A tasty and super easy breakfast, these Powdered Sugar Donuts are a family hit and will become a menu staple.

Three stacked Powdered Sugar Donuts on white plate with coffee and more donuts in background.

I used to be known as the donut queen, as I would always make so many different kinds of donuts for various things.

I love a variety of donuts, either for breakfast or dessert but these Powdered Sugar Donuts are always a hit no matter what.

We are big breakfast people and when it comes to making donuts, they are super easy and relatively fast.

They are also one of those recipes that everyone seems to love, especially if you grew up on the Little Debbie mini powdered sugar donuts – these are more the adult version.

Just caked in powdered sugar with a hint of some delicious spices in the donuts, they are irresistible.

So if you are looking for your new favorite breakfast item, then you have to make these Powdered Sugar Donuts.

Some of my other favorite sweet breakfast dishes we have on our site include: Cinnamon Roll Muffins, Pancake Tacos and Chocolate Chip Scones.

Overhead photo of finished donuts on wire rack with a cup of coffee.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

These are baked so they are much easier and you don’t have to worry about oil.
Easily double this recipe to serve more people.
Coat with as much powdered sugar as you like, no one is judging.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST):

All-purpose flour
Granulated sugar
Baking powder
Salt
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Buttermilk
Eggs
Vanilla extract
Unsalted butter
Powdered sugar

Ingredients needed to make Powdered Sugar Donuts.

HOW TO MAKE POWDERED SUGAR DONUTS, STEP BY STEP:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray 2 donut pans with cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
In a separate medium mixing bowl combine the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and melted butter until combined.
Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient bowl and mix until just barely combined. Do not overmix. Stop mixing as soon as there are no dry streaks remaining.
Put batter in a piping bag or a large Ziploc bag and cut off about a 1-inch tip.
Pipe the batter into the doughnut pan so they are about 2/3-3/4 full.
Bake for about 10-12 minutes. The donuts are finished baking when the tops bounce back when lightly pressed. If you bake until they are golden brown then they will be too dry inside.
Let the donuts cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before gently taking them out of the pan and letting them continue cooling until just warm, about 3-5 more minutes.
Once they are a bit more cooled, fill a large zipper plastic bag with 1 cup powdered sugar.
Add a donut to the powdered sugar bag. Lightly shake the bag to coat. Remove and continue powdering the donuts.
If needed, shake in the powdered sugar a second time a few minutes later so they’re nicely coated.

Step by step photos on how to make Powdered Sugar Donuts.

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO GET THE BATTER INTO THE PANS?

I have ALWAYS used a piping bag to get my batter into the donut pans. It makes it so simple and you get the right amount.

If you do not have a piping bag you can easily just spoon some into your pans and it will work the same.

DO I HAVE TO USE BUTTERMILK?

I feel like the buttermilk makes these a little richer, but regular milk will also work for this recipe if you do not have buttermilk or if you do not want to use it.

You can also make your own buttermilk, for every 1 cup of buttermilk you can use 1 cup regular milk and 1 Tablespoon white vinegar.

Mix together, let it sit for about 5 minutes, stir again and use.

CAN I MAKE OTHER FLAVORS?

Absolutely! If you are not a fan of powdered sugar there are other variations that you can do! Some ideas include:

Cinnamon Sugar
Chocolate Icing
Powdered Sugar Icing
Plain
White chocolate

There are so many different icings, toppings etc that you can use, just do what you like best!

WHY DO YOU STILL WANT THE DONUTS TO BE SLIGHTLY WARM WHEN PUTTING IN THE POWDERED SUGAR?

If you place the donuts in the powder sugar after they’re cold, the powder sugar won’t stick as well.

If this happens, lightly brush the doughnuts with melted butter before placing in the powder sugar bag.

Hand holding up one of the donuts with a bite taken out of it.

HOW TO STORE:

These are best eaten with in the day but they can be stored paper bag rolled shut or in an airtight container where they will keep on the countertop for up to 3 days.

They can be frozen, but I suggest not dipping them into the powdered sugar before freezing. Place in a freezer bag or container and they will keep for up to 3 months.

To defrost remove to the countertop until thawed and then warm slightly and then cover with the powdered sugar.

TIPS AND TRICKS:

Regular milk can be used in place of the buttermilk.
Other toppings can be used if you are not a powdered sugar fan.
These can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
We like to use a piping bag to fill the donut pans but you can use a spoon if you do not have one.
Easily double this recipe to serve more people or have on hand for later.
These are great for both breakfast and dessert.
You can use more powdered sugar to your liking and even double coat these.

Powdered Sugar Donuts on a plate and wooden board with one donut with bite taken out of it.

When it comes to a delicious breakfast or dessert, you really cannot pass up these easy and tasty Powdered Sugar Donuts.

If you like this recipe you might also like:

If you’ve tried these POWDERED SUGAR DONUTS or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and what shenanigans I’m getting into!

Powdered Sugar Donuts