Welcome to a world where indulgence meets simplicity: introducing our irresistible Baked Banana Donuts with Creamy Peanut Butter Icing! Forget the hassle and mess of deep-frying; these tender, cake-like donuts are lovingly baked in your oven, resulting in a lighter, equally delicious treat. If you find yourself with a surplus of those beautifully spotted, overripe bananas, this recipe offers the perfect solution, transforming them into a delightful snack, a special breakfast surprise, or a comforting dessert.
Our journey into baked donuts doesn’t have to end here! Explore more exciting variations like these Baked Key Lime Pie Donuts for a tangy twist or these comforting Baked Pumpkin Donuts with Maple Cinnamon Glaze, perfect for fall flavors.
The Magic of Overripe Bananas in Baking
It’s a common household scenario: you buy a bunch of bananas with the best intentions, but before you know it, they’ve developed those tell-tale brown spots, becoming too soft for a satisfying snack. But for a baker, these aren’t wasted bananas; they’re liquid gold! Overripe bananas are paramount for this donut recipe, and here’s why:
- Intensified Sweetness: As bananas ripen, their starches convert into natural sugars, making them much sweeter. This natural sweetness reduces the need for excessive added sugar in your baked goods.
- Unmatched Moisture: The soft, mushy texture of overripe bananas contributes incredible moisture to your donut batter, resulting in a tender, melt-in-your-mouth crumb. This moisture also helps the donuts stay fresh longer.
- Deeper Banana Flavor: The distinct, aromatic banana flavor becomes more concentrated and robust in riper bananas, ensuring your donuts burst with authentic banana goodness.
- Natural Binder: Mashed ripe bananas act as a natural binder, helping to hold the donut structure together while contributing to their delightful chewiness.
If your bananas aren’t quite ripe enough, you can speed up the process by baking them in their skins on a baking sheet at 300°F (150°C) for 15-30 minutes until they turn completely black and soft. Alternatively, freeze ripe bananas whole for later use in baking; just thaw them before mashing.
Baked Donuts: A Delightful Alternative to Traditional Banana Bread
While classic banana bread holds a special place in our hearts (and kitchens!), sometimes you crave something a little different, something that feels a bit more special. These baked banana donuts offer a unique, individual portion of pure joy. They’re quicker to bake than a full loaf of bread and provide a charming, handheld treat perfect for any time of day.
What makes these donuts truly irresistible is the luscious peanut butter icing. The combination of sweet banana and creamy, slightly salty peanut butter is a match made in culinary heaven. It’s a flavor profile that’s reminiscent of a classic childhood favorite, elevated into a sophisticated, yet comforting, baked good.
For those who love to experiment with flavors, the original iteration of this recipe actually featured a sprinkle of crispy bacon on top. If you’re a fan of the sweet and salty combination, don’t hesitate to add finely crumbled bacon to your iced donuts. It’s an unexpected twist that brings a delightful savory crunch and enhances the overall experience!
Essential Ingredients for Perfect Banana Donuts
Crafting these delectable banana donuts requires a few simple, pantry-staple ingredients. Each component plays a crucial role in achieving the perfect texture and flavor:
- All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of our donuts, providing structure and body. We recommend using good quality all-purpose flour for the best results. While we haven’t tested other flours extensively, sticking to all-purpose ensures the intended light and tender crumb.
- Granulated Sugar: This provides additional sweetness and helps in browning the donuts, contributing to a golden, inviting exterior.
- Baking Powder: Our key leavening agent. Baking powder reacts when wet and with heat, creating air bubbles that give the donuts their characteristic light and fluffy texture, ensuring they rise beautifully without being dense.
- Salt: A pinch of salt is crucial in baking. It doesn’t just add saltiness; it balances and enhances all the other flavors, making the banana and peanut butter notes truly sing. Never skip the salt!
- Large Eggs: Eggs serve multiple purposes: they bind the ingredients together, add richness, and contribute to the structure and moisture of the donuts. Always use large eggs for consistent results in baking recipes.
