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Baked Peanut Butter Donuts are soft, cake like, and dipped in a dreamy peanut butter glaze, all with no deep frying required. I made a dozen on a slow Sunday morning while the coffee brewed, and Maddie declared them better than the bakery before I even finished glazing the batch. If you love an easy baked treat, our baked chocolate chip cake donuts are another no fuss favorite.
Sour cream and peanut butter keep these donuts moist and rich, with double the peanut butter flavor from batter to glaze.
Baked Peanut Butter Donuts Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 10 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 55 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 donuts
- ⚡ Calories: 308kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Soft peanut butter cake with a sweet peanut butter glaze
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, a no fry baked treat like our baked donut holes
Quick Answer
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in one bowl, and the brown sugar, eggs, peanut butter, sour cream, milk, and vanilla in another. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined, then pipe the batter into a greased donut pan. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes, cool, then dip the tops in a peanut butter glaze and let it set.
Jump to:
- Baked Peanut Butter Donuts Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Baked Peanut Butter Donuts
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Baked Peanut Butter Donuts FAQs
- Other Recommended Easy Baked Breakfast Recipes
- Baked Peanut Butter Donuts
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Baking skips the mess. A donut pan and the oven give you perfectly shaped donuts with no hot oil and no deep frying to clean up.
- Sour cream keeps them moist. Sour cream adds richness and tang that keeps these baked donuts soft and tender, never dry or crumbly.
- Peanut butter in the batter and glaze. Using creamy peanut butter in both layers gives these donuts a deep, double peanut butter flavor.
- A quick batter comes together fast. Just two bowls and a whisk, no mixer required, so these donuts go from bowl to oven in minutes.
- The glaze sets to a sweet shell. A simple powdered sugar and peanut butter glaze firms up into a glossy, sweet coating as it sits.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They are baked, not fried, so you get all the donut flavor with none of the hot oil mess.
- The double peanut butter hit from the batter and the glaze makes these absolutely irresistible.
- They come together in about 25 minutes of active time, just like our baked donut holes.
Key Ingredients
Simple pantry staples make these easy baked donuts. Here is what each one does.
- Creamy peanut butter: The star, used in both the batter and the glaze for rich, double peanut butter flavor. A standard creamy peanut butter works best.
- Sour cream: Adds moisture and a subtle tang that keeps these baked donuts soft and tender.
- Brown sugar: Sweetens the batter and adds a warm, caramel note that pairs beautifully with peanut butter.
- Powdered sugar: Whisked with peanut butter and milk into that glossy, sweet glaze.
- Eggs and milk: Bind the batter and keep it smooth and pourable, like in our baked cake donuts.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Make these baked donuts your own with a few easy twists.
- Chocolate glaze: Swap the peanut butter glaze for a chocolate one to make peanut butter cup donuts.
- Add chips: Fold mini chocolate chips into the batter for extra sweetness.
- Crunchy topping: Sprinkle chopped peanuts over the glaze before it sets.
- Banana twist: Add a few tablespoons of mashed banana for a peanut butter banana donut.
- Cookie crumble: Top the glaze with crushed cookies, like our M&M peanut butter cookies.
How to Make Baked Peanut Butter Donuts
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, grease a 12 count donut pan, and whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
- In another bowl, add the brown sugar, eggs, peanut butter, sour cream, milk, and vanilla.
- Whisk the wet ingredients together until smooth.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until there are no dry patches left.
- Mix into a thick, smooth donut batter.
- Evenly divide the batter between the donut cups and smooth the tops.
- Bake for 9 to 10 minutes until puffed and lightly browned, then cool 5 minutes in the pan before moving to a rack.
- Whisk the powdered sugar, peanut butter, milk, and vanilla into a thick but pourable glaze.
- Dip the tops of the cooled donuts into the glaze, let the excess drip off, and rest 30 minutes so the glaze sets.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use a piping bag. Spooning batter into a zip top bag and snipping a corner makes filling the donut pan neat and easy.
- Do not overfill. Fill each donut cup about two thirds full so the donuts keep their shape and the centers stay open.
- Do not overmix. Stir the batter just until combined, overmixing makes the donuts tough instead of tender.
- Cool before glazing. Glaze the donuts only once they are fully cool, or the glaze will slide right off.
- Adjust the glaze. Add milk a little at a time until the glaze is thick but still pourable for the best coating.
- Let the glaze set. A 30 minute rest gives you a glossy, firm coating that is not sticky to the touch.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These baked peanut butter donuts are the ultimate cozy breakfast or brunch treat, especially with a hot cup of coffee. Set them out on a platter with our baked chocolate chip cake donuts and a stack of strawberry scones for a bakery worthy spread.
They are perfect for lazy weekend mornings, holiday brunches, and after school snacks. For a bigger breakfast table, add our strawberry cream cheese danish and a bowl of fresh fruit.
Serve them the day they are made for the softest texture and the freshest glaze. A cold glass of milk is the classic partner, but they are just as good with coffee for the grown ups.
Baked Peanut Butter Donuts FAQs
A donut pan gives you the classic ring shape, and they are inexpensive and widely available. In a pinch, you can pipe the batter into a muffin tin and make peanut butter donut muffins instead.
Dry donuts usually come from overbaking or overmixing. Pull them at 9 to 10 minutes when they are just lightly browned, and stir the batter only until the dry ingredients disappear.
Yes. Bake the donuts a day ahead and store them unglazed, then glaze them the day you plan to serve for the freshest look and texture.
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. They are best fresh, as the glaze softens over time.
Freeze the unglazed donuts in a freezer bag for up to two months. Thaw at room temperature, then make and add the fresh peanut butter glaze before serving.
A standard creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy works best for both the batter and glaze. Natural peanut butters can separate and make the texture grainy, so stick with creamy no stir styles.
Craving more baked treats? Make our easy baked chocolate chip cake donuts next.
Baked Peanut Butter Donuts
Ingredients
For the donuts:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 6 tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 3-4 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a 12-count donut pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- In another large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, eggs, peanut butter, sour cream, milk, and vanilla until smooth.1/2 cup light brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, 1/2 cup sour cream, 6 tablespoons milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until there are no dry patches left.
- Evenly divide the batter between the 12-count donut tin and smooth out the tops.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes until puffed up and lightly browned. Let the donuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then take them out and cool them completely on a wire rack.
- Once the donuts are cool, make the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar, peanut butter, 3 tablespoons of the milk, and vanilla until smooth. The glaze should be thick but still slightly pourable, if you need to add more milk, add a little at a time until you get the desired thickness.2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter, 3-4 tablespoons milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Dip the tops of the donuts into the glaze and let any excess drip off. Place the donuts glaze side up onto a wire rack over a sheet tray.
- Let the donuts sit for about 30 minutes so the glaze can set and enjoy them.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients for a smoother batter.
- Don’t overmix the batter to keep the doughnuts light and fluffy.
- Use a piping bag or a plastic bag with a corner cut off for easy filling of the doughnut pan.
- Let the doughnuts cool completely before glazing to prevent the glaze from melting.
- If using a donut maker, adjust cooking time as needed.
- Experiment with different toppings and glazes for variety.
Nutrition
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