Christmas Donuts

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These delicious Christmas Donuts, decorated with colorful red and green frosting and festive sprinkles, look like pretty little Christmas wreaths! They’re the perfect treat for spreading holiday cheer.

Donuts decorated with green and red icing on a white plate.

Easy Christmas Donuts Recipe

‘Tis the season to indulge in festive treats, and what better way to add holiday joy than with delicious homemade donuts? Whether you’re hosting a holiday brunch or simply craving a homemade dessert, these festive donuts are sure to make the holidays extra special.

Decorated in vibrant green and red buttercream frosting, they’ll make a delicious addition to any holiday dessert or breakfast spread. And if you’re looking for more tasty holiday sweets, you’ll want to try these Christmas Tree Cupcakes and this easy Christmas Lasagna.

Donuts decorated with christmas wreaths and berries.

Why We Love This Recipe

Bright and cheery: They’re a fun and festive treat for a bake sale, Christmas party, a decadent Christmas breakfast, or even Christmas dessert.
Easy to customize: We made these baked donuts with green and red frosting, perfect for Christmas. But you can swap out the colors and make them year-round.
Easy to make: These easy homemade donuts are less messy and easier than fried donuts, and they taste even better. Kids and adults alike will love them.

Ingredients

For the Doughnuts

All-purpose flour
Granulated sugar
Baking powder
Salt
Egg
Milk
Unsalted butter, melted
Vanilla bean paste

For the Frosting

Unsalted butter, softened
Powdered sugar
Milk
Vanilla bean paste
Salt
Green and red gel food coloring
Assorted Christmas or holiday sprinkles

How to Make Christmas Donuts

For The Donuts:

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Liberally spray your donut pan with non-stick cooking spray or grease it with butter.

Step 2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Step 3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, melted butter, and vanilla bean paste.

Tip: We used vanilla bean paste for these donuts but you can substitute vanilla extract if you prefer. Just add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to the batter in place of the paste.

A bowl of flour and other dry ingredients on a table.

Step 4. Make a well in the dry ingredients in the large bowl and pour the egg mixture in. Stir well to fully combine all the ingredients.

Step 5. Fill each cavity of the prepared donut pan 3/4 full with the batter. Place the donut pan in the oven and bake for 15–17 minutes, or until the donuts spring back when pushed.

A bowl of ingredients for a christmas doughnut.

Step 6. Allow to cool in the pan for 5-7 minutes. Then place the donuts on a cooling rack to cool completely.

For The Frosting

Step 1. Once the donuts are cool, make the frosting. In a medium bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the butter and half of the powdered sugar together on high for about 3 minutes.

Step 2. Add the vanilla bean paste, the salt, and the remaining powdered sugar and continue beating until crumbly, about 2 minutes.

Tip: If you’re substituting vanilla extract for the paste, you’ll want to use about 1 1/2 teaspoons for the frosting. You’ll also want to use about a teaspoon or two less milk.

A bowl of powdered sugar and butter on a marble table.

A bowl with sugar, butter and other ingredients

Step 3. While the beaters are on high, add the milk, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.

Step 4. Place 1/4 cup of the frosting in one bowl and add the red food coloring until you get your desired color.

Step 5. Add green food coloring to the remaining frosting to get your desired color.

Step 6. Put the green icing into a piping bag or pastry bag with a Wilton star tip, and pipe the green frosting onto the top of the cooled donuts.

Tip: If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use a Ziploc bag with the tip cut out.

Christmas donuts on a cooling rack with green and red icing

Step 7. Add assorted decorative sprinkles.

Step 8. Use the red frosting and pipe a red “bow” to create perfect Christmas wreath donuts! Serve and enjoy immediately.

Storage Instructions

Allow the frosted Christmas donuts to cool completely at room temperature. Because they have frosting, they’re best stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Set the donuts out and allow them to come to room temperature before you’re ready to serve them.

Donuts decorated with green and red icing on a plate.

Top Tips for Baked Donuts

Room-temperature eggs: Room-temperature eggs blend better with the dry ingredients.
Avoid overmixing: When combining the wet and dry ingredients, mix until just combined. Overmixing can make the donuts tough.
Don’t overfill: Fill the wells of the pan only 3/4 full to leave room for them to rise.
Spreadable frosting: These are not dense cake donuts. They are light and fluffy so we find it easier to pipe the frosting onto the donut. If you’re rather use a knife, you’ll want to make the frosting so that it spreads easily.
Check for doneness: They should spring back when lightly touched. Another great way to tell when they’re done is when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let them cool in the pan: To prevent them from crumbling, you have to let these donuts cool for a few minutes in the pan before moving them to the rack.

A plate of donuts decorated with green and red icing.

Variations of Christmas Wreath Donuts

Baked gingerbread donuts: If you’re a fan of gingerbread, you can make gingerbread donuts with this recipe. Just mix in a pinch of gingerbread spice before you add the batter to the donut pan.
Cinnamon sugar donuts: You can skip the frosting if you prefer. Instead, brush the baked donuts with a little butter and sprinkle a cinnamon-sugar mixture over the tops.
Maple donuts: You can make this recipe with a little maple syrup added to the frosting. You will want to slightly reduce the milk so the frosting isn’t too runny.
Cinnamon roll donuts: Make these donuts taste like Christmas morning cinnamon rolls. Just add a pinch of ground cinnamon and nutmeg into the batter and stir together.

Christmas Donut Recipe FAQs

Can I freeze these frosted donuts?

Yes, you can. You’ll want to pre-freeze them for about an hour on a sheet pan to firm up the frosting. Place them in a freezer-safe container with a layer of wax paper or parchment paper between each one. You can freeze them for up to a couple of months.

Can I use store-bought frosting instead of making my own?

You certainly can! We use canned frosting for these Rainbow Donuts and they are delicious!

Can I glaze these donuts instead?

Sure! Add some powdered sugar, vanilla, and a little milk to a shallow bowl. Whisk to combine until it’s a thick glaze. Allow the donuts to cool before handling. Then dip each donut into the glaze. For an extra special touch, you can add food coloring to the white glaze. For chocolate glaze, add a couple teaspoons of cocoa powder.

Donuts decorated with icing and berries on a plate.

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