Breakfast

Easy Baked Pumpkin Donut Recipe

Baked Pumpkin Donuts Recipe

 

Easy Baked Pumpkin Donut Recipe

 

Happy Wednesday! Did you know that it’s also National Baked Pumpkin Donut Day???

Juuuuuuuuust kidding ????!

I looked. It doesn’t exist. And it should, because these donuts are very deserving of their own national holiday! I mean… if there’s a “Stay Home Because You are Well Day” and a “Chicken Soup for the Soul” day (yeah, those are real), then Baked Pumpkin Donut Day should definitely be happening.

Easy Baked Pumpkin Donut Recipe

In fact, let’s just declare today is National Baked Pumpkin Donut Day. Technically, it’s King Tut Day (????). But… I’m pretty sure I’d rather celebrate donuts. You?

I usually prefer frying my homemade donuts. Like these copycat Krispy Kreme Donuts, or these Heavenly Hash Donuts, or these Apple Cider Donuts, or these Bacon Fried Chicken and Donuts… mmmmmmmm.

But I know a lot of you are pretty wary of frying stuff, and baking donuts seems to be generally more acceptable to everyone. So I’ve been working on trying more baked donut recipes that I can share with you guys. This Chocolate Baked Cake Donut, for starters, is insanely delicious. SO GOOD.

Easy Baked Pumpkin Donut Recipe

Today’s recipe marks another baked donut in the books, and you pumpkin crazies out there are going to love this one.

They are soft, soft, SOFT! And full of fragrant pumpkin spice. Also: super easy.

All you have to do is mix one cake mix (yellow or white) with one can of pumpkin puree and add a touch of pumpkin pie spice. Give ’em a dunk in cinnamon sugar, and you’re good to go!

These donuts are delicious when warm straight out of the oven (aren’t all donuts??), and they are best eaten on the day you bake them. This isn’t really a make-ahead kind of recipe, but they’re so easy to make so that’s not really a big deal.

Easy Baked Pumpkin Donut Recipe

This is the donut pan I used, it’s only about $7 on Amazon and you could have it in two days with Prime. But if you’re not looking to buy a new donut pan, you could always bake these in a muffin tin instead if you wanted.

Enjoy 🙂 And Happy National Baked Pumpkin Donut Day ????.

Here is a recipe for the perfect Fall weekend breakfast or brunch: Apple Cider Waffles with an amazing homemade Caramel Apple Cider Syrup. 

Apple Cider Buttermilk Waffles & Caramel Apple Cider Syrup Recipe

Here is a recipe for the perfect Fall weekend breakfast or brunch: Apple Cider Waffles with an amazing homemade Caramel Apple Cider Syrup. 

Here is a recipe for the perfect Fall weekend breakfast or brunch: Apple Cider Waffles with an amazing homemade Caramel Apple Cider Syrup. 

Like clockwork, every time Fall rolls around I start craving apple cider. Starbucks caramel apple cider to be precise. Omg, is there anything in the world that tastes as good as that??

Maybe not. But the caramel apple cider syrup on this apple cider buttermilk waffles comes preeeeeettty close.

Here is a recipe for the perfect Fall weekend breakfast or brunch: Apple Cider Waffles with an amazing homemade Caramel Apple Cider Syrup. 

If you’re not already feeling as apple cider-y as I am, here are a few little tidbits about these waffles to get you in the mood:

A) There’s a WHOLE CUP of apple cider in the waffle batter. B) It’s not pumpkin. I know a lot of you are like, enough with the pumpkin already! and C) Imagine a caramel apple in liquid form, heavy on the caramel. That is this syrup. It is the kind of amazing your breakfast dreams are made of. If you had no other interest in these waffles, I can assure you that the syrup alone would make eating them worth your while.

Here is a recipe for the perfect Fall weekend breakfast or brunch: Apple Cider Waffles with an amazing homemade Caramel Apple Cider Syrup. 

I hope you enjoy these as much as I did! And don’t feel bad if you find yourself licking the syrup off the plate… you’re in good company ????.

Perfectly baked pumpkin donuts coated with cinnamon sugar and topped with Nutella.

