Celebrate cranberry season with these dense, cakey white chocolate cranberry donuts. It’s a baked glazed donut recipe that brings together a smattering of tart cranberries and a delicious white chocolate glaze.
Please note: this post was originally published in November 2017. I’ve updated the text slightly but the recipe remains the same
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snoooooow!! Do these donuts scream Christmas, or what? I know it’s still only the beginning of November, but I am (THIS) close to turning on the Christmas carols and going on a mad decorating spree. I think it’s the winter wonderland outside – as much as I am a true summer worshiper, there is something very charming and magical about the white outside. The thick layering on the trees, the crunch of the snow under my shoes….some days it feels like your favourite children’s Christmas book come to life.
And cranberries? Cranberries are totally Christmas-y. I love, love being able to buy them fresh this time of year, and you would not believe all of the recipe ideas I have swirling around in my head that involves these beautiful little balls. I’m trying to refrain from going ALL in on the cranberry, but I have a few gems that I really must share.
First up, these cakey, sweet, dense cranberry donuts with a little pop of tartness. I love these donuts so much!!
What makes these cranberry donuts cakey?
Normally my baked donuts are lighter in texture, but I really wanted a cakey, dense donut for this flavour combo. I’ve accomplished that by using melted butter instead of oil, milk and all white flour. The texture of the donut feels like your favourite piece of white cake.
Do you have to use fresh cranberries in the donuts?
You could definitely use frozen cranberries for this recipe, but I love, love fresh!! You’ll want to chop them up into smaller pieces before adding them to the batter. If you are using frozen cranberries and you are finding them difficult to chop up, you can throw them into a food processor and pulse a few times. Just be sure not to overdo it!
The donuts only take 10 minutes to bake, so you can easily make a batch for a weekend (or weekday) morning treat!
Oh, this is the donut pan I always use.
What’s in the white chocolate glaze recipe?
The white chocolate glaze recipe is also dead easy – it’s literally just white chocolate and a teeny bit of coconut oil to smooth things out. I use my microwave to melt the chocolate, but you have to be careful doing this, because it’s easy to overheat the chocolate and cause it to seize up, making it very un-dippable!
I’m drooling a little even thinking about these donuts – they might be my favourite donut recipe yet! That sweet white chocolate goes OH so well with the tart cranberry and cakey texture. The recipe makes 8-10 donuts – just the right amount for your family or a few lucky co-workers. Or, save them all for yourself. I won’t judge 😉
Donuts! Who doesn’t love them? I’ve got a whole category dedicated to easy baked donuts, which includes:
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Cranberry Donuts
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 donuts 1x
Description
Celebrate cranberry season with these dense, cakey donuts filled with a smattering of tart cranberries and covered in a sweet, white chocolate glaze.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp melted butter, cooled
- 1/2 cup cranberries, chopped*
White Chocolate Glaze
- 4 oz white chocolate, chopped
- 1 tsp coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and lightly grease a donut pan with non-stick spray or butter
- In a medium mixing bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg lightly with the sugar until combined. Whisk in the milk and vanilla extract, then slowly whisk in the melted butter.
- Combine the wet ingredients with the dry, and stir just until incorporated. Gently fold in the cranberries. Empty the batter into a piping bag or large Ziploc bag with the tip cut off, and fill each cavity in the donut pan about 3/4 full. You might have enough batter for 1-2 more donuts than what your pan holds, so after removing the first batch to a cooling rack, you can bake the next batch.
- Bake the donuts for 9-10 minutes, or until the donuts spring back lightly when poked. Cool the donuts in the pan for 2-3 minutes before removing from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
- While the donuts are cooling, melt the white chocolate and coconut oil together using a double boiler or in the microwave, heating in 30 second increments and stirring continuously until melted.
- Dip the donuts, one at a time into the glaze – I like to use a shallow bowl for this – and set back on the rack to harden. Enjoy immediately!
Leftover donuts can be kept at room temperature for 2-3 days, in a sealed container.
Notes
- If using frozen cranberries, add them (still frozen) just before baking
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: breakfast
- Method: baked
Keywords: cranberry donuts // baked glazed donut recipe // holiday donuts // baked donut recipe
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Katherine! I would love these for lunch, brunch or snacking! The tart cranberries with the sweet white chocolate glaze and I adore baked cake donuts! My all time favorite! These are sooo pretty and festive! LOVE!!!
Yaaas the tart little berries are so perfect with the white chocolate. I pretty much did snack on them all day haha thank you so much!!
These are so cute and a good take on the holiday season. I love that they are so quick whip together. Have a great weekend!
Thank you!! They’re incredibly easy to throw together – a great breakfast treat!! Hope you have a great weekend too!
These totally scream Christmas! I totally get wanting to bake everything with cranberries right now. I’ve had to edit myself significantly too :). Cranberries really need to be a year-round thing! Have a great weekend, Katherine!
Hooray! I’m glad you think so, Kelsie! They definitely need to be a year-round thing 🙂 Thank you friend!
First of all, it’s not the beginning of November, Katherine. 1/3 of it has gone! So, although I’m personally not ready for Christmas, I support these delicious donuts. Besides, as food bloggers, it’s our direct responsibility to go slightly ahead with seasonal ideas, right? Anyway, I do love cranberries too. I prefer wild berries which are smaller and more succulent that farm-cultivated, but it’s quite hard to find them. I think I need these donuts to happen in my life (I would add a little of cinnamon too). Have a nice weekend!
You’re right Ben – how is that even possible? I looked at the date today and I couldn’t believe it was already the 15th. Now it’s half gone!! You’re also right about jumping ahead on the seasons. It’s a necessity in our world! Cinnamon would be a great touch for these donuts – I hope you try them out! Cheers!
