These baked grapefruit poppy seed donuts are the perfect citrus-kissed breakfast, snack, or dessert treat! The subtle grapefruit donut is refreshing, and the grapefruit glaze has just the right touch of sweetness to make it hard to eat just one.
I bought a set of adorable donut pans – regular and mini size – a few years ago, so that I could make delicious baked donuts at home. I have made a couple of varieties since I got them, but I don’t put them to use nearly enough.
My sweet toddler has recently become enamored with donuts – requesting them as her surprise treat after filling up a line on her potty chart. Of course she wantts the white powdered donuts or donuts covered in sticky, messy chocolate glaze – which makes me less then excited to grant her request. Not to mention the insane amount of sugar in any of those options. So, how do we solve that problem? We make our own, of course!
And since citrus season is upon us, what better version to make than grapfruit poppy seed donuts?? They have just the perfect amount of grapefruit flavor in the donuts, from the zest, and an equally subtle but refreshing flavor in the glaze from the juice.
Since they are baked instead of fried, they already have an advantage, then you add the citrus component, and these are basically health food. Ya feel me? Ok, so maybe I wouldn’t go that far, but they are definitely a healthier option than their fried counterparts. But they don’t lack in flavor or texture.
Delicious baked, grapefruit poppy seed donuts are exactly what you need in your life. Like, yesterday. And you know what else? My donut and sugar-loving toddler gobbled them up without hesitation. And that, my friends, is the real win.
So, don’t wait. Get to the kitchen and make these. Immediately. With mixing, cooking, and cooling time – you can have these in your hot little hands in less than 30 minutes. What more could you ask for??
Looking for more citrus recipes? Check out these recipes for the Our Family Table group:
Seasonal Citrus Recipes
- Citrus Spa Water by Family Around the Table
- Grapefruit Bourbon Smash Cocktail by Cheese Curd In Paradise
- Lemony Turkey Piccata Meatballs and Spaghetti by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Meyer Lemon Bourbon Mule by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Meyer Lemon Pound Cake by Cookaholic Wife
- Mini Orange Creamsicle Shots by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Parmesan Chicken with Lemon Rice by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
- Winter Citrus Salad with a Honey Drizzle by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Baked Grapefruit Poppy Seed Donuts
Ingredients
For the donuts:
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 ts[ salt
- 2 1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp grapefruit zest
- 2 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup milk
For the glaze:
- 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1-2 Tbsp grapefruit juice
Instructions
For the donuts:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray (with flour works great!) and set aside.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds in a small bowl and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the granulated sugar and grapefruit zest using your fingers to mash together until zest is evenly distributed in the sugar. Add in the melted butter and mix until combined, the add the egg and vanilla; mix to combine and then stir in milk.
- Add in the dry ingredients and gently fold the mixture together using a rubber spatula, stirring only until mixture is evenly combined.
- Spoon the batter into the molds of your prepared pan, filling each mold up 2/3 of the way. Batter will be very thick. Bake for 10-11 minutes, or until firm and lightly golden on the tops.
- Remove pan from oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes in the tray before transferring to a cooling wrack to cool completely. Prepare the glaze while they are cooling.
- Once cool, dip each donut in glaze and allow to sit for a few minutes for the glaze to set.
For the Glaze:
- Combine the powdered sugar and grapefruit juice in a bowl wide enough to dip the donuts into easily. You can add more sugar to thicken or juice to thin out, to your desired consistency.
Source: Baker by Nature
You’ve just reminded me that I need to use my doughnut pan more often! These sound delicious.
Grapefruit is a favorite of mine, and I love that you used poppy seeds. I don’t make doughnuts very often at home, but these look too good to pass up!
These look great! Time to pull out my donut pans!