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Baked Carrot Cake Doughnuts with Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting

These Carrot Cake doughnuts are the perfect way to start your day. They’re packed with flavor and are super moist, and the pineapple cream cheese frosting is simply delicious!

a shot of one Carrot Cake Doughnut topped with cream cheese frosting.

Delicious Baked Donuts

Doughnuts. Oh how I love you! Particularly if you are gourmet. Or cake doughnuts. Maybe it’s Donuts? 🤔

You have seen me bake or fry a few donuts here and there: Baked Cinnamon Doughnuts with Vanilla Glaze, Mojito Doughnuts, Jelly Doughnut Holes… I could talk about this doughnut biznass all day with you. Completely normal, right?

It’s been a few months since my last doughnut creation, thus, when I thought of a carrot cake plus a doughnut recipe, I had to have it! 🤤

Making Carrot Cake Doughnuts

Regardless, these DOUGHNUTS are prepared with a combination of grated carrots, cinnamon, nutmeg, and other warm spices, which gives them a rich and flavorful taste that is perfect for breakfast, dessert, or a snack.

Cooling frosted donuts on a wire rack.

I should share that I didn’t want to come near a carrot cake until maybe 5 years ago. The thought of a vegetable in a cake did not appeal to me. Until that one day… I don’t know what got over me, but I thought, fear no more, take that bite! And I did. Oh my Gah, I fell in love with carrot cake.

The texture is awesome. The taste, pretty awesome. The frosting, super freakin’ awesome!

Put all that awesomeness in a baked carrot cake doughnut and you’ve got the best darn doughnut, ever! The Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting is da bomb!

I could not stop myself. I ate 4 of the 18 doughnuts. You know, just for taste. In case I needed to adjust a thing or two.

Are Baked Donuts Healthier?

But carrot cake donuts that are baked are a healthier alternative to fried doughnuts because they are not cooked in oil, which reduces the amount of fat and calories in the final product. They are also a great way to sneak some vegetables into your diet and make a tasty and nutritious breakfast or snack.

Two Baked Carrot Cake Doughnuts on a wooden table.

If you don’t have a doughnut pan yet, go and get one. You’ll love yourself for it. I know fried doughnuts rule, but baked doughnuts aren’t bad… not at all. They rock my world! They should be rocking yours, too.

ENJOY!

Baked Carrot Cake Doughnuts | www.diethood.com | Baked Carrot Cake Doughnuts frosted with Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting and topped with Toasted Walnuts | #recipe #doughnuts #carrotcake #dessert

Baked Carrot Cake Doughnuts with Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting

Katerina | Diethood
Baked Carrot Cake Doughnuts frosted with Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting and topped with Toasted Walnuts.
5 from 1 vote
Servings : 18 servings
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients
  

For the Carrot Cake Doughnuts:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • teaspoons baking powder
  • teaspoons baking soda
  • 8 tablespoons butter, softened
  • cup light brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • cup plain yogurt
  • cup crushed pineapple, drained, reserve 4 tablespoons juice for the frosting
  • cup finely shredded carrots
For the Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 4 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 4 tablespoons pineapple juice
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • Toasted chopped walnuts for garnish

Instructions
 

For the Carrot Cake Doughnuts
  • Preheat oven to 375˚F.
  • Lightly grease the doughnut pan with cooking spray and set it aside.
  • In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
  • In your mixer's bowl, cream together the butter, light brown sugar, and salt.
  • Add the egg, vanilla, and yogurt; beat until smooth.
  • Set the mixer to low and slowly add in the flour mixture until completely incorporated.
  • Using a spatula, fold in the pineapple and carrots.
  • Spoon the mixture into a piping bag or a ziploc bag and pipe the batter into the doughnut pan, filling only 1/2 way up the doughnut cavities.
  • Bake for 10 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and let the doughnuts cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert them onto a wire rack to continue cooling.
In the meantime prepare the Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting
  • In your mixer's bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese until creamy and smooth.
  • Pour in the pineapple juice and powdered sugar; continue to beat until completely blended and smooth.
  • Frost the doughnuts and top them with chopped, toasted walnuts.
To toast the walnuts
  • Add the chopped walnuts to a frying pan.
  • Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until toasted and fragrant, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Notes

Adapted from Life’s Simple Measures
 

Nutrition

Calories: 178 kcal | Carbohydrates: 30 g | Protein: 2 g | Fat: 5 g | Saturated Fat: 3 g | Cholesterol: 24 mg | Sodium: 151 mg | Potassium: 108 mg | Fiber: 0 g | Sugar: 18 g | Vitamin A: 985 IU | Vitamin C: 2.6 mg | Calcium: 40 mg | Iron: 0.9 mg

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

Course: Breakfast/Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baked donuts, easy donut recipe, homemade donuts
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39 comments on “Baked Carrot Cake Doughnuts with Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting”

  1. In the recipe instructions you forgot to add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients before pipping.

