Leo
If you love donuts but not the frying, the oil splatters, and the “I need a nap after one” feeling, these Greek yogurt donuts are about to be your new favorite.
They’re baked, not fried, super soft and fluffy inside like cake donuts, with a little tang from Greek yogurt that keeps them moist for days. Top with simple vanilla glaze that sets with a little crackle, and you’ve got bakery-style donuts in 30 minutes, no fryer, no yeast, no waiting.
I made these on a Saturday when my kid said “I want donuts” and I said “we have yogurt at home.” Turns out we DID have donuts at home, and they were better. He ate three and asked if they were “protein donuts.” Technically yes, my dude, technically yes.
If you liked my Mini Funfetti Yogurt Muffins — same yogurt magic that makes things soft and fluffy — and my Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins Moist Easy, you’ll love these. Yogurt is the secret weapon for moist breakfast baking that actually stays soft.
Why Greek Yogurt Makes the BEST Baked Donuts
Let’s talk science for 20 seconds. Regular baked donuts can be dry and bready. Greek yogurt fixes that.
Greek yogurt is thick, high protein, and acidic. The acidity reacts with baking powder and baking soda to give extra lift — so donuts are fluffy not dense. The fat and protein keep crumb tender and moist, like sour cream in coffee cake. Plus protein means they keep you full longer than regular sugar donuts.
Second trick: we use melted butter + a little oil. Butter = flavor, oil = stays soft even cold. Together they beat all-butter donuts that go dry next day. And we don’t overmix — just like muffins, gentle mixing keeps gluten low and donuts cakey soft, not chewy.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes (with glazing)
- Yield: 12 donuts
Equipment You Need
You need a donut pan, that’s it:
- Donut Pan (6-cavity, nonstick) – standard size, you’ll bake 2 batches or use 2 pans
- Large Mixing Bowls (2) – one wet, one dry
- Whisk + Rubber Spatula – whisk wet, fold dry gently
- Piping Bag or Large Ziplock Bag – easiest way to fill pan neatly, no mess
- Wire Rack – for cooling and glazing
What You Need
For the Greek Yogurt Donuts:
- All-purpose flour – 2 cups (250g), spooned and leveled – or 1:1 gluten-free blend
- Granulated sugar – 3/4 cup (150g) – or coconut sugar for less refined
- Baking powder – 1 1/2 tsp + Baking soda – 1/2 tsp + Fine sea salt – 1/2 tsp
- Ground cinnamon – 1/2 tsp + Ground nutmeg – pinch – optional but gives bakery flavor
- Plain Greek yogurt – 1 cup (225g), full-fat or 2% – thick Greek, not regular yogurt. This is star
- Large eggs – 2, room temp
- Unsalted butter – 1/4 cup (60g), melted and cooled + Vegetable oil – 1/4 cup (60ml)
- Whole milk – 1/4 cup (60ml) – or any milk
- Pure vanilla extract – 2 tsp
For the Vanilla Glaze:
- Powdered sugar – 1 1/2 cups (180g), sifted
- Milk – 2-3 tbsp
- Pure vanilla extract – 1 tsp + Pinch salt
- Sprinkles – optional, for fun
Yogurt tip: Use thick Greek yogurt like Fage 2% or 5%, Chobani plain. If it’s watery, strain 10 min. Non-fat works but less moist. Vanilla Greek yogurt works too — reduce sugar to 1/2 cup and skip extra vanilla.
How to Make Greek Yogurt Donuts
1. Prep. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease donut pan well with nonstick spray — even nonstick needs grease or they stick. If you only have one 6-cavity pan, you’ll bake in 2 batches.
2. Mix dry. In large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg.
3. Mix wet.
In another bowl, whisk Greek yogurt, eggs, melted butter, oil, milk, vanilla until smooth and creamy. No lumps. Should look like thick pancake batter base.
4. Combine. Pour wet into dry and fold gently with spatula until just combined – 12-15 strokes, few lumps okay. Don’t overmix! Overmixing = tough rubbery donuts, not fluffy. Batter will be thick but spoonable, like muffin batter.
