Blueberry Cake Donuts
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.I never miss an opportunity to bake these blueberry cake donuts whenever I have fresh blueberries in my fridge. These are made with fresh blueberries, mashed-up bananas, and almond milk. They come out of the oven soft and moist, and I add a light glaze and have them ready in just 30 minutes. Each bite has a tart burst of flavor and a tender cake texture that elevates any breakfast spread.
Blueberry cake donuts are an essential baked item in my household. In fact, any recipe that has blueberries in it is a staple, much like my vegan blueberry pancakes. I recommend this for those mornings when you have less time in the kitchen. These donuts are ideal for anyone who prefers a cake texture over the chewy, deep-fried yeast donut. I bake mine, which keeps them lighter and healthier. Also, I am a sucker for that gorgeous pop of purple from the berries.
I created this recipe after baking my dairy-free blueberry muffins for many Saturday-morning breakfasts and realized I needed to change it up. I knew my kids would not want to miss out on the blueberries, so whatever I made had to include them. That is when I decided to merge three of their favorite things: blueberries, donuts, and handheld foods. The first time I made these, I had to remind my kids not to overdo it. I packed the leftover donuts away and told them that they could have more the next day. If it were not for their purple-stained lips, I would never have known that they were sneaking extras. Caught my husband with purple lips, too. Ha!
👩🏽🍳 Why I Love This Recipe
As a health coach, I love that these blueberry cake donuts are baked instead of fried, which means I do not have to worry about high calories and trans fats. The blueberries are another major selling point for me. There is a reason I include them in so many of my recipes. Not only do they add a natural tart sweetness, but they are also considered a superfood. They are high in vitamin C, K, Manganese which support metabolism and bone health, and they are rich in antioxidants.
The batter relies on baking soda and baking powder for a lift, which creates a softer cake texture, unlike traditional donuts that use yeast. I fold the blueberries in gently to prevent streaking and to keep the crumb tender. Instead of an intense, sudden heat from deep frying, my donuts bake and rise at a steady temperature and finish with a golden exterior.
As I mentioned, my kids both love blueberries and will eat them in any form. But there was a time when my youngest swore off them for about 4 months! We have Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to thank for that. After witnessing Violet Beauregarde turn into a giant blueberry, they just stared at the screen in silence. I was not even aware of this until I served a fruit salad and noticed that all the berries had been picked out.
This was when I got super creative with blueberries. Smoothies were a winner, and eventually, sweet baked items were also eaten without worry. Luckily, we are past that stage, and blueberries are back to being a household favorite. Make sure to try one or all of my blueberry recipes; your kids will love them.
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🥘 Ingredients
For this blueberry cake donut recipe, I use items that are almost always in my pantry, along with fresh fruit.
All purpose-flour: I use this flour to create a light, fluffy crumb that keeps its structure well.
Sugar: I use granulated sugar to counteract the slight sourness of the blueberries and to sweeten the batter. A healthier option here would be coconut sugar.
Salt: A pinch of salt balances out the sweetness and enhances the flavors.
Baking soda and baking powder: I use these powders as raising agents, which give my donuts a much-needed lift.
Vanilla extract: This is essential to my baked items, as it adds warmth and a rounded flavor.
Mashed banana: I use a ripe mashed banana as an egg replacement. This provides moisture and acts as a binding agent.
Unsweetened almond milk: Almond milk helps keep my batter smooth and easy to pipe.
Apple cider vinegar: I combine this with my raising agents to activate the baking powder and support the rise.
Olive oil: A light or neutral-flavored oil is best for adding and keeping my donuts moist after they have baked.
Blueberries: I prefer using fresh blueberries, but frozen could work too. The added moisture may require additional baking time.
Powdered sugar: For my glaze, I mix powdered sugar with milk for a topping that does not overshadow the blueberries.
