Lighter Baked Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts

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Baked doughnuts are all the rage these days. They deliver the same great taste, but you avoid the frying process so you save tons of calories. Cinnamon doughnuts paired with a cold glass of milk are amazing, especially when they come right out of the oven. The doughnut base can be used as a standard recipe (just omit the cinnamon and nutmeg) if you want to top it with a glaze or even (gasp!) melted chocolate. Yum!

I lightened these up a bit more by using reduced-fat milk and light butter. If you haven't cooked or baked with light butter before, don't be alarmed. I've used it in almost all of my recent recipes, and the taste is hardly detectable. Plus it's half the amount of fat as regular butter, so it's a sacrifice your body will appreciate. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

For the doughnuts

• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/4 cups reduced-fat milk
• 2 tbsp. light unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the topping

• 8 tsp. (1 stick) light unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

For the doughnuts: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use a baker’s spray with flour, such as Baker’s Joy, to coat 1 or 2 doughnut pans.

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a mixing bowl.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, melted butter and vanilla extract in a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Fill the wells of the doughnut pans a bit more than three-quarters full with the batter. Bake for 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the wall of a doughnut comes out clean and the doughnuts are puffed and lightly browned. Let them cool (in the pans) for 5 minutes, then gently invert the doughnuts onto a rimmed baking sheet.

While the doughnuts are cooling, make the topping: Melt the butter in a small bowl. Whisk together the sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

Dip the warm doughnuts into the melted butter, then dip them into the cinnamon-sugar mixture on one or both sides.

Source: Adapted from "Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust," by Ina Garten (Clarkson Potter, 2012)

Three-Ingredient Nutella Doughnuts

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And so my Nutella obsession continues!

Chris and I stopped by Crate and Barrel while trying to kill some time before dinner the other weekend (is it just us or do you find yourselves getting hungry at 4pm on the weekends?), and I came across some cute little doughnut pans. The person that created these pans needs to be commended. Being able to bake doughnuts instead of frying them and still creating that same, delicious doughnut texture? My waistline thanks you.

They are still doughnuts regardless, but knowing that you aren't soaking these in a pot of oil to cook them just makes you feel a little better, doesn't it? Using only three ingredients doesn't hurt either. Who cares that one of them is Nutella. These are super simple and you get a rush of Nutella as soon as you bite into them. Enjoy these while you can...they'll be gobbled up in no time!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup Nutella (plus more for glazing)
• 1 egg and 1 egg yolk
• 6 tbsp. all purpose flour
• Hazelnuts for garnish, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray doughnut pan with non stick cooking spray and set aside.

In small bowl, combine Nutella, egg, egg yolk and flour until smooth batter forms. Spoon evenly into pans and spread batter around to fill cavities evenly.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes before removing from pans. Cool completely. Spread more Nutella over tops of doughnuts and garnish with chopped hazelnuts, if desired. Serve.

Source: Lauren's Latest

Baked Apple Donuts

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I was a swimmer growing up and did it year-round for a long time. I started when I was 9 at my neighborhood pool, and eventually started swimming more competitively throughout the winter for another swim league. When I got to high school, it was only logical that I join the swim team. We would have late practices and early meets. Running out to the car after practice in the dead of winter with dripping wet hair was one of the least fun things I've ever done.

One of the things that I do remember enjoying most about the swim team in high school was our away meets. When we went to a certain part of town, we always, always stopped by the Krispy Kreme shop on our way home from a meet to get fresh, hot donuts. There were so many flavors to chose from, but my favorites were always chocolate glaze or cinnamon and sugar. They actually have a cinnamon apple-filled donut, which is the one I wanted to replicate.

I've never made donuts before, so this was my first attempt. This is a recipe for not-really-donuts donuts. They taste just as delicious and light, but they aren't fried and they sure don't look like typical donuts. I'm not even really sure why these are considered donuts; they're more like muffins to me. I guess the batter might be the same as donut batter, but that's about it. Whatever they are, they're really, really good.

I know these aren't going to last long in my house. At all. They're light and flavorful, and the chunks of apple are a pleasant surprise. Plus you roll them around in cinnamon and sugar. Um helloooo. Yum!

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Makes 12 muffins or 24-36 mini-muffins

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup low-fat milk
• 1 cup cored and finely diced apples

Topping:

• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix the first 5 ingredients with a fork. Add the shortening and mix until the shortening is broken up. Set aside. In another bowl combine the eggs, milk and diced apples. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix until just blended.

Spoon into a greased muffin pan, or use paper liners. Bake 20 – 25 minutes or until muffins are light to medium brown (15-18 minutes for mini-muffins).

While donuts are baking, melt the butter and set aside. Combine 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon in a separate bowl. When the donuts are done and before they have had a chance to cool, dip the tops in butter and then roll them in the cinnamon/sugar mixture.

Store in an airtight container.

Source: Adapted from Tasty Kitchen