    1. Katerina - Diethood
      Katerina Petrovska

      Oh wow! Thanks Maryann!! This recipe has been printed by thousands of people… I hope they knew what to do… eeeek!

  2. I made these this morning, OMG! So, so good! I used 1 c all purpose flour and 1 c whole wheat, and light butter and fat free cream cheese (because I’m trying to eat lighter), they turned out fantastic! I was nervous because the batter was so thick, but not to worry. Thanks so much for the recipe! We gobbled up a half dozen right out of the oven.

    1. Katerina - Diethood
      Katerina Petrovska

      Awesome!! I’m so glad you loved them! I am jotting down your tips… I’ll definitely make them a bit lighter next time so I can down 8 instead of stopping at 4! 😀

  3. Avatar photo
    Nami | Just One Cookbook

    I feel like I need to buy donut pan so that I can make baked version. Because of deep fried donuts, I rarely go buy donuts (and I love them too). I’ll be hooked to make baked version for sure… this carrot cake donuts sounds amazing, and I love your pineapple cream cheese frosting. Never thought pineapple and carrot combination. Oh I wish I could eat this!

  4. Avatar photo
    Kate | Food Babbles

    These doughnuts look amazing! All your photos are fantastic but that first shot is just outstanding! Love the pineapple cream cheese frosting on these too. Lovely!

  5. Avatar photo
    Stacy | Wicked Good Kitchen

    Mmmm….Carrot Cake is my absolute fave for indulgent cakes…spicy, moist and creamy frosting? Now, in a baked doughnut? With pineapple juice in the frosting? HELLO! And, come to Momma! So glad you finally caved & tried Carrot Cake, Kate! Nom… xo

  6. Avatar photo
    Jean (Lemons & Anchovies)

    Wow, Kate. LOVE these doughnuts. And since they’re baked, I get to eat the entire batch, right? 🙂

  7. Avatar photo
    Lisa {AuthenticSuburbanGourmet}

    Looks delicious! Great SRC choice! Those donuts are too die for – lovely photos!!!!

  8. Avatar photo
    Jess Wakasugi {Life's Simple Measures}

    So very glad to see you made these donuts and enjoyed them! I agree with you, that frosting is ridic! Glad to be part of SRC with you!

  9. Avatar photo
    Laura Dembowski (@piesandplots)

    Carrot cake is one of my faves – it is so moist and flavorful. Turning it into doughnuts is such a good idea! It makes it okay to eat cake for breakfast!

  10. These doughnuts look so good!! I can just imagine sinking my teeth into them and tasting all that cream cheese frosting and pineapple. Wow… these are the things that make up my fantasies these days…. 🙂

  11. Oh I love carrot cake…..but these carrot cake doughnuts look amazing. What a great idea!
    Gotta buy a doughnut pan immediately!
    🙂

  12. Oh, carrot cake donuts, you look amazing. Perhaps I need to dig that doughnut pan back out of my cabinet and make some!

    1. Katerina - Diethood
      Katerina Petrovska

      Oh I could have taken all 18, but I had to share them with my very pregnant friend … she was ready to tackle me for the rest of them! 🙂

  13. Wow! Methinks your doughnuts have completely blown mine out of the water. Thanks. 😀

    These look spectacular!! And they’re baked so eating half the batch is pretty okay, yes? 😉

    1. Katerina - Diethood
      Katerina Petrovska

      I think we should swap!! And make sure to eat them on the weekend – it’s calorie-free. ;-D

  14. Avatar photo
    Taking On Magazines

    I’ve resisted buying a doughnut pan simply because of that 4 out of 18 thing. I might as well just glue them to my hips. Every time I look at them, like the amazing ones you made, I almost give in. They look so delicious.

  15. Avatar photo
    Averie @Averie Cooks

    Ive been reading Jess’ blog for a couple years and she has some gems on her site! Buried treasure recipes that I love discovering – like these donuts! I love carrot cake so much and bet that in donuts it’s awesome!

  16. Avatar photo
    Debbi Does Dinner Healthy

    Just the title had my mouth watering! These sound amazing! Saving this one for sure, great choice!

  17. I agree! Gourmet or cake donuts all the way …for this dietitian! (:
    Looking forward to making your ‘da bomb’ of a recipe! Just found your site thru SRC! Love!

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