Baked Pumpkin Nutella Donuts Recipe

Perfectly baked pumpkin donuts coated with cinnamon sugar and topped with Nutella.

Perfectly baked pumpkin donuts coated with cinnamon sugar and topped with Nutella.

My daughter knows no seasonal boundaries when it comes to her love of pumpkin.

Regardless of the time of year, when we let her choose the dessert for family night– it’s always pumpkin pie. Always. Which is so funny to me, because she is an incredibly picky eater especially in regards to texture. And it took me until adulthood (and years of acquiring more adventurous palate)  to appreciate a good pumpkin pie, because I always felt like it was kind of slimy.

It is, after all, a cold pie made of squash. I feel like kids have a right to be a little leery when it comes to pumpkin pie. But not my girl!

Perfectly baked pumpkin donuts coated with cinnamon sugar and topped with Nutella.

As much as I love a good pumpkin pie (now), I just feel like there is so much more fun to be had when it comes to pumpkin season.

Pumpkin Monkey Bread. Enough said.

Pumpkin Cornnread with Maple Cinnamon Butter. ohemgee.

Pumpkin S’mores Cupcakes. Just yes.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting. Swoon.

Pumpkin Oreo Cheesecake Bars. Need I continue??

Perfectly baked pumpkin donuts coated with cinnamon sugar and topped with Nutella.

I’d have to say, at the top of my pumpkin favorite recipes list is most definitely this one for pumpkin donuts with Nutella on top.

Pumpkin + Nutella is the kind of flavor combination that dreams are made of. Initially, I thought I might make some sort of Nutella “glaze” or Nutella “frosting.” But then I realized… why mess with perfection? So I warmed up a bowl of straight-up Nutella and dunked my cinnamon sugar coated pumpkin donuts right in.

And I didn’t regret it. No siree.

Perfectly baked pumpkin donuts coated with cinnamon sugar and topped with Nutella.

If you’re ready to begin your fall baking (and really, who’s not??), may I suggest that you start right here. Dig out that pumpkin, ya’ll! It’s Fall!

Almost ????.

Buttery brown sugar and cinnamon swirled into fluffy pumpkin pancakes, topped with a dreamy cream cheese cinnamon roll frosting. Perfect for a yummy Fall breakfast!

Cinnamon Roll Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe

Pumpkin pancakes with a cinnamon swirl that melts in your mouth. Good morning!!

Buttery brown sugar and cinnamon swirled into fluffy pumpkin pancakes. Perfect for a yummy Fall breakfast!

I have a serious love-hate relationship with cinnamon roll pancakes.

They were suuuuuuuuper popular about a year ago. And it’s no wonder why– the pictures were absolutely drool-worthy. And the concept: totally genius. I mean, who doesn’t want cinnamon roll filling swirled in their pancakes smothered in cinnamon roll frosting? Everyone does.

But have you ever tried to make them?

Ohmygosh. I tried about a bazillion times last year before I just finally gave up. Every time I tried, my cinnamon swirl leaked out of the pancake all over the place, filling my kitchen with the semi-permanent smell of burning sugar. And, uh, burning sugar is HOT. So there were definitely more than a few finger blisters involved. It was messy, smelly, and painful. It’s idiotic that I tried to make them as many times as I did.

But those pictures!!!! I mean… they just look so perfect! So why weren’t mine turning out like I thought they should?

Buttery brown sugar and cinnamon swirled into fluffy pumpkin pancakes, topped with a dreamy cream cheese cinnamon roll frosting. Perfect for a yummy Fall breakfast!

This idea for cinnamon roll pumpkin pancakes has been nagging at me for a few weeks, and I kept pushing it away– not wanting to look a-fool in my kitchen again (not to mention wanting to spare my hands the burns!). But, in the end, this recipe was just too tempting not to try.

So I gave it some careful thought and drew up a game plan for making painless, mostly mess-free cinnamon roll (pumpkin) pancakes. And it worked!

