So…third blog post and I think I’m starting to get the hang of being a blogger! Lots of research figuring out what to create next, trial and error in the kitchen where I pretend I’m a famous photographer while my dogs stare at me like I’m crazy, then snagging a seat at my local coffee shop or cafe to set aside some time to type the blog and the recipe! Easy peasy! Well, not so easy (quite the process actually) but I’m lovin’ it so far.

This week I made strawberry lemonade baked donuts and they were a big success in the Ornellas household. If you know my husband at all, you know that his weakness is donuts. Any and all kinds of donuts. Well not chocolate (what kind of human being hates chocolate?!) but you know what I mean 😉 So when I got the idea for a baked donut, I jumped at the chance. Donuts seem so hard to do, especially for the at-home baker, since most people don’t own a fryer. So I decided to try a baked version that is not only easier, but it’s healthier. If you’ve ever been curious about making donuts at home, do yourself a favor and try these! I used this donut pan from Target. It was the perfect addition to my kitchen and I can’t wait to try more recipes using it!

I can’t lie, I definitely took a few of these unfrosted donuts to work as a snack. They are amazing both frosted and unfrosted! And the huge chunks of fresh strawberries are just the….icing on the donut orrr….icing on the cake. Get it? God I love a good pun. More puns to come guys. And ps, don’t even get me started on the lemon flavor. I am beyond obsessed with lemons, so much so, that my best friend got me lemon salt and pepper shakers for my birthday this year and I had lemon centerpieces at my wedding instead of flowers. I understand it might be a slight problem. I promise there will be more lemon-obsessed posts to come!

Any other flavor combos of baked donuts you’d like to see? Comment below and let me know!

Download printable version here!

STRAWBERRY LEMONADE BAKED DONUTS
Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 6-8 minutes
Yield: 14-16 donuts

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 1/2t baking powder
1/2t salt
3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup buttermilk
2T melted butter
2 eggs
2T whole milk
1T vanilla
2T lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon

1 cup strawberries, diced

Icing:
1 cup strawberries, diced
2T sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Steps:
-Preheat oven to 425 degrees
-Add only the first two icing ingredients to a small bowl and set aside to let juices form
-Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl and mix together
-Add all wet ingredients to the dry and mix together
-Gently fold in diced strawberries, mixing until just combined
-Scoop or pipe mixture into prepared donut pan
-Bake for 6-8 minutes or until donuts spring back when touched
-While donuts are baking, you want to finish making the icing: add powdered sugar to a bowl and add the juices from the strawberry/sugar mixture. You’ll get a pretty pink icing for your donuts. You may need more juice or powdered sugar, depending on your desired thickness.
-Once donuts are cool enough to handle (but still warm), remove from pan and drizzle icing on top of each, then eat immediately!