If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you likely know that I often declare, “I don’t like donuts, but you’ll always get me at a good scone.” I’m changing my tune just a little: “I don’t like donuts besides a beautiful cherry almond glazed cake donut.”
My family loves donuts. Any stop at Kwik Trip results in a box of glazers coming home with us. They have to count and make sure everyone gets their fair share. This mom isn’t included in the count. I even joined a district where a certain group provides donuts every Thursday. I never took a one.
Then we were in Door County this last fall and some Door County cherry donuts were calling my name. We bought some and they were heavenly. More recently, Kwik Trip started carrying some plain cherry cake donuts. They were no Door County cherry, but they were dang good. And I knew I had to make my own version.
I generally try to make my versions of recipes healthier. This will not be one of those. These cherry almond glazed donuts are airy and perfectly pink. My son declared them the best donuts he’s ever eaten. I don’t know if that’s true, but I sure know I ate two of them and wanted two more. And I “don’t like donuts.”
Your ingredients for the cherry almond donuts
- 1 cup maraschino cherries, primarily drained and blended with an immersion blender until smooth (save the syrup!) (I love my Kitchen Aid blender!
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- additional cherry syrup
Your ingredients for the cherry glaze
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup cherry syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Your Steps to Cherry Almond donuts
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a regular donut pan with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine butter, oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla, almond extract, and yogurt. Whisk until smooth. Stir in blended cherries. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Add to wet ingredients and stir until fully incorporated. You may want to add just an additional ½ tablespoon of cherry juice here to amp up the flavor a little more if you’re a guy or gal that gives the batter a taste test.
Divide the batter among 16 donut cavities, filling ¾ of the way full. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until firm to the touch or passes the toothpick test (a toothpick inserted comes out clean). Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the donuts from the pan and place on a cooling rack.
While the donuts finish cooling, mix softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and cherry syrup for a glaze. If you dig a thicker glaze, add a touch more powdered sugar. Dig a thinner glaze? Add more cherry syrup. Whisk until smooth.
Dip cooled donuts in the glaze. I only did one side, but you can totally flip them to fully coat. If you choose to do both sides, you will need to double the glaze recipe. Best enjoyed within 48 hours of baking, but I bet they won’t last that long!
Gather a cup of mostly drained maraschino cherries Get the wet ingredients together and.. whisk until smooth. Stir in some cherries! Look at that pink! Add the dry ingredients! Fill a prepared pan and bake! Get the glaze on! Beautiful, right? They taste even better!
Tools of the Trade
I have a couple tools I love for these donuts. I totally dig my Kitchen Aid Immersion blender for all things. My banana nice cream, you name it. And if you are going to make donuts, you need a good donut pan, right?
Cherry Almond Glazed Donuts
Ingredients
Batter Ingredients
- 1 cup maraschino cherries primarily drained and blended with an immersion blender until smooth (save the syrup)
- 6 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 ⅓ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- additional cherry syrup
Cherry Glaze Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup cherry syrup from cherries
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a regular donut pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine butter, oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla, almond extract, and yogurt. Whisk until smooth. Stir in blended cherries.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Add to wet ingredients and stir until fully incorporated.
- You may want to add just an additional ½ tablespoon of cherry juice here to amp up the flavor a little more if you’re a guy or gal that gives the batter a taste test.
- Divide the batter among 16 donut cavities, filling ¾ of the way full. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until firm to the touch or passes the toothpick test (a toothpick inserted comes out clean). Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the donuts from the pan and place on a cooling rack.
- While the donuts finish cooling, mix softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and cherry syrup for a glaze. If you dig a thicker glaze, add a touch more powdered sugar. Dig a thinner glaze? Add more cherry syrup. Whisk until smooth.
- Dip cooled donuts in the glaze. I only did one side, but you can totally flip them to fully coat. If you choose to do both sides, you will need to double the glaze recipe.
