Gingerbread donuts are a festive way to celebrate Christmas morning. Coated in cinnamon sugar, these baked donuts are easy to make in a donut tin.

Stack of four gingerbread donuts on wire rack; top donut with a bite taken out

The holidays wouldn’t be the same without some gingerbread, now would it? Baked gingerbread donuts are just what you need this time of year. Coated in ginger cinnamon sugar, these donuts are fluffy and flavorful. The recipe calls for festive spices—cinnamon, ginger, all spice and cloves. If you have a donut tin, these donuts couldn’t be easier to make!

Homemade donuts are so good. I always forget how good until I get a sudden urge for the breakfast treat and head into the kitchen and bake them. The cake-like texturea nd generous sprinkling of ginger cinnamon sugar makes me come back for more!

gingerbread donut ingredients in bowls labeled with text

How to make gingerbread donuts

The recipe is easy to follow—simply whisk together the dry ingredients in one bowl and mix the wet ingredients in another, then combine the two and stir until incorporated! Transfer the batter to a donut tin and bake at 350 F for 15 minutes.

Gingerbread donuts with molasses

The key flavor ingredients in this recipe are the spices (especially the ginger) and the molasses. Together they create the undeniable gingerbread taste that immediately puts you in the Christmas mood. Molasses also adds moisture to donuts so they are moist.

photo collage demonstrating how to make batter for gingerbread donuts
photo collage demonstrating how to make donuts in donut tin and coat donuts in cinnamon sugar

Cinnamon sugar coated donuts

The donuts bake in about 15 minutes. I like to dip them in melted butter and cinnamon sugar while they are still warm so I can eat them fresh out of the oven with my morning coffee. To make these donuts a little different, I added some ground ginger to the cinnamon sugar coating to ensure the most festive flavor. The coating literally melts in your mouth when you take the first bite.

Gingerbread donuts with cinnamon sugar on wire cooling rack next to glass of milk
gingerbread donuts with cinnamon sugar on wire cooling rack next to bowl of small ginger cookies

More gingerbread recipes

Is gingerbread your favorite flavor of the season? If so, here are a few recipes you might enjoy.

Bake yourself a batch of donuts, pour yourself some coffee and enjoy! If you try one of my recipes, be sure to tag @ifyougiveablondeakitchen on social media.​​​​​​​

Stack of four gingerbread donuts on wire rack; top donut with a bite taken out

Get the Recipe: Gingerbread Donuts

Gingerbread donuts are a festive way to celebrate Christmas morning. Coated in cinnamon sugar, these baked donuts are easy to make in a donut tin.
4.91 (21 ratings)

Ingredients

Gingerbread Donuts

  • 1 ¼ cup (156 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
  • pinch ground cloves, (optional)
  • pinch ground allspice, (optional)
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • ¼ cup (50 g) packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup molasses
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup (120 ml) milk, (whole or low-fat)
  • 3 tablespoons fat-free Greek yogurt

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

  • cup (66 g) granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter, melted

Instructions 

Gingerbread Donuts

  • Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease two 6-count donut pans and set aside.1
  • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, ground cloves, ground all spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a separate large bowl, whisk together butter, brown sugar and molasses until combined, about 1 minute. Add egg and whisk to combine, another minute. Mix in milk and yogurt. Stir until all ingredients are incorporated.2
  • Add flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Avoid over mixing.
  • Using a spoon, pour batter into donut tins. The tins will be full.
  • Bake for about 13 to 15 minutes, or until donut springs back when lightly touched.

Ginger Cinnamon Sugar

  • In a wide, shallow dish, whisk together the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and ginger.
  • Dip the tops and bottoms of warm donuts into the melted butter, then immediately into the spiced sugar mixture. Serve immediately.

Notes

  1. The donut pans I used had cavities 3.25 inches in diameter.
  2. You may see tiny bits of yogurt in the batter. That is okay. Avoid over mixing the batter.
Serving: 1donut, Calories: 172kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 30mg, Sodium: 87mg, Potassium: 162mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 16g, Vitamin A: 206IU, Calcium: 44mg, Iron: 1mg

Note: This post was formerly a sponsored post containing this disclaimer: “This post is sponsored by Hamilton Beach. While I was compensated for my time, all opinions are my own. #coffeemoments #flexbrew” It has been modified to better serve my readers.

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