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Carrot cake donuts topped with cream cheese icing and chopped nuts

Baked Carrot Cake Donuts

5 from 5 votes
Moist and chewy baked carrot cake donuts are perfectly spiced and topped with plenty of tangy cream cheese icing - and they'll be ready in less than 30 minutes! Eat these for breakfast, then make my irresistible paleo carrot cake for dessert.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 8 to 10 donuts

Equipment

Ingredients
  

Carrot cake donuts:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • ½ cup milk of choice
  • 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup carrots, peeled and grated (around 3 carrots, depending on size)

Cream cheese icing:

  • 2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1-2 teaspoons milk of choice
  • Pinch of salt
  • ⅓ cup walnuts and/or pecans, chopped and toasted (optional)

Instructions
 

Carrot cake donuts:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a donut pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, salt, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together egg and brown sugar until combined and caramel in color. Add milk, oil, and vanilla and stir to combine.
  • Add bowl of dry ingredients to bowl of wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Add grated carrots and stir until thoroughly combined.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan, filling each ⅔ full. The easiest way to fill them is to use a pastry bag (or a plastic bag with a hole cut into the corner). Bake for 13-15 minutes (14 minutes is perfect for me), until set and golden. Let set in pan for a minute or two, and then remove from pan and let cool completely on wire racks.

Cream cheese icing:

  • In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and butter. Use a hand mixer to beat on high speed until combined and smooth.
  • Add powdered sugar, and beat again start on low speed then increasing to high speed to thoroughly combine.
  • Add milk 1 teaspoon at a time, beating to combine after each addition, until you've reached a consistency that will be good for dipping (but not so thin that's it's liquidy).
  • Dip the top of each donut in the icing, twisting as you remove it. Use a small spatula or knife to smooth out the tops.
  • Top with chopped nuts, serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • Store in an airtight container for no more than 2, maybe 3 days.
  • I have this Wilton donut pan (affiliate link), and I highly recommend getting two of them so you don't have to wait for the pan to cool, clean it, and respray before you can bake the next batch.
  • If you don't want to add the cream cheese icing, you could definitely eat them without it. Maybe add a sprinkle of powdered sugar or cinnamon on top.

Nutrition

Calories: 303kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 288mg | Potassium: 126mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 1576IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 1mg
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Author Leslie Kiszka
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