Best Homemade Baked Donuts: Krispy Kreme Snickers Donuts

Trying to get that perfect, homemade donut can sometimes feel like an impossible task. But we’re here to tell you that with the right recipe, you can make donuts that are just as good as (if not better than!) the ones from your favorite bakery.

Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a good donut? They’re fried, they’re sugary, and they’re oh-so-delicious.

But what if I told you that you could make donuts at home that are just as good as the ones you get at your favorite bakery?

And what if I told you that these donuts are baked, not fried? Sound too good to be true? Well, it’s not!

This homemade baked donut recipe will become your new favorite go-to treat for movie nights, parties, or a delicious fun weekend breakfast.

They are decadently sweet and airy, a winning combination that makes them so easy to eat! 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Delicious – Snickers Krispy Kremes are irresistible, and now you can have them anytime you want!
• Easy – Homemade baked donuts are simpler to make than you’d think. Make the dough, pipe, bake, and add toppings.
• Healthier – Hands down, these baked donuts are healthier than the Krispy Kreme original.

What Do These Homemade Baked Donuts Taste Like?

These donuts are sweet and airy, with added texture from the chopped peanuts.

The chocolate ganache is creamy and decadent, paired with the sweet and salty caramel sauce, complimented by crunchy peanuts on top. 

Are Homemade Baked Donuts Healthy?

Unfortunately, these tasty donuts will not count towards your 5-a-day, but if you have donut cravings you need to satiate, then this baked donut recipe is your friend.

With sugar-free chocolate and various substitutions for sugar, these donuts can easily be made sugar-free.

As we are baking and not deep-frying the donuts, we use less oil, making these a healthier alternative to regular shop-bought donuts.

Do Donuts Have Dairy?

This donut recipe contains butter, milk, chocolate, and heavy cream, so it relies on dairy products. However, you can use dairy-free substitutions to get similar results. 

Homemade Baked Donuts Ingredients

Donut Batter

• All-Purpose Flour –  This is the best flour for these donuts as it will provide the best consistency and airiness. 
• Baking Soda – This ingredient is responsible for the soft texture of the donut.
• Salt – Normal cooking salt or kosher salt is good. 
• Unsalted Butter – Use melted butter that has cooled down. Olive oil can be used to make this dairy-free. 
• Vegetable Oil – You can use canola or peanut oil instead.
• Granulated Sugar – Light or dark brown sugar or a sweetener will also work. 
• Vanilla Extract – For a subtle hint of vanilla. 
• Eggs – Eggs are the ultimate binding agent here.
• Milk – You can use your favorite non-dairy alternative.  

Chocolate Ganache

• Baking Chocolate – We used sugar-free baking chocolate for this recipe.
• Heavy Cream – Use heavy cream for the best results here. 

Salted Caramel Layer

• Granulated Sugar – You can use dark or light brown sugar as an alternative. 
• Unsalted Butter – Use a non-dairy butter as an alternative. 
• Heavy Cream – If you need a non-dairy alternative, you can use coconut milk, but the amount needed will vary.
• Sea Salt – Sea salt is particularly good at contrasting sweet flavors, so it compliments caramel very well. 

Topping

• Chopped Peanuts – You can buy pre-chopped nuts or crush/chop peanuts yourself. Preparing them yourself will ensure they have the freshest flavor.

Tools Needed To Prepare Homemade Baked Donuts

• Ziploc Bags or a Piping Bag – These are for piping the donut batter into the donut baking pan without making a mess!
• Donut Baking Pans – You’ll want a decent non-stick donut pan so you can bake these donuts rather than fry them. 
• Saucepan – You will need one for the ganache and one for the salted caramel sauce. 
• Mixing Bowls – This recipe will need at least one large and one medium-sized bowl. 
• Measuring Cups – Cups and teaspoons are required. 
• Wire Rack – Use to cool the donuts once they have been baked and let them set after being dipped in the toppings.

Ingredient Additions & Substitutions For These Baked Donuts

All-Purpose Flour

If you cannot use all-purpose flour there are many substitutions available, but you may want to check the quantities needed as not all flour works the same way in baking.

Due to the consistency required for donuts, and the nutty flavor of these snickers donuts, I would recommend the following:

• Gluten-Free Flour – This recipe should work the same way as regular flour.
• Almond Flour – This will add a complimentary nutty flavor to the donuts, but the quantity needed may vary from this recipe, and you will need to add baking powder too. 

Eggs

While the egg is one of the most adaptable baking ingredients, cooking without them shouldn’t be difficult! If you can’t eat eggs or want to substitute them for something different, try these alternatives:

• Yogurt or buttermilk
• Ground flaxseed
• Arrowroot: 2 tablespoons (~18g) = 1 large egg
• Xanthan gum: ¼ tsp in ~60ml of water = 1 egg

Vanilla Extract

Real vanilla extract adds a light sweet flavoring, mainly made from vodka, rum, and vanilla beans. Consider one of these instead:

• Maple syrup
• Almond extract
• Vanilla liqueur

Granulated Sugar

If you do not have granulated sugar in hand, you can use light brown sugar instead at a 1:1 ratio.

Your donuts may be slightly darker in color and maybe a bit sweeter too, but they will still be delicious and airy! You could also use your favorite baking sweetener to go sugar-free here. 

