• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to header navigation
  • Skip to privacy navigation
  • Skip to recipes navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Blog
  • Contact

Brooklyn Farm Girl

Cooking And Gardening in NYC

PopularStewed Tomatoes
let's be friends
join my free recipe club!
  • New? Start Here
  • recipes
    • Course
      • Breakfast
      • Desserts
      • Dinner
      • Drinks
      • Side Dishes
      • Snacks
    • Type
      • 30 Minute Meals
      • Breads
      • Brownies & Bars
      • Cakes
      • Casseroles
      • Cheesy
      • Cookies
      • Dips
      • Donuts
      • Holidays
      • Kid Friendly
      • Mac and Cheese
      • Muffins
      • Pasta
      • Pizza
      • Potluck
      • Salads
      • Smoothies
      • Sneaky Vegetables
      • Soups
      • Vegan
      • Vegetarian
    • Meat
      • Beef
      • Chicken
      • Pork
      • Seafood
      • Turkey
    • Method
      • Baked
      • Bread Machine
      • Canning
      • Drying & Storing
      • Freezing
      • Instant Pot
      • Roasted
      • Slow Cooker
      • Stovetop
    • Season
      • Spring
      • Summer
      • Fall
      • Winter
  • Vegetable Index
  • Urban Gardening
    • Let’s Harvest
    • Tutorials
    • Seed Calendar
    • Compost in Brooklyn
  • About
    • About Pamela
    • Our Garden
    • Editorial Guidelines
  • Life & motherhood
    • Journal
    • Motherhood
    • Our Upstate Adventure
    • Cats, Cats, Cats
    • Crafts
  • Videos
  • PopularStewed Tomatoes
Home » Recipe Type » Desserts » Donuts
4.8 from 6 reviews

Baked Carrot Cake Donuts

20 minutes
carrot
By: Pamela Reed
Posted:11/2/21
Updated:2/24/25
Jump to Recipe

These Baked Carrot Cake Donuts are warmly spiced, moist, sweet, and way better for you than traditional fried donuts. Made using simple ingredients and real carrots, this delicious treat can turn any morning into a reason to celebrate!

baked carrot donut with glaze on parchment paper on baking sheet.

Glazed carrot donut recipe

Some of my all-time favorite homemade donuts are lightly spiced, bright, and tangy. Just take my Baked Sugar Donuts, Chocolate Chip Frosted Donuts, and Baked Strawberry Donuts for example! Each of these desserts has punchy flavors and light and fluffy textures.

These Baked Carrot Cake Donuts are no different, as they’re made with the flavors of fall and fresh and sweet carrots. I find they’re the perfect middle ground between carrot muffins and carrot cake. With every bite, you’re sneaking a few veggies into your diet while still enjoying a sweet treat!

4.84 from 6 reviews
Featured Review

These are sooo awesome!! The orange juice gives it such a great flavor, they’re moist, and dense in a good way and perfectly sweet, I’m saving this recipe and doubling it in the future.

Caitlin R
Read more reviews

Since these carrot donuts are baked and not fried, they’re way healthier than what you’d find at a donut shop. I recommend baking them in a donut pan for the true donut experience, however, it isn’t completely necessary. You can always use a muffin tin if you’re not picky about the shape.

With a sweet and simple vanilla glaze on top, you won’t be able to resist this easy carrot dessert!

mulitple glazed carrot donuts on parchment paper.

How to bake carrot cake donuts

These 20-minute carrot donuts are moist, delicious, and incredibly easy to make. Why spend your money at the donut shop when you can stay home and make these instead? All you need to get started are a few pantry staples and a donut pan:

Beat the egg in a mixing bowl. Next, add the orange juice, melted butter, vanilla, and sugar and whisk until everything is combined. 

To the wet ingredients, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and allspice. Gently mix to combine. 

Use a spatula to fold the shredded carrots into the batter. Pour the donut batter into a greased donut pan.

batter in donut pan ready to go into the oven.

Bake the carrot donuts until they’re golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

While your donuts are baking, make the vanilla glaze by heating the milk and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. When it’s warm, slowly whisk in the powdered sugar until it dissolves. Take the glaze off the heat. 

To glaze the donuts, dip the top of each donut into the glaze, place them on a wire rack, and leave them to set. Once the donuts are cool and the vanilla glaze is set, go ahead and dig in!

side view of glazed carrot donuts on baking sheet.

Can you make these without a donut pan?

