Sweet Potato Donuts
intro
Soft, spiced baked sweet potato donuts coated in cinnamon sugar: a cozy, earthy-sweet fall treat perfect for snacking and casual gatherings.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep oven and sweet potato
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F), then grease a 6-cavity standard donut pan with nonstick spray or softened butter. Prick 1 medium raw sweet potato (220g raw weight) all over with a fork, microwave on high heat for 5 minutes until completely fork-tender. Scoop out the soft orange flesh, mash until smooth, measure out 200g of mashed sweet potato, and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
Combine dry ingredients
In a medium mixing bowl, add 180g (1.5 cups) all-purpose flour, 50g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar, 50g (1/4 cup, packed) light brown sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp fine table salt. Whisk vigorously for 30 seconds to fully combine, breaking up any small lumps of brown sugar with the whisk tines.
Mix smooth donut batter
In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the cooled 200g mashed sweet potato, 120ml (1/2 cup) whole milk, 57g (4 tbsp / 1/4 cup) melted unsalted butter, 1 room-temperature large egg (50g), and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Whisk until completely smooth, then pour the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients. Fold gently with a rubber spatula just until no dry flour streaks remain—do not overmix, as this creates tough donuts.
Fill donut pan cavities
Transfer the finished batter to a disposable piping bag, or a resealable plastic bag with a 1cm (1/2 inch) corner snipped off. Pipe the batter evenly into the prepared donut pan cavities, filling each cavity exactly 2/3 full to leave space for rising during baking; all batter will be used to make 6 standard-sized donuts.
Bake and cool donuts
Place the filled donut pan on the middle rack of the preheated 180°C (350°F) oven and bake for 12-14 minutes. Donuts are done when the tops spring back immediately after a light press, and a toothpick inserted into the thickest part comes out with 1-2 moist crumbs (no wet batter). Remove from the oven, let donuts rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool for an additional 5 minutes.
Coat in cinnamon sugar
While donuts cool slightly, stir together 65g (1/3 cup) granulated sugar and 1 tbsp ground cinnamon in a shallow small dish until evenly mixed. Brush every surface (top, bottom, inner and outer sides) of each warm donut with 28g (2 tbsp) total melted unsalted butter, then press each donut into the cinnamon sugar mixture, turning to coat fully and evenly.
Tips
2.For ultra-silky sweet potato with no stringy bits, press the cooked mashed sweet potato through a fine-mesh sieve before mixing it into the wet ingredients, especially if using starchy, fibrous sweet potato varieties.
3.Always coat the donuts while they are still slightly warm: the gentle heat helps melted butter soak in slightly, so cinnamon sugar adheres evenly instead of sliding off smooth donut surfaces.
OMG these are a total game changer for our weekend breakfast rotation! My kids go crazy for anything cinnamon sugar, and I love that they’re baked instead of fried so I don’t feel guilty letting them have seconds. I swapped half the cinnamon for a tiny bit of apple pie spice and it was chef’s kiss. SO good, even my picky 7 year old asked for them in his school lunch this week!
I’m so bad at baking but these were actually easy enough for me to pull off on my first try! Total cook time was right at 40 minutes like the recipe said, no fancy equipment needed. The only mess up I made was coating them in cinnamon sugar when they were still too hot so the sugar melted a little, but they still tasted incredible. 10/10 will make again.
These are perfect for my weekly meal prep! I make a batch every Sunday and grab one on my way out the door to early morning workouts. The sweet potato adds such a nice natural sweetness so I don’t feel like I’m eating a super sugary pastry, and the cinnamon sugar top gives just enough of that treat vibe. Highly recommend for anyone who needs a quick grab-and-go breakfast that doesn’t taste like diet food!
Made these for my girlfriend’s fall potluck at work and everyone was begging for the recipe! I was worried baking donuts would make them dry, but the sweet potato kept them so moist and fluffy. I didn’t have a donut pan so I used a muffin tin and just cut little holes in the center with an apple corer, worked like a charm. 10/10, would recommend.
I made these vegan by swapping the egg for a flax egg and using oat milk, and they turned out absolutely perfect! The sweet potato flavor shines through so well with the cinnamon sugar, none of that weird artificial pumpkin spice taste you get with a lot of fall baked goods. Will be adding these to my annual fall bake list for sure.
These remind me of the cinnamon donuts my mom used to make when I was a kid, except the sweet potato adds such a lovely, cozy depth of flavor. I brought a batch to my church social over the weekend and even the older folks who say they don’t like “fancy new recipes” went back for seconds. I added that pinch of nutmeg another commenter recommended, and it was perfect. Perfect texture, not too sweet, just right.
Solid recipe, but I found the cinnamon sugar coating a little too heavy for my taste. Next time I’ll probably do a lighter dusting instead of tossing the whole donut in the butter and sugar mix. Still really tasty though, the sweet potato base is chef’s kiss.
Game. Changer. I’ve been buying store-bought baked donuts for my kids’ after school snacks for months and these are so much cheaper and taste 100x better. I added a tiny little cream cheese glaze drizzle on half the batch for my husband who loves extra sweet treats, and he said they’re better than the ones from the fancy donut shop downtown. Already have the ingredients to make another batch tomorrow!
Made these in my dorm kitchen last night with my roommate and we were shocked how good they turned out! We only had a tiny toaster oven and a cheap silicone donut mold we got from the dollar store, and they still came out fluffy and perfectly cinnamon-y. Way better than the vending machine snacks we usually live on during midterm season lmao. 10/10, easy enough for two broke college kids to pull off, even without fancy gear.
I made these for my family dinner last night as a fall side/dessert hybrid and everyone raved! The sweet potato makes them feel appropriate for dinner, but the cinnamon sugar makes them feel like a special treat. I will say my donut pan makes smaller, mini-sized donuts so I only had to bake them for 10 minutes instead of 12, so just keep an eye on them if you have a mini pan!
Just made these for my office fall potluck today and they were gone in 10 minutes flat! Multiple people asked if I bought them from the local bakery, I was so proud. The only tweak I made was adding a tiny pinch of nutmeg to the cinnamon sugar mix, and it gave it such a warm, cozy vibe. Will absolutely be making these for every potluck from now until Thanksgiving!