Birthday donuts are the perfect celebratory treat! With funfetti sprinkles inside and out, these baked donuts are simply delicious.

funfetti birthday donut propped up with icing and rainbow sprinkles

And the birthday festivities have begun! Yes, I’m one of those people who takes full advantage of the birthday month. With my big day falling in the middle of January, I pretty much start the celebrations soon after New Year’s Day. This year I treated myself by baking birthday donuts!

This was my first time attempting donuts in the kitchen. I had been meaning to try for quite some time now, but it wasn’t until I was scouring the post-Christmas retail at Home Goods when I came across a donut pan. It was a sign. I was meant to bake birthday donuts.

birthday donut ingredients in bowls labeled with text

How to make birthday donuts

Birthday donuts require the following ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground nut meg, granulated sugar, brown sugar, milk, Greek yogurt, egg, butter, vanilla extract and sprinkles.

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, granulated sugar and brown sugar). Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk the milk, yogurt and egg together until smooth, then add the melted butter and vanilla. Whisk until incorporated.
  3. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and stir until combined. The batter will be thick. Don’t over mix. Gently stir in the sprinkles so the colors don’t bleed.
  4. The easiest way to transfer batter to a donut tin is using a frosting bag with a regular tip (or a plastic zipped-top baggie with the corner cut off). Pipe the batter into each donut cup until three-quarters full. Alternatively, use a spoon to transfer batter into the donut cups.
  5. Bake for 8–10 minutes or until the edges are golden. Allow the donuts to cool for two minutes in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Homemade glaze for baked donuts

Donut glaze is made with confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla. Whisk these ingredients in a medium saucepan over low heat. The low heat will thin the glaze making it easy to spread over the baked donuts. Then the glaze will harden as the glaze cools.

piping bag transferring batter into donut tin recipe step
photo collage demonstrating how to dip baked donuts in glaze

Frequently Asked Questions

Where to buy a donut tin

I found my donut tin at HomeGoods, but you can also find one on Amazon (this is the donut tin I own) or at a local chef store.

Can you bake donuts in a muffin tin?

Yes. A 12-cup muffin tin works for this recipe. Divide batter evenly between the prepared cups and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, rotating halfway through.

How do you store homemade donuts?

Donuts are best when eaten the day they are baked, however you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

birthday donuts with icing and sprinkles on surface with glass of milk and sprinkles

Do you love baking donuts at home? You have to try my baked apple cider donuts. They are a personal favorite of mine and are coated in cinnamon sugar! Another popular recipe among readers are these gingerbread donuts. The perfect holiday breakfast treat!

If you have brown bananas, I suggest you try these brown butter banana donuts. It’s like banana bread in the form of a donut! For you chocoholics, baked chocolate donuts with chocolate glaze are just the thing you need to satisfy your sweet tooth.

birthday donut with icing dripping


The donuts were so tender and sweet—exactly what I wanted to indulge in on my birthday. And with all the colorful rainbow jimmies, I couldn’t help but smile every time I took a bite!

baked birthday donuts topped with glaze and rainbow sprinkles

Get the Recipe: Baked Birthday Donuts

Birthday donuts are the perfect celebratory treat! With funfetti sprinkles inside and out, these baked donuts are simply delicious.
5 (10 ratings)

Ingredients

Birthday Donuts

  • 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon (13 g) brown sugar
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) milk
  • ¼ cup (60 g) Greek yogurt, plain
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 Tablespoons (30 g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ cup rainbow sprinkles

Glaze

  • ¼ cup (60 ml) milk
  • 2 cups (240 g) confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Extra sprinkles to sprinkle on top, optional

Instructions 

Birthday Donuts

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a donut pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the milk, yogurt, and egg together until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the melted butter and vanilla, and whisk until combined.
  • Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Do not to over mix (the batter will be thick). Fold in the sprinkles very gently so the colors don’t bleed.
  • Transfer the batter to a frosting bag with a regular tip (or into a plastic zipped-top baggie with the corner cut off) and pipe batter into each donut cup until 3/4 full. Alternatively, use a spoon to transfer batter into the donut cups.
  • Bake for 8–10 minutes or until the edges are golden. Allow the donuts to cool for two minutes in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Glaze

  • In a medium saucepan, combine milk, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla over low heat. Whisk until smooth.
  • Remove pan from heat and immediately dip the top of one donut into the glaze. Move the donut slightly to coat evenly. Transfer to a wire rack and add sprinkles. Repeat with remaining donuts. If the glaze gets too thick, simply return the saucepan to the heat and whisk until a thinner consistency is reached.

Notes

· Whole milk, low-fat milk and nonfat milk will work in this recipe. Non-dairy ingredients what work include almond milk and soy milk.
· Greek yogurt (nonfat or low fat) and regular yogurt (plain or vanilla) are acceptable.
· Donuts are best eaten the day they are baked. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
· No donut pan? Use your regular sized muffin tin and increase baking time to 15 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean).
Serving: 1donut, Calories: 296kcal, Carbohydrates: 60g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 30mg, Sodium: 125mg, Potassium: 112mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 47g, Vitamin A: 142IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 56mg, Iron: 1mg

Recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction.

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