Eggnog Donuts
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Soft, baked Eggnog Donuts with a crunchy and sweet cinnamon-eggnog glaze are the perfect treat for Christmas morning or a festive brunch all season long. Warming spices and fresh eggnog create a decadent flavor profile that tastes like Christmas.
Baked Eggnog Donuts Recipe
Eggnog gives these baked donuts their structure as much as their flavor. The milk and egg in the eggnog produce a soft, even crumb, while the added cinnamon complements and reinforces the nutmeg already present in most commercial eggnogs.
The donuts bake up lightly golden with clean edges and a surface sturdy enough to hold up to our sweet and crunchy glaze without becoming soggy.
A simple eggnog glaze finishes the donuts with just enough sweetness to balance the spice.
Because they are baked rather than fried, the process is straightforward and relatively quick and the finished donuts are sturdy enough for taking along to events or dropping off at a friend’s house as a gift.
Eggnog Donut Variations:
- Nutmeg Sugar Finish: Skip the glaze and brush the warm donuts with melted butter, then toss in granulated white sugar mixed with freshly grated nutmeg.
- Brown Butter Eggnog Donuts: Brown the butter before mixing it into the batter for a deeper, toasted flavor that complements the eggnog. (To brown butter, melt on the stove and heat until the milk solids begin to turn a caramel brown color.)
- Maple Eggnog Glaze: Replace half of the powdered sugar in the glaze with maple sugar or add 1 to 2 teaspoons of pure maple syrup, adjusting thickness as needed.
- Spiced Rum Accent: Add ½ teaspoon dark rum or rum extract to the glaze for a subtle bakery-style finish.
- Mini Donut Version: Roll the dough slightly thinner and cut smaller donuts for bite-size treats.
Snackable History Fact: Eggnog traces its roots to medieval European possets, a mixture of milk, eggs and spices that eventually evolved into the holiday drink known today.
In North America, eggnog became closely associated with winter celebrations by the 18th century, when dairy and eggs were plentiful and spices signaled festivity.
Eggnog Donut FAQs
Can I use low-fat eggnog to make eggnog donuts? Full-fat, traditional eggnog works best for both flavor and texture. Low-fat versions may produce drier donuts.
Why is my dough sticky? Eggnog varies in thickness. Lightly flour your work surface and hands as needed, but avoid adding too much flour or the donuts may become dense.
Do I need to flip baked donuts? Flipping is not strictly necessary for baked donuts, especially if your oven heats evenly, though it can encourage more uniform browning.
How do I know when the donuts are done? They should be lightly golden and spring back when pressed gently. Overbaking will dry them out quickly.
How to store leftover eggnog donuts: Store covered at room temperature for up to one day. If you need to make these ahead of time, wait until the day you plan to serve them to add the glaze or it will soften.
You can freeze the unglazed donuts by wrapping each donut tightly in plastic wrap and placing in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature, then glaze just before serving for the best texture and appearance.
More Eggnog-Inspired Recipes You’ll Love:
Eggnog is one of the few Christmas flavors that my whole family agrees on, so this is the latest in a long line of eggnog-inspired treats, such as:
Ingredients for Eggnog Donuts
- All-purpose Flour
- Granulated White Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Ground Cinnamon
- Ground Nutmeg, optional
- Salt
- Eggnog
- Egg, beaten
- Butter, melted
Eggnog Glaze Ingredients:
- Powdered Icing Sugar
- Ground Cinnamon
- Ground Nutmeg, optional
- Eggnog
- Vanilla Extract
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.
Tip: Allow the butter to cool slightly before mixing with the egg and eggnog to prevent curdling.
Tip #2: Nutmeg is optional as it is often already included in commercial eggnogs, but feel free to add more to taste, if desired.
Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful
- Electric Mixer – this is a great hand mixer if you don’t want to make the investment into a stand mixer
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Mixing Bowl
- French Rolling Pin
- Baking Pan with Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mats
- Donut Cutter <– this is the one I have and it’s going strong 10 years after buying
How to Make Eggnog Donuts
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (eggnog, egg and melted butter).
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold together until just combined.
Once a dough has formed, place half of the dough on a generously floured surface.
Roll out until ½ inch thick.
Cut out donut shapes with a 3 inch round cookie cutter and a 1 inch round cookie cutter (the 1 inch in the center of the 3 inch circle cut out).
Place onto a baking sheet prepared with parchment paper.
Bake for 8- 12 minutes, optionally flipping the donuts half way through baking.
Donuts will be golden brown when done cooking.
Repeat the process for cutting out and baking the remaining dough.
For the icing, add in all of the ingredients into a medium mixing bowl.
Whisk until well combined and smooth, with a thin, pourable consistency.
Once the donuts are cooled, dip the top half of the donut into the icing.
Place donut back onto the baking sheet.
If you would like to decorate with sprinkles, add them while the icing is still wet.
Allow icing to set.
Pin this Soft Baked Eggnog Donuts With Cinnamon Glaze:
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Baked Eggnog Donuts
Soft, baked Eggnog Donuts with a crunchy and sweet cinnamon-eggnog glaze are the perfect treat for Christmas morning or a festive brunch all season long. Warming spices and fresh eggnog create a decadent flavor profile that tastes like Christmas.
Ingredients
For the Eggnog Donut Dough:
- 1½ cup All-purpose Flour
- ½ cup Granulated White Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg, optional
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg, optional
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¾ cup Eggnog
- ¾ cup Eggnog
- 1 Egg, beaten
- 1 Egg, beaten
- 2 Tablespoons Butter, melted
- 2 Tablespoons Butter, melted
Eggnog Glaze Ingredients:
- ¾ cup Powdered Icing Sugar
- ¾ cup Powdered Icing Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg, optional
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg, optional
- 2 Tablespoons Eggnog
- 2 Tablespoons Eggnog
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (eggnog, egg and melted butter).
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold together until just combined.
- Once a dough has formed, place half of the dough on a generously floured surface.
- Roll out until ½ inch thick.
- Cut out donut shapes with a 3 inch round cookie cutter and a 1 inch round cookie cutter (the 1 inch in the center of the 3 inch circle cut out).
- Place onto a baking sheet prepared with parchment paper.
- Bake for 8- 12 minutes, optionally flipping the donuts half way through baking.
- Donuts will be golden brown when done cooking.
- Repeat the process for cutting out and baking the remaining dough.
- For the icing, add in all of the ingredients into a medium mixing bowl.
- Whisk until well combined and smooth, with a thin, pourable consistency.
- Once the donuts are cooled, dip the top half of the donut into the icing.
- Place donut back onto the baking sheet.
- If you would like to decorate with sprinkles, add them while the icing is still wet.
- Allow icing to set.
Notes
Tip: Allow the butter to cool slightly before mixing with the egg and eggnog to prevent curdling.
Tip #2: Nutmeg is optional as it is often already included in commercial eggnogs, but feel free to add more to taste, if desired.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
18Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 169Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 157mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 1gSugar: 19gProtein: 3g
Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.
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