Red Velvet Donuts (Baked Not Fried)

Moist, sweet and vibrant Red Velvet Donuts generously glazed with cream cheese frosting. Here's an easy 15-minute recipe for this decadent dessert that's perfect for Valentine's Day or any celebration. And the best part, they're baked, not fried!

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Red Velvet Cakes have a long history in American baking, and for good reason! Velvety in texture, they are rich, sweet, and absolutely decadent.

In this recipe, I swapped out the traditional cupcake (or cake) shape for these fun, unique donuts that my girls and hubby absolutely love. They're baked, so they're still as fluffy as a piece of cake, but the perfect size for an individual serving.

Topped with rich, creamy cream cheese frosting, these donuts are the perfect way to treat your loved ones, whether it's for a special occasion or just as a sweet treat!

Red Velvet Cake Origin: During World War II, some American bakers added beets or beet juice to their chocolate cakes. This addition helped keep the cakes moist, as well as helping to give them a red tint.

What Are Red Velvet Donuts?

Red Velvet Donuts are a dessert inspired by Red Velvet Cake, which is a traditional chocolate cake made with cocoa powder, vinegar, buttermilk, and frequently a bit of food dye to give it its classic red color.

Typically, donuts are deep fried, but in this recipe I opted for a healthier spin! These donuts are baked, not fried, making them a fun, fluffy dessert or treat that is perfect for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and other special occasions.

Ingredients- Notes & Substitutions

Ingredients for red velvet doughnuts in bowls on a counter — Ingredients for making red velvet donuts

For the Donuts:

Flour: I use all-purpose flour. For gluten-free donuts, you can use gluten-free all-purpose flour, but ensure it contains xanthan gum, or your donuts will not be the right texture and fluffiness!
Cocoa powder: Use unsweetened cocoa powder otherwise your donuts may end up way sweeter.
Butter: You will need melted butter for these donuts. A quick 20-30 seconds in the microwave should do the trick.
Vanilla extract: I always prefer to use high-quality vanilla extract instead of vanilla essence or imitation vanilla.
Buttermilk: Since I never have buttermilk on hand, I make my own by combining milk with white vinegar. You can use an equal quantity of buttermilk instead.
Vinegar: Either white or apple cider vinegar will work well. It adds a touch of sourness to the batter.
Red food coloring: I use Wilton food coloring, which is vibrant and will help bring out the red in red velvet!

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

Cream cheese: Use full-fat cream cheese (not lower fat or Neufchatel). Take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before using, so the cream cheese is at room temperature when you mix it, otherwise your frosting may get lumpy!
Milk: If you want more of a light glaze or a thinner frosting, add more milk to your frosting, a little at a time.

Baked red velvet donuts in a baking tin — Freshly baked red velvet donuts

Step by Step Instructions for Red Velvet Donuts

Prep the donut pan and make "buttermilk": Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a donut pan with cooking spray. Using a kitchen towel, smear it in the mold and wipe off the excess. Mix milk and white vinegar and let it sit while you gather the ingredients.
Mix wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl add egg, buttermilk, vanilla, melted butter, food coloring and vinegar. Using an electric hand mixer or a large whisk, beat until well combined. (pic 1)
Combine wet and dry ingredients: Add dry ingredients, including flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, sugar and salt, in a sieve and sift into the wet ingredients. Mix well to combine. (pic 2)
Add food color: Add red food coloring and mix the batter till the color is fully incorporated. (pic 3)
Create piping bag with batter: Pour batter into a gallon size ziplock bag (or a large piping bag), pushing it to a corner. Squeeze the air out of the bag and twist till you get a firm grip on the bag. Cut about ¾-inch at the tip. (pic 4)

Steps 1 through 4 for making Red Velvet Donuts

Add batter to pan and bake: Pipe batter into the donut mold until about ½ full. Pipe any excess batter in an oven-safe ramekin. We will bake this and use for garnishing the donuts. Bake at 350°F for 9-10 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Wait 5 minutes, then, using a spatula, carefully lift and transfer the donuts on a wire rack for cooling, for about 30 minutes. (pic 5)
Make the frosting: White the donuts cool, prepare the frosting by whisking together softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Adjust the quantity of milk based on the consistency. We want this frosting to be like pancake batter. (pic 6)
Glaze the donuts: When the donuts have cooled, dip them in the frosting half way through. Swirl the donut so it gets coated with the frosting. Place the donut back on the wire rack for the icing to set. (pic 7)
Decorate and serve: Crumble the excess batter that we baked in a ramekin. Sprinkle the crumbs on top of the icing. This step is optional, but makes for a pretty presentation. Enjoy the donuts! (pic 8)

Steps 5 through 8 for making Red Velvet Donuts

Recipe Tips & Notes

Ingredient temperature: For best results, egg, butter and cream cheese should be at room temperature. This will ensure that all the ingredients mix smoothly.
Buttermilk: If you want to use buttermilk, use an equal quantity instead of combining milk with vinegar.
Frosting thickness: Adjust the quantity of milk based on thickness of frosting. It should be of the same consistency as pancake batter. If you'd like more of a glaze than a thick frosting, add a little milk at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
Frosting notes: Instead of dipping the donut in the cream cheese frosting, you can alternatively fill the frosting in a piping bag. Then, drizzle the frosting on the donuts in a zig-zag pattern.
Food coloring notes: When dealing with food coloring, it is best to wear food-grade gloves and protect your kitchen counter with a paper towel.

Common Questions

What is the flavor of red velvet?

Red velvet is a type of chocolate cake.

Is a red velvet cake just a chocolate cake?

No! While both contain cocoa powder, red velvet is more rich and fine, thanks to the additions of buttermilk and vinegar.

Why do you put vinegar in red velvet cake?

The combination of vinegar, buttermilk, and cocoa powder gives the cake or donuts a naturally dusty pink to light red color.

Why my red velvet is not red?

If you didn't add vinegar, this could be part of the reason. Adding some red food coloring to your red velvet donuts also helps ensure they are a vibrant, rich red.

Red velvet doughnuts with cream cheese frosting on white plates

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