baked banana doughnuts with vanilla glaze

Does anyone else have multiple gift cards in their wallets? While I appreciate gift cards because they allow my exceptionally indecisive self to choose a practical gift on my own timeline, I’m almost never able to find something that spends the entire amount. I know, me and my problems again. What I’m getting at is that I’m left carrying around gift cards with unknown balances that I eventually forget about. Sound familiar?

I had been toying with the idea of buying a doughnut pan for quite a while when I finally decided that I really needed one. I rummaged through my wallet to see if I had any worthwhile gift cards and luckily, I found an old Crate and Barrel one. I’m sure I could have forfeited the $10 to buy one sans gift card, but now my doughnut pan feels infinitely more special because it’s free. I love free things.

These banana doughnuts were delicious. The vanilla glaze quite didn’t set up with a crackly sugar coating like I expected it to (less liquid next time), but it still added a nice layer of sweetness to the doughnut. The doughnut itself is soft, moist, and very flavorful. The glaze soaked into the doughnuts as they sat in our tupperwear container and I actually preferred them this way. I love food that becomes more flavorful as it ages. My husband loved these doughnuts and he’s not one to give a lot of feedback. So, for my first attempt at baked doughnuts, I’ll deem these a success. I highly suggest you invest in a doughnut pan because your life could use more doughnuts. I'm sure of it.

Banana Baked Doughnuts with Vanilla Glaze

Doughnuts:

1 cup flour

¼ cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp salt

¼ cup buttermilk* 

1 ripe banana, mashed

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tbsp butter, melted

Vanilla Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1-2 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Lightly grease donut pan

In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients

Mix in buttermilk, banana, egg, vanilla, and butter until just combined

Spoon mixture into pan until wells are about 2/3 full

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly golden

Allow doughnuts to completely cool before drizzling with glaze

To make glaze, measure powdered sugar into small bowl then stir in milk and vanilla until reaches desired consistency (add more sugar to make it thicker)

Drizzle doughnuts with glaze over a cooling rack so that excess glaze drips off 

Allow glazed doughnuts to sit on cooling rack until glaze has firmed up before serving or storing

*If you don't have buttermilk, you can use add 1 tsp white vinegar to regular milk

Doughnuts source: Rumbly in My Tumbly