If you are looking for the perfect baked blueberry donut recipe, this is it! These donuts have a soft texture that can best be described as a fried cake donut and a muffin had a baby.
We aren't frying these, but they still have that soft-to-bite-into cake batter we all love. Tiny pieces of blueberries are tucked inside the donut batter, making every bite even better. We even use freeze dried blueberries to naturally color the glaze! This perfect donut recipe is dye-free and just so deliciously simple.
Why this Baked Blueberry Donut Recipe Works
I'm a donut lover, through and through, and I know that just about everyone can say the same. My favorites have always been old-fashioned cake donuts, which is why I love this particular recipe so, sooo much. It’s rich, berry-packed and perfectly sweet.
- no vegetable oil (no messy frying!)
- zero food dyes
- yeast-free (no rise time!)
This delicious blueberry donut recipe is baked, not fried, for those who want to make homemade donuts but don’t feel like messing up the kitchen by dragging out the fryer. But don't worry, they’re ever bit as tasty!
This baked blueberry donut recipe is perfect plain, but I’ve got a fresh berry glaze recipe if you’re craving an iced donut. These donuts also taste delicious with a simple powdered sugar dusting or quick sprinkle dip if you’re not a glazed donut fan!
Jump to:
- Why this Baked Blueberry Donut Recipe Works
- Ingredients for Homemade Blueberry Donuts
- Blueberry Glaze
- How to Make Blueberry Donuts (makes 12 donuts)
- Top tip
- Variations for this Strawberry Donut Recipe
- Helpful Tools for Making Cake Donuts
- How to Store Donuts
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Recipe
- VARIATIONS FOR THIS STRAWBERRY DONUT RECIPE
- HOW TO STORE DONUTS
- TOP TIP
- MORE DELICIOUS BAKED DONUTS!
- More breakfast recipes:
- Comments
Ingredients for Homemade Blueberry Donuts
- All-purpose flour | This easy recipe for donuts could also be made with a gluten free flour blend such as Bob's 1:1. They could also be made with up to 50% whole wheat flour, fresh milled flour or cake flour.
- Granulated white sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Milk | Buttermilk or clabber are great options, but whole milk is also a great choice for this recipe.
- Blueberries | Hear me out, it's worth finding freeze dried blueberries for this recipe. They are often in the snack section or can be purchased online. You could also use tiny pieces of fresh diced blueberries. Fresh blueberries (aka wild blueberries) can add moisture to the doughnuts, so the baking time may need increased slightly.
- Butter
- Vanilla Extract | Make your own homemade madagascar bourbon vanilla to save money!
Blueberry Glaze
- Maple Syrup | This sweetens up the frosting without overwhelming it. You can substitute corn syrup if you need to.
- Milk or cream | The amount will vary slightly, but start with the lowest amount and very slowly add more until the desired consistency is reached.
- Melted butter
- Freeze dried blueberries | I used a mortar and pestle to grind my freeze dried blueberries into a powder to make the glaze uniform and colorful. I also reserved a tablespoon or so of the powder to sprinkle on top. If you still want the vivid purple color but need a substitution, add a teaspoon of blueberry jam to the glaze instead.
- Powdered sugar | Depending on where you live, this might be called confectioners' sugar.
- Optional | A squeeze of lemon juice and lemon zest to brighten up the glaze.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Blueberry Donuts (makes 12 donuts)
1. Preheat the oven to 400℉. Prepare the 12-count donut pan by spraying generously with cooking spray. I recommend placing the silicon donut pan on a baking sheet for stability.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, stir together the wet ingredients: milk, melted butter, and vanilla.
3. Stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and mix until just combined to make the doughnut batter. Do not over mix the batter, or your donuts will be tough. Stir the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined so that your donuts are soft.Fold in the blueberry pieces.
4. Spoon the batter into the greased donut pan. I've found that about three normal sized spoonfuls in each donut pan perfectly fills them up. An alternative way to fill the pans is by pouring the batter into a plastic bag, pastry bag or piping bag and cutting a corner off to pipe it into the molds.
4. Reduce the oven temperature to 350℉. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes (give or take two minutes). The donuts are done when they spring back when touched and will pull away from the edge of the pan slightly.
5. Leave the donuts in the pan until they have cooled so that they can be touched without burning fingers. Then invert the pan onto a cooling rack that is setting in a baking sheet. I also like to slip a piece of parchment paper under the cooling rack to catch the extra donut glaze that drips of the blueberry cake doughnuts. This will keep your countertop from getting messy!
6. Make the frosting by whisking the milk, maple syrup, melted butter, freeze dried blueberry powder and powdered sugar together until smooth. Start with the least amount of milk and then gradually add more, a little at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.
7. Dip the baked doughnuts upside down into the glaze. Add sprinkles, if desired!
Top tip
Hint: Frost each cooled donut while it is still slightly warm. The frosting should look pale purple and smooth. If it is thick and fluffy, either add a little milk or heat it in the microwave in 10 second increments until it is more of a liquid, glossy and has a runny texture. Dip the tops of the donuts in the frosting. Hold upside down until the icing stops dripping, then place the cake doughnuts on a wire rack to cool.