5. Fill pan.
Spoon batter into piping bag or ziplock bag, snip corner 1/2 inch. Pipe into donut cavities filling 3/4 full – not to top, they rise. This piping trick gives clean, even donuts. No piping bag? Use two spoons, but piping is way neater.
6. Bake. Bake 10-12 minutes until tops spring back when lightly pressed and toothpick comes out clean. Don’t overbake — they go from fluffy to dry fast. Cool in pan 5 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
7. Glaze.
Whisk powdered sugar, 2 tbsp milk, vanilla, salt until smooth and thick but pourable. If too thick, add 1 tsp milk at a time. Dip tops of cooled donuts into glaze, let excess drip, place back on rack. Add sprinkles immediately if using, glaze sets in 10 min. Double dip for thicker glaze — my kids demand double dip.
Soft, fluffy, vanilla-glazed, with that little yogurt tang that keeps you coming back. Coffee + warm donut = perfect Saturday.
The Little Details That Keep Them Soft Not Dry
Don’t overmix. Biggest rule. Mix until just combined, lumps okay. Overmixed = gluten develops = chewy tough donuts, not cakey soft. Fold gently.
Thick Greek yogurt, not regular. Regular yogurt is too thin and watery, donuts spread and get gummy. Greek yogurt is thick and gives structure. If only have regular, strain through cheesecloth 30 min.
Fill 3/4 only. Fill to top = muffin tops that cover hole, no donut shape. 3/4 = perfect rise with hole intact.
Cool before glazing. Warm donuts melt glaze into thin transparent layer. Completely cool = thick white glaze that sets. Patience.
Melted butter cooled. Hot melted butter cooks eggs and makes greasy batter. Melt, then cool 5 min until warm not hot.
What to Serve With
Best warm with coffee, obviously. These are breakfast donuts, so serve with hot coffee, cold milk, or hot chocolate for kids.
For a full weekend brunch, serve these alongside my Best Coffee Cake Moist Cinnamon Streusel — coffee cake + donuts, you’re the brunch hero. And for quick weekday breakfasts, pair with my Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins Moist Easy — bake both Sunday, breakfast sorted all week.
Fun Variations (My Audience Loves These)
Chocolate Glazed Greek Yogurt Donuts: Add 2 tbsp cocoa powder to glaze + 1 tbsp extra milk. Chocolate lovers.
Cinnamon Sugar: Skip glaze, brush warm donuts with 2 tbsp melted butter and toss in 1/2 cup sugar + 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Like churro donuts.
Lemon Blueberry: Add 1 tbsp lemon zest to batter + fold in 3/4 cup fresh blueberries. Fresh and bright for summer.
High Protein: Add 1 scoop vanilla protein powder + reduce flour to 1 3/4 cups + add 2 tbsp extra milk. 8g protein per donut, inspired by my high protein pancakes. Great post-workout.
Funfetti: Fold in 1/3 cup jimmies sprinkles into batter + vanilla glaze + extra sprinkles. Birthday donuts! Like my Mini Funfetti Yogurt Muffins but in donut form.
Nutritional Information
| Nutrient | Amount Per Donut (1 of 12, glazed) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 195 kcal |
| Protein | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 28 g |
| Fats | 8 g |
Baked not fried, protein from Greek yogurt and eggs, way lighter than bakery fried donuts (which are 300+ kcal). Still a treat, but better-for-you treat.
Storing and Freezing
These stay soft thanks to yogurt.
Room temp: Glazed donuts in airtight container 2 days. Unglazed 3 days. Don’t fridge — fridge dries them.
Freezer: Freeze unglazed donuts up to 2 months — cool completely, wrap individually, bag. Thaw overnight at room temp, then glaze fresh. Glazed donuts freeze too but glaze can get sticky — freeze unglazed for best.
Reheat: Microwave 10-12 sec for warm soft donut, or 5 min in 300°F oven. Glaze gets slightly melty and amazing.
Make ahead: Bake night before, cool, store airtight, glaze morning of. Tastes fresh.
