Simplify holiday gifting and party treats this year with these easy and adorable cake mix donuts! Sharing how to make super simple baked donuts from boxed cake mix.
Hello, holiday season! It’s time to start planning your holiday baking and gifting, and who doesn’t love donuts? Cookies may be the classic holiday gifting option, but donuts are always a crowd-pleaser, and once you try these easy cake mix donuts, you’ll be making them again and again. Easy cake mix donuts – well not only are they yummy, but they’re super simple to make. And when you top donuts with M&M‘s Holiday Minis and put them in Ziploc Holiday Printed Containers, they make the perfect festive holiday treat. Trust me, when your friends and family open a holiday container filled with DONUTS, you’ll be getting all of the kudos.
Of course because these are made using cake mix, they do taste more like cake than an actual fried donut, but with a donut pan, these cake mix donuts bake up perfectly, and taste incredible. They are also SO much easier to make than traditional donuts but pack all of the same charm.
HOW TO MAKE EASY CAKE MIX DONUTS
Makes about 14-16 donuts
INGREDIENTS
1 box of Pillsbury Moist Supreme® White Premium Cake Mix
1 large egg
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
1 cup of water
1 can of Pillsbury Frosting
M&M‘s Holiday Minis and Sprinkles (to decorate)
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray donut pan with cooking spray. (I’m a big fan of these nonstick donut pants.)
- In a mixing bowl, combine cake mix, egg, oil, and water, and stir until combined.
- Pour mixture into a large ziploc bag (or piping bag), and snip one corner of the bag. Pipe batter into donut pan (keep in mind that they will rise, so be careful not to overfill).
- Bake in oven for 14 minutes.
- While donuts bake, scoop the icing into a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 15 second intervals, stirring each time, until the frosting is melted.
- Remove donuts from the oven, and allow them to cool before removing them from the pan and setting on a cookie wire. Pour your melted frosting over each donut. Top with M&M’s and/or sprinkles and remove donuts to parchment paper to dry completely. (You can also dip your donuts in the melted frosting by placing one side down in the icing and then setting to dry, but I love the pour-over look.) Allow icing to harden before packing in Ziploc Holiday Printed Containers or Ziploc Holiday Bags.
Homemade donuts packed up in cute printed containers? Too cute.
Decorating your donuts is the best part.
Though I’m a big fan of colored sprinkles, the M&M‘s Holiday Minis added the perfect pop of Holiday cheer and served ad the perfect sweet crunchy topping for the cake-like donuts. So good.
For gifting, I set up a little station with my printed containers, these wax paper liners, and my donuts.
You can head to Target to find everything you’ll need to make your own easy cake mix donuts, perfect for holiday gift-giving this season. To save on the products featured in this post, use this Cartwheel offer the next time you shop at Target.
Be sure to head to our recipe page to check out what else we’re dreaming up in the kitchen. If you make your own holiday cake mix donuts, tag me on social media (@glitterinclexi) so I can live vicariously through all of your delicious creations! Seriously, send those pictures my way!!
Photos by Annie Watts Photography
SO adorable and now I want one! Coffee Beans and Bobby Pins
Um… I need these donut asap! So yummy!
Totally need to this for my boyfriend. We love donuts!!! XOXO, Carolyna
So yummy! And pretty easy to make! Can’t wait to try this with my 6 year old!
XO,
Anna
http://www.blushingrosestyle.com
Yum! These donuts look so delicious and would make the perfect Winter treat!
xo Brie
http://www.sophistifunkblog.com
Totally drooling!! Donuts are my weakness!! I would love to try these with the kiddos!!
Such a wonderful post for the Holiday season! I’ll have to try these this week!
-Taylor
these look so good! I might have to give this recipe a try!
xo!
Shelby
http://www.glitterandgingham.com
These donuts look AMAZINGGGG! I want one right now!
Xo, Nina
Law of Fashion Blog
Donuts are my favorite thing ever and these look SO easy and fun! I just love how you decorated them!
Maggie
http://www.polishedclosets.com
oh my yum! I love donuts. I will have to try making these.
Pinned, and totally ordering those donut pans! Sarah LOVES donuts and I’ve always thought it would be so complicated to do at home. Ok, this might be one of my favorite posts of yours. lol, YUM!! 🙂
alyson
http://www.theaveragegirlsguide.com
I always wondered if there was a simple way to make donuts at home! Such a great idea I can’t wait to try it!
Heidi || Wishes & Reality
Oh my gosh, gimme all the donuts! These look AMAZING!
I’ve never heard of cake mix donuts, what a great and easy treat to whip up! They look tasty!
Oh gosh…I need to make these. I’m a doughnut junkie
You make this look so easy! These look delicious!
These look like a crowd pleaser! Maybe I should take these as my dessert to Thanksgiving!
I keep seeing your pics for this post and everytime it makes me hungry 🙂 these look sooo good!
Megan
http://www.pipmegan.com
I had no idea these could be so easy – and I bet they’re delish!
xx Nina
https://www.theHSSfeed.com
YUM! These look so good! Perfect for holiday parties!
I need to make this recipe! They look so amazing!!
Mindy II AMIXOFMIN.COM
YUMMY! I love making donuts, but have never made cake donuts before. We’ll have to try them this weekend!
xo Trista | http://www.shopaholicandababy.com
Oh em gee I sooooo need to try out this recipe!
xo,
Britt
http://www.bybrittanilauren.com
oh my gosh these look absolutely delicious! I am saving this so that I can make them too! 🙂
xo Kelsey | http://www.chasingcinderellablog.com
I never knew making donuts was so easy, of course you always make baking look so easy. They look so yummy!
Drooling over here! They look DELISH! & so easy!
omg those look so good!! Want them now haha too lazy to bake them tho
These looks so delicious! I need to make these for my donut-obsessed husband!
By Lauren M
These look so yummy!
These look SO delicious & seem a bit easier than I thought they would be!
I say this every time, but I need to stop reading your homemade goodies recipes because this is seriously so bad for my wedding diet lol!
OMG, these look SO good!!! I need to make em!!
OMG this is amazing!!!! I need to make this!!!
Mel | http://www.thegossipdarling.com
Save me one! I usually don’t eat donuts but these look so yummy!
oh my gosh those look so good!!
xx,
Stesha
Omg! All of the yums! Are these dairy free?!
xo,
L
livingincolorblog.com
Have you ever tried it with oh, say… A strawberry cake mix? I know it tends to make a much softer, lighter cake. Maybe not quite dense enough for donuts? I’ve never made donuts before, so I dunno. Maybe a little less water…