Best Donut Pans

Buying Guide

If you’d like to make delicious treats from the comfort of your home, you can’t go wrong with donuts. Featuring wells that you fill with batter, a donut pan can go right in your oven for a simple cooking experience. This bakeware helps reduce the mess and extra work that the alternative of frying donuts often involves. Baking your donuts usually also leads to a fluffier texture.

You can choose from different styles of donut pans. The most common ones make round donuts, but you can also find pans that make donuts in fun shapes like hearts or flowers or with imprints. If you’d like flexibility, look for a pan that includes a few wells for round donuts and the rest in a mix of shapes.

MORE: The Best Donut Maker

Donut pans can make different sizes and quantities of donuts. Your chosen pan should have enough wells to make enough donuts so you don’t have to create multiple batches unnecessarily. The wells should suit the donut size you want to make, whether you prefer mini 2-inch donuts or standard 3-inch ones. Additionally, make sure the donut wells have enough depth, especially if prefer thick donuts.

Donut pans usually come in metal or silicone versions. Either works fine for making donuts, but the materials differ in areas such as cost, durability, flexibility, baking performance and care.

If you choose a metal donut pan, it will usually consist of steel or aluminum for sturdiness and suitability for high heat. Metal pans often have a non-stick surface or even feature a ceramic coating that also allows for better heat distribution. The downside is you may need to hand wash your metal donut pan since the dishwasher could harm it or its coating.

Usually costing less than metal, silicone donut pans have a flexible nature that comes in handy when you need to remove your finished donuts. The material eliminates concerns about your donuts sticking, and the donuts usually bake evenly in these pans. However, silicone pans are flimsier and less durable. So, you’ll need to take care that the batter doesn’t leak as you move the pan around and that you avoid using excessive heat that could lead to melting.

• You can use your donut pan to make other foods such as bagels, breakfast sandwiches and mini cakes.
• Donut pans most often come in multiples of the same plate. However,  some sets include variety so you can make donuts in a mix of shapes and sizes.
• Check that any donut pan coating contains no harmful chemicals. Additionally, keep in mind that some ceramic coatings may chip easily when too thin.
• Your donut pan should have big enough sides to easily grasp and handle. You might prefer options with attached handles for more convenience.
• Even if you buy a non-stick donut pan, you may still want to lightly grease it or use a cooking spray for more assurance the donuts won’t stick.
• Look up some recipes online so you can make some unique, flavorful donuts. Some ideas include carrot cake, lemon, red velvet, key lime and chocolate flavors. You can also fill your donuts with jelly or cream, put sprinkles or chocolate chips in the batter, or add powdered sugar, icing or candy after your donuts have baked.
• Filling your donut pan’s wells becomes easier and less messy when you put the batter in a piping bag. Add the batter slowly and stop once it reaches the top of the well.
• Check your donut recipe for the right oven temperature and cooking time.
• After your donuts have finished baking, don’t try to remove them from the pan right away. Once they have cooled off, you can remove them by hand or use a spatula. You can then place them on a cooling rack if you have one or use a plate or regular pan.
• To keep your new donuts fresh, put them in a sealed container so they can last for a few days. You should also keep them refrigerated if they have cream in them.
• Regular dish soap and water should work for cleaning your donut pan, but you can try vinegar and baking soda for tougher grime. Hand wash your donut pan unless the maker has marked it as dishwasher-safe. Even then, keep in mind the dishwasher could warp or scratch metal pans or chip ceramic coatings.