Best Donut Maker (2026): "Baked, Not Fried" Doesn't Mean Fewer Calories

This is the thirty-sixth stop in our countertop-appliance series, after the countertop convection oven, the countertop microwave, the deep fryer, the bread maker, the waffle maker, the electric griddle, the electric skillet, the espresso machine, the pressure cooker, the coffee maker, the rice cooker, the toaster, the stand mixer, the panini press, the sandwich maker, the food processor, the blender, the juicer, the hand mixer, the popcorn maker, the milk frother, the egg cooker, the yogurt maker, the vacuum sealer, the knife sharpener, the immersion blender, the meat thermometer, the electric kettle, the gooseneck kettle, the electric wok, the hot dog roller, the cotton candy machine, the quesadilla maker, the meat grinder, and the bread slicer. This time the marketing claim isn't about wattage or a broken feature — it's the assumption that "baked" is automatically the lighter option.

Quick Comparison: Best Donut Makers of 2026

The 4 Best Donut Makers

1. Dash Express Mini Donut Maker — Best Overall

The Dash Express (model DDM007) is the most-reviewed machine in this category — BestReviews named it a top pick and Reviewed.com's USA Today Network team hands-on tested it directly, rather than only aggregating other reviews. It bakes 7 mini donuts per batch on dual PTFE nonstick cooking plates, draws 760W, and measures a compact 3.9" x 8.7" x 10.6" for drawer or shelf storage. Two things worth knowing before you buy, both flagged directly by reviewers rather than buried in fine print: Reviewed.com's hands-on test found the "nonstick" plates still release more cleanly with a light spray of oil or batter release spray first, and BestReviews notes the outer housing gets genuinely hot during use, so it needs to stay out of reach of kids and pets while it's plugged in. Dash's own site lists it at $29.99, confirmed directly from the manufacturer.

Wattage: 760W · Batch Size: 7 mini donuts · Dimensions: 3.9" x 8.7" x 10.6"
Best For: Most home bakers who want the most-tested, most widely available option

Check Dash Express Donut Maker Price on Amazon →

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2. Betty Crocker Mini Donut Maker — Best With Decorating Kit Included

Where the other three machines ship with just the cooking plates, the Betty Crocker model (BC-2938CO) is the only one in this roundup bundled with a piping bag, decorating nozzles, and a spatula — genuinely useful if glazing and topping is the point for you, not just the baking. It runs 1000W, the highest of the four, bakes 7 mini donuts per batch on a nonstick surface, and has a cool-touch handle. Pricing is worth double-checking before you buy: it's listed at $17.49 in Target's current daily-deal pricing, $36.76 at Walmart, and $44.49 at Overstock for the identical model — a wider spread than any other pick here, so treat $17-25 as the realistic range rather than a fixed number and compare live listings at checkout.

Wattage: 1000W · Batch Size: 7 mini donuts · Includes: Piping bag, nozzles, spatula
Best For: Buyers who want to decorate and glaze, not just bake plain donuts

Check Betty Crocker Donut Maker Price on Amazon →

3. CucinaPro Mini Donut Maker — Best Upright Storage

Every other machine in this roundup stores flat; the CucinaPro is built to stand upright, which matters more than it sounds if counter or drawer space is tight. It bakes 7 mini donuts per batch, each "over 1/2 inch thick" per CucinaPro's own product page, verified directly from the manufacturer at $34.99. CucinaPro doesn't publish a wattage figure on its product page or in the manual excerpts available, so that spec is left unconfirmed rather than guessed. The tradeoff to know about: scattered user reports describe uneven browning across the 7 cavities and note the batter needs a precise, even fill to avoid donuts joining together during baking — a more hands-on process than the Dash or Betty Crocker models.

Wattage: Not published by manufacturer · Batch Size: 7 mini donuts (over 1/2" thick) · Storage: Stands upright
Best For: Small kitchens where flat storage isn't an option

Check CucinaPro Donut Maker Price on Amazon →

4. Nostalgia MyMini Orbital Donut Maker — Best for Dorms & Single Servings

The Nostalgia MyMini Orbital (model MOD5BL) is deliberately the smallest machine here: a 6" x 5" x 8", 1.25-lb footprint that bakes just 3 mini donuts per batch on a 5" cooking surface, with 760W of power and cool-touch handles. It's built for a dorm room, small apartment, or RV counter, not a family-size batch — pitch it that way rather than as an everyday-family pick. One thing to confirm before buying: Nostalgia's own site currently lists this exact model as sold out, though it remains listed and orderable through other retailers including Walmart, HSN, Home Depot, and Wayfair — worth a quick availability check at checkout since manufacturer stock can lag retailer stock.

Wattage: 760W · Batch Size: 3 mini donuts · Dimensions: 6" x 5" x 8" (1.25 lbs)
Best For: Single servings, dorms, apartments, and RVs where counter space is minimal

Check Nostalgia Donut Maker Price on Amazon →

Baked Doesn't Automatically Mean Fewer Calories

The pitch behind every mini donut maker is implicit: skip the fryer, skip the oil, get a lighter donut. Skipping the fryer oil is real — these machines bake batter between two hot plates, closer to a waffle iron than a deep fryer, and BestReviews' own product copy describes the process exactly that way: "baked on hot cooking plates, similar to those in electric waffle makers." What doesn't automatically follow is that baked means fewer calories. USDA FoodData Central lists cake-type plain doughnuts — the batter style these machines produce — at 434 calories and 24.9g of fat per 100g. A traditional yeast-leavened glazed doughnut, the deep-fried style, runs 421 calories and 22.7g of fat per 100g. The cake-batter version is actually the slightly heavier one by the USDA's own numbers.

