Zucchini bread is a summer staple here in the heartland of America, but have you thought to use zucchini in your baked donut recipes? I hadn’t, until recently, that is. And now I’m here to offer some sound advice: run, don’t walk, to your garden, pick a fresh zucchini, and have this recipe at the ready because you’re about to realize what you’ve been missing out on!
If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you already know that donuts are my weakness. What’s funny given how much I love them is that, even if I’m presented with the fanciest, wildest, most over-the-top selections, I usually end up choosing something rather simple – like cinnamon sugar, maple glazed, or blueberry. Sometimes simple is the best, you know?
So that’s what I went for with my first baked zucchini donut, and it didn’t disappoint.
I found the recipe over at Ambitious Kitchen and tweaked it just ever so slightly.
Blueberry + Zucchini Baked Donuts
Makes 9 donuts / Recipe adapted from Ambitious Kitchen
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups flour of choice (regular, gluten free, or whole wheat)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Dash of cinnamon
- 1 cup shredded, unpeeled zucchini, thoroughly squeezed of its moisture
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (or 1 egg)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
- 1/2 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons oil ( I use coconut oil or avocado oil)
- 1/2 cup milk (I use almond)
- 3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- Optional: Zest of one lemon and a squeeze of lemon juice
- Optional: Coarse sugar for sprinkling (I used coconut sugar)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a donut pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a separate bowl mix together the shredded zucchini, applesauce, maple syrup, almond or vanilla extract, oil and milk (and lemon zest and juice, if using).
- Combine wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Gently fold in the blueberries.
- Spoon the batter into donut pan, filling almost to the top. Sprinkle with a dash of sugar, if you like.
- Bake at 350ºF for 13-17 minutes, until wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool on a wire rack before enjoying!
There’s nothing better than a blueberry donut to start the day. Sweet. Simple. And with a little added zucchini, taken to the next level.
I can also vouch that any of these zucchini bread batters poured into a donut pan taste just as wonderful!
What’s your go-to donut? What are some of your favorite ways to sneak zucchini into a sweet treat?
xo, Aly