Carrot Cake Donuts (Baked)

Soft and moist Carrot Cake Donuts are baked in a donut pan then topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting and chopped walnuts. No yeast required! Makes 6 small batch donuts that are worthy for Easter brunch or dessert.

As a home baker, one thing I hate more than anything is deep frying.

Sure, I’ll do it with my lemon donuts and apple filled donuts, but I much prefer making air fryer fried chicken vs. traditional frying.

It’s not even so much the process but the smell. My entire building knows when I’ve been frying. Plus it’s not exactly healthy to deep fry everything.

Now I’m not saying these baked Carrot Cake Donuts are healthy by any means, but they don’t require deep frying AND your kitchen won’t smell like oil for days. Win win.

These carrot cake doughnuts are a baked donut recipe filled with shredded carrots, walnuts, and raisins. They stay moist thanks to the vegetable oil and brown sugar.

It’s like you’re eating my small carrot cake recipe but in donut form.

Instead of frying, you bake them in a 6-cavity doughnut pan so they keep their shape.

To garnish, decorate them with cream cheese frosting and some chopped walnuts for extra crunch.

Sometimes if I don’t feel like making frosting, I’ll drizzle some Bundt cake glaze on top.

Don’t have a donut pan? Use a mini muffin pan and turn them into baked donut holes.

Or make my carrot cake cupcakes instead. Same flavor, just a different shape.

Why You’ll Love This Carrot Cake Donut Recipe

• No yeast required! – Because these are cake donuts, there’s no yeast! No waiting for dough to rest and rise. Just make the spiced carrot batter and bake right away.
• Makes 6 donuts! – There are only 6 spaces in the donut pan, so I didn’t want to use a second pan or wait for the first pan to cool. That means only 1 round of baking.
• Both brunch and dessert! – Start your day with freshly baked donuts or make them as dessert for your Easter dinner for two.

Ingredients For Carrot Cake Donuts

Here’s what you need to make your baked donut recipe:

• Flour: Thickens the batter so it doesn’t fall apart while baking
• Cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove: Spices to season your batter
• Salt: Brings out more flavor
• Baking soda and powder: Helps the donuts rise and stay soft
• Brown sugar: Adds caramel-like flavor and extra moistness thanks to the molasses
• Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness as well as helps with browning
• Vegetable oil: A neutral oil used for fat and helps keep the batter moist. Can also use melted butter.
• Egg: Provides structure so the donuts don’t crumble
• Vanilla: Flavors the batter
• Carrots: The star of carrot cake!
• Walnuts: Adds much needed crunch
• Raisins: Little bursts of sweetness

More Baked Donut Recipes

In addition to carrot cake, make my vanilla donuts and chocolate baked donuts.

How To Make Carrot Cake Donuts

Here’s how to make your carrot cake baked doughnuts:

1. Mix together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. Beat together the brown sugar, sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla until smooth and moist.
3. Add flour mixture then add carrots, nuts, and raisins.
4. Spoon batter into donut pan. Don’t use a piping bag because the raisins will clog the tip.
5. Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Frost donuts then garnish with more nuts.

Store unfrosted donuts at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Refrigerate donuts with cream cheese frosting for up to 4 days.

More Carrot Cake Recipes

If you enjoyed these carrot cake doughnuts, check out these other carrot cake recipes:

• Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls
• Carrot Cake Cookies
• Carrot Cake Cheesecake
• Carrot Cake Layer Cake
• One Layer Carrot Cake

First published May 6, 2014