Tasty Baked Banana Bread Donuts

Finding a way to enjoy your favorite treats while making them just a bit healthier can feel like an impossible task. Between wanting something that actually tastes good and trying to sneak in some wholesome ingredients, it’s easy to give up and reach for the sugary store-bought version instead, and mornings with kids definitely don’t leave much time for complicated baking projects.

Thankfully, these baked banana bread donuts solve that problem perfectly: they combine the cozy flavors of classic banana bread with the fun shape of donuts, use a mix of regular and wheat flour for added nutrition, and bake in the oven instead of requiring a deep fryer and all that oil.

What Kind of Bananas Should I Use?

The riper your bananas, the better these donuts will turn out. Look for bananas with plenty of brown spots or even ones that are almost completely brown – these overripe bananas are sweeter and mash more easily, giving your donuts better flavor and moisture. If your bananas are still yellow or just slightly spotted, you can speed up the ripening process by placing them in a paper bag for a day or two, or even baking them in their peels at 300°F for about 15 minutes until they turn black. Whatever you do, avoid using green or barely ripe bananas since they won’t mash well and will make your donuts taste starchy instead of sweet.

Options for Substitutions

These donuts are pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here are some options if you need them:

• Wheat flour: If you don’t have wheat flour, just use all-purpose flour for the full cup. You can also try oat flour for a slightly different texture.
• Brown sugar: Regular white sugar works fine here. You’ll lose a bit of that molasses flavor, but the donuts will still taste great with the bananas and cinnamon.
• Bananas: Make sure your bananas are ripe – the spottier, the better. This ingredient is pretty essential for banana bread donuts, so I wouldn’t recommend substituting it.
• Peanut butter: For the glaze, you can swap peanut butter with almond butter, cashew butter, or even tahini if you’re avoiding nuts. Sunflower seed butter works too for nut-free households.
• Chocolate chips: Feel free to use any mix-ins you like – chopped walnuts, pecans, or even dried fruit. You can also leave them out completely for plain banana donuts.
• Milk: Any milk works for the glaze – dairy, almond, oat, or soy. Just add it slowly until you reach your desired glaze consistency.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making baked donuts is overfilling the molds – fill them only about two-thirds full to prevent overflow and ensure they bake evenly with that classic donut shape.

Overmixing the batter after combining wet and dry ingredients can lead to tough, dense donuts instead of light and fluffy ones, so stir just until everything is combined and a few lumps remain.

Make sure your bananas are really ripe (the more brown spots, the better) because underripe bananas won’t give you enough sweetness or moisture, and always let the donuts cool completely before glazing or the glaze will just slide right off.

If you want extra banana flavor, try adding a pinch of nutmeg along with the cinnamon, and don’t skip greasing every nook of the donut pan to make removal easier.

What to Serve With Banana Bread Donuts?

These donuts are perfect for breakfast or brunch alongside a hot cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk. Since they’re already sweet and filling, I like to keep things simple with fresh fruit on the side – sliced strawberries, blueberries, or even some extra banana slices work great. If you’re serving these for a weekend brunch, they pair nicely with scrambled eggs and crispy bacon to balance out the sweetness. You could also set up a fun donut bar with extra toppings like chopped nuts, shredded coconut, or a drizzle of melted chocolate for people to customize their own.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep your banana bread donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. The glaze might soften a bit in the fridge, but they’ll still taste great. If you glazed them, make sure they’re completely set before stacking to avoid sticking.

Freeze: These donuts freeze really well for up to 3 months. I like to freeze them without the glaze, then add it fresh after thawing. Just wrap each donut individually in plastic wrap, then place them all in a freezer bag to prevent freezer burn.

Enjoy: Thaw frozen donuts at room temperature for about an hour, or pop them in the microwave for 15-20 seconds if you’re in a hurry. You can also warm refrigerated donuts in the microwave for 10 seconds to bring back that fresh-baked feel before adding the glaze or enjoying as is.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1650-1850
• Protein: 20-25 g
• Fat: 55-65 g
• Carbohydrates: 275-300 g

Ingredients

For the donuts:

• 4 tbsp butter (I like Kerrygold unsalted butter for this)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg (room temperature, about 70°F)
• 3/4 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup bananas (mashed until smooth with no large lumps)
• 1/2 cup flour (I always use King Arthur all-purpose flour)
• 1/2 cup wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips (mini chips work best for even distribution)

For the glaze:

• 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar (sifted to remove lumps)
• 1 tbsp peanut butter (I prefer Jif creamy for a smoother texture)
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Step 1: Prepare the Mise en Place and Preheat

• 1 cup bananas
• 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a donut pan (standard 12-cavity size) with non-stick spray or butter, ensuring all crevices are coated.

While the oven heats, mash your bananas until completely smooth with no large lumps—this ensures even distribution throughout the batter.

Sift together the powdered sugar for the glaze to remove any lumps, which will give you a smooth, professional-looking coating.

Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, wheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and ground nutmeg.

Whisking instead of just stirring incorporates air and ensures the leavening agents are evenly distributed throughout the flour mixture.

