Carrot Cake Donuts with Cream Cheese Frosting

This recipe is adapted from our Carrot Cake Cupcake recipe which is courtesy of Laura at Living Beyond Allergies.

We made these donuts at the Nourished Festival live this year and everyone was excited for them. Carrot cake is one of my favorites so I was excited too!

This recipe is top 14 allergen free and gluten free, and uses the Vanilla Cake mix and the Vanilla Frosting mix as the bases.  These donuts are a perfect treat for Spring!

How to Make Carrot Cake Donuts

The first step is to gather all your tools and ingredients. You will need:

Tools Needed:

  • Mixing Bowls
  • Hand Mixer / Stand Mixer
  • Spatulas
  • Mixing Spoons
  • Measuring Cups / Spoons
  • Knife
  • Grater
  • Piping Bag or Ziplock Bag
  • Donut Pan(s)

Cake Ingredients Needed: 

  • 1 x Kate’s Safe and Sweet Vanilla Cake Mix
  • 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp of Milk of your choice
  • 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1 tablespoons Neutral Oil
  • 1 cup Carrots, finely grated (about 2-3 medium)
  • 1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 tsp Ginger

Frosting Ingredients Needed: 

  • 1 cup of Kate’s Safe and Sweet Frosting Mix
  • 4 oz. of your Safe Cream Cheese
  • 1/4 Butter of choice
  • 1-2 tbsp Milk of choice
  • Optional: Additional grated carrots to top donuts with

Donuts Instructions

1. Begin by preheating the oven to 350F. Spray donut pan with non-stick oil and set aside.

2. Grate your carrots into small pieces. For these we used all finely grated carrots because the donuts are much smaller than a cupcake or cake.

3. In a small mixing bowl, combine the milk of your choice with the apple cider vinegar. Let rest for 5 minutes.

4. In a large mixing bowl, place the vanilla cake mix and spices. Give a quick mix. Into this bowl, pour the milk mixture, the grated carrots, and oil. Mix well until fully incorporated.

5. Using a piping bag or ziplock place batter inside.  Snip a small end of the bag and pour evenly into donut pan.

6. Bake on middle rack for 12-15 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

7. Remove the baking pan(s) from the oven and place a wire cooling rack.

8. While the donuts are cooling prepare the glaze below.

Tip:  You want to bake until the donuts and donut holes are cooked through, set, and springy to the touch. Let the donuts cool slightly while you make the cream cheese glaze.

Frosting Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, or a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.

2. Add the vanilla frosting mix. Add 1 tablespoon of milk. Whip again until the frosting is light and fluffy.  Add additional milk if needed.

3. Spread the tops of each donut with the frosting and return the donuts back to the cooling rack to sit until it has set a bit, about 10 minutes. Since this is not a glaze it will not harden up as much.

4. Top with grated carrots if you’d like!

These are super fun to make into mini-sized donuts too!

Be sure to check out other Easter recipes this week including Easter brownies.

Thank you Laura for sharing the carrot cake recipe with us.  With some easy adjustments these made some delicious donuts that will be sure to be a hit this holiday or any day!  

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