Funfetti baked birthday donuts, healthier vegan donuts made with pantry ingredients and with a light tasty icing that showcase funfetti sprinkles. A fast, easy recipe, gluten-free, dairy-free and with a keto option.
Funfetti Baked Birthday Donuts
Simple funfetti baked birthday donuts made with pantry ingredients, and ready in 20 minutes! Top with a glaze and funfetti sprinkles for a dessert that shrieks “Happy Birthday!” or just “Donuts!” but without the sugar crash, and without the unhealthy ingredients found in traditional fried donuts.
I remember the days of family car trips and stops for boxes of Dunkin Donuts. Oh my gosh, my girls particularly loved the ones with white icing and sprinkles. Well, enter my era of healthy plant-based eating and those pink boxes were no more.
BUT then I bought a donut pan. And started making BAKED donuts. Donuts without a lot of unhealthy ingredients. Donuts with healthier options like chickpeas and healthier flours and date sugar and cacao powder.
But those are all chocolate. So I needed a vanilla donut and a way to duplicate that pretty festive funfetti donut of my yesteryear.
And that time has come. PLUS it’s my daughter’s actual birthday today so perfect timing!
How to Make a Birthday Donut From Scratch
It’s easy to bake a birthday donut from scratch.
1. First, gather ingredients. Flour, sugar, soda, powder, nutmeg, coconut oil or butter, apple cider vinegar, applesauce, vanilla and salt.
2. Make the donut batter as you would a cake. Pipe the batter into the donut mold rings, or use a cupcake tin with liners, filling each about half way to make donut muffins.
3. Bake, and make icing. I made a true vanilla frosting-like icing with powdered sugar, butter and milk, etc. But you can also just make a clear glaze. Add a few tsp of milk to powdered sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Either way, frost or dip your cooled donuts. Store at room temperature for 2 days, or refrigerate in a sealed container for a week, or freeze for months.
Tips To Make the Best Birthday Donuts
First, be sure to get the flour measurement right. Some people swear by weighing. I have pretty good luck spooning flour loosely into a dry-goods metal measuring cup and just shaking off the top excesses. No pressing allowed. But by all means, use a scale if you have one. The weight of one cup of flour is 130 grams.
And be sure your baking powder and baking soda are fairly fresh. Old baking powder and baking soda are the primary reason a baked good doesn’t rise. They will still taste fine though if you are sheltering in place and simply can’t get out to shop just now.
The best recommendations I have to achieve bakery shop flavor is to add a tiny bit of nutmeg – tip from this blog AND vanilla powder (not extract). Powder is literally ground up vanilla pods and carry such an intense flavor. But be sure to buy quality vanilla powder – it’s pricy – but the cheaper brands are just sugar so try this brand.
Finally, frost them with either a clear glaze or a white creamy frosting. And don’t forget the sprinkles! Some people put a tsp or two of sprinkles straight into the batter. Go for it, if rainbow speckles are your thing.
What Are Gluten Free Donuts Made Of?
Mine are gluten free because I used a gluten free flour. You’ll also want to be sure your baking powder is gluten free, but most are.
Can You Make Homemade Donuts Keto?
Yes you can! I have made these twice, once with a one on one substitute with a keto granular sugar replacement. They tasted the same!
How to Make A Doughnut Birthday Cake
Have you every celebrated a birthday with a donut cake? Try it! Just bake 14-16. Decorate festively with icing and sprinkles.
Pile them in a pyramid, and put a candle into each donut.
Are Homemade Birthday Donuts Healthy?
Well, they are a treat, and have sugar so I wouldn’t use them to replace my morning smoothie. But they are NOT laden with chemicals or unhealthy oils and fats when you bake instead of frying. And I suggest using organic ingredients, as well as cleaner flours, etc.
You could also make them higher in protein by replacing half the flour with chickpea flour, or replacing 4 tbsp of flour with a protein powder. And you can always add in a tsp of flaxseed or chia seeds. Those last would add nutrition with no other changes.
Let me know if you think of any ways to up the nutrition of these baked birthday donuts.
Try My Other Healthier Baked Donut Recipes
Chocolate Baked Donuts Recipe
Dark Chocolate Chickpea Protein Donuts
Chocolate Glazed Donuts
Date Sugar Cinnamon Donuts
Also have a detailed round up article here about all my donut recipes and a bit more information on why baked is better than fried.
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Funfetti Baked Birthday Donuts
Ingredients
Donuts
- 1 cup flour (all purpose, or baking 1-to1 gluten-free)
- 1/3 cup organic cane sugar (if keto, replace sugar with 3 tbsp of monk fruit sugar) or look for brands Lakanto or In the Raw
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 4 tbsp coconut oil (or butter, both melted)
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp apple sauce unsweetened
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (for bakery shop flavor)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla powder (for bakery shop flavor) or use 1 tsp of extract but not as powerful a flavor.
Donut Glaze
- 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar (if keto, replace sugar with 1/2 cup of monk fruit sugar)
- 2 tbsp almond milk (or more if glaze is too dry)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Useful Equipment
- Donut pan - 6 wells
Instructions
Prep
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. Grease a doughnut pan with a thin layer of coconut oil.
- In a measuring cup, stir the apple cider vinegar into the milk and set aside for 5 minutes.
- Melt the coconut oil or butter in the microwave for about 15 seconds or less. Or use a water bath.
Make Donuts
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, salt, and sugar.
- Add the apple sauce, melted coconut oil or butter to the milk mixture in a measuring cup.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture, and mix with a hand mixer until just combined. Don't over mix, a few lumps are fine. Over mixing will result in a tough donut.
- Pour the batter into a frosting piping bag or a ziplock bag and snip the corner. Pipe the batter into each donut well.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the tops are just faintly golden brown.
- Let cool 30 minutes. Flip out of pan.
Make Glaze.
- In a small bowl, whisk together sugar (or monk sugar), milk, butter and vanilla. Dip each donut on one side, sprinkle with sprinkles.
- Store refrigerated in a sealed container, although they are best eaten same day.
Nutrition
Dee Dine is founder of Green Smoothie Gourmet, a plant based recipe blog, and author of the recent cookbook, Crazy Healthy with 4 Ingredients . On this blog you’ll find incredibly easy recipes with hidden veggies for anyone wanting to eat healthier, regardless of diet. Dee has graduate degrees in sciences and journalism. More about Dee Dine here.
Leah
the addition of nutmeg is interesting. I’ve got to try this. I also gave up donut shop donuts so looking forward to this recipe
Dee Dine
Thank you Leah, let me know how it goes! Dee