Soft and fruity, with a hint of lemon and a luscious glaze, these Incredible Raspberry Swirl Baked Donuts have us swooning.Â
In order to get just the right raspberry flavor, we’ve loaded these berries with fresh pureed raspberries, cooked down just a bit and brightened with a touch of lemon. Add a raspberry glaze and you are in decadent raspberry heaven with a treat that can rival that of your local shop.
Making Raspberry Swirl Baked Donuts
Raspberry Puree
Start with the raspberries, as they will need time to break down and then cool just a bit. You can use fresh or frozen, but frozen will give you a bit more bang for your buck and will give you a head start on the puree. That’s because the thawing process begins to break down the cell walls of berries, so they puree much more easily.
Don’t forget to set aside about ¼ cup of the raspberries, which you will roughly chop and add to the batter. This way, you get bites of raspberry along with the swirled puree. It’s raspberry on raspberry and oh so delicious!
Once your raspberries are pureed, you want to strain out all those pesky seeds. We did try it without this step, but our teeth soon regretted it! So, don’t skip the strainer on this one. Separate your puree – you will use some in your donuts and some for the glaze.
Mixing the Donut Batter
Once you have your raspberry puree ready, set it aside and mix together the main batter. It’s so simple: whisk together the dry ingredients, then the wet, then combine the two. Once wet hits dry, mix only as much as is necessary or you will end up with tough donuts.
Gently fold in your chopped raspberries and all but 2 tablespoons of the puree. You want to barely mix it here so that the raspberries and puree are swirled in evenly, but the batter isn’t entirely pink.
Filling the Donut Pan
You can do this with a spoon, but the easiest way to end up with neat, even donuts is to use a piping bag. A ziploc will work, too. Cut the tip of the piping bag, or one corner of the ziploc bag, so that you have an opening that is about ½-inch in diameter. Then pipe the batter into each donut space, filling each about ¾ of the way full.
Obviously, you will need a donut pan to make these. Two regular size, 6-cavity pans to be exact. Our favorite is this nonstick set by Wilton. There are a lot of silicone options out there, but we’ve found that they don’t bake up quite as well. Metal conducts heat better and will help your donuts set. If you have used silicone with success and know the tricks, please let us know in the comments!
The Raspberry Glaze
Once your donuts are baked and cooled, whisk together the glaze using the remaining 2 tablespoons of raspberry puree, some confectioner’s sugar, and a little vanilla. One at a time, dip the top of each donut in the glaze. Set it on top of a cooling rack with waxed paper underneath so that excess icing can drip down. The waxed paper makes clean-up so much easier!
Dip each donut a second time after the first layer of glaze has had a chance to set just a bit. This will give you a thicker, prettier glazed look in the end.
Serve these right away for the best flavor and texture. They will keep for several days in an airtight container at room temperature. While they will still taste good, the glaze will slowly soak into the donuts, changing the texture slightly.
Other Breakfast or Brunch Goodies
While you’re baking, consider creating a whole spread that includes your incredible raspberry swirl baked donuts along with these other treats!
- Strawberry Shortcake Scones
- Gluten-Free Blueberry Almond Muffins
- Apple Cinnamon Scones
- Mom’s Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread
- The Best Bakery Style Raspberry Muffin Recipe
Enjoy!
Raspberry Swirl Baked Donuts
Ingredients
For the Donuts:
- 4-2/3 ounces (1 heaping cup) fresh or frozen raspberries
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 6-1/4 ounces (1-1/2 cups) all purpose flour
- 3-1/2 ounces (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 2-1/2 ounces (1/4 cup) plain yogurt (not Greek)
- 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter melted
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Glaze:
- 4-2/3 ounces (1 cup) powdered sugar sifted to remove lumps
- 2 tablespoons raspberry puree reserved from donut preparation
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare two standard-size donut pans by spraying the cavities with baking spray (or greasing them with butter).
- Make Your Raspberry Puree: Roughly chop 1/4 cup of the raspberries and set aside. Puree the remaining raspberries with the lemon juice, then strain them into a small bowl to remove the seeds. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the puree to use in the glaze later. Keep the remaining puree in the bowl; you will swirl it into the batter.
- Mix Your Donut Batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate, medium bowl, whisk together the egg, yogurt, melted butter, lemon zest, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix them together until most of the dry ingredients are moistened. Gently fold in the chopped raspberries and the bulk of the raspberry puree (all but the 2 tablespoons you set aside for the glaze) until they are fully incorporated but stopping before the batter turns pink. The batter will be quite thick.
- Bake Your Donuts: Scoop or pipe the batter into the donut pan cavities, filling each space no more than 3/4 full. Bake in your preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the tops spring back slightly when gently pressed. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pans for 3-5 minutes before moving the donuts from the pans and onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make Your Glaze: While the donuts are cooling, make your glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and the 2 tablespoons reserved raspberry puree until smooth. It should be fairly thin, but not runny. Add additional powdered sugar as necessary. Dip the tops of your cooled donuts into the glaze, then place the donuts glaze-side-up back onto the cooling rack so the glaze can set. For a thicker glaze, dip the donuts a second time after the first layer has begun to set.
Notes
- Donuts will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days, though they are best eaten the day they are made.
- If you don’t plan to eat them right away, wait to glaze the donuts until just before serving. The glaze will soak into the donuts as they sit, and will all but disappear after a day or two.
