan: Ten minutes is ideal before transferring to a rack.
- Fully cool before glazing: Wait about 30 minutes after baking so the glaze sets neatly.
FAQ’s
If your bananas aren’t ripe, place whole unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake at 300°F (150°C) for about 15 minutes, until the peels are black. Let cool enough to handle, then scoop out the softened banana pulp.
Baked donuts are cake-like and use baking powder for lift rather than frying in oil. Because they’re baked, they typically contain less oil than fried donuts, which some consider a healthier option.
Yes—use a 12-cup muffin pan if you don’t have a donut pan. Fill each cavity three-quarters full and bake at 350°F (177°C) for 18–20 minutes, until the tops spring back. Glaze once cooled to room temperature.
More Banana Recipes to Try
- Banana Zucchini Bread
- Almond Flour Banana Muffins
- Banana Mini Muffins
- Banana Coffee Cake Muffins
- Banana Bread Snack Cake
- Roasted Banana Chai Spice Cake
If you try this Banana Donuts recipe, please rate it and leave a comment so other readers can find it. Tag @olivesnthyme on Instagram if you’d like to share a photo of your bake. Happy baking! — M
Banana Donuts Recipe
Megan
Equipment
- 1 6-count donut pan (or 12-cup muffin pan)
- 2 mixing bowls
- 1 whisk or spoon for mixing
Ingredients
Banana Donuts
- 1¾ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp (6 g) ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup mashed banana (about 3 medium bananas)
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 4 tbsp (57 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
Brown Butter Glaze for Donuts
- 6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter
- 1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1–3 tsp (5–15 ml) milk, room temperature
- Banana chips for topping (optional)
Instructions
Banana Donuts
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 6-count donut pan or a muffin pan.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.
- In another bowl, whisk the light brown sugar, eggs, mashed bananas, melted butter, and vanilla until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk until smooth and just combined.
- Spoon or pipe about three heaping tablespoons of batter into each prepared cavity, filling about ¾ full.
- Bake 10–12 minutes, until the tops spring back when lightly pressed. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
- While donuts cool, make the brown butter glaze: melt butter over low heat until it foams and develops a nutty aroma and light brown bits. Pour the brown butter into a bowl, leaving most of the browned bits in the pan. Whisk in powdered sugar, vanilla, and a teaspoon of milk until smooth. Add more milk if needed to reach dipping consistency.
- Dip cooled donuts into the glaze, shake off excess, and place on a rack. Top with banana chips if desired and allow glaze to set for about an hour before serving.
Notes
Make these banana donuts in a muffin pan: If you don’t have a donut pan, use a 12-cup muffin pan. Fill each cavity ¾ full and bake at 350°F (177°C) for 18–20 minutes, until the tops spring back. Glaze once cooled.
Store unglazed donuts: Place in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or in the fridge up to 2 days. Use parchment between layers.
Store glazed donuts: Enjoy same day if possible. Otherwise keep a single layer in an airtight container in the fridge for 1–2 days.