Baked Red Velvet Donuts

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These tender, moist, baked Red Velvet Donuts are loaded with a buttery, brown sugar topping and finished with a generous sprinkling of powdered sugar. With a hint of cocoa and the perfect balance of sweetness, these doughnuts will quickly become a red velvet favorite!

When Valentine’s Day rolls around, red velvet everything seems to takeover. I have to admit that for a long time I was indifferent to red velvet. To me, red velvet just meant a blah, bland dessert with red food color. But all of that changed when I met my husband.

He loves red velvet cake. It’s his favorite, so when I knew he’d be sticking around, I figured, I might as well figure out how to make it.

a pile of baked red velvet crumb donuts

Red Velvet Donuts

Red Velvet Donuts have a moist, fluffy interior that is paired with a brown sugar crumb topping. It gives the doughnut some much needed texture without getting in the way of the signature red velvet flavor.

The crumb on top of these doughnuts turns each treat into a mini-red velvet coffee cake. And coffee cake crossed with red velvet is my idea of the perfect sweet treat.

What does red velvet taste like?

Red velvet has a unique, fresh flavor. Some may think it is a chocolate cake turned red. And while red velvet cake does have a touch of cocoa powder in it, it is more like a light, fluffy buttermilk cake than a rich chocolate cake.

It’s sweet, it’s light. And it has a very slightly hint of chocolate.

Are baked donuts better than fried?

Yes. Baked donuts are by no means health food. It’s basically a piece of cake. But you’ll save yourself some calories if you bake a homemade donut rather than dunk it in hot oil.

How to Make Baked Red Velvet Donuts

There are three steps to these donuts:

  1. Cake donut.
  2. Sweet glaze.
  3. Sugar streusel.

Yes, it’s 3 steps, but these donuts are AMAZING. You won’t regret it!

Make the donuts.

  • Prepare. Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Grease a doughnut pan.
  • Mix. In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil and sugar. Add the eggs, milk, vinegar, vanilla, and food color. Add the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
how to make red velvet donut batter
  • Fill & Bake. Fill each cavity about 2/3 full, and bake for 15 minutes. We find it easiest to put the cake batter into a disposable frosting bag and pipe the batter into the pan. You can just use a spoon if you’d like, or pour the batter in with a large measuring cup.
  • Cool. Allow the doughnuts to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Then turn out onto a cooling rack, and allow to cool completely.

Make the Crumb Topping.

The crumb topping is super easy to make. Melt the butter in a medium bowl. Add the brown sugar, salt, and flour. Mix until large chunks form. Then set aside til you’re ready to sprinkle over the donuts.

Make the Glaze.

The glaze is just 3 ingredients: powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Simply whisk the three ingredients together until you have a glaze at the correct consistency for dipping donuts.

collage on donut crumb and glaze

Assemble the Donuts.

  • Once the doughnuts are completely cool, dip each into the glaze.
  • While the glaze is still wet, cover with crumbs.
  • Continue to assemble the doughnuts in the same manner.
  • Once all of the doughnuts are assembled, allow the glaze to set completely.
  • Dust with powdered sugar if you’d like.
red velvet crumb doughnuts on a table
3 red velvet donuts stacked on each other
3 red velvet donuts stacked on each other

Baked Red Velvet Crumb Doughnuts

4.50 from 6 votes
These tender, moist, baked Red Velvet Crumb Doughnuts are loaded with a buttery, brown sugar topping and finished with a generous sprinkling of powdered sugar. With a hint of cocoa and the perfect balance of sweetness, these doughnuts will quickly become a red velvet favorite!
Servings 12 donuts
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

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Equipment

Ingredients
 

For the Red Velvet Doughnuts:

For the Vanilla Glaze

For the Crumb Topping:

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • Powdered sugar for dusting optional

Instructions
 

Make the Red Velvet Doughnuts:

  • Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
  • In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the oil and sugar.
  • Add the eggs, milk, vinegar, vanilla, and food color.
  • Add the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
  • Grease a doughnut pan.
  • Fill each cavity about 2/3 full, and bake for 15 minutes.
  • Allow the doughnuts to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Then turn out onto a cooling rack, and allow to cool completely.

Make the Crumb Topping:

  • Melt the butter in a medium bowl.
  • Add the brown sugar, salt, and flour.
  • Mix until large chunks form.
  • Set aside.

Make the Glaze:

  • Sift the confectioners’ sugar
  • Add the vanilla and milk.
  • Whisk until smooth.

Assemble the Doughnuts:

  • Once the doughnuts are completely cool, dip each into the glaze.
  • While the glaze is still wet, cover with crumbs.
  • Continue to assemble the doughnuts in the same manner.
  • Once all of the doughnuts are assembled, allow the glaze to set completely.
  • Dust with confectioners’ sugar.
  • Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Video

Notes

Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
The calories shown are based on the recipe making 12 donuts, with 1 serving being 1 donut. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**

Nutrition

Serving: 125g | Calories: 421kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 221mg | Potassium: 177mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 267IU | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 2mg
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Calories 421
Keyword homemade donuts, valentine’s day

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I use if I don’t have a donut pan?

If you don’t have a donut pan, it will be hard to make the donut shape. However, you can still enjoy the flavors by baking the donut batter in a muffin pan. They will take slightly longer to bake, but you can dip them in glaze and sprinkle with streusel just the same. Need a donut pan? We love this one!

How do you store homemade donuts?

Store the red velvet donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Can you freeze homemade donuts?

Yes! These cake donuts freeze well. Place them in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. When you are ready to serve them, allow them to defrost completely to room temperature before opening the storage container.

Red Velvet Recipes

Perfect for Valentine’s Day or July 4th, red velvet always brings smiles. Try one of our recipes:

About Julie Clark

I'm Julie Clark, CEO and recipe developer of Tastes of Lizzy T. With my B.A. in Education and over 30 years of cooking and baking, I want to teach YOU the best of our family recipes.

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Sally
1 year ago

4 stars
If you don’t get that vinegar stirred in well, you will have a coarser texture, even larger air holes. Then you have more red stained equipment for clean up.

Sandi
4 years ago

Could you make this without a donut pan?

Catherine
8 years ago

These donuts look fabulous! What a perfect treat to make for Valentine’s Day. Perfect! xo, Catherine