Mistakes That Make Dry or Rubbery Donuts
Overbaking. 12 min max. They should spring back, not be golden brown dark. Pale golden is perfect. Overbaked = dry.
Overmixing batter. Tough donuts. Mix just until no dry flour streaks.
Not greasing pan enough. Even nonstick sticks. Spray well, get in center hole too.
Using non-Greek yogurt. Too thin, too watery, donuts don’t rise and are gummy. Greek only.
If you make these Greek yogurt donuts, tell me if you double-dipped the glaze. No judgment, I always do. And tell me if your kids ate them before you could take a photo — mine did.
Greek Yogurt Donuts
Super soft and fluffy like cake donuts, little tang that keeps them moist for days. Melted butter + oil = flavor + softness, simple vanilla glaze that crackles — no fryer, no yeast.
01Ingredients
Use thick Greek yogurt like Fage 2% or 5%, Chobani plain — strained, high protein, acidic = fluffy lift + moist crumb. If watery, strain 10 min. Non-fat works but less moist. Vanilla Greek yogurt works too — reduce sugar to ½ cup and skip extra vanilla. Melted butter + oil beats all-butter: butter = flavor, oil = stays soft even cold.
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02How to Cook
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease donut pan well with nonstick spray — even nonstick needs grease or they stick, get inside center hole too. If you only have one 6-cavity pan, you’ll bake in 2 batches.
In a large bowl whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
In another bowl whisk Greek yogurt, eggs, melted butter (cooled 5 min until warm not hot), oil, milk, and vanilla until smooth and creamy, no lumps. Should look like thick pancake batter base.
Pour wet into dry and fold gently with spatula until just combined — 12–15 strokes, few lumps okay. Don’t overmix! Overmixing = tough rubbery donuts, not fluffy. Batter will be thick but spoonable, like muffin batter.
Spoon batter into piping bag or large ziplock bag, snip corner ½ inch. Pipe into donut cavities filling ¾ full — not to top, they rise. This piping trick gives clean, even donuts. No piping bag? Use two spoons, but piping is way neater.
Bake 10–12 minutes until tops spring back when lightly pressed and toothpick comes out clean. Don’t overbake — fluffy to dry fast. Cool in pan 5 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
Whisk 1½ cups powdered sugar, 2 tbsp milk, 1 tsp vanilla, and pinch of salt until smooth and thick but pourable. If too thick add 1 tsp milk at a time.
Dip tops of cooled donuts into glaze, let excess drip, place back on rack. Add sprinkles immediately if using — glaze sets in 10 min. Double dip for thicker glaze — my kids demand double dip. Soft, fluffy, vanilla-glazed with that little yogurt tang.
03Notes
Biggest rule — mix until just combined, lumps okay. Overmixed = gluten develops = chewy tough donuts, not cakey soft. 12–15 gentle folds max.
Regular yogurt is too thin and watery — donuts spread and get gummy. Use thick Greek (Fage, Chobani). If only have regular, strain through cheesecloth 30 min. Greek acidity = extra lift with baking powder/soda.
Fill to top = muffin tops that cover hole, no donut shape. ¾ = perfect rise with hole intact. Piping bag gives clean even donuts.
Warm donuts melt glaze into thin transparent layer. Completely cool = thick white glaze that sets with crackle. Patience = bakery look.
Hot melted butter cooks eggs and makes greasy batter — melt then cool 5 min until warm not hot. Even nonstick sticks: spray well, get inside center hole.
12 min max — pale golden, spring back = perfect. Overbaked = dry. Glazed 2 days room temp airtight, unglazed 3 days. Don’t fridge — dries. Freeze unglazed up to 2 months, thaw then glaze fresh. Microwave 10 sec for warm soft.
04Nutrition
| Nutrient | Per Donut (1 of 12, glazed) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 195 kcal |
| Protein | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 28 g |
| Fat | 8 g |
Baked not fried, protein from Greek yogurt + eggs, way lighter than bakery fried donuts (300+ kcal). Still a treat, but better-for-you. Coffee + warm donut = perfect Saturday.
