Baked Sweet Potato Donuts

Looking for a better way to enjoy baked goods this holiday season?  These sweet potato donuts from our friend (and Honest mama!) Amy Palanjian feel indulgent, but are full of wholesome and healthy ingredients. They're also a cinch to make so you can whip them up for a quick, kid-friendly breakfast or seasonal snack. 

For many people, fall means pumpkin. And while I love pumpkin baked goods, I’m much more of a sweet potato girl myself. Plus, fresh sweet potatoes arrive at our farmer’s market before edible pumpkins do, so they are a perfect fit for early fall. I love to bake with my 4 year old on Sunday mornings and these Baked Sweet Potato Donuts were a recent creation that we both devoured.

As long as you roast the sweet potato ahead of time, either earlier in the day or the day before, these donuts can go from prepping to eating in well under 30 minutes. The batter comes together in a blender, so it’s easy for little ones to dump everything in and press the button (just stay close by to make sure that the lid is on!). And you can simply pour the batter into the donut pan, so the clean up is super easy, too.

I make a lot of my baked goods with a base of rolled oats instead of flour since it’s an easy gluten-free option that’s accessible for everyone. When ground into flour, oats have a texture that’s similar to wheat flour — but since it’s a whole grain, there’s more fiber and nutrients.

These Sweet Potato Donuts are sweetened primarily from the roasted sweet potato, along with just a touch of maple syrup. They make a really yummy breakfast or snack, plain or drizzled with slightly warmed almond or peanut butter. If you want to serve them for dessert, try adding the optional drizzle of glaze.

BAKED SWEET POTATO DONUTS

Makes 6 donuts

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup roasted sweet potato, slightly cooled

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons butter, melted and slightly cooled

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and coat a 6-cup donut pan with nonstick spray.
2. Place the rolled oats into a blender and grind into a fine flour, about 30 seconds. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend to combine, stopping to scrape down the sides of the blender as needed. Pour evenly into the prepared pan, filling each cup full.
3. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until lightly golden brown around the edges and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven, then invert onto a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve topped with a drizzle of Glaze or nut butter, if desired.

For the glaze: Stir together 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon milk, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla until thick and smooth. Drizzle over donuts and serve.

To make these with whole-wheat flour: Omit the oats. Add all ingredients to the blender except the flour and blend well. Pour into a bowl and stir in the flour gently. Fill donut pan and bake as directed.

Note: To roast the sweet potato, wash, dry, and poke holes all over with a paring knife. Bake in a baking dish at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until very soft. You can do this step up to 3 days ahead and store the roasted sweet potato in an airtight container in the fridge. The baked donuts are best eaten warm right out of the oven.

~Amy Palanjin, Yummy Toddler Food

Amy Palanjian is a writer, recipe developer, and the founder of Yummy Toddler Food. Find more quick and easy family-friendly recipes in her new quarterly magazine, Yummy Family Food.