🔪 How To Make
I make a simple batter, followed by an easy baking method, with the help of my donut tray for the signature shape. Here is how I do it:
Prep the pan, mix dry ingredients: First, I preheat my oven to 350F. I spray my donut tray with a nonstick cooking spray and set it aside. Then I mix the flour, sugar, salt, and raising agents in a medium bowl and whisk until combined.
Mix wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, I combine the vanilla, banana, almond milk, vinegar, and olive oil and whisk until smooth.
Combine wet and dry: Next, I gently fold the wet ingredients and blueberries into the flour mixture. I stir until combined.
Pipe: Then I fill a piping bag with batter and pipe it into my prepared donut tray.
Bake donuts: I bake the donuts for 10-15 minutes until golden brown and baked through. Then I let the donuts sit in the pan for 5 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the glaze: While the donuts are cooling, I slowly whisk milk into the powdered sugar until it is dissolved and smooth.
Dip the donuts: I dunk the donuts into the glaze and place them on a wire rack to dry.
Serve: After about 20 minutes, the glaze should be set, and I serve my donuts.
💭 Expert Tips
My #1 Secret Tip for this blueberry cake donut recipe is to coat the blueberries in flour before adding them to the batter. I like dusting my berries lightly to make sure they stay suspended in the batter. The few times I have skipped this step, a lot of my blueberries sank to the bottom during baking.
Other Tips To Keep In Mind:
- Allow space for blueberries: When cutting a hole in my piping bag, I make sure to make it slightly bigger than a blueberry. This way, there is no clogging and sudden ruptures of batter from the bag.
- Use your hands: I do not use any appliances for mixing, as it is essential not to overmix. The crumb has a better chance of being tender if it is mixed gently and by hand. All you need is a witch and a spatula.
- Adjust the glaze: If I want a more translucent or opaque glaze, I add either less or more milk. For a completely transparent glaze, use water instead of milk.
- Use a ripe banana: I use a very ripe banana for a better sweetness and a smoother texture.
📖 Variations
I love experimenting with this blueberry cake donut recipe. These are three variations that have received the most compliments:
Lemon blueberry: I add 1 teaspoon of lemon zest to the batter and a squeeze of lemon to the glaze. This gives the donuts a lively citrus boost, which my kids say tastes like summer.
Mixed berry donuts: For this, I replace 1/2 cup of blueberries with either 1/2 cup chopped strawberries or raspberries. The strawberries add a sweeter flavor, while the raspberries are slightly more tart. I made these last Valentines day and placed heart-shaped pieces of strawberries on top of the glaze.
Chocolate chip swap: Sometimes I have gone completely off script and replaced the blueberries with 3/4 chocolate chips. My husband calls these mini bundt cakes when they have chocolate in them, and he has them with his coffee.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
I love serving these blueberry cake donuts with a glass of my blueberry pineapple smoothie. My kids always think I am spoiling them when I serve them, but I like dosing them with vitamin C ahead of flu season. On days when they need a bit more sustenance, I prepare my vegan blueberry baked oats instead. Which one of these are you going to try first?
Last year, my family and I went berry picking at a local Bay Area farm. I went a bit crazy and definitely came home with way too many blueberries. I froze a few of them and decided to make blueberry-themed gift baskets for friends, family, and work colleagues. These baskets included a few of my blueberry cake donuts, my blueberry sourdough muffins, and mini loaves of banana blueberry oat bread. I also added a little card explaining all the blueberries. I am sure people thought I was mad. Ha!
🧊 Storing And ♨️ Reheating
Refrigeration: I tore these donuts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days to keep the glaze firm
Freezing: I freeze the unglazed donuts in a sealed container for up to 2 months. I thaw them at room temperature and dip them in fresh glaze before serving.
Reheating: If I want these donuts slightly warm, I microwave an unglazed donut for 8-10 seconds, then allow it to cool slightly before adding glaze. Eating it warm means the glaze will not be fully set.
❓Recipe FAQs
What is the best way to use frozen blueberries in this recipe?
