• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Lemons + Zest logo

menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • FAQ
  • Subscribe
  • Our Adoption Story
  • Privacy Policy
  • Follow me!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Breakfast / Triple Vanilla Donuts

    Triple Vanilla Donuts

    Last Updated March 21, 2022. Published March 21, 2022 By Lorie 40 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Vanilla donuts on cooling rack with glaze and rainbow sprinkles.

    These moist, delicious baked vanilla donuts are a simple breakfast everyone will love. For the vanilla lover and more, these donuts are easy to whip up in just 10 minutes, topped with a maple glaze and all the sprinkles. Easy to make right along with the kids for a fun activity!

    Stack of vanilla donuts with icing and rainbow sprinkles.

    This recipe was originally published July 2018 and updated March 2022.

    There is nothing more fun to eat than a donut, and these triple vanilla baked donuts are no exception. All the vanilla flavor and a rich vanilla maple glaze and perfect for all the toppings.

    These vanilla donuts were inspired by my Greek yogurt donuts and are so great for the kids to help whip up as they are ready in no time!

    Why You Will Love These Vanilla Donuts:

    • The whole recipe is ready in under 30 minutes. Baked donuts bake up super quick. You only need about 10 minutes give or take to bake and a few minutes to cool. The actual mixing up the batter takes about 5 minutes or so. Easy, easy, EASY!
    • Lots of vanilla flavor. The vanilla flavor of these donuts comes from three sources: yogurt, vanilla extract and vanilla almond milk. Lots of vanilla for the most vibrant vanilla goodness!
    • Simple pantry staples. Everything needed for the recipe I have on hand all the time. If I don't have vanilla yogurt, I at least have some plain yogurt on hand and can adjust if needed.
    • Lots of fun ways to vary flavor. Vanilla donuts are a perfect base for many flavors. You can easily adjust the glaze flavor, add in some chopped nuts, blueberries or mini chocolate chips into the batter and sprinkle the tops of the donuts with all the things: coconut, sprinkles, chopped nuts, and more.

    Baked Vanilla Donuts Ingredients:

    • flour: All purpose flour for these vanilla donuts. You can sub for a 1:1 gluten free all purpose flour if you need these gluten free.
    • sugar: These donuts are not super sweet, just a touch of sugar is all I use. You can add more if desired.
    • baking soda/powder: make sure both are fresh--you want the donuts to rise.
    • salt: just a pinch, I prefer sea salt
    • butter: unsalted, melted and cooled. If you only have salted, just adjust the salt in the recipe.
    • egg: a large egg, room temperature is ideal for these baked vanilla donuts
    • yogurt: vanilla yogurt, preferably not Greek, but Greek does work, the texture will be different. Whole milk yogurt is ideal for the most flavor.
    • milk: For the extra vanilla flavor I use vanilla almond milk in these baked vanilla donuts. However, another milk will work. You can even use one of the vanilla dairy milks you can typically find with the kids chocolate milk boxes.
    • vanilla: the real deal vanilla extract over imitation for the vibrant vanilla flavor.
    Flour, yogurt, baking powder, butter and other recipe ingredients labeled on a counter.

    For the Maple Glaze:

    To make the maple glaze grab the following:

    • powdered sugar
    • maple syrup
    • milk
    • vanilla

    Step-By-Step Instructions:

    Really there is nothing to whipping up these vanilla donuts.

    Stir the dry ingredients together and set aside. Whisk the egg and butter together and then add in the milk, yogurt and vanilla and whisk until smooth.

    Add in the dry ingredients and stir. The mixture is pretty thick. You can spoon the mixture into the donut pan but I prefer piping the batter.

    To pipe, transfer the vanilla donut batter to a piping bag or gallon plastic bag. Cut a one inch slit at the corner and pipe into an oil sprayed donut pan. Do not overfill the donut molds. You want to fill the donut molds about halfway and no more. They will rise!

    Step by step process of making vanilla donuts in glass mixing bowl.

    Bake the donuts for about 10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the donuts to cool for several minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

    While donuts cool, whisk the glaze ingredients together. Adjust the amount of maple or milk/cream amounts to thin the maple glaze as desired. Dip the donuts in the glaze and let excess drop off. Place back on the cooling rack and top with sprinkles if desired.

    • Batter in donut pan.
    • Baked donuts in baking pan.
    Maple glaze in mixing bowl.