Although, in full disclosure: one of the improvements I made to this recipe was simply to lower my expectations. I just realized that no matter how hard I tried, some of the cinnamon swirl was going to leak out of the pancakes. Once I came to terms with that, the rest was a breeze!

Be sure to read these tips before heading to the kitchen!

I added cornstarch to my cinnamon swirl mixture. It helped hold “things” together a bit and keep it from leaking out of the pancakes any more than it did.

Be SURE to insert the tip of your piping bag or bottle into the pancake batter a bit when piping on the cinnamon swirl. DO NOT simply pipe the swirl on top. It needs to be in the batter a little bit.

Pipe the swirl IMMEDIATELY after scooping the batter onto the griddle (just to ensure that you can pipe into the batter and not on top).

Let the pancake cook really, really well on the first side. You don’t risk drying out the pancake, thanks to the pumpkin (which keeps things extra moist). And by allowing the majority of the pancake to be cooked before flipping, you won’t lose quite as much cinnamon swirl on the “flip side.” The edges of the pancakes should be dry, and the top of the pancake should look a little dry as well with bubbles that don’t pop and fill in.

Clean the griddle with a paper towel in between batches. It’s not as much work as it sounds if you do it in between each one. Getting the extra sugar off the griddle will prevent burning, and it will make things A LOT easier to clean in the end.

If you have an electric griddle, USE IT. Electric griddles are awesome for cooking evenly and preventing burned food. I’m not so sure how these would have gone over on the stove-top to be honest.

Moist chocolate donuts that are baked instead of fried, topped with a sweet glaze and Oreo crumbles.

Cookies & Cream Baked Chocolate Donuts Recipe

Moist chocolate donuts that are baked instead of fried, topped with a sweet glaze and Oreo crumbles.

Moist chocolate donuts that are baked instead of fried, topped with a sweet glaze and Oreo crumbles.

Happy Thursday! It’s almost the weekend, which I think calls for donuts!!

I’m obsessed with donuts. Cream filled, chocolate frosted, sprinkled, glazed, baked, fried, whatever. If it’s a donut, I want it. These baked chocolate donuts with a glaze have an especially soft spot in my heart. I love the texture– they’re a little bit crispy around the edges, just like a fried donut, but soft and airy on the inside. So much perfection in one little breakfast food!

Moist chocolate donuts that are baked instead of fried, topped with a sweet glaze and Oreo crumbles.

Today, I’m taking my favorite chocolate donut recipe, and cranking it up a notch by coating the glaze in Oreo cookie crumbles and adding a drizzle of cream cheese frosting to top it all off.

These donuts are incredibly simple to make. The ingredients are simple and straightforward, stuff you have on hand. And the mixing and baking process is a breeze as well. Basically, what I’m saying is that you can have homemade chocolate donuts in about 20 minutes.

Which I think we can agree is something we allllllllll need. ????

Moist chocolate donuts that are baked instead of fried, topped with a sweet glaze and Oreo crumbles.

Moist chocolate donuts that are baked instead of fried, topped with a sweet glaze and Oreo crumbles.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

Apple Pie Bread Pudding

Apple Pie Bread Pudding Recipe

Cozy, warm, delicious bread pudding piled high with a homemade apple pie filling and buttery streusel on top.

This post is sponsored by King’s Hawaiian.

Apple Pie Bread Pudding

Now THIS is the ultimate bread pudding! Made with sweet melt-in-your-mouth , brown sugar, FOUR eggs for a custard-like texture, homemade cinnamon-spiced apple pie filling, and a buttery cinnamon streusel to top it all off.

It makes a large 9×13 dish FULL of apple pie and ooey-gooey bread goodness.

Apple Pie Bread Pudding

Remember how we talked about the magic that happens when you bake King’s Hawaiian bread? All that real butter goodness inside makes them become ridiculously soft and pillow-like. These Sticky Buns made with Sweet Rolls are unreal. They literally melt in your mouth.

Same thing with this bread pudding. The layer of egg-y, custard-y bread at the bottom is so sweet and soft, it really feels like it just melts in your mouth.

