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You Won’t Believe How Quick & Easy it is to Make Donuts with Pancake Mix

You Won’t Believe How Quick & Easy it is to Make Donuts with Pancake Mix

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Donuts are a fun snack that makes for a delicious breakfast, lunch, or mid-day snack. Yet, most of us don’t have time to whip up a donut recipe from scratch. And the store-bought ones are filled with saturated fat and processed sugars.

So, what do you do when you get that craving for a delicious, chewy donut?

We scoured the internet looking for fast and easy ways around it. As we were searching for an easy, nutritious recipe, we found that many donut lovers were asking one question in particular: can you make donuts with pancake mix?

The quick answer? Yes, you can! It’s fast, easy, and super yummy.

“How?” you ask. Let’s find out.

Why You’ll Absolutely Love This Recipe

Think about it: donuts + an easy-to-use pancake mix. What’s not to love, right?

First off, it’s quick. Another plus is that you won’t need to carefully measure out ingredients or use half a dozen bowls and spoons.

Below are a few other reasons why you won’t get enough of this recipe:

  • They take an average of 10–15 minutes to bake
  • It’s kid-friendly
  • It’s easy enough that kids can even pitch in and help make them
  • The toppings are customizable to suit everyone’s preferences

How to Make Donuts with Pancake Mix

Pancake mix donuts are a super fun and easy twist on the traditional donut we all know and love. It’s convenient and in only minutes, you’ll have a batch of delicious donuts ready to serve.

Take a look.

Step 1: Preheat the Oven

While donuts are traditionally fried, giving them that crisp exterior and fluffy middle, it’s not always the most nutritious option. That’s why we recommend baking them in an oven or air fryer.

Not only is it healthier, but baking gives the donuts a softer texture both inside and out.

If you’re using an oven, start by preheating the heat to 375 degrees.

You can also make these donuts in the air fryer. Depending on the size of your fryer, they should take around 7–9 minutes at 320 degrees.

Step 2: Mix the Ingredients

In this step, you’ll mix the wet ingredients with the dry, which in this case is the pancake mix.

Get two bowls ready and place the pancake mix in one. You can use any type of mix where you only add water or milk, not oil.

In the second one, combine the following ingredients. Make sure they’re all at room temperature before mixing.

  • 1 cup milk
  • ¾-cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • sour cream

The sour cream is optional, but it plays a big role in helping the donuts come out tender and delicious. If you don’t have full-fat sour cream, you can get the same results from full-fat Greek yogurt.

Next, stir everything until well combined then pour into the pancake mix. Next, combine all the ingredients with a wooden spoon.

If you notice a few lumps in the batter don’t worry about it. The important thing is not to overmix or the donuts will lose some of their fluffiness. Don’t worry if you notice a few lumps in the batter.

Step 3: Pour the Batter into a Piping Bag

After mixing the wet and dry ingredients, it’s time to put the batter into a piping bag. We recommend finding an anti-burst bag that doesn’t burst open at the seams when you’re squeezing out the batter.

First, start by placing the piping bag in a glass and fold the edges over the top. This will keep your hands free to pour in the batter as well as help secure the bag in place.

Next, using a spoon or spatula, start transferring the batter into the bag.

Step 4: Fill the Pan

A donut pan is one of the best investments you’ll ever make. Just make sure you find a non-stick pan to help make removing the donuts easier.

Remember, even with non-stick pans, it’s always good to use a non-stick cooking spray, butter, or shortening to grease the pan so the donuts slide out easily.

Once the batter is in the piping bag, secure the opening, and then start piping the batter into the pan.

Some people like adding toppings to the batter before baking. A few fun toppings include:

  • Milk chocolate chips
  • Dice strawberries
  • Crushed Oreos
  • Sprinkles
  • Chopped nuts
  • Mini M&Ms
  • White chocolate chips

Step 5: Bake the Donuts

The next step is to place the pan in a preheated oven and bake for about 10–12 minutes or until the tops of the donuts are golden brown.

When they’re done, take the pan out of the oven and place it on a cooling rack for 10–15 minutes.

Then, after they’ve completely cooled down, you can start enjoying them plain or dip them in syrup.

You can also decorate them to your liking. The easiest way is to dip them in homemade glaze. White glaze is made using powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla, while chocolate glaze is made using milk, cocoa powder, and sugar.

Finally, top off your creation with some colorful sprinkles, and your pancake donuts are ready to serve!

Final Thoughts

So, can I make donuts with pancake mix? Yes!

The next time you get a hankering for some fluffy, delicious donuts, all you have to do is get out your pancake mix, add a few ingredients, mix, bake, and you’re set!

Best of all, they can be ready in under 30 minutes, and have them ready on the table just in time for breakfast.

And if you’re having guests over, they make the best snack ever because we all know no one can resist a yummy donut!

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