Baked Maple-Chai Donuts
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Baked donuts with a maple syrup twist and chai spices. Swapped some flour for whole wheat and buttermilk for plain yogurt. Replaced canola oil with melted coconut oil for a subtle aroma and swapped baking soda for baking powder. Batter piped into a donut pan, baked at 175 C. Texture tender but with a hint of chew from whole wheat. Lightly sweet, earthy spices fill the nose as they bake. Perfect for those who want quick, less greasy treats without deep frying but still crave donuty vibes.
Prep:
15 min
Cook:
15 min
Total:
30 min
Servings:
12 donuts
#baked donuts
#chai spice
#maple syrup
#whole wheat
#coconut oil
#yogurt
#quick treats
Forget deep frying. Tried frying at home—too messy, too fiddly, and the oil smell stuck around. Baked donuts answer that frustration with a kinder kitchen vibe and fewer calories. Plus, the maple and chai combo brings an unexpected warmth—a hint of spice and caramel sweetness you don’t see in usual donuts. These aren’t super fluffy but strong enough, tender crumb and crumbly edges that snap when you bite in. Been hunting a balance between texture and flavor for ages. Today’s iteration hits a lovely note.Substituting flours introduces nutty undertone, coconut oil brings subtle tropical aroma. Watch the batter consistency, too thin = flat, too thick = heavy. Piping helps portion control and shape. Timing’s everything; oven heat varies, so don’t just count minutes. Dough’s springy feel and top golden curl tell you when they’re ready. Cool properly or you lose that gentle chew.
Ingredients
- 130 ml (1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 50 ml (1/4 cup plus 1 tsp) whole wheat flour
- 6 ml (1 1/4 tsp) baking powder
- 2 ml (1/2 tsp) chai spice blend
- 1 ml (1/4 tsp) salt
- 1 large egg
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) pure maple syrup
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) melted coconut oil
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) plain yogurt
About the ingredients
Flour split adds texture—a bit of whole wheat for nuttiness and density. Baking powder increased compensates for the lack of baking soda and presence of yogurt. Chai spice—my secret weapon here—adds complexity: cinnamon, cardamom, clove, tiny pinch of nutmeg. Could skip but flavor falls flat. Maple syrup replaces refined sugar for natural sweetness and moisture; reduces dryness. Coconut oil melts at body temp, lets donuts slice cleanly but keeps crumb moist. Yogurt swaps buttermilk; provides acidity and tenderizes crumb, helps chemical leaveners activate. Egg binds fats and liquids. Salt balances sweet and rounds flavor profile. Important to measure liquids exactly—too much yogurt, donuts collapse. Greasing pan thoroughly avoids sticky mess; reusable donut pans often cling if neglected. Piping batter instead of spooning ensures even thickness, consistent bake.
Method
- Start by preheating 175 C, center rack. Grease donut pan well with coconut oil or nonstick spray. So important, these get sticky otherwise. Set aside.
- In medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, chai spice and salt. Notice the chai aroma already? That’s your bonus.
- In separate bowl, beat egg with maple syrup till light and frothy, 2 minutes tops. Use a whisk, vigor matters here.
- Add melted coconut oil to wet mix, mix gently to combine but do not overwork.
- Alternate dry ingredients with yogurt into wet mixture. Fold carefully until batter comes together smooth, no lumps but don’t overmix or the donuts get tough.
- Transfer batter to a piping bag (or ziplock with corner cut). Pipe into each cavity till about 3/4 full. Clean edges, messy batter burns and smells acrid.
- Bake 13-15 mins. Watch closely near 13 mins—edges spring back, top slightly golden. Don’t rely solely on toothpick; sometimes it sticks a bit due to sugar content. Gently press donut surface, should bounce back slightly yet feel set.
- Remove from oven. Flip donuts onto parchment or clean cloth while warm. Cooling first avoids soggy bottoms but no need to wait long or they dry out.
- At room temp, tops slightly firm, edges soft. Aroma richer now, subtle maple with warm spices weaving through. Ideal eaten same day.
- Bonus: For glaze, whisk 60 ml powdered sugar with 15 ml maple syrup and little water. Drizzle cooled donuts for shiny, sweet kiss.
