These (mostly) wholesome baked donuts are bursting with fresh spring flavor and are perfect for a perfect brunch gathering this season!
I've craving citrus like crazy these days dreaming of key lime pies, lemonade, citrus curds, Cara Cara oranges, and practically drinking in the scent of my citrusy Capri Blue Volcano candle. My body/taste buds are funny like that - I guess I've trained myself to crave what is in season??? In a few weeks, I will have moved on to banana pudding, salads with strawberries, and shaved asparagus + snap peas in every side dish. Does this happen to you? Are you currently crushing on citrus like I am?
Good. Come join the party. The Glazed Grapefruit Poppy Seed Donut Party, that is!
Interesting and slightly cringe-worthy fact: consuming foods with poppy seeds before a drug test via urine sample can result in a positive test for opiate use. It's true! So don't eat these if you are in the process of a background check for whatever reason!
Another fun fact - this time a fun one - these donuts are a spin on my Grapefruit Poppy Seed Cake from a few years ago! I was craving it again and thought: "why not test this batter in a donut pan?" And here we are today with a donut version of the cake - and a video to boot!
Video
The truth is, baked donuts can be made from pretty much any muffin or sweet bread recipe. Have a favorite banana bread? Blueberry muffin? Try baking the batter in a donut pan and reducing the bake time by about two-thirds. That's exactly what I did with this recipe - gotta love options in the kitchen!
These cute little donuts would be perfect for a spring brunch, wedding/baby shower, garden party....oh the possibilities! I've developed this recipe to have a good dose of whole grain flour, moistness from wholesome Greek yogurt, and hit of sweet from coconut sugar + a light glaze, and the perfect pucker of grapefruit flavor. If you decide to give them a try, please let me know in the comments below! Or, if you'd be so kind, upload a photo to Instagram and Twitter with the tag @sweetcayenne5. I'll be sure to give you a shout out!
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out my Cherry Berry Donuts or my original Grapefruit Olive Oil Cake!
Recipe
Grapefruit Poppy Seed Donuts
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour (or you can use ¾ cup white flour and ¾ cup whole wheat flour)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons of finely grated grapefruit zest
- ½ cup organic cane sugar or coconut sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil (recommend: California Olive Ranch)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup vanilla Greek yogurt plus 2 tablespoons divided
- 5 tablespoons fresh grapefruit juice plus 1 tablespoon divided
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds plus more for garnish
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- Small grapefruit wedges for garnish
- Special equipment: donut pan (these also bake fine in a muffin pan or mini loaf pan)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the insides of the donut pan with cooking spray and set aside on a baking sheet.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar and grapefruit zest. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar until the mixture is fragrant, about one minute. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the eggs, oil, sugar + zest mixture, and vanilla. Beat with a handheld mixer on high speed until the mixture is light and thick, about 4 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add in half of your flour mixture. Mix until just combined, then add the yogurt, mixing again on low until just combined. Add the remaining half of your flour mixture, followed by 5 tablespoons of the grapefruit juice and 1 tablespoon of the poppy seeds. Mix until just combined, then use a rubber spatula to gently fold in anything that may remain on the sides of your bowl.
- Pour the batter into your prepared donut pan and give it a slight shake to settle the batter into the corners of your pan. Bake for 16-18 minutes until the donuts are set and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center.**
- Remove the donuts from the oven and set the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove the donuts from the pan and transfer to the wire rack to cool completely. Repeat this process until you have baked all of the batter.
- To glaze the cooled donuts, combine the powdered sugar, the remaining 2 tablespoons of yogurt and the last 1 tablespoon of grapefruit juice in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth, then dip the donuts into the glaze. Sprinkle the tops with poppy seeds and top with a grapefruit wedge. Serve immediately or soon after glazing.
Video
Notes
- If baking the batter in a muffin pan, bake for 20-22 minutes.
- If baking the batter in a mini loaf pan, bake for 22-25 minutes.
- If baking the batter in a full-size loaf pan, bake 45-55 minutes.
Shop the tools I used to make this recipe:
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