Cinnamon Roll Donuts

Cinnamon Roll Donuts recipe for Secret Recipe Club! Baked cinnamon doughnuts are covered in a cinnamon sugar coating and drizzled with a sweet glaze. 

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Secret Recipe Club

Secret Recipe Club time again! For those who haven’t seen my previous Secret Recipe Club posts, this club includes three group of bloggers who are assigned a different blog each month and secretly make a recipe to post on their specified Monday reveal day. I look forward to my assignment email every month and discovering new blogs. It is also fun to see what someone chooses from your blog.

This month I was assigned to Cook with Sara. Sara lives in the Midwestern part of the US and has been cooking since a young age. Her interest grew by watching her mother in the kitchen. On her blog, Sara shares old and new family-friendly recipes with everyday ingredients. I decided on her Cinnamon Roll Donuts immediately when I saw them, but also pinned her Avocado Strawberry Spinach Salad, Double Coconut Muffins, Caramelized Peach and Brie Quesadillas, and Bistro Mac & Cheese for later.

Cinnamon Roll Donuts

These Cinnamon Roll Donuts have the amazing cinnamon roll flavor with only a fraction of the work. No yeast, no rolling, no rise times- just a delicious baked donut with a cinnamon brown sugar topping and powdered sugar glaze. I divided the mixture between these two baked doughnut pans (on Amazon). If you are only using one pan, be sure to clean out any excess topping thoroughly before re-greasing and refilling with the next batch. Any leftover topping will burn during the second baking time.

The easiest way to fill the (well-greased) pan is to transfer the batter to a piping bag or large ziploc bag with the corner snipped off. You can also gently spoon the batter in until each cavity is 2/3 full. Don’t have a doughnut pan? Use a mini muffin pan to make doughnut bites- the cooking time may vary. 

It hasn’t happened to me (yet), but others have commented that the topping may bubble over and make a mess of the oven. Place the donut pan on a rimmed cookie sheet just in case to catch anything. If you happen to have any extra topping, it can be swirled into the batter right before baking.

Bake until puffed and barely golden. The tops should spring back when lightly touched. Allow the doughnuts to rest in the pan for about 5 minutes before removing. This will make them easier to move without the risk of sticking to the pan or crumbling. These Cinnamon Roll Donuts are best within a few hours of baking.

Looking for more cinnamon-based recipes?

Try my Kanelsnegle (Danish Cinnamon Rolls), Maple Cinnamon Latte, and Cinnamon Brown Sugar Toaster Pastries. 

Here is what everyone else made from Group C:

• Garlic Chicken with Polenta from My Wholefood Family
• Strawberry Vanilla Smoothie from Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Cocoa Spiced Almonds from Dessert Before Dinner
• Baked Duck Eggs in Portobello Caps from Natural Noshing
• Cookie Butter Granola from The Big Sweet Tooth
• Brownie Cake with Strawberries from Where is My Spoon
• No Bake Turtle Walnut Brownies from Cooking with Traci
• Rocky Road Brownies from Savory Moments
• Whole Wheat Yorkshire Pudding from Simple and Savory
• Asian-Style Slaw from Join Us, Pull Up a Chair
• Blueberry Baked French Toast from Cook with Sara
• Salted Caramel Apple Pie from Making Miracles
• Pizza Buns from Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
• Gnocchi with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Garlic Cream Sauce from Loving Life

Cinnamon Roll Donuts Recipe

Adapted from Cook with Sara

Print Pin

Cinnamon Roll Donuts

Cinnamon Roll Donuts recipe for Secret Recipe Club! Baked cinnamon doughnuts are covered in a cinnamon sugar coating and drizzled with a sweet glaze. 

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword baked doughnut, breakfast, cinnamon, cinnamon roll, donut, doughnut

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

0 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 10 Doughnuts

Ingredients

Cinnamon Topping:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 5 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Doughnuts:

• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Pinch salt
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease two baked doughnut pans.

To make the cinnamon topping:

• In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the brown sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, and milk. Once it has almost come to a boil, remove from heat and whisk in vanilla extract.
• Pour around 1 tablespoon of the cinnamon topping into each cavity of the greased doughnut pan.

To make the batter:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir in the buttermilk, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Pipe or spoon the batter into the cavities of the pan over the cinnamon topping about 2/3-3/4 full.
• Bake in preheated oven until lightly golden and the doughnut springs back with touched, 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool in pan 5-10 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool to room temperature. A small spoon or knife around the edges will help release them (be careful not to scratch the pan).

To make the glaze:

• In a small bowl, whisk the milk into the powdered sugar until smooth. If too thin, add more powdered sugar. If too thick, add a little more milk. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled doughnuts and serve after it sets slightly.