These easy baked baked sweet potato doughnuts are every bit as tasty as they are easy to make (spoiler alert: They only take 20 minute start to finish). Read all the way to the end for tips on filling that tricky doughnut pan and reviving stale doughnuts.

Yeah, you read that right: sweet potato doughnuts.
Wait, wait, wait, I see some of you moving your mouse towards the back button, but I'm going to need you to stop right there. Sweet potatoes seem to be one of those things that people either absolutely love or loathe. And not that long ago I was firmly in the latter category (Sweet potato marshmallow bake at Thanksgiving? Yeah, I think I'll pass).
I couldn't understand the draw to sweet potato fries or anything that involved a casserole dish and a sweet potato. My best friend, on the other hand, was comfortably sitting on the other side of that fence. I'm pretty sure she'd happily try anything with sweet potato in the title!
But it all changed for me when she took me out to an amazing little bakery where she, of course, purchased a sweet potato doughnut. I'd be lying if I said there was no nose crinkling in disgust on my part, but after a little prodding, she finally convinced me to try a bite (the delicious smell wafting over the table from that doughnut didn't hurt either).
Although that experience didn't completely change my attitude towards sweet potatoes (I'll still pass on the fries and the casseroles), I'm going to have to eat a little humble pie and say that sweet potato, in moderation, is delicious! So even if you're skeptical of sweet potatoes, I encourage you, no wait, I dare you to give these baked doughnuts a try!
Prefer to watch the process?
How to make sweet potato doughnuts
First, make the sweet potato puree if you don't plan to buy it
Before we dive right into making these doughnuts, I'd like to take a second to talk about making sweet potato puree, just in case you can't buy it locally or prefer to make it from scratch.
To make the puree, prick some holes in your sweet potatoes with a fork (this keeps them from exploding in your oven) and bake them at 350F for 1-2 hours, depending on the size.
You know they're done when they feel soft (I usually test this with a fork). Be sure to put something under your sweet potatoes while they bake as they do have a tendency to leak sweet potato juice all over the place.
Once they're cool enough to handle, peel off the skin. It should practically fall off. Break them up a little, and then use a blender to make them into puree. If you want to make sure you have a nice, smooth puree, you can strain your puree through a sieve afterwards.
I found 3 small sweet potatoes made about 1- 1.5 cups puree. Sweet potato puree can be made several days in advance, and stores very well in the refrigerator.
Second, make the doughnuts
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, and baking powder) until they're well mixed.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (melted butter, egg, milk, sweet potato puree, and vanilla extract). Make sure the wet mixture is lump-free before proceeding.
Pour your wet mixture into your dry mixture, and whisk until a thick, lump-free batter forms.
Pour (or better yet, pipe) your doughnut batter into a well-greased doughnut pan, and bake at 350F for 9-11 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the doughnuts comes out clean.
Third, turn out the doughnuts and coat them with sugar.
Let your doughnuts cool for about 5 minutes before turning them out onto a cooling rack. Be sure to turn them out before they cool completely, otherwise they'll be really hard to get out of the pan.
Once the doughnuts are cool enough to handle, dip the side that baked down inside the pan (this is usually the moister of the two sides) into a little sugar to garnish.
Tips for making sweet potato doughnuts
Never made these doughnuts before? No worries! Here are some tricks and tips to help you make the perfect batch the first time around.
- Use a piping bag to pipe your doughnut batter into your doughnut pan. This is a lot easier and less messy than trying to pour from the bowl.
- Doughnuts are easiest to remove from the pan while they’re still warm. The sweet spot seems to be about 2 and 5 minutes after they come out of the oven. Simply turn the pan over and gently shake it until the doughnuts come out (hot-pads are a good idea).
- Leftovers: Baked doughnuts don’t keep well and tend to dry out faster than the fried variety. If you end up with leftovers, the best way to store them is in a paper bag. Whatever you do, don’t refrigerate them or put them in plastic.
- Reviving stale doughnuts: If you wound up with leftovers and they’ve gotten stale, no worries! You can soften them back up by microwaving them in 5-10 second increments until soft.
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear how it went in the comments below. Better still, snap a photo and tag it on Instagram with #thesimplesweetlife. I love seeing your creations!
PrintRecipe
Baked Sweet Potato Doughnuts
These easy baked baked sweet potato doughnuts are every bit as tasty as they are easy to make (spoiler alert: They only take 20 minute start to finish).
