Ingredients
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Filling:
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Donuts:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup milk, room temperature
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Cream Cheese Icing:
- 3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk (more if needed)
The dry donut base (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon) plus a wet mix of egg, brown sugar, milk, yogurt, melted butter, and vanilla closely mirrors other baked cinnamon donut and cinnamon roll donut batters that rely on baking powder/soda instead of yeast. The cinnamon filling and cream cheese icing match what you see in cinnamon roll donut and cinnamon bun donut recipes: brown sugar–cinnamon swirls and a tangy cream cheese topping.
Step‑by‑Step Instructions
Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly spray your donut molds with nonstick spray and set them aside; baked donut recipes consistently recommend greasing pans well so the donuts release cleanly after baking.
Make the filling by stirring together the packed brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl until evenly combined. Set this aside; cinnamon roll donut recipes often mix this simple filling in advance so it’s ready to sprinkle between layers of batter.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until well combined. This “whisk the dry ingredients first” step is exactly how other baked donut recipes make sure leaveners and spices are evenly distributed. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, egg, milk, Greek yogurt, and vanilla until smooth, then whisk in the melted, cooled butter until fully incorporated; baked cinnamon donut recipes use almost the same order—egg and sugars with milk and yogurt, then add the melted butter.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix gently with a spatula or whisk until just combined. The batter will be thick, and baked donut guides strongly stress not to overmix at this stage so the donuts stay tender and soft instead of tough. Transfer the batter to a piping bag or a zip‑top bag with a corner snipped off to make filling the molds easier, a common tip across baked donut tutorials because the batter is thick and doesn’t spoon neatly into ring pans.
Pipe batter into each donut mold until it is about 1/4 full. Sprinkle about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the brown sugar–cinnamon filling over this base layer, then pipe more batter on top until the molds are about halfway full; similar cinnamon roll donut recipes either swirl the brown sugar mixture into the batter or layer it between two thin batter layers to mimic a cinnamon roll spiral. If you’re using silicone molds, place them on a baking sheet for stability, a detail many baked donut recipes note so the flexible molds don’t twist when you carry them.
Bake the donuts for 10–12 minutes, or until they’re lightly golden and spring back when gently pressed; baked cinnamon sugar donut recipes give this same time frame and doneness cue for cake‑style donuts. Allow the donuts to cool in the molds for about 5 minutes, then carefully remove them and place on a wire rack to cool completely before icing, which matches other cream cheese–iced donut instructions that tell you to cool fully so the icing doesn’t melt off.
While the donuts cool, make the icing. Beat the room‑temperature cream cheese and butter together until light and fluffy, an approach echoed in cream cheese frosting recipes for both donuts and cinnamon rolls. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth and thick, then beat in the vanilla and about half the milk. Add the remaining milk a little at a time until you reach a smooth, spreadable consistency; cream cheese icing guides often recommend adding milk or cream slowly so you don’t accidentally make the frosting too thin.
To finish, dip the cooled donuts into the icing or spread it on with a knife or offset spatula. For a thicker coating, you can let the first layer set briefly and then dip again, similar to donut glaze methods that build up a more opaque layer with a second dip. Let the icing set slightly before serving so it forms a soft, creamy layer on top, just like cream cheese–glazed donuts and cinnamon rolls.