I use blueberries straight from the freezer without thawing them first. Thawed berries will release excess moisture and can streak or bleed, resulting in a purple batter. Just like with my fresh berries, I toss them in a bit of flour before folding them into the batter.
How do I stop the glaze from soaking into the donuts?
I make sure my donuts are completely cool before glazing. Warm donuts absorb the glaze quickly and become sticky. I also make sure to set my dunked donuts on a wire rack to prevent the glaze from pooling and absorbing into the base.
Can I make this without a donut tray?
Yes, you can! I have made these without a tray and embraced the rustic quality of the appearance. You can use greased muffin tins and cut the centers out once baked, or you could pipe rings directly onto parchment and bake, but this may lead to flatter donuts.
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🎥 Watch How to Make It
Blueberry Cake Donuts
I never miss an opportunity to bake these blueberry cake donuts whenever I have fresh blueberries in my fridge. These are made with fresh blueberries, mashed-up bananas, and almond milk. They come out of the oven soft and moist, and I add a light glaze and have them ready in just 30 minutes. Each bite has a tart burst of flavor and a tender cake texture that elevates any breakfast spread.
Servings: 18
Calories: 151kcal
Ingredients
For The Donuts
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ mashed banana
- 1¼ cups almond milk
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup blueberries
For The Glaze
- 1¼ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ – ⅓ cup almond milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 356 degrees F / 176 C. Lightly spray a donut pan with spray oil, set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Whisk until well combined and set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl whisk together the vanilla extract, mashed banana, almond milk, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil. Whisk until smooth.
- Gently fold the wet ingredients along with the blueberries into the dry ingredients. Continue to mix the batter until all ingredients are combined.
- Fill a piping bag, or a ziplock bag, with the batter and pipe the batter into the prepared tray. If using a ziplock bag, trim off one corner to allow you to pipe the batter.
- Don't over fill the tray when piping to ensure the donuts come out in the perfect shape.
- Place in the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes. Once cooked, remove the tray from the oven and allow it to sit for 5 minutes before turning the donuts out onto a wire rack.
- Repeat with remaining batter if needed. Batter makes 18 donuts.
- Prepare the glaze once all donuts are completely cooled. Slowly whisk the milk into the powdered sugar until desired consistency.
- Dip all the cooled donuts into the glaze and place on a wire rack.
Notes
- My #1 Secret Tip for this blueberry cake donut recipe is to coat the blueberries in flour before adding them to the batter. I like dusting my berries lightly to make sure they stay suspended in the batter. The few times I have skipped this step, a lot of my blueberries sank to the bottom during baking.
- Allow space for blueberries: When cutting a hole in my piping bag, I make sure to make it slightly bigger than a blueberry. This way, there is no clogging and sudden ruptures of batter from the bag.
- Use your hands: I do not use any appliances for mixing, as it is essential not to overmix. The crumb has a better chance of being tender if it is mixed gently and by hand. All you need is a witch and a spatula.
- Adjust the glaze: If I want a more translucent or opaque glaze, I add either less or more milk. For a completely transparent glaze, use water instead of milk.
- Use a ripe banana: I use a very ripe banana for a better sweetness and a smoother texture.
Nutrition
Serving: 1donut | Calories: 151kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 155mg | Potassium: 79mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g
These donuts look so fluffy and perfect! I can’t wait to try these out for a super special weekend breakfast, I love anything with blueberry!
Thanks so much Farah! You will love this recipe!
I have such a sweet tooth so these donuts tick all the right boxes for me.
Yes!! Thanks Charla – enjoy!
Great recipe, have been wanting to try a healthier version of doughnuts for the kids and these were tasty and easier to make than I thought!
Thanks so much Sara! So glad you all liked this recipe!
Those look awesome. I’m saving this recipe for later. Definitely trying these.
Yay!! I know you will love these donuts Jacqueline! Enjoy!
I love a good donut recipe and the fact that these are baked and a bit healthier..even better!
Yes!! You will love these – I can’t wait to hear how they turn out for you!