Variations for this Strawberry Donut Recipe
These donuts are pretty perfect as is, but there are still plenty of ways to make this recipe your own!
- sprinkles: add colorful sprinkles sprinkles to the tops of the freshly frosted donuts while the icing is still setting up.
- skip the frosting: use powdered sugar instead of glaze.
- blueberry lovers: add 1 tablespoon of strawberry jam to the wet ingredients to add an extra oomf of strawberry flavor.
- chocolate lover: add ½ cup of mini chocolate chips to the batter before filling the donut pans.
- Glazed Blueberry muffins: If you do not have a donut pan, don't worry! Just make this recipe in a 12-count muffin tin with liners.
Helpful Tools for Making Cake Donuts
- Silicon donut pans are a game changer! They allow the donuts to gently be popped out after cooling and are easy to clean.
- I recommend baking them on a baking pan (aka cookie sheet) to add a rigid and stable base.
- A few of my other favorite baking tools include a set of nesting measuring cups, measuring spoons, a sturdy whisk and large bowl for mixing the donut batter.
How to Store Donuts
Homemade cake donuts don't store for long. Make them the day you wish to serve them or store them in an airtight container for up to two days. Next time you might want to make a double batch to freeze half for later!
They can also be frozen for up to three months. Be aware that the icing will break down when frozen and thawed, but the flavor will still be just fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Freeze these donuts without icing or topping in a single layer on a lined sheet pan before transferring them to a freezer-safe bag for 2 to 3 months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge and warm them up in the microwave before topping them with the icing or powdered sugar when ready to eat.
If you have leftover donuts, cover them and store them at room temperature for 1 to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Yes, you can make gluten-free baked donuts by using a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. Additionally, ensure that all other ingredients, such as baking powder and spices, are certified gluten-free. I've had great luck with this recipe using Bobs 1:1 GF flour.
Absolutely! Baked blueberry doughnuts can be made in advance and reheated for a delicious treat later. To reheat, simply place them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or pop them in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 5 minutes. Remember to add the blueberry frosting just before serving for the best taste and texture.
Recipe
Blueberry Donut Recipe
Equipment
- donut pan
- mixing bowl or stand mixer
- measuring cups & spoons
Ingredients
blueberry donut batter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ cup blueberries fresh or freeze-dried
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cups milk or substitute clabber or buttermilk
- ¼ cup melted butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
blueberry glaze
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 2 tablespoons blueberries freeze dried powder
- 1¼ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. Prepare the 12-count donut pan by spraying generously with cooking spray. I recommend placing the silicon donut pan on a baking sheet for stability.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, stir together the wet ingredients: milk, melted butter, and vanilla.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and mix until just combined to make the doughnut batter. Fold in the blueberry pieces.
- Spoon the batter into the greased donut pan. I've found that about three normal sized spoonfuls in each donut pan perfectly fills them up. An alternative way to fill the pans is by pouring the batter into a plastic bag, pastry bag or piping bag and cutting a corner off to pipe it into the molds.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350℉. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes (give or take two minutes). The donuts are done when they spring back when touched and will pull away from the edge of the pan slightly.
- Leave the donuts in the pan until they have cooled so that they can be touched without burning fingers. Then invert the pan onto a cooling rack that is setting in a baking sheet. I also like to slip a piece of parchment paper under the cooling rack to catch the extra donut glaze that drips of the blueberry cake doughnuts. This will keep your countertop from getting messy!
- Make the frosting by whisking the milk, maple syrup, melted butter, freeze dried blueberry powder and powdered sugar together until smooth. Start with the least amount of milk and then gradually add more, a little at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.
- Dip the baked doughnuts upside down into the glaze. Add sprinkles, if desired!
Notes
VARIATIONS FOR THIS STRAWBERRY DONUT RECIPE
These donuts are pretty perfect as is, but there are still plenty of ways to make this recipe your own!- sprinkles: add colorful sprinkles sprinkles to the tops of the freshly frosted donuts while the icing is still setting up.
- skip the frosting: use powdered sugar instead of glaze.
- blueberry lovers: add 1 tablespoon of strawberry jam to the wet ingredients to add an extra oomf of strawberry flavor.
- chocolate lover: add ½ cup of mini chocolate chips to the batter before filling the donut pans.
- Glazed Blueberry muffins: If you do not have a donut pan, don't worry! Just make this recipe in a 12-count muffin tin with liners.
HOW TO STORE DONUTS
Homemade cake donuts don't store for long. Make them the day you wish to serve them or store them in an airtight container for up to two days. Next time you might want to make a double batch to freeze half for later! They can also be frozen for up to three months. Be aware that the icing will break down when frozen and thawed, but the flavor will still be just fine.TOP TIP
Do not over mix the batter, or your donuts will be tough. Stir the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined so that your donuts are soft.Nutrition
If you make this recipe, leave me a comment and tell me how you liked it! Be sure to pin one of these pictures to your Pinterest so you can easily find this recipe later!
Happy baking!
-Meg
MORE DELICIOUS BAKED DONUTS!
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Deb
I am so happy I come across your blog! All the donut recipes when donuts are a major hit in our house, have been a life saver. They are easy to make and always delicious! This blueberry donut recipe has been a family favorite lately!