- Neutral Oil: We typically use vegetable oil or avocado oil because neutral oils keep the donuts incredibly moist and tender. Unlike butter, which can sometimes make baked goods a bit denser, oil ensures a consistently soft texture. You can certainly use melted butter if preferred, but note it might slightly alter the texture.
- Overripe Bananas: As discussed, these are the star of the show! Use bananas that are very ripe, with plenty of brown spots, for maximum sweetness, moisture, and intense banana flavor. About 3-4 medium overripe bananas usually yield 1.5 cups mashed.
- Powdered Sugar (Confectioners’ Sugar): This fine sugar is essential for creating a smooth, velvety icing without any grainy texture.
- Creamy Peanut Butter: For the icing, we recommend a conventional creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy. Natural peanut butter can sometimes separate or be too oily, affecting the icing’s consistency. The smooth, rich flavor of creamy peanut butter perfectly complements the banana.
- Milk: Used to thin out the peanut butter icing to your desired consistency. Whole milk works best for richness, but any milk (dairy or non-dairy) will work. If you prefer a richer icing, you can use heavy cream, but you may need to adjust the quantity as it’s thicker than milk.
How to Bake Irresistible Banana Donuts: A Step-by-Step Guide
Baking these banana donuts is a straightforward process, even for beginner bakers. Follow these steps for perfect, tender donuts every time:
STEP 1: Prepare Your Oven and Pan. Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). This ensures the oven is at the correct temperature when the donuts go in, leading to an even rise. Lightly spray your donut pan(s) with a nonstick cooking spray, making sure to get into all the crevices. This prevents sticking and ensures easy removal.
STEP 2: Combine Dry Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, measure out your flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Use a whisk to thoroughly combine these dry ingredients. Whisking not only mixes them but also aerates the flour, which contributes to a lighter donut texture and prevents lumps.
STEP 3: Whisk Wet Ingredients (Separate Bowl). In a separate, medium-sized bowl, crack your large eggs and add the neutral oil. Whisk these two ingredients together until they are well combined and slightly frothy. This ensures the wet ingredients are evenly distributed before adding them to the dry mixture.
STEP 4: Introduce Wet to Dry Ingredients. Pour the whisked egg and oil mixture into the bowl with your dry ingredients. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, gently start to stir them together. At this initial stage, the mixture will appear quite dry and crumbly. Don’t worry, and don’t overmix yet – you just want to begin the incorporation process.
STEP 5: Fold in Mashed Bananas. Now, add your mashed overripe bananas to the bowl. Continue to gently stir the batter until all ingredients are just combined and there are no visible pockets of dry flour. The key here is to avoid overmixing. Overmixing can develop the gluten in the flour too much, leading to tough, dense donuts rather than light and tender ones. A few small lumps are perfectly fine!
STEP 6: Fill Donut Pan Cavities. Spoon or pipe the batter into the prepared donut pan cavities. Fill each cavity approximately 2/3 to 3/4 full. For a cleaner and more even filling, we highly recommend transferring the batter to a piping bag (or a large ziplock bag with one corner snipped off) and piping it into the pan. This technique gives you better control and creates perfectly shaped donuts.
STEP 7: Bake to Golden Perfection. Place the donut pan in your preheated oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes. The exact baking time may vary slightly depending on your oven. The donuts are done when they are golden brown around the edges and spring back gently when lightly pressed on top. A toothpick inserted into the thickest part should come out clean. Let the donuts cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Cooling on a rack prevents the bottoms from becoming soggy.
STEP 8: Prepare the Peanut Butter Icing. While the donuts are cooling, prepare your decadent peanut butter icing. In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar and creamy peanut butter. Add about half of the milk, then whisk vigorously until smooth. Continue adding more milk, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. You want it thick enough to coat the donuts but thin enough to spread easily.
STEP 9: Frost and Enjoy! Once the donuts have completely cooled to room temperature (this is important to prevent the icing from melting), generously spread the creamy peanut butter icing over the tops. You can do this with a spoon, a small offset spatula, or even by dipping the tops of the donuts into the icing. For an extra touch, you can sprinkle with a tiny pinch of sea salt or a few chopped peanuts. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Pro Tips for Perfect Baked Banana Donuts
Achieving bakery-quality baked donuts at home is simpler than you think with these expert tips and tricks:
- Donut Pan Choice: A good donut pan is essential. We’ve had great success with a classic metal donut pan, which provides excellent heat conduction for even baking and a lovely golden crust. If you’re looking for an alternative, consider a silicone donut pan. Silicone pans are naturally non-stick and make unmolding incredibly easy, though they might yield a slightly less crispy exterior.
