Old-Fashioned Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Donuts (with Salted Brown Butter Honey Glaze)
These Old-Fashioned Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Donuts with Salted Brown Butter Honey Glaze are soft and fluffy on the inside with a beautifully golden and crisp exterior. Every bite is packed with that warm, comforting banana bread flavor you love, studded with mini chocolate chips throughout, fried until perfectly golden brown, and coated in a silky salted brown butter honey glaze that takes them completely over the top!
If you try out this recipe, I’d love to see it! Leave a comment with a star rating below and tag @wellmadebykiley on Instagram and hashtag it #wellmadebykiley
Ingredients You Need:
Full ingredients and recipe are in the recipe card below. Read through this section for all the ingredients substitution and baking tips!
Cake Flour: The key to the softest, most tender and delicate donut interior — the lower protein content of cake flour gives these old-fashioned donuts their signature light and fluffy texture. See the notes section for a homemade version using all-purpose flour and cornstarch.
Baking Powder: Provides the lift needed to make these donuts incredibly fluffy and light with a beautiful, even rise throughout.
Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances all the warm, comforting flavors throughout both the donuts and the salted brown butter honey glaze.
Cinnamon: Adds a warm, cozy spice that enhances the classic banana bread flavor and makes every bite feel extra comforting and delicious.
Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the donut dough and helps create a perfectly golden, crisp exterior when fried.
Brown Sugar: Adds a deep, molasses-like sweetness that enhances the warm banana bread flavor and keeps the donuts incredibly moist and tender.
Salted Butter: Melted into the donut dough for richness and flavor, and browned for the glaze to add a warm, nutty depth that makes it absolutely irresistible.
Eggs: Provide structure, richness, and stability to the dough while helping the donuts hold together and fry up perfectly golden.
Vanilla Bean Paste or Extract: Adds a warm, sweet, aromatic flavor that enhances both the donut dough and the salted brown butter honey glaze.
Mashed Ripe Banana: The star of these donuts — make sure to use ripe bananas and measure out exactly 1 cup (240g) for the best banana bread flavor, moisture, and sweetness in every bite.
Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt: Adds richness and moisture to the dough, keeping the donuts incredibly soft, tender, and fluffy on the inside.
Mini Chocolate Chips: Folded into the dough for little pockets of rich, melty chocolate in every single bite that pairs perfectly with the warm banana bread flavor.
Avocado Oil: A neutral, high smoke point oil that is ideal for frying the donuts to a perfectly golden, crisp exterior without any unwanted flavor.
Powdered Sugar: The base of the salted brown butter honey glaze that creates a smooth, silky coating that sets beautifully on the warm donuts.
Honey: Adds a natural, floral sweetness to the glaze that pairs beautifully with the brown butter and banana bread flavors for a truly irresistible finish.
Why You’ll Love Old-Fashioned Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Donuts:
Soft And Fluffy On The Inside: These donuts have the most incredible light, tender, and fluffy interior that melts in your mouth with every single bite.
Beautifully Golden And Crisp Exterior: Each donut fries up with a perfectly golden, slightly crisp exterior that gives the most satisfying texture contrast with the soft, fluffy inside.
That Perfect Banana Bread Flavor: Every bite is packed with that warm, comforting, and classic banana bread flavor that makes these donuts truly irresistible and completely unique.
Mini Chocolate Chips Throughout: Studded with mini chocolate chips in every bite for little pockets of rich, melty chocolate that pairs perfectly with the banana bread flavor.
The Most Incredible Salted Brown Butter Honey Glaze: Silky, rich, and perfectly balanced — the brown butter adds a warm nuttiness, the honey adds a floral sweetness, and the salt ties it all together beautifully.
Fried To Golden Perfection: Each donut is fried until deeply golden brown for that classic old-fashioned donut texture and flavor you know and love.
Served Warm For The Best Experience: These donuts are at their absolute best served warm straight from the glaze with a hot cup of coffee on the side.
Cozy And Impressive: They look and taste like they came straight from your favorite donut shop but are made right in your own kitchen from scratch.
Tips for Making Old-Fashioned Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Donuts:
Use Ripe Bananas And Measure Them Out: The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful the donuts will be. Make sure to measure out exactly 1 cup (240g) of mashed banana rather than going off the number of bananas for the most consistent results.
Sift The Dry Ingredients: Sifting the cake flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together ensures an even, lump-free dough for the best texture in every donut.
Don't Add More Flour To The Dough: The dough will be sticky and that is completely normal — do not be tempted to add more flour. The moisture is what keeps the donuts soft and fluffy on the inside. It will firm up in the refrigerator.
Chill The Dough: Do not skip the refrigerator chill time — chilling the dough for at least 1 hour (ideally 2 hours) firms it up enough to roll and cut cleanly and gives the best texture once fried.
Make The Glaze Ahead Of Time: Prepare the salted brown butter honey glaze before frying so it is ready to go and you can dip the donuts while they are still warm for the best coating.
