Baked Butterscotch Donuts Recipe
Baked Butterscotch Donuts are a cozy, bakery-style treat without the fuss of frying.
These homemade donuts are soft and perfectly tender, packed with warm butterscotch flavor making them feel like a special treat without requiring complicated steps or equipment.
You’ll only need simple pantry ingredients and a donut pan to create a batch that tastes like it came straight from your favorite bakery.
They’re perfect for slow weekend mornings, after-school snacks, or whenever you want something sweet, comforting, and homemade without spending all day in the kitchen.
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How to Make Butterscotch Donuts
- Preheat your oven and lightly grease a donut pan.
- In one bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
- In a separate bowl, mix the buttermilk, sugar, eggs, butter, and vanilla until smooth.
- Gradually combine the dry ingredients with the wet mixture until a smooth batter forms. Don’t overmix the batter. Stir just until the dry ingredients are combined with the wet. Overmixing can make the donuts dense instead of soft and tender.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag and fill each donut cavity about two-thirds full. This gives the donuts room to rise without overflowing or losing their classic shape.
- Bake until the donuts are golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Let them cool completely on a wire rack.
- While the donuts cool, whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth. Dip each donut into the glaze, then sprinkle with crushed Butterfingers.
- Once the glaze sets, the donuts are ready to serve with coffee or a cold glass of milk.
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Yes. Freeze the cooled, unglazed donuts in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and glaze before serving.
If you don’t have buttermilk, mix 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar. Let it sit for 5 minutes before using.
Absolutely. You can replace it with milk, cream, or even a splash of vanilla extract.
Avoid overbaking and store them in an airtight container. Adding the glaze also helps lock in moisture and keep them tender.
Butterscotch has a sweet, buttery, and slightly toasty flavor thanks to the molasses in brown sugar. It tastes warm and comforting, with hints of vanilla and caramel-like richness, but it’s usually smoother and less intense than caramel. Many people describe it as a cozy, old-fashioned candy or dessert flavor.
The main difference is the type of sugar used and how it’s cooked. Caramel is typically made by melting white granulated sugar until it browns and develops a deep, slightly bitter-sweet flavor. Butterscotch is made with brown sugar and butter, which gives it a richer, warmer, and more buttery taste. Butterscotch is usually cooked more gently, so it stays smooth and creamy.
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If you love the rich, sweet flavor of butterscotch, be sure to check out how to make no churn Butterscotch Ice Cream. It’s a creamy, homemade dessert recipe packed with buttery brown sugar flavor that’s perfect for cooling off on a warm day or topping your favorite pie.
Butterscotch Donut Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 C flour
- ½ C cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1 C buttermilk
- 1 C sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 C powdered sugar
- 5 tbsp Jim Beam Bourbon
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 C crushed butterfingers
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a donut pan with pam baking spray.
- Using a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
- Using another large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sugar, eggs, butter, and vanilla until combined.
- Gradually mix in the dry ingredients into the wet until combined.
- Scoop batter into a piping bag.
- Fill the donut pan about 2⁄3 way full.
- Bake in the oven for 9-11 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow to cool before removing and baking the remaining batter.
- Using a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, bourbon and cinnamon.
- Dip the donuts into the glaze
Place onto a wire rack
Top with the crushed butterfingers
