Go Back
+ servings

Carrot Cake Baked Donuts

Karissa Parrish
These carrot cake baked donuts are the perfect treats to serve at your Easter brunch. They have a cakey texture, are filled with shredded carrots, and are topped with a cinnamon cream cheese icing!
5 from 6 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Cooling: 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 6 donuts

Equipment

  • Donut Pan
  • Mixing Bowls

Ingredients:
 
 

Carrot Cake Donuts

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ground
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • teaspoon cloves, ground
  • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons yogurt, plain or vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup freshly grated carrots

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Glaze

  • 2 ounces cream cheese (block-style), room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ tablespoons milk

Instructions:
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 6-count donut pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.

Carrot Cake Donuts

  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cloves. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, egg, brown sugar, milk, yogurt, and vanilla extract until combined.
  • Add the dry ingredients into the wet and gently fold together using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until combined (be careful not to over mix). Then gently fold in the grated carrots.
  • Scoop the batter into a piping bag or a zipped-up sandwich bag. Simply cut a corner off of the bottom of the bag and pipe the donut batter into each donut cup, filling it up about ¾ of the way full.
  • Bake the donuts for 9-11 minutes. Use a toothpick to check the center. If it comes out clean, then they're done. Allow the donuts to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully removing them and setting them on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Glaze

  • In the bowl of an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and butter until light and creamy (about 1 minute). Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • Add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and milk and beat on med-high speed for an additional 1-2 minutes. Scrape the glaze into a small bowl and if it's slightly lumpy, heat in the microwave for about 8 seconds. Use a whisk to mix everything together.
  • Once the donuts have cooled, dip them into the glaze and place them back onto the wire rack (feel free to dip the donuts twice for extra glaze!). Once set, serve immediately and enjoy!
  • Keep leftover donuts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes:

  • Baking Pan: You'll need a 6-count donut pan like this one or this wilton donut pan. I have both of these and use them interchangeably. Be sure to spray it with nonstick spray.
  • Carrots: You will want to freshly grate your carrots instead of buying pre-shredded carrots from the store. This helps the donuts to be moist, so please don't skip this step!
  • Donut Batter: I find it so much easier to scrape the donut batter into a pastry or ziplock bag and pipe the batter into the donut cups. This method makes it less messy too.
  • Glaze: If you find your cream cheese glaze to be slightly lumpy, just heat it up in the microwave for about 5-10 seconds. Then use a whisk to mix everything together again.

Nutrition

Serving: 1donutCalories: 317kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 5gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 230mgPotassium: 140mgFiber: 1gSugar: 30gVitamin A: 2096IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 105mgIron: 1mg
Keyword baked donuts, carrot cake baked donuts, carrot cake donuts
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!