• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Skip to content

Preppy Kitchen logo

  • About
    • Meet John
    • Press
  • Recipes
    • Desserts
    • Breakfast
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Breads
    • Soups
    • Salads
    • Casseroles
    • Instant Pot
    • Appetizers
    • Drinks
    • Holiday
  • Cookbook
  • Shop
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Press
  • All Recipes
  • Cookbook
  • Shop
  • Contact
  • Follow us on

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Breakfast » Rainbow Donuts

    Rainbow Donuts

    Published: August 3, 2016 · Modified: Aug 1, 2020 by John Kanell

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

    Taste all the donuts of the rainbow with these moist baked rainbow donuts topped with a cheerful and surprisingly easy to make rainbow glaze.

    1171 shares
    • Share
    • Reddit
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    rainbow donuts on a white marble counter
    rainbow donuts on a white marble counter

    These might be my favorite donuts yet; they’re beyond cheerful and quite tasty! That rainbow glaze is super easy to make and so fun to dip into. 

    Different colored glazes lined up in a rainbow on a plate

    How are Baked donuts different from fried donuts?

    • Baked chocolate donuts are really little mini cakes! They have a cakey texture and are quite moist. I love making baked donuts because the set up and cleanup is MUCH easier. No big pan of oil to warm up and then dispose of and they’re safer to make with little ones in the kitchen. 
    • Fried donuts are often more airy inside like other yeast-leavened breads while the baked version is more like a cupcake in a different shape.
    • While a fried donut will go stale a baked one will often get a bit mushy as time goes on IF you frosted it with a glaze. The moisture from the glaze seeps into the cake over time.

    A donut just dipped in rainbow glaze

    If you love this recipe try these out!

    Funfetti cake

    Colorful Shag Cake

    The BEST Vanilla Cupcakes

    Blueberry Muffins

    Pro Tips To Make Rainbow Donuts

    • Spoon a thin layer of each color glaze on a plate and dip a donut or two and then reapply more as needed. This will help keep some nice clean lines instead of a muddy mess.
    • Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
    • You can substitute whole milk yogurt for the sour cream if desired, you won really tell the difference.
    • When you dip your donuts rotate rotate them around, but don’t twist, just a bit to ensure the top is completely glazed. When you pull the donuts up tilt them a bit so the stripes are vertical, this will help keep the colors distinct.

    If you’ve tried these rainbow donuts then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! 

    three rainbow donuts on a white marble table
    Print
    5 from 8 votes

    Rainbow Donuts

    Taste all the donuts of the rainbow with these moist baked donuts topped with a cheerful rainbow glaze.
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes
    Total Time 35 minutes
    Servings 12 Donuts
    Calories 260kcal
    Author John Kanell

    Ingredients

    For the Donuts

    • 1.25 cup all-purpose flour
    • 1/3 cup sour Cream
    • 1/3 cup milk
    • 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
    • 1 pinch All-spice Optional
    • 2 tbs Melted butter
    • 1/3 cup sugar
    • 1 tsp vanilla

    For the Glaze

    • 1 lb Confectioner's sugar
    • 3-4 tbs Milk
    • 3-8 drops food coloring

    Instructions

    For the Donuts:

    • Add the ingredients to a large bowl and mix until just combined.
    • Pipe into butter and floured donut pans
    • Bake about 10 minutes at 350F, allow to cool on a wire rack.

    For the Glaze

    • Mix milk into powdered sugar.
    • Add about 2 tbs of the mixture to several bowls and tint with various intensities of the “colors of the rainbow."
    • Dip the donuts — carefully — into the mixture to achieve the desired, rainbow color. Repeat.
    • Enjoy!

    Video

    Notes

    • Spoon a thin layer of each color glaze on a plate and dip a donut or two and then reapply more as needed. This will help keep some nice clean lines instead of a muddy mess.
    • Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don't have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
    • You can substitute whole milk yogurt for the sour cream if desired, you won really tell the difference.
    • When you dip your donuts rotate rotate them around, but don't twist, just a bit to ensure the top is completely glazed. When you pull the donuts up tilt them a  it so the stripes are vertical, this will help keep the colors distinct.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1donut | Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 330mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 100IU | Iron: 1.1mg
    *Nutrition Disclaimer
    Have you Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @preppykitchen and tag #preppykitchen!

     

    « Baked Alaska
    Watercolor Cake »

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Preppy Kitchen!

    Thanks for stopping by! I’m John Kanell, a husband, dad to twins Lachlan and George, Los Angeles native, and an avid baker and cooker of all things delicious thanks to a life long education from my mother. This blog is where I share all of my kitchen creations!

    Search

    Follow Us On

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Preppy Kitchen Newsletter

    Sign up to receive recipes, recommendations and tips straight to your inbox!

    Buy My Book

    As Seen On

    As seen on Elle Décor, People, Food Network and more

    Top recipes This Month

    • A stack of peanut butter cookies on a small wooden board

      Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

    • An Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookie next to a glass of milk

      Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

    • Lemon bars dusted with powdered sugar on a green and white plate.

      Lemon Bars

    • A group of pink macarons on a serving tray next to flowers

      Macaron Recipe

    • An Espresso martini on a gray surface with coffee beans scattered around

      Espresso Martini

    • A cake stand with a slice of red velvet cake cut out and placed on a plate in front.

      Red Velvet Cake

    • A group of shortbread cookies. some are stacked while others are on crumpled paper.

      Shortbread Cookies Recipe

    • A photo of a vanilla cupcake on a cupcake stand with vanilla buttercream frosting beautifully piped on top.

      Buttercream Frosting

    • A plate with multiple cake pops on it with one with a bite taken out.

      Cake Pops

    • photo of moist Vanilla Cupcakes in pink paper wrappers

      Moist Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

    Footer

    As Seen On:

    Elle Décor, People, Country Living, Better Homes & Gardens, Food Network, Woman's Day, forkly, Yummly, the Bump, Buzz Feed, Home and Family and New York magazine.

    The Brand

    • About John
    • Press

    Preppy Kitchen Logo

    Dessert Recipes

    • Cakes
    • Cookies
    • Cupcakes
    • Pies
    • All Desserts

    Main Course Recipes

    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Casseroles
    • InstantPot
    • Soups
    • Salads

    COPYRIGHT © 2015 - 2020 PREPPY KITCHEN | PRIVACY POLICY

    1171 shares