If you don’t have a donut pan, you can make this carrot cake donut recipe in a standard muffin tin instead. Pour the batter into a lined muffin tin and bake in a 350°F oven for 18-20 minutes. You’ll know your donut muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean.

Decorating ideas

Think of these baked carrot cake donuts as a blank canvas—perfect for getting decorative and creative! You can dress these yummy donuts up or down depending on the occasion and time of year:

  • Different frostings: Ditch the vanilla glaze and try topping these warmly spiced baked donuts with chocolate brownie frosting, a maple syrup glaze, cinnamon cream cheese frosting, or a classic vanilla frosting. 
  • Fun toppings: Candied orange peel, sugared cranberries, toasted pecans, or fall-themed sprinkles would add a nice pop of color to the top of these baked donuts. 
top down look at glazed carrot donuts.

Tips for the best baked donuts

  • Sift your dry ingredients – This will free to donut batter of any lumps and help the texture stay light and fluffy.
  • Remove any excess moisture – I recommend patting the shredded carrots dry before adding them to the batter to ensure there’s no excess moisture (which can lead to soggy or underbaked donuts).  
  • Adjust the thickness of your glaze – If your vanilla glaze seems too thin, try adding more powdered sugar. On the flip side, thin out a thick glaze by adding a splash of milk at a time. 
  • Don’t forget to grease your pan – You can always count on a mixture of softened butter and flour to keep your carrot donuts from sticking to the pan.

Storing and freezing carrot donuts

To store, place the cooled and unglazed carrot donuts into an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. 

To freeze, let your unglazed donuts cool completely before placing them in a ziploc bag. Store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

To reheat, simply pop one of your frozen or refrigerated donuts into the microwave in 30 second increments until it warmed through. Add fresh glaze if desired. 

Hungry for more carrot desserts?

  • Chocolate Chip Carrot Bread
  • Carrot Souffle 
  • Cinnamon Carrot Fries
  • Carrot Baby Cookies

Pin for later:

These Baked Carrot Cake Donuts are warmly spiced, moist, sweet, and way better for you than traditional fried donuts. Made using simple ingredients and real carrots, this delicious treat can turn any morning into a reason to celebrate!
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
Free Recipe Club
4.84 from 6 reviews

Glazed Carrot Cake Donuts

Print
These Baked Carrot Cake Donuts are warmly spiced, moist, sweet, and way better for you than traditional fried donuts. Made using simple ingredients and real carrots, this delicious treat can turn any morning into a reason to celebrate!
By: Pamela Reed
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time 20 minutes minutes
serves 12

Ingredients

  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon allspice
  • 1 ¼ cup shredded carrots

For the glaze

  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cups confectioners powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 2 donut pants with nonstick spray (this recipe makes 12 donuts).
  • Beat egg in large bowl. Add orange juice, butter, vanilla and sugar, beat well.
  • Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice and mix till moistened. Gently fold in shredded carrots.
  • Add batter to donut pan, filling up about 3/4 of the way.
  • Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool in the donut pan for 5 minutes before removing then from the pan to cool completely.

For the glaze

  • Combine milk and vanilla in a saucepan and heat over medium heat.
  • Stir in powdered sugar into milk mixture, whisking until well combined. Remove from stove.
  • Once donuts are cooled down, carefully dip each donut into the glaze.
  • Set on cooling rack or parchment paper until cooled down.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 200kcal (10%)
Course: Dessert
Keyword: Carrot Cake Donuts, carrot donuts
Fall, Summer
Did you make this?I love seeing what you’ve made! Tag me on Instagram at @BrooklynFarmGirl and don’t forget to leave a comment & rating below.

Similar Recipes

  • Homemade Baked Sugar Donuts
  • Baked Blueberry Donuts with Lemon Icing
  • Chocolate Coffee Donuts
  • So Fluffy Chocolate Chip Donuts

Reader Interactions

join the free recipe club

Receive My Favorite Recipes Straight To Your Inbox!

Thank you for subscribing!

4.84 from 6 votes (4 ratings without comment)

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

I love hearing from you! Submit your question or recipe review here. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Made this? Rate this recipe:





  1. Caitlin R says

    February 20, 2023 at 5:57 pm

    These are sooo awesome!! The orange juice gives it such a great flavor, they’re moist, and dense in a good way and perfectly sweet, I’m saving this recipe and doubling it in the future.

    Reply
  2. Pamela Lehman says

    March 24, 2021 at 7:29 pm

    This recipe looks soooo good and I can’t wait to make them for my family!!