I have never baked with cranberries! But now you have me all motivated to try! These donuts look amazing. Perfect for Christmas 🙂 xoxo
You must try!! They get so soft and delicious in baked goods, it’s wonderful! Definitely perfect for Christmas. Thanks Kelly!! XO
You make me feel like dancing ! Tank you dear !
Aww that is such a sweet compliment! Thank you!!
these look like such a perfect holiday treat! i’m trying not to get in the christmas mood just yet, because the anticipation would make the next month and a half very unproductive and antsy lol
Hah that’s probably a good position to have. Christmas is the only good thing about the snow right now, so I’m fully embracing it!! Cheers, Heather!
I don’t normally get in the Christmas spirit until after Thanksgiving but these donuts are about to change that! I LOVE fresh cranberries and can’t think of too many other things I love more. These look just heavenly!
I keep forgetting that your Thanksgiving is so much later than ours! That would be a great date to use to allow yourself to get into full Christmas mode!! I’m glad you’re on the cranberry train too, Marcie. Thank you so much!!
just PERFECT!!!! Love the color, the flavour, everything! Thanks so much for sharing!
You are too sweet!!! Thank you so much!!
Tart cranberries, sweet white chocolate glaze, cakey donuts sounds like the best thing ever!!!! Totally love it dear.
Thank you Maria!! The cranberries go SO well with the white chocolate!! Glad you approve 🙂
These donuts totally scream Christmas Katherine! Love the flavors! Perfect for holiday brunches!
I’m glad you think so, Mary Ann!! That’s definitely what I was going for 🙂 Cheers!!
YES! These totally scream Christmas and they are tempting me waaaaay too much cos they are so easy and quick to make. Plus, they look gorgeous!! I can’t believe how close we are to the big day! I feel like I have so much to do, but I’m sure it’ll all get done 🙂 Have a great week, Katherine 🙂
It is a bit of a problem, Dawn!! I wish I thought they were much harder to make 😉 Can you believe that it’s already the middle of November!? I just hope I’m not leaving my Christmas shopping until the last minute like I usually do 😉 Thanks Dawn!!
These are so pretty and festive, Katherine! Not to mention that they sound SOOO good!
Thank you Marissa! I love all things festive! It just puts a smile on my face. Hope you’re having a great week!!
These donuts are so cute and Christmas-y, Katherine! I’m salivating just thinking about biting into the tartness of the cranberries and the sweetness of the white chocolate!
You’ve got the flavour nailed! That tartness just compliments the sweet chocolate SO well. Thank you Thao! Hope you’re having a wonderful week!
These donuts are like Christmas on a platter, I can already taste that tart pop of flavor from the cranberries and that white chocolate glaze… sign me up!! Take are.
That’s totally what I was going for, Stacey!! Glad you like them!! I wish I had a few of them sitting next to me right now 😉 Cheers!
Yep – our Christmas music has been playing since November 1st, like it does every year! These donuts will be the sweetest addition to the breakfast table on Christmas morning!
Hah! You’re a woman after my own heart. There is nothing better than Christmas music, especially since we’ve had snow outside!! I totally agree Annie, I can picture it now! Thanks 🙂
Katherine, these donuts absolutely scream Christmas! Cranberries and white chocolate are the ultimate Christmas combo. I’ve been baking up a storm with cranberries too. There are just so many possibilities and so little time! As for the Christmas music and decorating, go for it! I’ve already started 😉 !
Yay! That’s definitely what I was going for, Leanne! I’m so excited to see what you’ve been up to with those cranberries. They’re the BEST this time of year. I’m glad we’re on the same page my friend!! Cheers!
I love donuts! And such pretty festive donuts are always a big Yes!! The white chocolate glaze and the cranberries, everything about these delicious donuts is so lovely!!
I LOVE donuts too, Deepika! Especially when I can just make them at home!! Thank you so much my dear! Hope you’re having a wonderful week!!
These look amazing!!!!! so festive! bring on Christmas!!!! yas
Yay!! I’m SO ready for all things Christmas – sounds like you are too!! Thanks doll!!
Oh these look so beautiful and festive Katherine. I also love baking with cranberries they are so pretty and taste so great so bring on all the cranberry recipes you have, I cannot wait 😋
Thank you so much my friend!! Cranberries are SO pretty, they’re like little Christmas ornaments 😉 I’ve got another one coming tomorrow, stay tuned!! XO
Hey Katherine…! amazing your donuts and i really like your donuts & photography. this best for Christmas. Thanks for sharing…!
Thank you!! That’s so nice of you to say!
Oh my goodness. These are PERFECT.
You are too kind!! Thank you so much Jessie!! XO
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Cranberry White Chocolate DONUTS Breakfast Buns are decadent and festive, and perfect to make ahead for a holiday breakfast or brunch! Thanks for sharing 🙂
You bet these are Christmas-y! They look totally festive:) I should bake a batch before Christmas though, to be sure I’ve mastered the recipe. Picture perfect for Christmas breakfast.
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Hah! You should probably make two batches, Milena, just to make SURE they’re ok right!? Thank you my friend! Happy Christmas season to you!
These are absolutely delicious! Best baked donut recipe I have tried so far. Thank you!
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Janet! Thank you SO much for letting me know!! So glad you enjoyed
Oh these look so beautiful and festive Katherine. I also love baking with cranberries they are so pretty and taste so great so bring on all the cranberry recipes you have, I cannot wait 😋
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Katherine these cranberry white chocolate donuts look so good and are so festive too for the upcoming holidays! Love this idea.
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The white chocolate glaze and fresh cranberry on top is so crazy amazing. These would make such a fabulous Christmas party dessert!
Amazing recipe!
Thank you Luciana!!