Baked Caramel Glazed Donuts (Golden Turmeric Donuts)
These Baked Caramel Glazed Donuts are naturally colored with turmeric and spiced with cardamom and ginger. They are then enveloped in a rich, buttery caramel glaze. No yeast, no frying, no donut shop required — just 30 minutes from bowl to breakfast table.
These baked (not fried) golden donuts are naturally colored with turmeric and flavored with cardamom and ginger — the same warm spices used in golden milk. Once baked, they’re dipped in a 5-ingredient, homemade caramel glaze. The result is deliciously spiced, intoxicatingly aromatic, baked donuts that make one heck of a tasty breakfast!
A Quick Glance at these Baked Caramel Glazed Donuts
- Baked, not fried — the batter is spooned into a donut pan and baked, so there’s no hot oil to manage.
- One-bowl batter — whisk wet ingredients, add dry ingredients, done.
- Real caramel, not glaze from a bag — the caramel sauce is 5 ingredients and takes about 5 minutes on the stovetop.
- Ready in 30 minutes total — 10 minutes prep, 20 minutes cook (including the caramel).
- Naturally dairy-free adaptable — made with coconut milk instead of regular milk, and can be made gluten-free with a 1:1 GF flour blend.
History behind this recipe creation…
One summer when my daughter was in college, we visited Supermoon Bakehouse in New York. While there, we experienced The Golden Boy Doughnut.
That Golden Boy doughnut was scrumptious! It was a turmeric-spiced brioche doughnut that was filled with a salted caramel filling. It was decadence at its finest! I only grabbed one of these treats, so that evening, we ended up heading back to Supermoon to grab a couple more of those Golden Boys! But, alas… they were all sold out!
So, of course, I decided to whip up some Golden Donuts and bathe them in a caramel glaze, inspired by my memories of those Golden Boy doughnuts we had.
I am not going to say that these donuts are a copycat version of those we had. But these Golden Donuts with a caramel glaze are decadently delicious just the same.
These Golden Donuts are spiced with turmeric, cardamom, and ginger. They are baked and not fried. They are an indulgent breakfast, served with some orange juice or coffee. They are also perfect as an afternoon slump-slaying snack!
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the donuts: coconut milk, oil, Greek yogurt, eggs, vanilla extract, sugar, salt, baking powder, flour (all-purpose or a gluten-free 1:1 blend), turmeric, powdered ginger, and cardamom.
For the caramel sauce: unsalted butter, brown sugar, coconut milk, salt, and vanilla extract.
Full ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Turmeric gives the donuts their signature golden color and a mild, earthy flavor. It’s what makes these “golden” donuts rather than plain spiced donuts.
- Coconut milk (the carton kind, like So Delicious, not full-fat canned) keeps the recipe dairy-free. Almond milk can be used instead, but it does tend to change the consistency a bit. Regular whole milk works as a 1:1 substitute if dairy isn’t a concern.
- Greek yogurt adds moisture and a slight tang that balances the sweetness of the caramel. Plain regular yogurt or sour cream can be swapped in.
- Gluten-free flour blend — a cup-for-cup GF blend works well here; regular all-purpose flour is the non-GF option.
- Brown sugar in the caramel gives more depth than white sugar; light or dark brown sugar both work, with dark brown sugar producing a slightly richer, more molasses-forward caramel.
How to Make These Caramel Glazed Donuts
Set and serve: Let the caramel firm up for a few minutes before serving.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Whisk the wet ingredients: Combine coconut milk, sugar, oil, and Greek yogurt in a large bowl. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla.
Add the dry ingredients: Add salt, baking powder, flour, turmeric, ginger, and cardamom directly to the bowl and whisk until just combined.
Fill the pan: Spray a donut pan with cooking spray and spoon the batter into each cavity, filling about ⅔ full. You don’t need to fill a pastry bag with the mixture, so this saves on cleanup time.
Bake: 14–15 minutes at 350°F, until the donuts spring back when lightly pressed.
Cool: Invert the pan onto a cooling wire rack while you make the caramel.
Make the caramel sauce: Melt butter and brown sugar together in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat, stirring as it melts. Add coconut milk, salt, and vanilla, and boil for 3–5 minutes, stirring, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Glaze the donuts: Pour the decadent caramel sauce into a small bowl and let it cool slightly (still warm, not hot), then dip each donut in the sauce. You could also drizzle teaspoons of the glaze onto the donuts or pour the sauce over the donuts on the cooling rack. If you opt for the last option, place a baking sheet below the cooling rack to catch the extra glaze.
Frequently Asked Questions
A basic caramel glaze for donuts is butter, brown sugar, milk (or a milk alternative like coconut milk), a pinch of salt, and vanilla extract, simmered together until thickened.