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Total Time: 21 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the doughnuts:
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ tsp. cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. ground ginger
- ¼ tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 2 tbsp. (30 grams) butter, melted
- 1 egg
- ½ cup milk (preferably whole)
- ½ cup sweet potato puree (see directions to make sweet potato puree)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
For the garnish:
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, and baking powder) until they're well mixed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together you wet ingredients (melted butter, egg, milk, sweet potato puree, and vanilla extract) until lump free.
- Pour your wet mixture into your dry mixture, and whisk until a thick, lump-free batter forms.
- Pour (or better yet, pipe) your doughnut batter into a well-greased doughnut pan, and bake at 350F for 9-11 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the doughnuts comes out clean.
- Let your doughnuts cool for about 5 minutes before turning them out onto a cooling rack.
- Once the doughnuts are cool enough to handle, dip the side that baked down inside the pan (this is usually the moister of the two sides) into a little sugar to garnish.
Notes
- Use a piping bag to pipe your doughnut batter into your doughnut pan. This is a lot easier and less messy than trying to pour from the bowl.
- Doughnuts are easiest to remove from the pan while they’re still warm. The sweet spot seems to be about 2 and 5 minutes after they come out of the oven. Simply turn the pan over and gently shake it until the doughnuts come out (hot-pads are a good idea).
- Leftovers: Baked doughnuts don’t keep well and tend to dry out faster than the fried variety. If you end up with leftovers, the best way to store them is in a paper bag. Whatever you do, don’t refrigerate them or put them in plastic.
- Reviving stale doughnuts: If you wound up with leftovers and they’ve gotten stale, no worries! You can soften them back up by microwaving them in 5-10 second increments until soft.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 doughnut
- Calories: 136
- Sugar: 9.1g
- Sodium: 79mg
- Fat: 4.1g
- Saturated Fat: 2.3g
- Carbohydrates: 21.9g
- Fiber: .7g
- Protein: 2.9g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
Keywords: sweet potato doughnuts, baked doughnuts, donut recipe
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Update Notes: This post was originally published in September of 2014 but was republished with an updated format, photos and tips in November of 2020.
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
I have never tried a sweet potato doughnut before! They look and sound delicious!
The Simple, Sweet Life says
You should definitely give them a try! 🙂
Stephanie says
This looks delicious! I would love for you share it on my Tasty Tuesday recipe link up here! Everything gets pinned and I would love to have you!
The Simple, Sweet Life says
I'll definitely stop by and have a look! 🙂
Pure Grace Farms says
I fall on the side of love for sweet potatoes. No need to back off this page, your recipe looks awesome. I love that they are baked too! I've recently started co-hosting Foodie Fridays and would be honored if you would come by and share your fabulous recipe. The party starts Thursday 9 pm EST. Hope to see your there!
Shari
http://puregracefarms.com/
The Simple, Sweet Life says
Baked doughnuts are the best! Every bit as tasty and a little less guilt-inducing. 😉 I'll definitely stop by and check out your new link party! Thanks for the invitation! 🙂
Giovanna @ Love, Thyme and Honey says
I'm in the 'sweet potato lovers' team and soo want to try this recipe! The best part is that the doughnuts are baked! Yum yum!
The Simple, Sweet Life says
You should definitely try it and let me know what you think of it! 😀
ChocolaTess says
I could totally go for one...maybe two of these 🙂 yummy!
The Simple, Sweet Life says
I'd be lying if I said I stopped at two myself. 😉
Karly says
Totally irresistible! Thanks for linking up with What's Cookin' Wednesday!
The Simple, Sweet Life says
Thanks for hosting each week! 🙂
amanda says
Made these today and they are very yummy. Very soft and moist donuts. Will be making them again.
The Simple, Sweet Life says
I'm so glad you liked them! It's always great to get feedback on a recipe! 😀
mel says
I'm making these right now and the batter seems to be very thin... too thin to form donuts. I'm adding a lot more flour and crossing my fingers!
The Simple, Sweet Life says
Remember, these doughnuts require a doughnut pan, so the batter is thinner than it would be if you were frying them or making a yeast-based dough. 🙂
Betsy Ross says
It's been decades since Dad would treat us to sweet potato doughnuts for Easter morning breakfast. I plan to bake these in mini-muffin pan to share with my sisters.