If you’re on the hunt for an alternative to a traditional birthday cake, stop your scrolling. Adorably bite-sized and filled with Funfetti cake flavor, my Mini Baked Donuts with Sprinkles are as delicious as they are cute. Best of all, since these doughnuts are baked, there’s no fussy cutting, rolling, shaping, or frying involved!
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About This Recipe
While I’m a fan of pretty much every doughnut under the sun (I already have about 10 donut recipes on the site, including my lemon poppyseed old fashioned donuts and my dark chocolate pecan doughnuts), there’s something special about a sweet, sprinkled doughnut that immediately lifts my sails.
Nearly every iconic cartoon drawing of this marvelous food group is a sprinkled donut, from the Simpsons to Zootopia. And why wouldn’t they be, what with their extra cheery demeanor? I mean honestly: who can help but smile upon seeing an abundance of brightly colored jimmies?
FUN FACT: In case you didn’t know it, jimmies are another delightful name for sprinkles!!
This particular baked Funfetti doughnut recipe is everything that you could want out of such an archetypally designed treat: it’s sweet without being cloying, has a pronounced warmth from vanilla, a satisfying texture, and the ability to customize with any glaze or sprinkle under the sun.
Ingredients & Substitutions
A few notes to consider:
- All-Purpose Flour - Because of the size and shape of these mini cake donuts, I have a feeling that you could get away with using a cup-for-cup gluten-free all-purpose flour mixture; if you do, please let me know how it works out in the comments below!
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda - You’ll need both types of leavening for this particular recipe, and they are not interchangeable. Also, remember that baking powder begins to work as soon as it touches liquids, so be certain to preheat your oven before making the batter.
- Unsalted Butter - Anything organic, grass-fed, and/or cultured is a good choice for the best flavor.
- Whole Milk - Feel free to substitute for a plant-based alternative. I prefer creamier options like oat or full-fat coconut milk for my dairy-free baking, but any ought to work.
- Vanilla Extract - Powder or paste will also work!
- Sour Cream - Or substitute full-fat Greek yogurt or a plant-based alternative.
- Powdered Sugar - You’ll need confectioner’s sugar to make this particular vanilla glaze, but you can always make your own with granulated sugar, cornstarch, and a food processor.
- White Chocolate - You can use white chocolate chips, chunks, chopped, etc. If white chocolate isn’t your thing, feel free to swap in milk or dark chocolate for a chocolate glaze.
- Sprinkles of Choice - The great thing about sprinkles is how many gorgeous options there are. From adorable star-shaped matte quins to round pearlescent dragees, cartoonishly cute flat round sprinkles to teensy tiny round ones… there have to be literally thousands of designs for you to choose from!
Equipment
Aside from basic baking equipment, these are the specialty items you’ll need to make my mini sprinkles donuts:
- Pastry Bag - You can make your own using either parchment or a Ziplock Bag
- Doughnut Baking Pan - I have a soft spot for all things twee, so I opted for a mini donut pan. You can easily adapt this recipe to use a normal donut pan by adjusting the bake time, or make your own donut tin using aluminum foil and a muffin tin.
- Toothpicks - These cake doughnuts are just that – cake. Grab a toothpick so you can spot it when they’re baked through.
How To Make Baked Donuts With Sprinkles
Step 1: Whisk wet and dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Next, whisk the butter, egg, sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and sour cream in another bowl until thoroughly combined.
Step 2: Combine wet and dry mixtures. Add the dry mixture to the bowl with the wet mixture and stir to combine.
Step 3: Bake the doughnuts. Pipe the doughnut batter into your greased doughnut pan. Transfer to the oven and bake. When they’re done, let the doughnuts cool completely before glazing.
Step 4: Make the glaze. Whisk the powdered sugar, vanilla, melted white chocolate and milk together in a bowl.
Step 5: Glaze and decorate doughnuts. Dip the tops of the doughnuts into the glaze, letting any excess drizzle down the sides. Then, top with sprinkles before the glaze starts to set. Enjoy! (Donut mind if I do, too!)
Optional Variations
- Switch up the glaze. There are so many options to choose from:
- Mocha
- Lemon
- Coconut
- Malted Chocolate
- Pumpkin
- Or any other glaze that you know and love!
- Dairy-Free. Simply swap in your favorite non-dairy milk, plant-based sour cream substitute, and vegan butter.
- Gluten-Free. While I haven’t tried it myself, all signs point to this being a good recipe to adapt to a one-for-one gluten-free flour blend. If you try it out, let me know if this worked in the comments below so I can update for other curious readers!
Expert Tips
- Double dip for a thicker glaze. Dip the doughnuts in the glaze a second time after the first layer has had a few minutes to set. Repeat one or two more times until it reaches an opacity you like.
- Grease the doughnut pan, even if it claims to be nonstick. Most donut pans are non-stick, but you should still spray them generously with cooking spray to prevent any breakage.
- To make a heavier, Krispy Kreme-like doughnut: Transfer your glazed doughnuts to an airtight container and let them sit at room temperature overnight. The doughnuts will absorb the moisture from the glaze, adding density and intense flavor. Reglaze before serving.
