Mini Donuts Recipe (Homemade baked/fried donuts)

These mini-baked donuts are the perfect one-bite treat and are super cute. These have the texture of cake doughnuts and are, of course, delicious.

These easy mini donuts with cinnamon sugar are super fun to make. They are made with overnight brioche donut dough, then cut out into mini doughnuts.

They are fried or baked until golden then tossed in cinnamon sugar for the perfect cinnamon sugar mini donut. You can make these in any flavor that you like!

You get a deliciously tender tiny little donut coated in just the right amount of cinnamon sugar for their size. These soft cinnamony cake donuts are sure to please!

Fried or baked?

Baked and fried donuts are completely different things, as far as I am concerned. A baked donut generally is more of a cake batter and is made in a donut pan.

A fried donut is freeform and can be either made from dough like these brioche donuts, or from a batter such as crullers.

If you bake brioche donuts, they are no longer donuts. They are bread rolls. Frying the dough gives a very specific texture and flavor to donuts.

Ingredients for Mini Donuts

Donuts

⅔ cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
⅓ cup white sugar
⅛ teaspoon salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
¼ cup milk
100g unsalted butter

Cinnamon-Sugar Coating:

⅓ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions for Mini Donuts

In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Add nutmeg, egg, and butter, and mix until just combined.
Mix on low for 2-3 minutes, until the dough is starting to come together.
Increase the mixer speed to medium, and mix for another 10 minutes, until the dough is soft and smooth
Transfer to an oiled bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place overnight in the fridge to rise
Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Roll until it is 1.25cm in thickness.
Using a round cutter, cut out circles of dough.
Using a very small round cutter or a milkshake straw, cut a circle out of the middle of each round of dough.
Lightly cover the cut-out doughnuts with plastic wrap, and leave to rise for 30 minutes, until puffy.
Meanwhile, make the coating: Mix sugar and cinnamon together in a bow

Fried donuts

heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot (cast iron works great) or a deep fryer.
Gently drop the doughnuts, into the hot oil.
Cook, flipping every 30 seconds, for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown.
Remove from the oil and place on a cooling rack. Allow cooling for 30 seconds before tossing in the sugar.
Repeat the process with the rest of the doughnuts.
add warm doughnuts to the cinnamon sugar and gently toss with hands until coated.
Ready to serve

Baked Donuts

heat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bake the donuts in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes.
Carefully remove the hot doughnuts from the doughnut maker and place onto a wire cooling rack.
add warm doughnuts to the cinnamon sugar and gently toss with hands until coated.
Ready to serve

Tips and Variations

You can make the glaze and dip the cooled donuts in and set them back on the wire rack. Go nuts with sprinkles.
you can make the donut by using a donut baking pan or a mini muffin pan.
Chilled dough is certainly easier to work with but you can make these all in one day if you like.
If you are deep frying at home, a good heavy-bottomed pot is super helpful.
The amount of oil that you need for deep frying depends on the size of your vessel.