This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
Cakey and moist, these breakfast donuts are a perfect start to your weekend! Made with oats, they take less than 30 minutes to make.
I love breakfast desserts, so it’s no surprise that breakfast donuts are something I make my family a little too often.
Unlike classic sugar and fat-filled donuts, this one is free from refined flour, butter, sugar, and frying! They are a spin on my healthy donuts but swapping out the flour for ground up oats.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Quick and easy. Unlike traditional donuts, I have made them without yeast, so you don’t have to worry about proofing them. Also, their consistency is such that you can pour them into donut trays and bake them instead of fry.
- Fun breakfast option. Like my blueberry baked donuts, these are a great substitute if you are bored of everyday oats or breakfast bars. They are not overly sweet or indulgent and can be versatile and customizable, like baked oats!
- Perfect texture. The donuts have the perfect balance of fluffiness and cakiness, and the addition of the oats give them that slightly chewy texture.
Ingredients Needed
As mentioned earlier, these donuts use a handful of wholesome ingredients to make. Here is what you’ll need:
- Oat flour. Blended oats that have a flour-like texture. You can buy any pre-packaged oat flour or make your own.
- Coconut sugar. My preferred sweetener because it is less refined than white or brown sugar.
- Baking powder. This will make your donuts nice and fluffy and have some rise.
- Cinnamon. For the lovely, warm Cinnabon-like nostalgia.
- Sea salt. You’ll need just a pinch to balance the sweetness.
- Almond milk. This is the usual milk in my fridge, but use any milk you like.
- Egg OR flax egg. Use one egg or make a flax egg by allowing to gel a tablespoon of ground flaxseeds with three tablespoons of water.
- Vanilla extract. Cinnamon and vanilla perfectly complement one another. A splash of a good quality vanilla extract will elevate this recipe.
- Almond butter. For binding and moisture. I like almond butter because it goes well with the other flavors and isn’t as overpowering as peanut butter. You can use any nut or seed butter you enjoy.
For the Glaze
- Greek yogurt. I used plain Greek yogurt, but any thick yogurt will work just fine.
- Confectioners sugar. Just a little bit to add some sweetness but also thin out the yogurt enough to drizzle over each donut.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How to make the breakfast donuts
Step 1- Mix the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients and mix well.
Step 2- Make the donut batter. Whisk the milk, vanilla extract, and egg/flax egg in a small bowl. Pour into the dry mixture. Add the melted nut butter and mix well until a batter is formed.
Step 3- Bake the donuts. Transfer the batter to the greased 12-count doughnut pan or muffin tin and bake for 20-30 minutes in a preheated oven at 350°F. Remove it from the oven once you see a golden brown color on top and a toothpick comes on clean.
Step 4- Cool them down. Let the donuts sit in the pan for roughly 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 5- Make the frosting. Whisk together the yogurt and confectioner’s sugar and frost the donuts once cooled.
Recipe tips and variations
- Avoid overmixing the batter. Like cake or pancake batter, you want to combine the batter until fully incorporated.
- Avoid overbaking the donuts. For soft, cakey donuts, bake until the toothpick comes out clean. Any longer, and you’ll end up with dry and dense donuts. Remember, they will continue to cook as they cool down.
- Frost cooled donuts. Sugar glaze seeps off the hot donuts. So, wait for the donuts to cool down before frosting them.
- Add mix-ins. To change things up, I sometimes fold through some dried fruits, fresh berries, or to treat the family, some chocolate chips.
Storage instructions
To store. Store leftovers in an airtight container on your kitchen top for 3 to 4 days.
To freeze. For more extended storage, toss the breakfast donuts into freezer-safe bags and freeze them for up to 4 months.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! If you don’t want to use rolled oats, you can use all-purpose, wholewheat, or cake flour. You will need to add an extra 2-3 tablespoons to compensate for the extra liquid.
Yes, you can. If you don’t own a donut pan, bake them as muffins. The cooking time will not differ.
More tasty donut recipes to try
Breakfast Donuts
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups oat flour oats ground into a flour
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk I used unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 flax egg or 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons almond butter can sub for any nut butter
Glaze
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease a 12-count donut pan and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients and mix well.
- In a small bowl, whisk the milk, vanilla extract, and egg/flax egg. Pour into the dry mixture. Add the almond butter and mix very well until a batter is formed.
- Transfer the batter to the greased donut pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown on top and a toothpick comes on clean. Remove from oven and let sit in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, frost.
- To make the frosting, whisk the yogurt and confectioner sugar until combined. Dip each donut in it and let it sit on a wire rack to firm up.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe originally published May 2016 but updated to include new information for your benefit.
This could be my favourite breakfast haha seems such tasty
Can one use regular butter or oil instead of almond butter? Thanks SO much for all you are & do Arman!
Could I use this paleo version of the recipe but do the sugar free glaze on them from your Krispy Kreme recipe?? Is there any difference texture wise to the paleo version on that one (Krispy Kreme) to this?
The one for the cake is thicker, but feel free to experiment and see
These sound sooooooooo good. However, I do have a question. In the recipe you mentioned a cream cheese cinnamon frosting, but I did not see a recipe for it, unless I just didn’t see it. Where would I find that recipe?
Hi! If I used maple syrup instead of granulated sweetener and lessened the volume of milk, would that work?
I don’t see why not 🙂
Hi there. I have tried multiple of you recipes and my family is in love. Thanks for you dedication and willingness to try and try until you’ve perfected the recipe.
Wondering if i use same amount of oat flour if it was purchased already ground rather than doing it myself? Thanks
Hi Christine! I think that should be fine- If it is a little too thick, add some milk of choice 🙂
Wow. I made these last night. I have to say these were so amazing they melt in your mouth!!! This was my first time making donuts. My family was impressed. You have inspired me to be open to more creative ideas in the baking world!!! Thank you!!!
😀 LOVE IT! Cheers, Cary!
This recipe looks amazing! I noticed the commenter above was able to make them nut free. I would love to try this recipe for my son, but he can’t have nuts or peanuts and I am wondering what I could replace the nut butter with. Thanks!
Hi there, Shelly! This works fantastic with sunflower seed or soy nut butter!
Hello!!! Came across this recipe and was wondering if I can replace the eggs in the paleo version for flax eggs instead? I prefer my doughnuts more dense! 🙂
I haven’t tried, but feel free to experiment and see 🙂