    Reply
  3. Ashley says

    April 11, 2020 at 10:01 am

    Haven’t made them yet, but plan to today for Easter tomorrow.. my question is will the keep til then? If so, What’s the best way to store them? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      April 16, 2020 at 12:04 pm

      Hey Ashley, I apologize, I’m just seeing this comment now. Yes, they def will keep for a day. I store them in a airtight container. You can also store them in the fridge, but bring to room temperature before serving. Enjoy the donuts!

      Reply
  4. Yasmin says

    May 24, 2019 at 12:53 pm

    Would this recipe work if I use oil instead of butter for a dairy free version?

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      May 24, 2019 at 4:00 pm

      Hey Yasmin, I never made these donuts with oil so I can’t be 100% sure oil will work. If you do give it a try, I would only use 3 tablespoons of oil instead of the 1/4 cup butter. Good luck, and let me know how they turn out!

      Reply
  5. Tina Avelar-Ferro says

    September 27, 2018 at 1:32 pm

    Can I substitute apple juice for orange juice ?

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      September 27, 2018 at 2:28 pm

      Yes you can!

      Reply
  6. SHARYN says

    April 16, 2018 at 4:44 pm

    can I use organic baby food carrots? if so how many jars or cups. thank you

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      April 16, 2018 at 8:05 pm

      Hey Sharyn, do you mean baby carrot puree?

      Reply
  7. Carol says

    April 15, 2018 at 7:01 am

    I have been thinking that it is about time I brought out my doughnut pan to make some delicious doughnuts and now that I see this recipe I know exactly which ones I want to make. These sound so wonderful!xo

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      April 15, 2018 at 8:29 pm

      Enjoy Carol, hope you love the donuts!

      Reply
  8. Nikita Arora says

    September 14, 2016 at 12:13 am

    Wow, really, I can’t get over that delicious taste! So simple and yet – sooo great. Thank you for this recipe.

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      September 14, 2016 at 12:31 am

      Glad you liked these donuts Nikita!

      Reply
  9. Roshani Khanna says

    August 30, 2016 at 3:20 am

    Oh my gosh this looks so good! I am over here drooling over this dish right now. I am all over this. I can’t even stop starring. This looks incredibly rich, fudgy and tempting!

    Reply
  10. Nikky Wales says

    April 19, 2016 at 5:48 am

    That’s cute, what a creative recipe! The carrot cake donuts look delicious. I love the sweet blend of carrot with orange juice and that sticky glaze, the flavor is interestingly delicious.

    Reply
  11. Sarah @ Sarah's Bake Studio says

    November 17, 2015 at 1:35 pm

    Wow! These are awesome! I am so going to be making these! I know a lot of people who would absolutely LOVE these! I can’t to try them!

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      November 19, 2015 at 9:35 am

      So happy you’re going to make these Sarah, I hope you enjoy!

      Reply
  12. Brooke Griffin says

    November 16, 2015 at 5:54 pm

    Wow…these are making my mouth water!! I’ll definitely have to try these. My little guy LOVES all things pumpkin 🙂

    Reply
  13. Kari says

    November 16, 2015 at 3:13 pm

    I can’t believe that you combo’d carrots & donuts, genius!

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      November 16, 2015 at 3:15 pm

      Haha, thanks Kari!

      Reply
  14. Stephanie @ Sustaining the Powers says

    November 16, 2015 at 10:35 am

    I just harvested a ton of carrots from my garden! Looks like these are going on my to-make list!! Yum!

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      November 16, 2015 at 2:57 pm

      I love that you’re picking your own carrots, you go girl!

      Reply
  15. Kathryn Doherty says

    November 5, 2015 at 9:39 pm

    I have a *minor* obsession with carrots. (OK, OK, major obsession) And then carrot cake? And then donut form? I’m about to faint… this sounds so delicious and I’m pretty sure I could eat the entire dozen by myself in a day. Did I just challenge myself? Anyway, yumming and pinning these now and can’t wait to try!

    Reply
  16. Annie @ Annie's Noms says

    October 30, 2015 at 12:26 pm

    These look so delicious! I love carrot cake, but haven’t had carrot cake doighnuts before. Need to make these!!

    Reply
  17. Audrey says

    October 3, 2014 at 6:40 am

    Hi,

    Absolutely loving this recipe and would love to try them but I do not have a donut pan, is there any other way of baking them? Would the batter hold their shape naturally? Or could I deep fry them?