    Recipe Tips:

    • When filling your donut pan, a little goes a long way. These vanilla donuts will rise a decent amount so you don't need to fill the donut molds much. About half way is plenty. Otherwise they will bake over and you will lose the nice round edges that you want in a donut. They will still taste fine, so the recipe isn't a flop if you over fill.
    • Make sure leavening agents are fresh. When baking, always use fresh baking soda and baking powder. If they are expired they can really impact the results of any recipe. And not in a great way.
    • Easily adjust the glaze flavor. While I am a huge huge HUGE fan of this maple vanilla glaze, there are lots of ways to vary it: add in ½ teaspoon of lemon or almond extract, add cocoa powder for chocolate glaze, skip the maple and use just milk and vanilla, use honey instead of the maple.
    Vanilla donuts with maple glaze and rainbow sprinkles on cooling rack.

    Other Donut and Breakfast Recipes:

    • Whole Wheat Greek Yogurt Baked Donuts
    • Apple Cinnamon Donuts With Apple Cider Glaze
    • Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls
    • Homemade Pop Tarts
    • Carrot Cake Baked Donuts

    HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for all the latest!

    Vanilla baked donuts with maple glaze and rainbow sprinkles on cooling rack.

    Triple Vanilla Baked Donuts with Maple Vanilla Glaze

    This baked vanilla donuts recipe is going to WOW the entire family! For the vanilla lover and more, these donuts are easy to whip up in just 10 minutes, topped with a maple glaze and all the sprinkles. Easy to make right along with the kids for a fun activity!
    5 from 11 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 11 minutes
    Cook Time: 12 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 12 donuts
    Calories: 136kcal
    Author: Lorie Yarro

    Ingredients 

    For Donuts

    • 1 c all purpose flour (or gluten free all purpose)
    • 1 large egg
    • 2 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled
    • ⅓ c vanilla yogurt (whole milk yogurt is best)
    • ⅓ c sugar
    • ¼ c plus 1 T vanilla unsweetened almond milk
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
    • dash of sea salt

    For Glaze

    • 1 c confectioners sugar
    • 1-2 T milk or cream
    • 1 T pure maple syrup
    • ½ tsp vanilla extract

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350°F.
    • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt.
    • In a small bowl, whisk together butter and egg until smooth. Add in yogurt, milk and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
    • Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir to combine. The dough will be a thick consistency but if it seems a bit dry, add a splash of milk. Try not to over stir as well.
    • Spray oil into donut baking pan to coat. Spoon donut batter into the molds or pour batter into a plastic bag and cut a slit to fill donut molds. I prefer this method and found it to be a lot less messy!
    • Bake for about 10 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick comes up clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool thoroughly.
    • While donuts cool, or before serving, whisk together glaze ingredients, adding more maple or milk to desired thickness and dip each donut into glaze and set aside to dry--or dig in immediately!

    Notes

    • When filling your donut pan, a little goes a long way. These donuts will rise a decent amount so you don't need to fill the donut molds much. About half way is plenty. Otherwise they will bake over and you will lose the nice round edges that you want in a donut. They will still taste fine, so the recipe isn't a flop if you over fill.
    • Make sure leavening agents are fresh. When baking, always use fresh baking soda and baking powder. If they are expired they can really impact the results of any recipe. And not in a great way.
    • Easily adjust the glaze flavor. While I am a huge huge HUGE fan of this maple vanilla glaze, there are lots of ways to vary it: add in ½ teaspoon of lemon or almond extract, add cocoa powder for chocolate glaze, skip the maple and use just milk and vanilla, use honey instead of the maple.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 136kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 34mg | Potassium: 72mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 83IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you try this recipe? I would love to see it! Mention @LemonsAndZest or tag #LemonsAndZest!

    Shop This Post:

    Image of Donut Pan

    Donut Pan

    Buy Now →
    Image of Mixing Bowls

    Mixing Bowls

    Buy Now →
    Image of Silicone Spatulas

    Silicone Spatulas

    Buy Now →
    « Reuben Sliders
    No Bake Chocolate Pie »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jyothi (Jo) says

      July 16, 2018 at 9:22 am

      5 stars
      You had me at triple vanilla. There is nothing like too much vanilla and using vanilla in 3 different forms - very cleaver! Donuts looks very tempting as well

      Reply
      • Lorie says

        July 17, 2018 at 10:17 am

        Yep. I’m a vanilla freak!! Love it!

        Reply
    2. Andrea says

      July 16, 2018 at 9:13 am

      Oh my, these donuts look absolutely scrumptious! My hubby would love these, can't wait to give them a try!

      Reply
      • Lorie says

        July 17, 2018 at 10:17 am

        Enjoy Andrea!!!

        Reply
    3. Stacey says

      July 16, 2018 at 9:07 am

      5 stars
      These donuts are gorgeous! My kids would absolutely devour them, can't wait to make a few batches!

