Sticky Bun Doughnuts

Love sticky buns, but don't want to spend the time on a traditional yeasted sweet dough? These baked doughnuts have all the flavor of a sticky bun, but will be ready to eat in less than half the time.

Prep
15 mins
Bake
15 mins
Total
30 mins
Yield
6 doughnuts
Sticky Bun Doughnuts - select to zoom
Sticky Bun Doughnuts - select to zoom
Sticky Bun Doughnuts - select to zoom

Instructions

Prevent your screen from going dark as you follow along.
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the wells of a standard doughnut pan.

  2. To make the doughnuts: Beat together the butter, oil, and sugars until smooth.

  3. Add the egg, beating to combine.

  4. Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sweet dough flavor.

  5. Beginning and ending with the flour, stir the flour into the butter mixture alternately with the milk.

  6. To make the topping: Combine the butter and syrup or honey; divide it among the wells of the prepared pan.

  7. Combine the sugars, pecans, and cinnamon, and sprinkle atop the butter/syrup in each well.

  8. Spoon the batter evenly into each well, filling to the rim.

  9. Bake the doughnuts for 15 minutes, or until they're raised and firm.

  10. Remove the pan from the oven, and place it on a rack.

  11. Loosen the edges of each doughnut and immediately turn the pan over onto a piece of parchment paper.

  12. Gently shake the pan to loosen the doughnuts, then lift it off, and scrape any sticky topping back onto the tops of the doughnuts.

  13. Place the doughnuts on a rack to cool slightly. Serve warm.

Tips from our Bakers

  • If you don't have a doughnut pan, scoop the batter into nine lightly greased or paper-lined wells of a standard muffin pan. Top with the sugar-nut mixture, and drizzle with the butter/syrup. Bake in a preheated 425°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of one of the center muffins comes out clean. Remove them from the oven, and transfer the muffins to a rack to cool.
  • Sometimes these doughnuts can lose their "holes". If this happens, there's no need to fret. Simply enjoy them as is; or for true doughnut shape, use a small round cutter (the opposite side of a pastry tip works well here) to cut out the doughnut's filled-in center.