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A photo of the best baked doughnut recipe, including three sticky toffee doughnuts with sauce being poured on them

The Best Baked Sticky Toffee Doughnuts (with Dates)

This is, without question, the best baked doughnut recipe I have ever had. And believe me, I've been looking for a long time for one that could measure up with their fried counterparts. This sticky toffee doughnut has the best texture is moist and the flavour is so deep and complex.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American, British
Servings 15 doughnuts
Calories 201 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the Doughnuts

  • ¾ C pitted dates
  • C boiling water
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ C room temperature butter
  • ¾ C granulated sugar
  • 1 egg room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • C flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

For the Toffee Sauce

  • ½ C butter
  • ½ C heavy cream
  • 1 C brown sugar

Instructions
 

Make the Doughnuts

  • Preheat your oven to 350F.
  • Prepare your doughnut pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
  • Chop the dates finely and add to a medium bowl. Pour boiling water over the dates, and add baking soda. Stir well and set aside.
  • In a stand mixer, combine butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, mix until combined.
  • Combine the flour and the baking powder. Gradually add to the egg mixture. Do not overmix.
  • Add the date mixture and fold into the batter.
  • Carefully spoon the batter into the doughnut pan. The doughnuts should be ⅓ of the way full, or between 2 and 3 tablespoon of batter for each one.
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Brush the toffee sauce over each doughnut - then broil for 2-3 minutes (don't let them burn!
  • Take out and serve immediately with additional toffee sauce.

Make the Toffee Sauce

  •  Melt butter, sugar and cream together in a saucepan over high heat, stirring constantly.
  • Once it starts boiling, turn the temperature down to medium low, or the sauce is just bubbling. 
  • Let it cook for 8 minutes, keeping an eye on it so it doesn't spill over. After it's thickened, take off the heat. It can store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

Let the dates, the hot water and the baking soda mingle for as long as possible. I've had the best results when they sit for 20 minutes. There may still be some bigger chunks of date left though - that's ok. Most of them will disappear in the baking process. 
When you're broiling the doughnuts, I like to flip them over so the nice, evenly browned bottom side is on the top. Then I brush the sauce on that side of it. It just makes the end product look nicer. 
Also, if you want to broil all the doughnuts at once, place a wire rack on top of a baking sheet, place the doughnuts on it, brush the sauce on and then broil. This way you don't have to do it as the doughnuts are coming out of the oven (and go from bake to broil to bake to broil over and over). 

Nutrition

Serving: 125gCalories: 201kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 2gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 127mgPotassium: 108mgFiber: 1gSugar: 30gVitamin A: 153IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 54mgIron: 1mg
Keyword baked doughnuts recipe without yeast, best baked doughnut recipe
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