These are the best carrot cake donuts! They have the most incredible flavour and the perfect texture. This baked donut recipe is easy to make and is made with healthy ingredients like almond flour, carrots, apples and honey. It'a also gluten free and dairy free.
Why you will love this recipe:
- These gluten free carrot cake donuts taste amazing! They are so rich and moist and the spices blend perfectly to give these donuts the best flavour.
- They are easy and simple to make in one bowl and the clean up nice and quick!
- They are made with healthy ingredients like shredded carrots, shredded apple, almond flour, and honey. They are gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free and paleo.
- These carrot donuts can be eaten for breakfast, as a snack or as a healthy dessert.
- These easy carrot cake donuts freeze really well so are great option for meal prep.
- This healthy donut recipe is a fun twist on a more traditional donut such as chocolate donuts.
Taste and texture:
Calling all carrot cake lovers! This carrot cake donut recipe has the perfect texture. Slightly firm on the outside and nice and moist and fluffy on the inside. They taste like a classic carrot cake and the icing makes them even more delicious.
Key ingredients and substitutions:
You should be able to find all of these simple ingredients for this easy recipe at your local grocery store. For the exact measurements refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the blog post.
- Almond flour - Almond flour helps give these spiced cake donuts the most amazing flavour and texture. Be sure you use almond flour and not almond meal as almond meal is too gritty. You could also use cashew flour instead.
- Tapioca flour - Tapioca flour or tapioca starch is used to turn these into fluffy baked carrot cake donuts. Don't confuse this with cassava flour! They are not the same.
- Shredded carrots - you can't make carrot cake without the fresh carrots! The pre-shredded carrots add moisture and natural sweetness to this recipe and a nice serving of hidden veggies.
- Shredded apples - this surprise ingredient helps add more moisture, natural sweetness, vitamins, minerals and fiber to these donuts. Any type of sweet, red apple will work. My personal favourite are Gala, Pink Lady or Honeycrisp apples.
- Honey - one of my favourite natural sweeteners to add the perfect amount of sweet taste to these donuts. You could use maple syrup instead.
- Spices: the combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice blend perfectly to give these donuts that perfect spiced flavour.
- Eggs - large egg helps add more moisture to these donuts and help give them that light and fluffy texture.
- Honey Glaze - to glaze these delicious donuts. If you prefer a cream cheese icing you could make a cream cheese glaze or tangy cream cheese frosting instead.
How to make:
Step one:
First you'll preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step two:
Then add all the ingredients (including both the dry ingredients and wet ingredients) to a large bowl or large mixing bowl.
Step three:
Using your stand mixer, hand mixer, or a spoon, blend all the ingredients until combined. The donut batter will be chunky because of the shredded carrots and apples.
Step four:
Then transfer the dough to a donut mould or doughnut pan and fill each mold until it is approximately 3/4 full.
Step five:
Now bake the donuts for 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean.
Step six:
Let the donuts cool and then add the glaze. You can either let the donuts cool in the donut pan or transfer them to a wire rack or baking rack to cool more quickly.
Top Tips:
- Use room temperature eggs for best results when making this easy donut recipe.
- Do not substitute the tapioca flour for cassava flour in this healthy treat. The donuts will not turn out!
- Do not try any other flour substitutions. They will not work! You will just waste valuable ingredients.
- Don't overfill the donut molds or the donuts will end up looking more like muffins rather than having that perfect donut form.
Recipe variations:
- Instead of almond flour you can use cashew flour but do not try any other flour swaps for making this delicious treat. Specifically do not try using all purpose flour or a gluten free flour to make this homemade donut recipe.
- You can use maple syrup instead of honey as a sweetener.
- Feel free to add some chopped walnuts to give these donuts even more texture.
How to serve:
These baked donuts can be served in so many ways and are great any time of year. They make a delicious breakfast, snack or dessert and can be served for special occasional like Easter brunch, Easter parties, Mother's Day, Father's Day or baby showers. They are delicious served warm, cold or at room temperature. I love pairing them with a cup of coffee or a mug of tea.
You can serve then with the honey glaze as written in the recipe card, or top them with a delicious cream cheese icing or dairy free cream cheese icing instead.
How to store:
Store any leftover donuts in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.
To freeze these donuts put the unfrosted donuts in an airtight freezer safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When you are ready to eat them, let them thaw on the counter or in the fridge and then add the icing when you are ready to eat them.
Frequently asked questions:
No they are not. This donut recipe contains eggs so they are not vegan. I have not tried making this recipe with any egg replacements, and I am not sure if it would work out or not. If you try it please let me know how it goes.
This donut recipe is not keto. It has fruit and honey it it making it high in carbohydrates which is not compatible with a keto or low carbohydrate diet.
Definitely not! These donuts won't work out.
Other recipes you will love:
- Grain Free Bagels
- The Best Paleo Waffles
- The best gluten free chocolate chip banana bread
- Carrot Cake Banana Bread
- Almond flour chocolate coffee banana bread
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Recipe
Carrot Cake Donuts
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1 cup tapioca flour
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup grated carrots
- 1 cup grated red apple
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon organic vanilla extract
Donut Glaze
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- Add all of the ingredients to your standing mixer.
- Mix on low until blended well.
- Spoon the batter into your donut molds and spread until even (you want each donut mold to be about 3/4 full).
- Place in the oven and cook for 21-22 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean).
- Remove from the oven and let cool.
- Add the icing and then enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe yields 15 donuts.
- Nutritional values are estimates and do not include the icing.
- You can use maple syrup instead of honey.
- You can use any type of sweet red apple that you like. My favourites are Gala, Pink Lady or Honeycrisp.
Kathy
These sound amazing! Do you think the eggs could be replaced with geletin eggs? And the honey swapped with maple syrup?
Erin Carter
You could definitely use maple syrup... as for switching out the eggs I haven't tried that so can't guarantee it would work...
Sam
Is the dough supposed to be thick or smooth?
Erin Carter
Definitely thick due to the grated apple and grated carrot.