Brown The Butter For The Glaze First: Brown the butter ahead of time and allow it to cool slightly before whisking into the glaze so it incorporates smoothly and evenly.
Flour Everything Generously: When rolling out the dough, flour your work surface, hands, and rolling pin very generously — this dough is sticky and needs plenty of flour to handle properly without sticking.
Pat The Dough Out Gently: Gently roll or pat the dough out to a 1/2 inch thickness — do not knead or fold it. Keep it in one place and handle it as little as possible for the softest, most tender donuts.
Dip The Cutter In Flour: As you are cutting out the donuts, dip the cutter into flour between each cut to prevent sticking and to get the cleanest cuts possible.
Use Parchment Paper Squares: Placing each donut on a floured parchment paper square makes it so much easier to transfer them into the hot oil without misshaping them.
Use A Thermometer For The Oil: The oil should be between 360F–370F before frying. Too low and the donuts will absorb too much oil and be greasy; too hot and they'll brown too quickly on the outside before cooking through.
Fry In Small Batches: Fry only 2–3 donuts at a time to keep the oil temperature consistent and give you enough room to flip them easily without crowding the pot.
Let The Parchment Paper Release Naturally: After placing the donuts in the oil, wait about 10–15 seconds until the parchment paper naturally releases before pulling it away — this keeps the donuts perfectly shaped.
Dip In Glaze While Still Warm: Dip the donuts into the salted brown butter honey glaze while they are still warm so the glaze coats them evenly and sets into a silky, beautiful finish.
Serve Immediately: These donuts are at their absolute best served warm straight from the glaze with a hot cup of coffee — don't wait too long before digging in!
How to Store Old-Fashioned Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Donuts:
Best Served Fresh: These old-fashioned chocolate chip banana bread donuts are at their absolute best served warm and fresh the day they are made. The exterior is perfectly golden and slightly crisp and the glaze is at its silkiest right after frying.
Room Temperature (Short-Term): The donuts can sit covered at room temperature for up to 1 day, but the exterior will soften as they sit.
Refrigerator: Store leftover donuts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Keep in mind the texture will soften slightly after storing.
To Reheat: Warm individual donuts in the microwave for 20–30 seconds, or reheat in the oven at 350F for 5–8 minutes until warmed through for the best texture.
Freezer: Freeze individual unglazed donuts in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, reheat in the oven at 350F, and dip in a fresh batch of salted brown butter honey glaze before serving.
Make Ahead: The dough can be made and stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before rolling, cutting, and frying for a quicker process the day of serving.
FAQs:
Q: Can I make the dough ahead of time?
A: Yes. The dough can be made and stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before rolling, cutting, and frying. This makes the day of serving much quicker and easier.
Q: Can I make the glaze ahead of time?
A: Yes. The salted brown butter honey glaze can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Gently reheat and whisk before dipping the warm donuts.
Q: Can I cut the donuts ahead of time?
A: Yes. Cut the donuts out, place them on their parchment squares on a baking sheet, cover tightly, and store in the refrigerator until ready to fry. Let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes while the oil heats up.
Q: Why is my dough so sticky?
A: This is completely normal — the dough is meant to be sticky. Do not add more flour to the dough itself. The moisture is what keeps the donuts soft and fluffy on the inside. It will firm up in the refrigerator and plenty of flour on your work surface will make it easy to handle.
Q: Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour?
A: Yes, but cake flour is strongly recommended. Cake flour has a lower protein content that gives these donuts their signature soft, tender, and delicate interior. If you don't have cake flour, see the notes section for a homemade version using all-purpose flour and cornstarch.
Q: Can I substitute the sour cream or Greek yogurt?
A: Yes. Sour cream and Greek yogurt are interchangeable in this recipe — use whichever you have on hand for the same soft, tender result.
Q: What oil is best for frying?
A: Avocado oil is recommended for its high smoke point and neutral flavor, but any neutral oil of choice works well for frying these donuts.
Q: How do I know when the oil is ready?
A: Use a kitchen thermometer to make sure the oil reaches 360F–370F before frying. This temperature range ensures the donuts fry up perfectly golden on the outside while staying soft and fluffy on the inside.
Q: Can I freeze these donuts?
A: Yes. Freeze individual unglazed donuts in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, reheat in the oven at 350F, and dip in a fresh batch of salted brown butter honey glaze before serving.
Q: Why did my donuts turn out greasy?
A: This is most likely due to the oil temperature being too low when frying. Make sure the oil is at the correct temperature of 360F–370F before adding the donuts — oil that is too cool will cause the donuts to absorb excess oil rather than frying up golden and crisp.
Love these? Check out my other breakfast recipes:
Make sure to tag me @wellmadebykiley on Instagram and leave a review or comment if you make these old-fashioned chocolate chip banana bread donuts (w/ salted brown butter honey glaze). Happy baking!
