The recipe for these doughnuts has been brewing in the back of my mind ever since I posted the Baked Mini Apple Cider Doughnuts. I wanted to wait until December to make this version, as gingerbread is a ubiquitous winter holiday treat.
In order to achieve the traditional gingerbread flavor, I included the typical spices as well as the robust sweetener duo of brown sugar and molasses. The aroma of these doughnuts baking alone is enough to put anyone in the holiday spirit!
As a finishing touch, I lighty coated the baked doughnuts with cooking spray and dipped them into evaporated cane juice. The sugared tops are reminiscent of a fresh blanket of powdery snow, making these doughnuts all the more winter-appropriate. You can certainly leave the sugar off, but it lends a nice crunch as well as – of course – additional sweetness to the tender doughnuts.
As with the Baked Mini Apple Cider Doughnuts, these Baked Mini Sugared Gingerbread Doughnuts are light, fluffy, and redolent of the holiday season.
If you do not have a doughnut pan, there’s no need to go and purchase one. Simply use a mini or standard muffin pan and enjoy a batch of gingerbread doughnut muffins.
These doughnuts and doughnut muffins are at their best when still warm from the oven, freshly crusted with sugar.
These Baked Mini Sugared Gingerbread Doughnuts would make a festive – as well as delicious – addition to any holiday breakfast or brunch spread. If you’re feeding a crowd I highly recommend making a double batch, as it is alarmingly easy to pop one after another until the whole lot of them are gone ;).
Baked Mini Sugared Gingerbread Doughnuts [and Doughnut Muffins]
yields about 24 mini doughnuts
Ingredients:
- canola oil cooking spray
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp allspice
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 Tbsp unsulfured molasses
- 3 Tbsp milk
- 3 Tbsp nonfat or low-fat plain yogurt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
- evaporated cane juice or granulated sugar
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Lightly coat molds of a mini doughnut pan with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour through allspice; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together egg, brown sugar, applesauce, molasses, milk, yogurt and oil.
- Add dry ingredients to wet, and stir just until moistened. Divide batter among the prepared molds, filling each 1/2 – 3/4 full. [You may also spoon batter into cooking spray-coated muffin tins].
- Bake until the tops spring back when touched lightly, about 5-7 minutes. Carefully remove doughnuts from pan and let cool for a few minutes on a wire rack. [If using a standard muffin tin, extend baking time to about 10-12 minutes; for mini muffins, bake for approximately 7-9 minutes].
- Lightly coat doughnuts with canola oil cooking spray. Sprinkle with or dunk into sugar; shake off excess.
- Best if eaten immediately. Store leftover doughnuts in refrigerator. Gently re-heat in toaster oven.