The reason isn't mysterious once you look at what's in the batter: without yeast to provide rise and without hot oil to crisp the exterior, cake-style donut batter typically leans on more egg, more fat, and more sugar to get a comparable texture and browning. That's a real ingredient tradeoff, not a flaw in the machines themselves — a donut maker does exactly what it claims (bakes donut-shaped cakes without frying), the marketing shorthand of "healthier because it's baked" is the part worth questioning, not the appliance.

Have Donut Makers Been Recalled?

No CPSC recall exists for an electric mini donut maker appliance as of 2026. Two name collisions are worth flagging explicitly so they don't get confused with the machines in this roundup: a real CPSC recall does exist for a product called "Dash," but it's a phil&teds/Regal Lager Dash-brand baby stroller recalled for a frame-latch fall hazard — a completely different company and product from the Dash kitchen-appliance line (owned by StoreBound) reviewed above. A separate 1990s CPSC recall covered a Betty Crocker juice extractor (roughly 229,000 units) whose filter and lid could break apart during use — a different small-appliance category from the current Betty Crocker donut maker, made under a different licensing arrangement decades apart. Neither recall applies to the models recommended in this article.

How to Choose (4 Steps)

1. Decide how many donuts you actually need per batch. 7-donut machines like the Dash, Betty Crocker, and CucinaPro suit families or entertaining; the 3-donut Nostalgia MyMini is sized for one or two people.

2. Check if a decorating kit matters to you. Only the Betty Crocker ships with piping and nozzle tools included — the others give you plain baked donuts to glaze and top yourself.

3. Confirm current retailer stock before you buy. Prices and availability swing widely between a manufacturer's own site and third-party retailers for this whole category — check both, and don't assume the manufacturer-listed price is what you'll actually pay.

4. Plan on using a spray, even on "nonstick" plates. Reviewed.com's hands-on testing found a light coat of oil or batter release spray makes a real difference in clean release, regardless of which model you buy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best donut maker for most people in 2026?

The Dash Express Mini Donut Maker ($29.99) is the best all-around pick — 760W, bakes 7 mini donuts per batch, and is the most-reviewed model in the category (Reviewed.com hands-on tested it, BestReviews named it a top pick). If you want a machine built for decorating, the Betty Crocker Mini Donut Maker (~$17-25) ships with a piping bag and nozzles included instead of just the bare cooking plates.

Are baked donuts from a donut maker actually healthier than fried donuts?

Not automatically. USDA FoodData Central lists cake-type plain doughnuts — the batter style these machines bake — at 434 calories and 24.9g fat per 100g, versus 421 calories and 22.7g fat per 100g for a traditional yeast-leavened glazed doughnut. Skipping the fryer oil is real, but cake batter typically adds extra egg, fat, and sugar to compensate for the missing yeast rise and missing oil-crisping, which can offset or even exceed the calorie savings.

How many donuts does one batch make?

Most mini donut makers, including the Dash Express, Betty Crocker, and CucinaPro models, bake 7 mini donuts per batch. The Nostalgia MyMini Orbital is a smaller-capacity exception at just 3 per batch, designed for dorms, apartments, and single servings rather than family-size batches.

Do mini donut makers need a special batter, or does any cake mix work?

Any pourable cake-style batter works, including a standard boxed cake mix thinned slightly to a pourable consistency. None of the models in this roundup require a proprietary batter — bundled recipe cards are common, but they're recipe suggestions, not a required ingredient.

Are mini donut makers hard to clean?

The nonstick cooking plates wipe clean with a damp cloth once fully cooled, but Reviewed.com's hands-on test of the Dash Express noted the plates still benefit from a light spray of cooking oil or batter release spray for consistently easy release, despite being labeled nonstick. None of the four picks here have dishwasher-safe cooking plates.

Have donut makers been recalled?

No CPSC recall exists for an electric mini donut maker appliance as of 2026. A CPSC recall does exist for a product called "Dash" — but it covers a phil&teds/Regal Lager Dash-brand baby stroller (frame-latch fall hazard), an unrelated stroller brand, not the Dash kitchen-appliance line. A 1990s CPSC recall for a Betty Crocker product covered a juice extractor with a filter/lid failure, also unrelated to the current Betty Crocker donut maker.

The Bottom Line

Buy the Dash Express Mini Donut Maker ($29.99) if you want the most-tested, most widely available option for a standard 7-donut batch. Buy the Betty Crocker Mini Donut Maker (~$17-25) if decorating and glazing is half the fun and you want the tools included. Buy the CucinaPro ($34.99) if upright, space-saving storage matters more than perfectly even browning. And buy the Nostalgia MyMini Orbital ($24.99, confirm retailer stock) if you're baking for one or two people in a dorm, apartment, or RV. Whichever you pick, don't buy on the "baked is healthier" assumption alone — by the USDA's own numbers, that's not guaranteed, so buy it for the fun of baking your own, not as a diet swap.