For a sweeter dessert, substitute granulated sugar in this snickers baked donut recipe with cinnamon sugar.

Cinnamon has a toasty, woody flavor that isn’t overly sweet, but when mixed with sugar it gives baked goods a warm aroma that is especially great for the holidays. 

How to Make Homemade Baked Donuts (Step-by-Step)

Ingredients

Donut

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. baking soda
• ¾ tsp. salt
• ¼ cup melted butter
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk

Chocolate Ganache

• 8 oz. sugar-free baking chocolate or chocolate chips
• 1 cup heavy cream

Salted Carmel Layer

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
• ¼ cup plus 2 tbsp. heavy cream
• 1/8 tsp. sea salt

Top Layer

• ½ cup chopped peanuts

Instructions

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 425ºF and lightly coat the donut pan with cooking spray.

STEP 2: Combine the flour, bak­ing soda, bak­ing pow­der, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

STEP 3: In a large bowl, whisk the oil and butter; slowly add in the sugar, vanilla, and eggs.  Mix all until well combined.

STEP 4: Add the milk and other dry ingredients to the large mixing bowl.

STEP 5: Scoop the mixture into a Ziploc freezer bag and cut the corner.

STEP 6: Pour the batter into the holes in the donuts, filling two-thirds of each donut.

STEP 7: Bake for 8 minutes or until slightly golden.

STEP 8: Remove from the oven and let the donuts cool for about 10 minutes.

STEP 9: While the Donuts are cooling, prepare the chocolate ganache layer and salted caramel.

Salted Caramel

STEP 1: Add the sugar to a saucepan, wait for it to start to melt, then allow it to caramelize (turn brown).

STEP 2: When the sugar starts to liquify, remove the heat and add the butter. Allow it to melt.

STEP 3: Add the cream and salt gradually and mix well.

STEP 4: Transfer the caramel sauce to another bowl and let it completely cool.

Chocolate Ganache

STEP 1: In a saucepan, add the creamer and heat until it begins to simmer. Place the chocolate into the pan.  Remove from heat and cover with a lid.

STEP 2: Allow it to set for 5 minutes, and then remove the lid, stirring the chocolate mixture until smooth and shiny.  Allow the Ganache to thicken before dipping donuts into it, so you get a thicker chocolate layer on the donuts.

Assembly

STEP 1: Dip the top of each donut into the ganache.

STEP 2: Place them in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

STEP 3: Remove the donut from the refrigerator and dip the chocolate-layered portion of the donut into the salted caramel.

STEP 4: Finally, sprinkle the donuts with crushed salted peanuts.

What To Serve With Snickers Donuts

1. Serve these fresh donuts with a warm cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk for a perfect fall or holiday breakfast.
2. Have it with a scoop of ice cream for a completely indulgent dessert. 
3. Make mini donuts using a mini donut pan or donut holes rather than whole donuts by piping the batter into a mini cupcake pan before baking. 
4. You can use different types of glaze for these donuts, including maple glaze or cinnamon sugar glaze. Make your favorite varieties of donuts and serve them together on a dessert platter for parties.
5. Other sweet treats that go well on a dessert table are Caramel Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies and these Lemon and Raspberry Cupcakes!

Tips About Making Homemade Donuts

• Cold ingredients should be brought to room temperature before you start mixing the ingredients.
• Be patient with your ganache if it appears thin at first. It will thicken significantly as it sits! Once it cools for a few minutes, it should be the right consistency for dipping your doughnuts. However, if it hasn’t been set after sitting, place it in the fridge for 5-10 minutes to speed up the process.
• Ensure that the donut mixture, ganache, and caramel have thoroughly cooled and set before assembling them.
• The donut mixture should be fully combined before piping it into the prepared donut baking pan.
• Your warm donuts will cool best on a wire rack after baking. If you don’t have time to wait for them to cool at room temperature, put them in the fridge for a few minutes or make the toppings the night before.

How To Store Homemade Baked Donuts

How Do I Store The Donuts?

If you have donuts left over, store them correctly so you can enjoy them later. Keep them freshest in an airtight container.

These donuts can be stored in the fridge for up to 3-4 days or on the counter for up to 2 days.

Can I freeze these donuts?

Freezing your donuts means you can have these treats anytime you like. You can freeze un-glazed baked donuts or baked and topped donuts for up to three months.

Just thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in the microwave to your taste. If you freeze them plainly, dip them in ganache and salted caramel and add peanuts to the top after thawing.

Can I Make This Without a Donut Pan?

Yes, you can bake donuts without a special donut baking pan. Get a regular cupcake or muffin tin, mold some aluminum foil into tall cylinders to reach the top of the pan, and place each one into its cup in the tray.

Then pour the batter around the cylinder and remove it once the donuts have baked and cooled thoroughly on a baking rack. 

FAQ About Homemade Donuts

Conclusion

These homemade baked donuts are soft, fluffy, and covered in a delicious chocolate ganache with a layer of salted caramel.

They’re much easier to make than you might think and just as good as the fried kind! Plus, this recipe can easily be made vegan and gluten-free.

So if you’re ever craving something sweet or just want to treat yourself to something special, do yourself a favor and make a batch of these homemade baked donuts. You won’t regret it.

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