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Banana bread, but make it donuts! These banana donuts are soft, fluffy, baked—not fried—and topped with a dreamy crème fraîche glaze (or cinnamon sugar if you’re feeling classic!). These are beyond delicious!
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItI made these on a whim when I noticed a few super ripe bananas staring me down on the counter. I wasn’t in the mood for banana bread again, so I baked them into soft, fluffy donuts instead—and they were a hit!
The crème fraîche glaze adds just the right amount of fancy, but they’re just as good with a simple cinnamon sugar coating.
Banana Donut Ingredient Notes
To make our delicious baked banana donuts, we’ll need the following ingredients:
- All-purpose Flour – Measuring the flour is necessary; either weigh it for the correct amount or use a measuring cup to ensure you spoon the flour correctly. You can just follow our guide for measuring flour to make sure it’s correct.
- Granulated Sugar – White sugar adds all the sweetness you need for this recipe.
- Ground Cardamom and Nutmeg – These spices add warmth and depth of flavor to the donuts. You can also use cinnamon instead of cardamom.
- Ripe Bananas – Using mashed overripe bananas adds natural sweet banana flavor and moisture to the donuts.
- Buttermilk – Adds tanginess and helps activate the baking powder
- Eggs – Use room-temperature eggs.
- Unsalted Butter – Melted butter adds richness and flavor to the batter.
How to Make Banana Donuts
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease your donut pan.
- Whisk dry stuff: flour, spices, baking powder, salt.
- Mix wet stuff: buttermilk, eggs, vanilla.
- Cream butter + sugar until light and fluffy.
- Alternate wet + dry into the mixer on low.
- Mash bananas (a fork works great!) and fold them in last.
- Pipe into pan using a ziplock or piping bag.
- Bake for 10 mins until golden and springy.
- Make the glaze while they bake—easy and so good.
- Cool slightly, then dip or drizzle those babies in glaze.
Recipe Tips
Use super ripe bananas: I purposely wait until mine turn really brown—like borderline banana bread status. In a rush? Pop them in the oven at 300°F for 15 minutes to brown fast.
Don’t overmix: Stir just until combined—lumpy batter = soft, fluffy donuts.
Use room temp ingredients: It makes for a smoother batter and better rise.
No crème fraîche? Swap in sour cream or Greek yogurt—or skip the glaze and dip in cinnamon sugar for a cozy twist!
How to Store
Freeze: Wrap tightly and freeze for up to 2 months—thaw at room temp or microwave for 10–15 seconds
Room temp: Airtight container for up to 2 days
Fridge: Up to 5 days
More Donut Recipes
If you love these baked donuts, try more of our favorite donut recipes!
And if you’re looking for more banana recipes, try our banana pudding pie, banana cake recipe, and blueberry banana muffins.
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Baked Banana Donuts Recipe
Ingredients
Banana Donuts
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 ripe bananas
Creme Fraiche Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp Crème fraîche
- 1 tbsp milk, you may need 2 tbsp
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine Wet Ingredients – In a measuring cup, combine buttermilk, eggs and vanilla extract.
- Combine Dry Ingredients – Add flour, salt, cardamom and baking powder in a bowl.
- Beat Butter and Sugar – In a mixing bowl with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars until combined.
- Alternate Dry & Wet Ingredients – With the mixer on low, slowly alternate the wet ingredients with the dry until the ingredients are mixed. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Fold in mashed bananas.
- Fill a piping bag and pipe into the donut pan.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
- To make the glaze, whisk all of the ingredients for the glaze in a medium bowl.
- Add more milk if you need to adjust the texture.
- Once the donuts are baked, let them cool and then remove them onto a cooling rack.
- Add parchment paper under the cooling rack, then drizzle the glaze over the donuts.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
