Baked Olive Oil Doughnuts

Baked olive oil doughnuts

The Spruce

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 18 mins
Total: 33 mins

Sufganiyot—the Israeli yeast-raised, deep fried jelly donuts popular for Hanukkah—may be delicious, but making them from scratch is a real commitment. These baked rounds are quicker and simpler to make, and thanks to the addition of olive oil in both the batter and the topping, they still resonate as a dessert-worthy of the Festival of Lights. 

You'll need a 12-cavity mini doughnut pan to bake the batter, but it's a worthwhile investment for donut fans. Once you see how easy they are to make, you'll find yourself treating family and friends to batches throughout the year.

Ingredients

For the Donuts

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, more for the pan

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup sugar

  • 1 teaspoon baking power

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1/8 teaspoon sea salt

  • 1/4 cup milk

  • 1/4 cup plain or vanilla yogurt

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Topping

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed

  • 1/2 cup sugar

  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for olive oil doughnuts
    The Spruce 
  2. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Lightly grease and flour a 12-cavity mini donut pan. 

    Grease donut pan
    The Spruce 
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. 

    Whisk together dry ingredients
    The Spruce
  4. Add the milk, yogurt, olive oil, egg, and vanilla, and whisk just until the batter is smooth. 

    Add milk and olive oil
    The Spruce
  5. Spoon the batter into the prepared doughnut pan, filling each cup about 2/3 full. (For easier filling, you can transfer the batter to a piping bag or batter dispenser first.)

    Spoon batter into donut pan
    The Spruce
  6. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the doughnuts are puffed and slightly golden, and a tester comes out clean. 

    Donuts with toothpick in them
    The Spruce
  7. Allow the doughnuts to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Run an offset spatula around the perimeter of each to loosen. Carefully lift the doughnuts out of the pan and place on a wire rack. 

    Allow donuts to cool in pan
    The Spruce 
  8. Pour the olive oil into a shallow bowl. In another bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon. When the doughnuts are cool enough to handle, quickly dip both sides in the olive oil, then dip in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Transfer to a serving platter and a continue with the remaining doughnuts.

    Fried doughnut
    The Spruce
  9. Serve and enjoy!

Tip

  • The doughnuts are best the day they are made, though leftover doughnuts will keep at room temperature, covered in foil, for 1 to 2 days.

Variations

  • Prefer powdered doughnuts? Swap confectioner's sugar for the granulated sugar in the topping (you won't need the olive oil to get the mixture to adhere, but you can use it if you'd like). 
  • Skip the olive oil-sugar combo altogether, and dip the face of each doughnut in melted chocolate, then set aside on a parchment-lined rack until the chocolate sets. 
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
2373 Calories
116g Fat
316g Carbs
24g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 2373
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 116g 149%
Saturated Fat 18g 90%
Cholesterol 194mg 65%
Sodium 886mg 39%
Total Carbohydrate 316g 115%
Dietary Fiber 8g 30%
Total Sugars 212g
Protein 24g
Vitamin C 1mg 5%
Calcium 583mg 45%
Iron 9mg 48%
Potassium 465mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)