Donuts

1. Begin by heating the oven to 425°F. Lightly coat the donut pans with baking spray so the baked donuts release cleanly after baking.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the melted butter and vegetable oil together. Add the sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs gradually, whisking until the mixture becomes smooth and unified.
4. Pour in the milk, then add the dry ingredients. Stir only until the batter comes together. Stop as soon as you no longer see dry flour. Overmixing can make the donuts heavy instead of soft.
5. Spoon the batter into a Ziploc bag and cut a small opening off one corner. Pipe the batter into the donut pan cavities, filling each one about two-thirds full.
6. Bake for about 8 minutes, or until the donuts look lightly golden and spring back when touched. Avoid overbaking, since these donuts should stay soft and tender.
7. Remove the pan from the oven and let the donuts rest in the pan for about 10 minutes. This short cooling time helps them firm up enough to remove without breaking.
8. While the donuts cool, make the toppings.

Salted Caramel

1. Place the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly as it warms and melts. At first it will look dry and clumpy, then it will begin to liquefy and darken into an amber color.
2. Once most of the sugar has melted, remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the butter carefully and stir until it fully melts into the caramel.
3. Slowly pour in the heavy cream while stirring continuously. The mixture will bubble, so add the cream gradually and keep stirring until the sauce turns smooth.
4. Stir in the sea salt. Transfer the caramel to a clean bowl and let it cool completely before using it on the donuts.

Chocolate Ganache

1. Add the heavy cream to a saucepan and heat it over medium heat until it just starts to simmer. Do not let it boil.
2. Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the chocolate chips, and place a lid over the pan. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes so the chocolate softens fully.
3. Lift the lid and stir until the ganache becomes smooth, glossy, and fully combined.
4. Let the ganache sit for a few minutes so it thickens slightly before you decorate the donuts.

Assembly

1. Dip the top of each cooled donut into the ganache. Let any excess drip off before placing the donut on a tray.
2. Move the donuts to the refrigerator for about 15 minutes so the chocolate can set.
3. Once the ganache has firmed up a bit, remove the donuts and dip the chocolate-coated tops into the cooled salted caramel.
4. Finish by sprinkling the donuts with chopped salted peanuts. For a bigger Snickers-style finish, add chopped Snickers pieces and a little extra caramel sauce over the top.