Baked Carrot Cake Donuts with Cream Cheese Glaze

These Baked Carrot Cake Donuts are deliciously sweet and moist with a tang from the cream cheese glaze. Plus, they are free of butter and oil; wonderfully light, yet satisfying.

Carrot Cake Donuts

Alright people. Comin’ in hot with another donut recipe. Dad-approved might I add. (I often use my dad’s approval as the perfect sign that a recipe has, shall we say, won).

If you follow me on Instagram, you saw this photo of some donuts I made the other day…

Carrot Cake Donuts

I’ll admit, I was happy with how the photos came out. But the donuts? They look more like cookies. Because they’re flat. AF.

I was so frustrated, but I was so excited because they tasted like HEAVEN. I had to share for that reason, but I knew I wasn’t totally satisfied with them.

So, the carrot cake donuts went in the oven, one mo’ time. This time, I added baking soda, after chatting with my friend Ashley about the science of baking (homegirl is a genius and gave me some pointers).

Carrot Cake Donuts

And, voila!

Carrot cake donuts that don’t look like pancakes!

Baking soda, you da real MVP.

[Tweet “Baked Carrot Cake Donuts to celebrate … anything!”]

These donuts are:

  • Moist (I hate that word but it’s oh, so necessary)
  • Crunchy (hello, walnuts!)
  • Spicy (in a dessert-y kinda way)
  • Sweet (but not TOO sweet)
  • Fluffy
  • Perfect for the season!

Carrot Cake Donuts

Baked Carrot Cake Donuts with Cream Cheese Glaze
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8 donuts
Ingredients
  • [b]For the donuts:[/b]
  • 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup grated carrots
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 cup almond milk
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup applesauce
  • [b]For the glaze:[/b]
  • 4 oz 1/3 fat cream cheese, room temperature (or place in microwave 10-15 seconds)
  • 2 tbsp almond milk
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a donut pan.
  2. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
  3. Add in Greek yogurt, vanilla, almond milk, and applesauce, and stir to combine well.
  4. Add in carrots and walnuts and fold in to mix well.
  5. Using a spoon, spoon mixture into each donut round in the pan, filling it to the top.
  6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.
  7. For the glaze, simply mix the cream cheese, sugar and milk together until smooth.
Notes
I bought pre-shredded carrots and pulsed them in a food processor. Additionally, I bought chopped walnuts and did the same with them.

Carrot Cake Donuts

Carrot Cake Donuts

And the moral of the story is… don’t settle when a recipe isn’t exactly as you’d hoped/preferred. Keep going until you perfect it – that’s how you learn! And in the kitchen, you never stop learning.

If you liked this recipe, pin it for later!

Carrot Cake Donuts

Just a little glaze porn for ya. If you’re into that sort of thing.

http://picasion.com/

Join the conversation:
Bloggers: have you ever loved a recipe but hated how it looked?
Is there a type of cooking that you just don’t have a good grasp on yet? (Baking is a total science to me!)

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Comments

  1. says

    Okay, these look so perfect and my mouth is watering. That may have to do with the fact that I haven’t had coffee or anything to eat yet… But STILL. I loovveeee the sounds of these donuts. And I am so beyond thrilled they worked out for you! I’m definitely no scientist or genius, but sometimes I can figure out tweaking a baking recipe to get it right 😉
    That glaze pour though… TEASE.

  2. says

    These look SO perfect! I need immediately. And I get dissatisfied with food I make alllll the time. I have a good grasp on cooking and baking but there are some foods (I’m looking at you salmon) that I struggle with making correctly.

    • says

      Totally it’s always that oneeee thing that frustrates us. Let me think… I think for me, specifically it would be cooking chicken in a pan because I feel like I have to pay such close attention to it or I overcook!

  3. says

    I do not bake EVER! It just doesn’t appeal to me and the fact that you have to be so exact all the time is not how I cook…Plus, as a single lady who lives alone, baking is dangerous…HAHA! I could bake and then eat the whole thing myself…LOL!

  4. says

    OMG I’m in heaven! These are perfect for Easter morning too. I love that you went back and tried the recipe again. I’ve had to do that a few times but it makes all the difference :)

  5. says

    I am SO excited to try these out. Carrot cake anything is my favorite, and I can justify eating these any time of day since they’re super healthy and contain carrots, right? 😉 Also, I can totally relate to the whole re-making a recipe when it tastes good but wrong since I’m currently working on retrying a recipe myself.

  6. says

    OMG I AM SALIVATING RIGHT NOW! Moist is one of my favorite words (oops) and you sold me on these when you described them as moist! I have to try this when I get a donut pan eventually!!

  7. says

    I missed these yesterday but I NEED these. Love carrot cake anything, and I’ve only ever made homemade donuts once.. why??? And yes Ashley is the baking queen–I should probably start consulting her more often, aka every time I try to bake anything 😀 YAY baking soda

  8. says

    Crazy how much and how well these plumped up! I’ve actually never made donuts because I’ve never been the biggest fan (blasphemous I know!), but I feel like I would absolutely love homemade ones, especially if their carrot cake! You have such an amazing talent for recipe development and food photography, I always cannot wait to see what you post next!

  9. says

    Oh my gosh! YUM! These donuts look amazing! What a great recipe! Thanks for sharing girl! Hope that you have a great long weekend! Happy Easter love!
    xoxo Cailee!

  10. says

    OMG YUM! I am so happy I stumbled upon your blog because you have so many delicious recipes. I cannot wait to try these out and actually made some protein donuts the other day that were so good and I was thinking to myself how do I add variety! Thanks for sharing can’t wait to eat these for breakfast xo C

  11. says

    Oh my gosh…donuts are my love language!! And you’ve made a carrot cake version?! I’d devour these EVEN if they looked like pancakes. So perfect!!

  12. says

    I love carrot cake and these doughnuts not only look delicious but more healthy than the traditional doughnut. I cannot wait to try this recipe at home.

  13. says

    Carrot cake but in donut form? Take my money now!! Oh wait, you’re not selling anything. :) I’m definitely going to make these on the weekend.

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