      Reply
      • Lorie says

        July 17, 2018 at 10:18 am

        Oh yes, I recommend at least a triple batch ?

        Reply
    4. Sara says

      July 15, 2018 at 3:46 pm

      5 stars
      These look amazing! Better than the bakeries in my area for sure! I would love to share these with the kids for a one of a kind breakfast!

      Reply
      • Lorie says

        July 18, 2018 at 11:14 am

        There really is nothing like homemade right?!

        Reply
    5. Kathryn @ FoodieGirlChicago says

      July 15, 2018 at 9:10 am

      5 stars
      These look so good! They would be perfect for a Sunday brunch party!!

      Reply
      • Lorie says

        July 18, 2018 at 11:15 am

        Oh yes, best brunch ever!! ??

        Reply
    6. Natalie says

      July 15, 2018 at 5:58 am

      5 stars
      These donuts looks absolutely fantastic. Triple vanilla flavor? Oh my... I really love the sound of that. I can't wait to give this recipe a try. My family will be delighted.

      Reply
      • Lorie says

        July 18, 2018 at 11:15 am

        Let me know what they think!

        Reply
    7. Amanda says

      July 14, 2018 at 4:24 pm

      5 stars
      Finally a baked donut!! And I loved your opening about body image!! So true! Seriously those donuts look divine! Can’t wait to try them!

      Reply
      • Lorie says

        July 18, 2018 at 11:15 am

        Thanks so much Amanda!!!

        Reply
    8. Julie says

      July 13, 2018 at 3:49 pm

      Your little sidebar about body image rings SO TRUE and was just what I needed to see today! I cherish my 14 week old's thigh rolls and big belly after she eats, while hating how I still have to stuff myself like a sausage into my clothes because my post-partum body is not the same size it was before. If only the rest of society found my tubby stomach as cute as hers. 😉

      Reply
      • Lorie says

        July 24, 2018 at 6:52 pm

        Love. Love. Love. Thanks so much for sharing Julie.

        Reply
    9. Dominique | Perchance to Cook says

      July 13, 2018 at 11:23 am

      These donuts were made for me!! Vanilla donuts with a maple glaze are my ideal donut. I've be seriously craving donuts lately so I am definitely adding these to my to-make list.

      Reply
      • Lorie says

        July 28, 2018 at 3:52 pm

        Glad I could help, ha! Enjoy!!

        Reply
    10. Bethany says

      July 12, 2018 at 9:49 am

      You won me over! I love anything maple, and I have a donut pan that needs some attention. I’m going to try these!

      Reply
      • Lorie says

        July 28, 2018 at 3:53 pm

        Oh yes. You are all set then!

        Reply
    « Older Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to lemons + zest!

    Hello! I’m Lorie, welcome to lemons + zest! If you love to eat, and you love delicious, simple recipes, then you are in the right place. When it comes to cooking these days, I firmly believe that if it takes too long, or too much work to make, then it’s not for me. Read More…

    30 Minute Dinners

    Air fryer fish tacos on white plate with lime and fresh cilantro.

    Air Fryer Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Slaw

    Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken with Tomato and Basil

    Spinach Ricotta Chicken

    Baked Orange Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner

    Easy Chicken Stuffed Poblano Peppers

    Ground beef pasta recipe in skillet with parsley and basil on top.

    Simple Ground Beef Pasta Skillet

    honey lime chicken fajitas on sheet pan.

    Honey Lime Baked Chicken Fajitas

    Simple Ground Turkey Skillet Dinner

    Skillet with chicken thighs and fresh parsley on top.

    Creamy Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms

    Vegan sloppy Joes on bun with chips.

    15 Minute Vegan Sloppy Joes

    Top Recipes

    Cream of mushroom bone in pork chop with parsley on top over mashed potatoes.

    Cream of Mushroom Pork Chops

    Peanut Butter banana overnight oats.

    Protein Overnight Oats

    Vanilla Cold Brew Coffee Overnight Oats

    Air fryer fish tacos on white plate with lime and fresh cilantro.

    Air Fryer Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Slaw

    Lemon orzo salad in white bowl with fresh parsley on top.

    Easy Lemon Orzo Salad With Feta

    Tortellini caprese pasta salad in bowl with balsamic glaze.

    Tortellini Caprese Salad

    Overhead view of Air Fryer BBQ Chicken on cutting board.

    Simple Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Breast

    Pop tarts with sprinkles stacked.

    Easy Homemade Pop Tarts with Pie Crust

    More 30 Minute Recipes →

    Copyright © 2023 · lemons + zest