Baked Carrot Cake Donuts with Cream Cheese Glaze

frosted carrot cake donuts on a wire rack with sprinkles and one in front with a bite missing

5 from 2 votes

Baked Carrot Cake Donuts with Cream Cheese Glaze

Delight your family with Carrot Cake Baked Donuts with Cream Cheese Glaze for an easy Easter treat or Spring brunch this year! They are soft and moist and not as bad for you as a traditional fried donut.

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Total Time25

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: donuts

Author: Amy Nash

Ingredients

Donuts

1/4 cup salted butter melted
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups shredded carrot (about 2 large carrots)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Glaze

2 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup salted butter melted
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-4 Tablespoons milk
Sprinkles for decorating

Instructions

Donuts

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray donut pans with baking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, oil, and sugars. Add the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla and whisk until combined.
1/4 cup salted butter, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 cup buttermilk, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Stir in carrots with a wooden spoon, then sprinkle the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg over the batter and stir just until combined.
1 1/2 cups shredded carrot, 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Transfer the batter to a large ziploc or piping bag and cut off the tip. Pipe the batter into the prepared pans until they are about 3/4 full.
Bake for 8-10 minutes until the top springs back to the touch or a toothpick inserted into one of the donuts comes out clean. Cool for a few minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Glaze

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese using an electric hand mixer until smooth. Add the melted butter and powdered sugar and beat again. Add the vanilla and milk, continuing to beat until you reach the desired consistency.
2 ounces cream cheese, 1/4 cup salted butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2-4 Tablespoons milk
Once donuts are cool, dip each donut into the glaze then decorate with sprinkles. Let set for 1 hour. The glaze doesn't fully harden because of the cream cheese, but it's worth it for that classic cream cheese and carrot cake flavor. If you want a glaze that will dry out better, just omit the cream cheese.
Sprinkles

Notes

You can make this recipe into muffins using a muffin pan. Bake 18-20 minutes at the same temperature until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the muffins comes out clean.

Nutrition

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