Set this dry mixture aside.

Step 3: Cream Butter and Sugar, Then Build the Wet Ingredients

• 4 tbsp butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 3/4 tsp vanilla
• mashed bananas from Step 1

In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar for about 1-2 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Add the room-temperature egg and vanilla extract, mixing until fully combined.

Fold in the mashed bananas from Step 1 until you have a smooth, well-incorporated mixture.

I find that room-temperature eggs blend more smoothly into the wet mixture, preventing lumps.

Step 4: Combine Wet and Dry, Add Chocolate Chips

• dry ingredient mixture from Step 2
• wet ingredient mixture from Step 3
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Add the dry ingredient mixture from Step 2 to the wet ingredients from Step 3, folding gently with a spatula until just combined—do not overmix, as this can develop gluten and result in dense donuts.

Fold in the mini chocolate chips, distributing them evenly throughout the batter.

Transfer the batter to a piping bag or large zip-top bag with the corner cut off for easy, mess-free filling of the donut molds.

Step 5: Fill and Bake the Donuts

• batter from Step 4

Pipe the batter into the prepared donut pan molds, filling each cavity about three-quarters full—this gives the donuts room to rise without overflowing.

Bake in the preheated 350°F oven for 16-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into a donut comes out clean and the tops are golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let the donuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes before carefully turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely (about 15 minutes total cooling time).

Step 6: Make the Peanut Butter Glaze

• sifted powdered sugar from Step 1
• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 tbsp milk

While the donuts are cooling on the rack, whisk together the sifted powdered sugar from Step 1, creamy peanut butter, honey, and milk in a small bowl until smooth and pourable.

If the glaze is too thick, add milk one teaspoon at a time until you reach the right consistency—it should coat a donut but still drip off slightly.

I prefer using Jif creamy peanut butter here because it creates a silkier glaze without any grittiness.

Step 7: Glaze and Set

• cooled donuts from Step 5
• peanut butter glaze from Step 6

Once the donuts are completely cool, dip the top of each donut into the peanut butter glaze from Step 6, turning it slightly to coat evenly.

Place the glazed donuts back on the wire rack and let the glaze set for 10-15 minutes before serving.

The donuts are best enjoyed the same day but will stay moist for up to 2 days when stored in an airtight container.

Tasty Baked Banana Bread Donuts

Delicious Tasty Baked Banana Bread Donuts recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 47 minutes mins

Servings 12 donuts

Calories 1750 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the donuts::

• 4 tbsp butter (I like Kerrygold unsalted butter for this)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg (room temperature, about 70°F)
• 3/4 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup bananas (mashed until smooth with no large lumps)
• 1/2 cup flour (I always use King Arthur all-purpose flour)
• 1/2 cup wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips (mini chips work best for even distribution)

For the glaze::

• 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar (sifted to remove lumps)
• 1 tbsp peanut butter (I prefer Jif creamy for a smoother texture)
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a donut pan (standard 12-cavity size) with non-stick spray or butter, ensuring all crevices are coated. While the oven heats, mash your bananas until completely smooth with no large lumps—this ensures even distribution throughout the batter. Sift together the powdered sugar for the glaze to remove any lumps, which will give you a smooth, professional-looking coating.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, wheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and ground nutmeg. Whisking instead of just stirring incorporates air and ensures the leavening agents are evenly distributed throughout the flour mixture. Set this dry mixture aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar for about 1-2 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the room-temperature egg and vanilla extract, mixing until fully combined. Fold in the mashed bananas from Step 1 until you have a smooth, well-incorporated mixture. I find that room-temperature eggs blend more smoothly into the wet mixture, preventing lumps.
• Add the dry ingredient mixture from Step 2 to the wet ingredients from Step 3, folding gently with a spatula until just combined—do not overmix, as this can develop gluten and result in dense donuts. Fold in the mini chocolate chips, distributing them evenly throughout the batter. Transfer the batter to a piping bag or large zip-top bag with the corner cut off for easy, mess-free filling of the donut molds.
• Pipe the batter into the prepared donut pan molds, filling each cavity about three-quarters full—this gives the donuts room to rise without overflowing. Bake in the preheated 350°F oven for 16-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into a donut comes out clean and the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the donuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes before carefully turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely (about 15 minutes total cooling time).
• While the donuts are cooling on the rack, whisk together the sifted powdered sugar from Step 1, creamy peanut butter, honey, and milk in a small bowl until smooth and pourable. If the glaze is too thick, add milk one teaspoon at a time until you reach the right consistency—it should coat a donut but still drip off slightly. I prefer using Jif creamy peanut butter here because it creates a silkier glaze without any grittiness.
• Once the donuts are completely cool, dip the top of each donut into the peanut butter glaze from Step 6, turning it slightly to coat evenly. Place the glazed donuts back on the wire rack and let the glaze set for 10-15 minutes before serving. The donuts are best enjoyed the same day but will stay moist for up to 2 days when stored in an airtight container.