- Channel your inner cake baker. Baked donuts are just adorably shaped mini cakes, so trust your prior knowledge. You’ll know the doughnuts are done baking when a toothpick inserted in the middle of one comes out clean!
- White chocolate burns quickly, so I suggest gently heating your white chocolate in the microwave in 15-second increments, stirring in between each, until the chocolate is gooey and melted.
Frequently Asked Questions
No doughnut pan? No problem. This helpful video will show you how to make a homemade doughnut pan out of aluminum foil. All you need is foil, a muffin pan or baking sheet, and cooking spray!
Yes and no. If your doughnuts are topped with any dairy-based glaze or frosting, they should be refrigerated. Unglazed doughnuts can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.
Absolutely, but hold off on the glaze until right before serving. You can freeze any cooled unglazed doughnuts in an airtight bag for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter before glazing, decorating, and serving.
Donut Stop, Get It Get It - More Doughnut Recipes
- Brioche Donuts with Vanilla Rose Pastry Cream
- Glazed Chocolate Covered Espresso Doughnuts
- Coconut Cream Baked Doughnuts
- Old Fashioned Glazed Donuts
As always, I love seeing your creations and hearing from you! If you made this recipe for these Funfetti Flavored Baked Donuts with Sprinkles, please be sure to rate and review it below. You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube and Pinterest - for more delicious recipes sent straight to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter!
Mini Baked Donuts With Sprinkles
Equipment
- Bowls
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Piping Bag or Ziplock Bag
- Mini Doughnut Baking Pan
- Toothpicks
Ingredients
Funfetti Doughnuts
- 2 Cups (250 g) All-Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
- 2 tablespoon (30 g) Unsalted Butter, Melted and Cooled
- 1 Large Egg
- ⅓ Cup (66 g) Granulated Sugar
- ½ Cup (120 g) Whole Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ Cup (125 g) Sour Cream
- ¼ cup Sprinkles
White Chocolate Icing & Sprinkles
- 1 Cup (120 g) Powdered Sugar
- 2 tablespoon (75 g) Milk
- ½ Cup (115 g) White Chocolate, Melted
- ¼ Sprinkles
Instructions
Funfetti Doughnuts
- First off, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F before making your doughnut batter.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and set aside.2 Cups All-Purpose Flour, 2 teaspoon Baking powder, ½ teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
- Then in a larger bowl, whisk together the butter, egg, vanilla bean sugar, milk, vanilla extract and sour cream mixing together until everything has fully combined.2 tablespoon Unsalted Butter, 1 Large Egg, ⅓ Cup Granulated Sugar, ½ Cup Whole Milk, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, ½ Cup Sour Cream
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until combined. Finally, fold in the sprinkles until evenly distrubuted.¼ cup Sprinkles
- Next, it’s time to pipe the doughnut batter into your doughnut baking pan. Spray the donut pan with a light layer of non-stick cooking spray.
- Pipe the doughnut batter into your doughnut pan filling just over halfway, then place the tray in the oven to bake for 8-10 minutes. After the doughnuts pass the toothpick test, remove from the oven and let cool on a baking tray. Do not glaze doughnuts until they have completely cooled.
White Chocolate Icing & Sprinkles
- Whisk together powdered sugar, and milk in a medium bowl to make your glaze. Stream in melted white chocolate while whisking - continue mixing until smooth and feel free to add more milk or powdered sugar until you've reached your preferred icing consistency. Dip the tops of the doughnuts into the glaze, allowing the excess to drip off. Before the glaze starts to dry, add sprinkles and let the doughnuts sit undistrubed for 10 minutes before enjoying!1 Cup Powdered Sugar, 2 tablespoon Milk, ½ Cup White Chocolate, ¼ Sprinkles
Notes
- Double dip for a thicker glaze. Dip the doughnuts in the glaze a second time after the first layer has had a few minutes to set. Repeat one or two more times until it reaches an opacity you like.
- Grease the doughnut pan, even if it claims to be nonstick. Most donut pans are non-stick, but you should still spray them generously with cooking spray to prevent any breakage.
- To make a heavier, Krispy Kreme-like doughnut: Transfer your glazed doughnuts to an airtight container and let them sit at room temperature overnight. The doughnuts will absorb the moisture from the glaze, adding density and intense flavor. Reglaze before serving.
- Channel your inner cake baker. Baked donuts are just adorably shaped mini cakes, so trust your prior knowledge. You’ll know the doughnuts are done baking when a toothpick inserted in the middle of one comes out clean!
- White chocolate burns quickly, so I suggest gently heating your white chocolate in the microwave in 15-second increments, stirring in between each, until the chocolate is gooey and melted.
- How do you bake donuts without a doughnut pan? No doughnut pan? No problem. This helpful video will show you how to make a homemade doughnut pan out of aluminum foil. All you need is foil, a muffin pan or baking sheet, and cooking spray!
- Do baked doughnuts need to be refrigerated? Yes and no. If your doughnuts are topped with any dairy-based glaze or frosting, they should be refrigerated. Unglazed doughnuts can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.
- Can you freeze these baked sprinkled doughnuts? Absolutely, but hold off on the glaze until right before serving. You can freeze any cooled unglazed doughnuts in an airtight bag for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter before glazing, decorating, and serving.
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