For a cozy breakfast, try these high altitude tested, baked whole wheat cinnamon sugar donuts. These soft, tender and buttery cake donuts are made with whole wheat flour for a wholesome flavor, and coated in crunchy cinnamon sugar. They’re easy to make, and their simple but delicious flavor will please the whole family.
You might also love these high altitude donut recipes for mini strawberry donuts, chocolate espresso donuts, and maple donuts.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Simple and Easy. You only need simple pantry ingredients for today’s recipe, and the cake batter comes together with just a bowl, whisk and spatula.
Soft, Fluffy, Buttery. You might hear “whole wheat baked donuts” and think they’re going to taste dry and stodgy, but not at all. The combination of all purpose flour and whole wheat flour adds a wholesome flavor, but with sour cream and melted butter in the cake, they are tender, soft, buttery, and simply wonderful.
Make Ahead. Because these donuts stay soft and moist for days, you can even bake them at night, then coat them in the cinnamon sugar mixture in the morning before serving. These are perfect for any special occasion, from birthdays to Christmas morning, where you don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen. A holiday breakfast has never been quicker!
High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
- Flour. Use a combination of all purpose flour and whole wheat flour to give the donuts structure, strength and a wholesome flavor.
- Sugar. Granulated sugar adds sweetness and moisture to the cake. You’ll also need some sugar for the cinnamon sugar coating after baking the donuts.
- Baking Powder. Leavening agent, so the donuts rise.
- Salt. Balances the sweetness.
- Spices. You’ll need ground cinnamon and cardamom, which adds a delicious depth of flavor.
- Egg. Adds moisture and strength.
- Sour Cream, Milk and Butter. The fat and moisture in these ingredients add flavor, richness, and a tender texture.
- Vanilla Extract. Flavor.
Instructions
Doughnuts
- Preheat the oven to 375 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Spray your doughnut pans with non-stick baking spray. This recipe makes enough batter for about 12-14 standard-sized donuts (around 3 inches) or 3 dozen mini donuts. If you don’t have enough pans, let the batter rest at room temperature while you bake the donuts in batches.
- In a bowl, whisk together both flours with the sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cardamom, until everything is evenly distributed.
- Separately, whisk together the egg, sour cream and milk. Add to the dry ingredients, along with the melted butter and vanilla extract. Use a spatula to stir everything together into a thick batter.
- Fill a 16-inch disposable piping bag with the batter, and snip off the tip. Pipe the batter into the greased donut pans, filling the molds half full. Don’t overfill your donut pans, or the batter will spill over the molds, creating a little muffin top on the donuts.
- Bake the donuts for about 12 minutes (for standard sized donuts) or around 8-10 minutes (for mini sized donuts), until the donuts spring back when gently touched. Cool in the pans for several minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack.
Cinnamon Sugar
- In a bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. While the donuts are still warm, coat them in the cinnamon sugar.
Baker’s Note: Sometimes baked donuts can have a slight “crust” on them right after baking, so that the sugar doesn’t want to stick very well. You can opt to very lightly brush (do not dip or submerge) the donuts in melted butter, to help the sugar stick. But if you have the time to wait a bit, another easy solution, without adding extra butter, is to coat them in the sugar while warm, then place them in an airtight container. Place the lid on and let the donuts sit for at least 30 minutes to cool. The steam will be trapped inside the container, and the moisture will soften the crust on the donuts. Coat the donuts again in the cinnamon sugar, and it will stick much better. You can even bake the donuts the night before, store them in an airtight container at room temperature overnight, and coat them in the cinnamon sugar in the morning. They’ll be just as soft and moist as they are when freshly baked.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do baked cinnamon sugar donuts stay fresh?
Store leftover donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days to keep them soft and fresh tasting.
How big is a standard sized donut pan?
Most standard donut pans have molds measuring around 3 inches in diameter. Mini donut pans have molds measuring around 2 inches in diameter.
Can I make baked donuts without a donut pan?
No, you cannot. You need the molded pan for the batter to bake into a ring shape.
Will this recipe work without the whole wheat flour?
The combination of flavors of the whole wheat donuts with cinnamon sugar is nothing short of magical. But, you can just use all-purpose flour instead of the whole wheat flour, if you prefer.
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High Altitude Baked Whole Wheat Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Doughnut Pans (for 12-14 standard-sized donuts or 3 dozen mini donuts)
- Disposable Piping Bag
Ingredients
Doughnuts
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- â…› tsp ground cardamom
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup full fat sour cream
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Cinnamon Sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
Doughnuts
- Preheat the oven to 375 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Spray your doughnut pans with non-stick baking spray.This recipe makes enough batter for about 12-14 standard-sized donuts (around 3 inches) or 3 dozen mini donuts. If you don't have enough pans, let the batter rest at room temperature while you bake the donuts in batches.
- In a bowl, whisk together both flours with the sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cardamom, until everything is evenly distributed.
- Separately, whisk together the egg, sour cream and milk. Add to the dry ingredients, along with the melted butter and vanilla extract. Use a spatula to stir everything together into a thick batter.
- Fill a 16-inch disposable piping bag with the batter, and snip off the tip. Pipe the batter into the greased donut pans, filling the molds half full. Don't overfill your donut pans, or the batter will spill over the molds, creating a little muffin top on the donuts.
- Bake the donuts for about 12 minutes (for standard sized donuts) or around 8-10 minutes (for mini sized donuts), until the donuts spring back when gently touched. Cool in the pans for several minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack.
Cinnamon Sugar
- In a bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. While the donuts are still warm, coat them in the cinnamon sugar.
- Baker's Note: Sometimes baked donuts can have a slight "crust" on them right after baking, so that the sugar doesn't want to stick very well. You can opt to very lightly brush (do not dip or submerge) the donuts in melted butter, to help the sugar stick.But if you have the time to wait a bit, another easy solution, without adding extra butter, is to coat them in the sugar while warm, then place them in an airtight container. Place the lid on and let the donuts sit for at least 30 minutes to cool. The steam will be trapped inside the container, and the moisture will soften the crust on the donuts. Coat the donuts again in the cinnamon sugar, and it will stick much better.You can even bake the donuts the night before, store them in an airtight container at room temperature overnight, and coat them in the cinnamon sugar in the morning. They'll be just as soft and moist as they are when freshly baked.
Angela B
Thank you for this recipe! I love it.. very easy to make and we have enjoyed every single bite! Great job….