Use a donut pan to transform breakfast into a super fun treat with this healthy Sweet Potato Baked Donut Recipe. The batter comes together easily in a blender and there’s very little added sugar…yet they still taste sweet and cozy!
Baked Donut Recipe
Baked donuts are like classic donuts, only they are baked, not fried. Which means that they are often much healthier! They are just as easy to make as muffins and this Sweet Potato Baked Donuts recipe is one of our favorites for fall. It has mashed roasted sweet potato and a little pumpkin pie spice, so it’ll even remind you of a nice slice of pie.
Best Donut Baking Pan
In my opinion, the best baked donut pan is from Wilton. It’s reliably nonstick and it bakes very evenly. I like this 6-cavity donut pan.
Ingredients in Baked Donuts with Sweet Potato
To make this recipe you need:
- rolled oats
- ground flaxseed
- baking powder and soda
- cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice
- vanilla extract
- maple syrup
- mashed sweet potato
TIP: You can use oat flour instead of starting with rolled oats in these baked donuts if you prefer.
How to Make Homemade Sweet Potato Baked Donuts
Here’s a look at the process involved in making this recipe.
- Add the oats and flaxseed to a blender. Process into a flour. (photo 1)
- Add the rest of the ingredients and combine. (photo 2)
- Fill donut pan about 3/4 full. (photo 3)
- Bake! Let cool briefly and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
TIP: You can use pumpkin puree or canned mashed butternut squash puree if you prefer.
Baked Donut Recipe Without Yeast
These baked donuts don’t require yeast, so the recipe is very fast to get into the oven. No rising required! Baking powder helps these baked donuts to rise, so if you have it in your pantry, you’re good to go.
Can I make these baked donuts gluten-free?
This baked donut recipe has a base of rolled oats, so they are easy to make gluten-free if you choose gluten-free rolled oats.
Can I make these donuts dairy-free?
Yes, just use nondairy plain unsweetened milk.
Easy Icing for Donuts
All you need to make a quick icing drizzle is a little powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. If you’d rather not use powdered sugar, you could use a little vanilla Greek yogurt. Simply place into a small plastic zip top bag, cut off one corner, and drizzle over donuts.
TIP: Let donuts cool before adding the icing. Place a piece of parchment underneath to catch any drips.
Healthy Toddler Breakfasts
I definitely use shortcut breakfasts with my girls (we have cereal a few times a week), but healthy toddler breakfasts are easy to change up from day to day—and baked donuts are one that I make ahead and serve quickly. It’s so fun to make something unexpected and yummy!
Tips for Making the Best Sweet Potato Baked Donuts
- Let cool for 2-3 minutes in the pan before inverting onto a rack to cool.
- Use a paring knife around the edges of the donuts if needed.
- Coat the pan thoroughly with nonstick spray.
- Use pumpkin puree or butternut squash puree instead of the sweet potato for a different flavor, if desired.
- Use oat flour instead of starting with rolled oats if desired.
- To make gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free rolled oats.
- To make dairy-free: Use nondairy plain milk and coconut oil.
I’d love to hear your feedback if you try this recipe, so please comment below to share!
PrintSweet Potato Baked Donuts
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 16
Total Time: 26 minutes
Yield: 6 1x
Category: Breakfast
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American
Description
You can roast the sweet potato up to 3 days ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake these.
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup roasted sweet potato, cooled
- 1/2 cup milk (dairy or nondairy)
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and coat a 6-cup donut pan with nonstick spray.
- Place the rolled oats into a blender and grind into a fine flour, about 30 seconds. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend to combine, stopping to scrape down the sides of the blender as needed.
- Pour evenly into the prepared pan, filling each cup full.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes or until lightly golden brown around the edges and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven, let sit for 2-3 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool slightly.
- Serve topped with a drizzle of Glaze, if desired.
Notes
To roast sweet potato: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Wash and poke a sweet potato with a paring knife (to allow steam to escape). Place on a foil-lined baking sheet or pan and roast for 45-60 minutes or until soft. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Remove from flesh and mash.
For the glaze: Stir together 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon milk, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla until thick and smooth. Drizzle over cooled donuts while on the wire rack (place a piece of parchment underneath to catch any drips) and serve.
Let cool for 2-3 minutes in the pan before inverting onto a rack to cool.
Use a paring knife around the edges of the donuts if needed.
Coat the pan thoroughly with nonstick spray.
Use pumpkin puree or butternut squash puree instead of the sweet potato if desired.
Use oat flour instead of starting with rolled oats if desired.
To make gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free rolled oats.
To make dairy-free: Use nondairy plain milk and coconut oil.
I noticed you use rolled oats in many of your donut and muffin recipes. My son is allergic to oats, what would you say would be a good substitute?
Quinoa flakes would be an option or in many cases you can use flour as a substitute for oat flour or any oats that are ground up in a blender or food processor. You may need to adjust the baking time a little, so I’d check for doneness 2 minutes earlier using a cake tester (insert it in the center of a muffin and look for it to come out mostly clean) just to avoid over baking. The timing should generally be similar though.
I don’t have a donut pan. Do you think these would work as muffins?
Yes, usually any recipe written for a donut pan can be made in a mini muffin pan and baked for about the same amount of time.
Hi. Can you use canned sweet potatoes instead? If so, does anything else in the recipe get altered?
Hi! I haven’t tried this with canned sweet potatoes. My only thought would be that if there’s any liquid around the sweet potato, then you’d want to drain it. If not and you open the can and it just looks like puree, it should be okay. You may need to add a tablespoon or two extra oats. Let me know if you give it a try!
I make baked doughnut at my home before, but I don’t use sweet potato. I really don’t know how will be that test. Whatever its test, it looks very delicious. Well, I will try that recipe sometime later. Thanks for your post. Like it.