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Banana Donuts are baked, not fried, so they are soft and cakey like the best banana bread but shaped into adorable little rings, and Maddie and Lizzie beg for them every time we have brown bananas to use up. I made the first batch on a slow Sunday morning and they were gone before the coffee finished brewing. If you love our banana bars, these glazed donuts are the handheld breakfast version of that same cozy banana flavor.
They bake up in just 10 minutes, and that peanut butter glaze with mini chocolate chips makes them feel like a real treat.
Banana Donuts Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 10 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 20 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 15 donuts
- ⚡ Calories: 213kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Soft, cakey banana with sweet peanut butter glaze and chocolate chips
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, as simple as our banana bars
Quick Answer
Whisk together the dry ingredients, then mix the mashed bananas, oil, egg, and vanilla in a separate bowl. Combine the two just until no dry spots remain, pipe the batter into a greased donut pan, and bake at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes. Cool, then dip the tops in a peanut butter glaze and finish with mini chocolate chips.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Baked, not fried. These donuts bake in a donut pan, so there is no hot oil and no mess, just a soft, cakey crumb that comes together in minutes.
- Ripe bananas bring the flavor. The spottier your bananas, the sweeter and more banana forward the donuts taste, so this is a perfect way to use up the bananas going brown on your counter.
- The donut pan does the shaping. Piping the batter into a donut pan gives you those classic rings every time with no rolling or cutting required.
- The peanut butter glaze is the magic. A simple glaze made with peanut butter, powdered sugar, and milk dips on smooth and sets up just enough to hold the chocolate chips.
- Fast from start to finish. With only about 10 minutes in the oven, you can have warm, glazed banana donuts on the table in around 20 minutes.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They bake up in about 10 minutes for a fast, fresh breakfast or snack.
- They are a delicious way to use up ripe, spotty bananas you might otherwise toss.
- That peanut butter glaze and chocolate chip topping makes them as fun as our banana bars.
Key Ingredients
You only need a few pantry staples and some ripe bananas to make these soft baked donuts.
- Ripe bananas: The star. Use very spotty bananas for the sweetest, most banana forward flavor.
- Flour: All purpose flour gives the donuts their soft, cakey structure.
- Peanut butter: The base of the sweet glaze that dips over the top of each donut.
- Mini chocolate chips: Sprinkled over the glaze for a little melty, chocolatey finish.
- Oil and vanilla: Oil keeps the donuts moist and tender, while vanilla rounds out the flavor.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These donuts are easy to make your own, here are a few ideas.
- Skip the peanut butter glaze and use a simple vanilla glaze if you prefer a nut free topping.
- Fold mini chocolate chips right into the batter for chocolate chip banana donuts.
- Add a pinch of cinnamon to the batter for a warm, spiced flavor.
- Top them with chopped nuts or sprinkles instead of chocolate chips, the way we finish our banana bars.
How to Make Banana Donuts
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a donut pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, oil, vanilla, and egg until smooth.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix just until combined with no dry spots. Do not overmix.
- Pipe or spoon the batter into the greased donut pan, filling each well about three quarters full.
- Bake for about 10 minutes, then let the donuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Whisk together the peanut butter glaze, dip the tops of the cooled donuts into it, and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use very ripe bananas for the sweetest flavor and the softest, moistest donuts.
- Do not overmix the batter. Stir just until combined or the donuts can turn dense and tough.
- Use a piping bag or zip top bag to fill the donut pan neatly without making a mess.
- Do not overfill the wells, about three quarters full keeps the donut hole open.
- Cool completely before glazing so the glaze sets instead of melting and sliding off.
- Store the glazed donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These banana donuts are a fun breakfast or anytime snack. Serve them warm with a cold glass of milk or a hot cup of coffee, and watch them disappear off the rack.
They are perfect for a weekend brunch spread next to our banana bars and a braid of Nutella bread so there is a little something for every sweet tooth.
Want to make them ahead? Bake the donuts a day early and store them unglazed, then dip them in fresh glaze the morning you plan to serve so they taste bakery fresh.
Banana Donuts FAQs
The riper the better. Heavily spotted or mostly brown bananas are sweeter and softer, and they mash into the batter easily for the most flavorful banana donuts.
A donut pan gives you those classic rings, but you can also bake the batter in a muffin tin to make banana muffins instead. The baking time will be a little longer for muffins.
Dense donuts usually come from overmixing the batter once the flour is added. Stir just until combined, and measure your flour by spooning it into the cup so you do not pack in too much.
Yes. Freeze the unglazed baked donuts in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw, then dip them in fresh peanut butter glaze before serving for the best texture.
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Because they are baked and not fried, they stay soft and are best enjoyed within a day or two.
Absolutely. Swap the peanut butter glaze for a simple powdered sugar and milk glaze, or a maple or chocolate glaze, for a nut free version that is just as tasty.
Made these banana donuts? I would love to hear how they turned out, leave a comment and a star rating below and tell me how you glazed yours!
If you love peanut butter for breakfast, our baked banana donuts with peanut butter glaze are a sweet morning favorite.
Baked Banana Donuts
Ingredients
Banana Doughnuts
- 1 1/2 Cup all purpose flour
- 3/4 Cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 Cup mashed bananas 3 medium sized bananas
- 1/4 Cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg lightly beaten
Peanut Butter Glaze
- 2 Cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 Cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- mini chocolate chips for garnish
Instructions
Banana Doughnuts
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray doughnut trays with cooking spray.
- Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl, whisk to combine. Set aside.1 1/2 Cup all purpose flour, 3/4 Cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- In a smaller bowl, add the mashed bananas, oil, vanilla, and egg and whisk to combine.1 1/2 Cup mashed bananas, 1/4 Cup vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 egg
- Add the wet ingredients and mix until just combined, with no dry spots. DO NOT overmix.
- Fill each greased doughnut tin with three tablespoons of batter. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Let the doughnuts cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then let them cool completely on a wired rack.
Peanut Butter Glaze
- Whisk together the peanut butter, powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons of the milk, and the vanilla. Add more milk if it is too thick.2 Cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter, 1/4 Cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Dip doughnut tops into the glaze. Place back on the wire rack, glaze side up.
- Top with chocolate chips, serve, and enjoy!mini chocolate chips for garnish
Notes
- Don’t Overmix the Batter: Mix until just combined to keep the donuts fluffy. Overmixing can make them dense.
- Use Overripe Bananas: They add more sweetness and moisture to the donut batter.
- Grease the Donut Pan Well: Use cooking spray or melted butter to prevent sticking. Even non-stick pans benefit from this.
- Fill the Donut Pan Properly: Fill each donut mold about 2/3 full to avoid overflow. A piping bag or large ziplock bag makes this easy.
- Use the Right Flour: All-purpose flour works great, but you can experiment with whole wheat flour or almond flour for different textures.
- Cool Before Glazing: Let the donuts cool completely on a wire rack so the glaze sets nicely and doesn’t melt off.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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Made these today, and they are so delicious!!
That glaze is making me drool! These donuts look amazing! They would be perfect with coffee 🙂
Oh my goodness my mouth is watering! These look amazing, thanks for sharing!
The most perfect combo! These look divine. Pinned and stumbled, thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much! Yes, it is just a tin with round grooves for the doughnuts. You can find them at any craft store by the baking goodies!
Peanut butter and banana?! Sounds heavenly!! I bet these lovely doughnuts are super moist. Thanks to baking them and using banana!
These donuts look amazing! I have no idea what a “donut tin” is though. Is that like a cupcake pan for the oven?
These donuts look like they came out of a bakery.
Awesome post!