The Best Baked Mini Donuts on Earth

I LOVE mini donuts.  Those warm, cinnamon-sugary ones that they always sell at fairs and amusement parks (and at my favorite sandwich shop on Venice Beach - if you ever go, get the "Mr. Electric" - you won't be sorry).  I'm actually surprised I still love them considering that, most of the time, devouring a bag was swiftly followed by being violently flung about on some giant death-coaster - but I guess the power of the donut is just too strong.

The idea of frying anything in a giant pot of boiling, flammable oil has always terrified me, so when I came across a recipe for "oven-baked donuts" I was intrigued.  Could they really be as good as the original version?  I wanted to find out (and I really wanted to buy one of those adorable mini donut pans) so the test was on.  I baked these with my friend, Amanda, so we made a vegan version using egg replacer instead of real eggs.  The best part about doing this is that you can fearlessly eat all of taste the batter (I know people do this anyway but I am kind of a freak when it comes to anything raw - more later on how it takes me 12 utensils to cook a piece of chicken).  Let me just say, the batter was my first hint that these were going to be AMAZEBALLS.  It tasted so good it took everything I had not to just throw in the towel and call this recipe "Tasty Bowl of Donut Batter" - but I pressed on.

You'll get the play-by-play in a minute, but basically these donuts are the greatest thing on earth.  Not only are they SUPER easy to make, not fried in bad-for-you oil, and totally adorable - but they taste like the real thing!  I don't know WHAT they put in there (actually, I do, because I put it in there) but the combination of the sweet cinnamon and the fragrant nutmeg along with the rest of the ingredients somehow makes for an incredible, authentic-tasting mini donut.  And did I mention how good your house is gonna smell?  Move over, donut-scented candle that I always want to eat!  There's a new donut in town and it doesn't taste like wax.

Ingredients:

Dry ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Wet ingredients:

1/2 cup milk (we used vanilla almond milk)

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

1 egg (or egg replacer for 1 egg)

4 tbsp butter (we used Earth Balance)

For the icing:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tbsp milk (again, we used almond)

sprinkles!

Directions:

1.  Preheat your oven to 350 F.

2.  In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.

3.  In a small pot, mix together the wet ingredients.  Heat on the stovetop on low heat and stir until blended.

4.  Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients & lightly mix until just blended.

5.  Place just under a teaspoon of batter into each section of mini donut pan.  It's sticky so you may have to use your fingers to spread it around a bit.  The batter will rise a lot so only fill each section about halfway.

6.  Bake for 12 minutes.  Tip baked donuts onto wire cooling rack & they should just pop right out.  Repeat until batter is done!  (We got about 36 mini donuts out of the batch!)

7.  To make your icing (which is really more like a glaze) just mix the icing sugar & milk together in a bowl.  Once the donuts are cool enough to touch, dip each one in the glaze and then into your bowl of sprinkles.  Place on pretty plate, take a picture & then eat 'em!  (as if you haven't tried one already...)

*Note:  You could also make some chocolate-dipped donuts by melting some chocolate in a double boiler, dipping the donuts & then letting them set on some parchment paper.  Sprinkle with nuts or coconut if you like - use your imagination!

Also makes a great birthday gift!