The golden color comes from turmeric, a spice that also lends a warm, slightly earthy flavor. It’s the same spice used in golden milk lattes and this golden milk instant chia pudding.
Yes to both. Swap in a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for the flour, and use a dairy-free milk like coconut milk (already called for in the caramel sauce) in place of regular milk. And swap out the butter for vegan butter.
Simmer it for a full 3–5 minutes after adding the milk, stirring occasionally, and look for it to coat the back of a spoon before removing it from the heat. It will continue to thicken slightly as it cools.
Store glazed donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature by letting it thaw on the counter. They can be heated for 10-15 seconds before serving for the best texture. Un-glazed donuts freeze well for up to 2 months — thaw and add fresh caramel glaze before serving.
Yes. The same batter can be baked in a mini muffin tin or regular muffin tin (adjust bake time up slightly for muffin tins) and finished with the same caramel sauce.
Recipe Tips for the Best Caramel Donuts
- Don’t overmix the batter once the flour goes in — mix just until no dry streaks remain, to keep the donuts tender.
- Fill the donut pan cavities about ⅔ full so the donuts hold their shape as they rise.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pan for the caramel so the sugar doesn’t scorch.
- Dip donuts while the caramel is still warm and pourable — it firms up quickly as it cools.
Ingredients
For the Golden Donuts
- 1/4 cup coconut milk I used coconut milk in a package like So Delicious coconut milk
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup Gluten-Free flour blend or All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp powdered ginger
- 1/4 tsp cardamom
For the Caramel Sauce
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp coconut milk
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Golden Donuts
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Add coconut milk, sugar, oil, and Greek Yogurt to a bowl and whisk together.
- Then add in the eggs and vanilla and whisk well.
- Then add in the salt, baking powder, Gluten-Free flour blend or All-Purpose Flour, turmeric, ginger, and cardamom to the bowl and mix well with a whisk.
- Spray a donut baking pan with cooking spray and spoon the turmeric donut mix into the donut pan.
- Bake donuts for 14 – 15 minutes at 350 degrees F.
- When time is up, take donuts out of the oven and invert onto a cooling rack while you make the caramel sauce.
For the Caramel Sauce
- Add the butter and brown sugar to a heavy-bottomed pan and set on a stovetop set to medium heat.
- Using a spoon, stir the mixture as the butter melts. Then add in coconut milk, salt, and vanilla, and let it boil for 3-5 minutes, stirring as needed.
- When the caramel sauce is thickened and coats the back of a spoon, remove it from the stove.
- Pour it into a bowl and let it cool a bit. When it has cooled a bit (it should still be warm but not hot), dip the golden donuts into the caramel or pour the caramel over the donuts on the cooling rack.
- Let the caramel sauce harden a bit on the donuts and enjoy.
Notes
- Don’t overmix the batter once the flour goes in — mix just until no dry streaks remain, to keep the donuts tender.
- Fill the donut pan cavities about ⅔ full so the donuts hold their shape as they rise.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pan for the caramel so the sugar doesn’t scorch.
- Dip donuts while the caramel is still warm and pourable — it firms up quickly as it cools.
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Nutrition
Hoping you and your family enjoy these Golden donuts with caramel glaze as much as my daughter and I did!
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Delicious and fairly easy. We loved the addition of ginger and cardamom. Thanks for the great recipe.
I am not a huge fan of turmeric, but I must admit these Golden Donuts look gorgeous – what a stunning colour indeed! On the other hand, I love the addition of ginger and especially cardamom. And this caramel glaze? Or yeah!
Oh my goodness, Shashi! These need to happen soon! I just love the colour and flavours of these. And that glaze? Swoon! Definitely whipping up a batch soon!! Hope you are doing well, my friend 🙂 XO
Loving the spices! Flavor with reduced fat!
This is the first I’m hearing of Supermoon Bakehouse, but those cruffins look amazing! (I just did some IG stalking…haha.) Good thing we don’t live in NYC either – that would be too dangerous on the waistline. I love that you recreated these donuts back home. They sound delicious with the cardamom, turmeric and ginger. The only problem is I would eat about half a dozen by myself. Oops. 🙂
Love the idea of a baked donut and the caramel sauce is just perfect!
Can’t resists myself from making these golden donuts. The ingredient list is inspirational, the coconut milk, greek yogurt, turmeric, ginger. Making this unique. Thanks for sharing.
My kids really can’t stop eating these!!
I am just loving the spices you used for these donuts! And that caramel glaze is to die for. These are perfection!
These have such a great color from the turmeric and the spicing sounds yummy. The glaze sounds like the perfect way to round them off.