- Batch Baking: Most standard donut pans have 6 cavities. This recipe yields about 20 donuts, so if you only have one pan, you’ll need to bake in multiple batches (typically 3-4 batches). Be sure to let the pan cool down between batches and spray it again with nonstick spray before adding new batter. This ensures consistent baking results for all your donuts.
- Scaling the Recipe: This recipe is easily adaptable. If you’re only looking to make a small batch, you can effortlessly cut the recipe in half. Just remember to adjust all ingredient quantities proportionally.
- Mess-Free Filling: For the cleanest and most efficient way to fill your donut pan cavities, use a piping bag or a large ziplock bag with one corner snipped off. This method ensures an even distribution of batter and keeps your pan edges clean, leading to beautifully uniform donuts with minimal fuss.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: For optimal emulsion and a smooth batter, ensure your eggs are at room temperature. This allows them to incorporate more effectively with other ingredients.
- Don’t Overfill: Only fill the donut cavities about 2/3 to 3/4 full. Overfilling can cause the donuts to puff up too much and lose their distinct donut shape, or even overflow the pan.
Storage Instructions for Freshness
To enjoy your baked banana donuts at their best, follow these storage guidelines:
- Room Temperature: These donuts are truly best served fresh on the day they are made. However, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours. The texture will remain soft, though they might lose a little of their initial crispness.
- Refrigeration: If you need to store them for longer, especially in warm climates or if your icing contains fresh dairy (like cream cheese in a different recipe), you can refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days. Bring them to room temperature before serving for the best flavor and texture.
- Freezing for Later: If you want to prepare a batch in advance or save some for later, the donuts freeze beautifully. We recommend freezing them *before* applying the peanut butter icing. Place the cooled, unfrosted donuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. They can be frozen for up to 2-3 months.
- Thawing Frozen Donuts: To enjoy, simply thaw the frozen donuts at room temperature for an hour or two. You can gently warm them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds for a “freshly baked” feel, then prepare and apply the peanut butter icing just before serving.
Explore More Delicious Banana Recipes
Can’t get enough of the versatile banana? Discover more delightful ways to use them in your baking:
- Banana Oatmeal Cookies
- Banana Crumb Muffins
- Brownie Mix Banana Bread
- Banana Split Cupcakes
- Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
LOOKING FOR MORE FREE RECIPES?
Subscribe to my free recipe newsletter to get new family-friendly recipes in your inbox each week! Find me sharing more family-friendly inspiration on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.
Banana Donuts with Peanut Butter Icing
Pin
Ingredients
Banana Donuts
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup neutral oil* (vegetable or avocado)
- 1 1/2 cups mashed overripe bananas
Peanut Butter Icing
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 4 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175°C). Spray a donut pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk well to combine.
- In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and oil. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until it starts to come together. It will still be quite dry.
- Add the mashed bananas, and mix just until everything is combined, making sure you don’t have any pockets of dry ingredients. Be careful not to overmix.
- Fill the donut pan cavities about 2/3 to 3/4 full with the batter. This is easiest by putting the batter into a piping bag or a large ziplock bag and snipping off the corner to use it as a piping bag.
- Bake the donuts for about 10-12 minutes, or until they spring back when lightly touched on top and are golden around the edges. Let the donuts cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the icing, combine the powdered sugar, peanut butter, and half of the milk in a bowl. Whisk to combine until smooth. Continue to add more milk, a tablespoon at a time, until you have your desired consistency for frosting.
- Once the donuts are completely cool, spread the icing generously over the tops.
Recipe Notes:
If you only have one 6-cavity donut pan, you will need to bake the batter in 3-4 batches. Remember to let the pan cool and re-grease it between batches.
Nutrition information is provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should be used as a general guideline.