- If batter too thick, thin with extra yogurt or splash milk; too runny add spoon flour, but small tweaks, batter needs body.
- Substitutions: yogurt can swap with buttermilk or sour cream; coconut oil replace with mild olive or vegetable oil. Baking powder needed for rise; baking soda won't work alone due to acidity changes from swapping ingredients.
Cooking tips
Preheat oven fully or final bake suffers uneven rise and dense donut centers. Use whisk to really aerate eggs and maple, builds subtle lift. Oil must be melted and warm but not hot or eggs cook prematurely. Mix gently when combining wet and dry, overmix makes tough donuts; a few little streaks of flour ok—better than heavy paste. Piping bags save time and mess; no need for fancy equipment, ziplock corner snip works fine. Bake times slight range; start checking around 12-13 minutes—visual cues beat timers every time. Tops should look dry but not cracked; springiness when lightly pressed means ready. Toothpick often damp due to syrup, bounce back better trust signal. Flip onto parchment warm—hot donuts sag and stick, cool ones crumble. Glaze optional but maple drizzle amps sweet notes. Rest leftovers wrapped tightly to avoid drying. Reheated briefly, donuts soften again but no glory day freshness.Sometimes batter thickens if chill air or inactive yogurt; loosen with splash milk to maintain pipeability. Beat egg and syrup long enough to get froth—that little air helps texture big time. Remember what failed past: sloppy greasing = stuck wrecks. Don’t skip step.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Preheat oven fully, uneven heat kills rise. 175 C center rack best. Grease pan gud—coconut oil or spray. Skip greasing? Batter sticks, nightmare. Piping key, messy edges burn, smells acrid. Ziplock works better than spooning. Thickness matters, too thin flat, too thick heavy. Fold batter, no overmix; lumps okay, tough donuts otherwise.
- 💡 Egg and maple syrup whisk long enough to get frothy, that means air. Air adds lightness not sugar alone. Melt coconut oil warm, not hot—or egg cooks early, clumps wreck batter. Alternate wet and dry folding carefully as you go; care means tenderness not tough chew. Flour variability happens, adjust with splash milk or extra flour to pipe well.
- 💡 Watch baking closely near 13 minutes. Edges spring back, top slight gold, toothpick sticky due to syrup. Press surface lightly for bounce back, signals doneness more than toothpick. Flip warm donuts quick to parchment or cloth to avoid soggy bottoms. Cool little, drying ruins soft texture. Glaze optional—powdered sugar maple drizzle adds shine and sweet kiss only.
- 💡 Substitutions common here. Yogurt swaps buttermilk or sour cream for acidity and tender crumb. Coconut oil replaced by mild olive or veg oil alters aroma but keeps moisture. Baking soda no good solo because of ingredient swaps; baking powder rise critical here. Flour mix split; whole wheat adds nuttiness and chew, balance against all-purpose keeps structure.
- 💡 Batter stiffens when chilled or yogurt less active, loosen with splash milk for piping ease. Greasing can’t be lazy—sticky donut wrecks old story, scraping mess. Watch aromas—chai spice hit early in mixing, warmth builds as baking proceeds. Timing’s all, oven varies; go by bounce, color, springiness. Don’t skip whisking egg syrup stage, key for lift.
Common questions
Can I use baking soda instead of baking powder?
No, baking soda alone won’t rise here. Yogurt acid changes reaction. Baking powder needed for proper lift. Soda needs acid balance; without adjustments, dense donuts.
What if donuts stick to pan?
Grease thoroughly with coconut oil or nonstick spray. Grease missed? Sticky mess, tears donuts flipping. Let pan dry a little after oiling but don’t skip. Using parchment under batter not great for piping shape.
How to know when donuts done?
Watch edges spring back, top golden slight. Toothpick sticky, syrup traps moisture, so not reliable. Press lightly top; bounce back means done. Underbake yields wet centers, overbake dry crumb. Timing 13-15 mins, watch closely from 12.
How store leftovers?
Wrap airtight, fridge or room temp max day. Reheat briefly for softness—microwave few seconds or oven low heat. Freeze wrapped tightly, thaw and reheat same way. Donuts dry out fast if exposed air. Glaze cut shelf a bit shorter.