    Thanks in advance 🙂

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      October 3, 2014 at 10:23 am

      Hey Audrey, do you have a muffin pan? If so, you could try that and filling them up 1/2 way. Won’t be the exact shape of a donut, more like a donut muffin.. still delicious!

      Reply
  18. davegon says

    May 11, 2014 at 11:47 pm

    Oh wow! These look so good!

    Reply
  19. Stephanie @ Macaroni and Cheesecake says

    April 23, 2014 at 2:53 pm

    What a great flavor idea for donuts! They look delicious!

    Reply
  20. Chris @ Shared Appetite says

    April 22, 2014 at 12:42 pm

    Your carrots are beautiful! Such a great surprise during spring cleanup! And what a creative and inventive idea to turn them into donuts!!!

    Reply
  21. Denise | Sweet Peas & Saffron says

    April 21, 2014 at 10:31 pm

    Mmm…those look delish! I love carrot cake!

    Reply
  22. Cindy @ Pick Fresh Foods says

    April 21, 2014 at 6:32 pm

    Pamela, I would love to go into my garden and find beautiful carrots like that hiding. It would be a miracle since I haven’t planted any, but wouldn’t that be exciting. lol
    I was thinking carrot cake donuts would be tasty and here I found your recipe. I can’t wait to try these! Pinning!

    Reply
  23. Kelly says

    April 21, 2014 at 2:04 pm

    These look gorgeous Pamela! I love carrot cake everything and I can imagine how amazing these taste with the orange juice and fresh carrots from your garden – totally drooling and I can’t wait to try this out – that glaze has me totally mesmerized!

    Reply
  24. Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says

    April 21, 2014 at 9:29 am

    I seriously need these in my life!!!

    Reply
  25. Kelly @ hidden fruits and veggies says

    April 20, 2014 at 8:10 pm

    I’m jealous of your surprise carrots! The only surprises my garden has given is me “surprise, you accidentally brought a bee into your house”. Carrots are a definite upgrade! My sister made carrot cake muffins for dessert today, and all I could think about was how I wished they were donuts. Genius way to use some carrots!

    Reply
  26. miss messy says

    April 20, 2014 at 8:06 am

    Love the glaze on these. They look fantastic!

    Reply
  27. Consuelo @ Honey & Figs says

    April 20, 2014 at 5:30 am

    Nothing beats freshly picked carrots! I can’t wait for summer so the ones in my yard grow ahhhhh I love them. And these donuts?? Cutest idea ever, and they look pretty delish yum!
    Happy Sunday! xx

    Reply
  28. Ayesha says

    April 19, 2014 at 11:44 am

    this looks so good! 🙂

    Reply
  29. Alice says

    April 19, 2014 at 8:41 am

    These are such a delicious answer to the carrots, curently sitting in my fridge. Not only do I heart sugar glazed carrots, but I’m also a sucker for runny icing. Yum!

    Reply
  30. Renee@Two in the Kitchen says

    April 18, 2014 at 9:04 pm

    These donuts look amazing!! I so love that you made them with carrots from your own farm!!! I have sadly never had a freshly picked carrot being the suburbanite that I am. But, I can still make these donuts!! I am sure my store bought carrots won’t quite be the same but these will taste good none the less!! 🙂

    Reply
Older Comments
Newer Comments

Primary Sidebar

welcome!

Hi! I'm Pamela, an artist Mom who shares family recipes. My farm is a 1,000 sq ft apartment in NYC. Let's make dinner together.

Read More

join the free
recipe club!

Receive My Favorite Recipes Straight to Your Inbox!

Thank you for subscribing!

TOP POSTS

Half Sour Pickles

The Best Stewed Tomatoes Ever

Unstuffed Bell Pepper Casserole with Ground Beef

Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce

Recipe Index
Vegetable Index
Follow On Facebook
Follow On Instagram
Free Recipe Club

fresh this week view all

How to Store and Freeze Fresh Blueberries

Irish Potato Candy (Pennsylvania Dutch)

Classic Stuffed Peppers

Peanut Butter Protein Cookies

As Featured On
free recipe club!
Get weekly recipes, videos, and gardening tips to your inbox!
join the club!
EST. 2013
let's be friends
  • Recipe Index
  • Veggie Index
  • Urban Gardening
  • Web Stories
Back To Top
© 2025 - All Rights Reserved
  • Privacy Policy & Terms
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled

join the recipe club!

Receive My Favorite Recipes Straight to Your Inbox!

Thank you for subscribing!

8.2K shares

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.