Apple Pie Bread Pudding

You’ll start by cubing the bread. I used the big loaf of , but you could also cut up King’s Hawaiian rolls or buns if you have those on hand. Make the custard and pour it over the bread, and just let the bread soak it all up while you move on to making the pie filling and streusel topping.

Apple Pie Bread Pudding

The pie filling is SO easy (no stovetop required)! It’s simply sliced apples coated in a sugar/flour/spices mixture.

Apple Pie Bread Pudding

Next, you’ll spread the bread pudding in the prepared baking dish, and then layer the apples on top of the egg-y bread.

Now the streusel topping! Do you love streusel as much as I do? What’s not to love?? Brown sugar, cinnamon, and lotsa butter. It really takes this bread pudding to the next level. Cut the COLD butter into the other ingredients until it’s nice and crumbly and sprinkle over the apples.

Apple Pie Bread Pudding

Bake it all up until it’s golden delicious and a little bubbly on the sides. You can top this with whipped cream, ice cream, or even some caramel sundae sauce. No matter how you eat this, it’s going to make you feel all warm and cozy from head to toes!

Apple Pie Bread Pudding

Strawberry Shortcake Donuts | www.somethingswanky.com @driscollsstrawberries #strawshortcake

Strawberry Shortcake Donuts Recipe

 Dricoll’s has been the strawberry in everyone’s shortcake for more than 100 years, which makes them the perfect inspiration for this recipe! I worked in collaboration with Driscoll’s Strawberries to develop a unique strawberry shortcake recipe and have received compensation accordingly. Opinions expressed are always my own.

Strawberry Shortcake Donuts | somethingswanky.com @driscollsstrawberries #strawshortcake

Summertime is practically here! Can’t you just feel it?? This time of year is just so intoxicating, so full of sunlight and flower buds. It’s like walking into a big hug after a long and dreary winter, followed by a very wet spring.

In between packing what must be thousands of boxes (okay… it’s closer to, like, 12) and move prep, we’ve been trying to soak up every moment of this new found sunshine! We’re taking nature walks, catching butterflies, running in the sprinklers, and eating lots and lots of strawberries.

Like…. gazillions of strawberries.

Strawberry Shortcake Donuts | somethingswanky.com @driscollsstrawberries #strawshortcake

I think strawberries may be the real reason I fight to get through the winter at all. And when strawberry season comes, I’m eating them with every meal and every snack in between.

Like every other strawberry lover on the planet, I’m pretty crazy about strawberry shortcake. Besides being utterly delicious and a versatile flavor combo, strawberry shortcake is also classic and timeless. It’s an iconic American dessert, and I find the sheer patriotism of it as appealing as anything else. Did you know that Americans have been feverishly eating strawberry shortcake for over 100 years? And Driscoll’s has been growing beautifully plump, ruby red strawberries for just as long!

Strawberry shortcake has taken on many forms throughout the decades. Sometimes the variations are as simple as switching up the cake part and using a spongecake (like the ones you see in the grocery stores by the strawberries) or pound cake instead of a traditional sweet biscuit. Others are more creative and incorporate the flavors into desserts like ice cream or crepes!

Strawberry Shortcake Donuts | somethingswanky.com @driscollsstrawberries #strawshortcake

I wanted to get a little creative with this recipe but also incorporate some tradition at the same time. Classic, old-school, southern-style strawberry shortcake is made with a biscuit (sort of like this blueberry shortcake I posted). Using biscuits happen to be my favorite way to eat this dessert, so I knew I didn’t want to deviate from that route.

As I started thinking about the different ways you can use biscuits in dessert-making, strawberry shortcake donuts became this blaring, neon sign in my mind as the perfect way to combine both tradition and creativity! By simply frying the biscuit dough, instead of baking, a classic strawberry shortcake goes rogue and becomes a donut. You can fry made-from-scratch biscuit dough or use refrigerated biscuit dough like I did for a delicious shortcut!

One more thing before you head to the kitchen… it’s a little obvious, but it’s worth saying anyway: be sure to buy the very best strawberries for the very best tasting donuts. Driscoll’s has been the strawberry in everyone’s shortcake for over 100 years, and there’s a reason– they’re the best!