These homemade baked coffee donuts have bold coffee flavor in the cake batter and are topped with coffee glaze. Made just for coffee lovers, these delectable donuts go perfectly with your morning cup of coffee and are ready in under 30 minutes.
Who doesn't love a warm donut with your morning coffee? Well, let's double that coffee intake with these unique coffee donuts. They'd go perfectly alongside some chocolate espresso babka, mocha cupcakes, or chocolate espresso tart. We love to add pieces of toffee for a unique flavor profile, but a sprinkling of coffee grounds or chocolate-covered espresso beans are also great!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Homemade baked donuts - no deep frying here! All you need is a bowl and a donut pan for these donuts and they'll be on your table within the hour.
Great coffee flavor - the addition of coffee (espresso powder, actually) in both the donut batter and the glaze makes the coffee flavor shine through, but it's not overpowering.
Customizable - Turn the donuts into mini donuts, donut holes using a mini muffin tin, or change up the coffee glaze by adding a drizzle of chocolate for a mocha version.
Ingredients
- Baking powder. Used as a leavener to produce a nice rise. This leavening agent is used instead of yeast (as in a brioche donut).
- Unsalted butter. Melted and slightly cooled.
- Espresso powder. This is used in place of instant coffee to give the donuts all of their java flavor. Instant coffee can get rather bitter, so using espresso provides the most robust coffee flavor without having to add extra liquid from brewed coffee.
- Large eggs. It's important for the eggs to be at room temperature so they mix into the batter without causing lumps.
- Buttermilk. Look for full fat buttermilk if you can find it. This should also be at room temperature.
- Toffee bits or coffee grounds. Use these to sprinkle on top of the glaze. The toffee turns it into a caramel machiato donut!
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Make miniature donuts in a mini donut pan.
- Add 1 tablespoon of batter to a mini muffin tin to make donut holes
- Use instant coffee in place of espresso. note that instant coffee is slightly more bitter.
- Dip the donuts in chocolate ganache or drizzle chocolate on top of the coffee glaze.
How to Make This Recipe
One: Whisk together the wet ingredients.
Two: Add the dry ingredients and fold them together until no flour remains (don't over mix).
Three: Transfer the donut batter to a piping bag.
Four: Snip off the corner of the bag then pipe the batter into the greased donut pan. Only go ¾ of the way up.
Hot tip! If you don't have a piping bag, use a zip top bag with a corner snipped off to easily squeeze the batter into the donut pan.
Five: Tap the pan gently on the counter to settle the batter.
Six: Bake the donuts, cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Seven: Whisk together the ingredients for the coffee glaze. Be sure it's quite thick so it coats the donut nicely.
Eight: Dip the donut halfway down into the glaze, then pull up, twist, and turn it over. Add your desired garnishes (toffee, coffee, melted chocolate, etc).
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Expert Tips
- Pipe the donut batter into the pan using a piping bag or ziptop bag for easy and clean prep.
- Don't fill the donut pan more than ¾ full or else the batter will bake too high and you'll lose the donut hole.
- Wait until the donuts are completely cool before dipping or else the glaze will melt off.
- Dip the very rounded side (the bottom) at least halfway down, then pull up and twist.
- Let the glaze sit for about a minute before adding any toppings or else they'll slide down the donut as the glaze moves and sets.
Recipe FAQs
These cake donuts can only be fried after they are baked. You can bake, then drop in the fryer (350℉) for 1 minute until crispy on the outside. For fried donuts, try these custard donuts, lemon meringue donuts, or apple fritter donuts.
That's ok! You can make the donuts in greased muffin tin or mini muffin tin. Follow the same bake time and check for doneness with a toothpick.
Be sure the donuts are completely cool. If they are, the glaze is too thin. Add 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar at a time until it's a thicker consistency. The glaze should completely cover the donut without being able to see the actual cake underneath. Dip them again if it was too thin!
Yes, I suggest using Bob's Red Mill 1-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour as an equal substitution for the all-purpose flour.
Storage
Store the donuts covered at room temperature for 2 days. They will dry out rather quickly after that.
The unglazed donuts can be flash frozen on a pan for 30 minutes, then transfered to a zip top bag and frozen for up to 3 months. Allow them to thaw at room temperature (uncovered) before glazing.
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What to Know When Cooking with The Cozy Plum
- All recipes are created with Diamond Crystal kosher salt, the least salty variety of kosher salt. If using Morton's, you'll need to cut the amount of salt in half as it's 2x as salty. This will be the same for sea salt. Please do not use table salt.
- Switch between Cups vs Metric using the toggle on the recipe card. Baking by weight using a digital scale will always produce the most accurate results.
- Scale the recipe using the '1X' '2X' '3X' buttons on the recipe card. Note that this does not make an adjustment for baking times, only quantities.
- If you'd like to make the recipe in a different pan, use the pan size converter.
Did you make this recipe? Share it with us! Tag @thecozyplum on Instagram & Facebook and leave a star rating ⭐️ below!
📖Recipe
Baked Coffee Donuts with Coffee Glaze
Equipment
- Whisk
- Piping bag (or ziptop bag)
Ingredients
Donuts
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ¾ cup buttermilk room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 teaspoons espresso powder
- ¼ cup hot water
- toffee bits or coffee grounds optional
Instructions
Donuts
- Preheat the oven to 350℉/177℃ and grease a donut pan(s) (enough for 12 donuts).2 cups all-purpose flour, ⅔ cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and kosher salt.
- In another bowl, whisk together the melted butter, instant espresso, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla.¼ cup unsalted butter, 2 teaspoons espresso powder, 2 large eggs, ¾ cup buttermilk, 2 teaspoons vanilla
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until just combined.
- Transfer the mixture to a piping bag (or ziptop bag) and pipe evenly into the mold so it's about ¾ full. You can also use two spoons to do this.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched.
- Allow the donuts to sit for about 5 minutes in the pan, then turn the donuts out of the mold to cool completely on a wire rack.
Glaze
- Whisk together the powdered sugar, espresso powder, and hot water until a thick glaze forms.2 cups powdered sugar, 3 teaspoons espresso powder, ¼ cup hot water
- If it's too thin, add 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar. If too thick, add a teaspoon of water until it reaches the correct consistency.
- Dip the rounded side (from the bottom of the cake pan) of each donut halfway down into the glaze, lift it out while twisting, and turn it over to set on a wire rack or plate.
- Sprinkle toffee bits, coffee grounds, chocolate espresso beans, a drizzle of chocolate etc. onto the glaze once it stops moving and is slightly set.toffee bits or coffee grounds
Kara says
These were so easy to make and I love the fun flavor! Thanks for sharing.