Zucchini bread is great, but zucchini donuts are way more fun! These Carrot Zucchini Donuts combine two delicious vegetables into one sweet donut, glazed with vanilla Greek yogurt icing and perfect for breakfast or dessert.
(This recipe for Carrot Zucchini Donuts was originally published in March 2011, but was updated with new photos and content in 2020).
Long story short, these were supposed to be muffins but I couldn't find my beloved muffin tin. After tearing my place apart, mumbling a few choice words under my breath, and slamming every cabinet in my kitchen, the dang tin never showed up.
After searching high and low for far too long, I decided to just make them into donuts because, evidently, my donut pan is a lady and comes home after a crazy night... unlike little Ms. Muffin Tin.
But then, I think it was really a blessing in disguise. There is no shortage of zucchini bread and zucchini muffins in this world. But zucchini donuts? You just don't see those quite as often.
And these ones are extra special as they're Carrot Zucchini Donuts topped with a Greek yogurt icing. Since they're veggie packed and topped with Greek yogurt, you better believe I'm recommending these for breakfast. But they also make a mighty delicious dessert.
Carrot Zucchini Donuts Recipe
I loved the idea of these muffins/donuts because if you're going to eat a baked good, why not include some veggies? Especially zucchini and carrots, two of my favorites, that also happen to add a great deal of moistness to baked goods.
I very loosely followed a recipe from Whole Living. I used it as a base for measurements but definitely switched several things up according to my own tastes and what I had available in my kitchen.
Here's what you do:
Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees and spray your donut pan lightly with cooking spray.
In a small bowl, mix together whole wheat and all-purpose flours, wheat germ, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
In a large bowl, combine shredded carrots, zucchini, yogurt, egg yolks, maple syrup, and orange zest.
Slowly fold the flour mixture into the carrot mixture until just combined, taking care not to over-mix.
Now for the fun part. OK, maybe beating egg whites isn't fun per say, but it is fun how adding whipped egg whites to baked goods makes them extra light and fluffy.
Beat the egg whites until shiny, stiff peaks form.
And gently fold the egg whites into the carrot mixture.
Now you can begin to spoon or pour the batter into your prepared donut pan. Fill them just about to the top. I like to put my batter in a little plastic bag with an edge cut off, so I can pipe the batter right into the tin.
They should take about 10 minutes in the oven and be starting to turn nice and golden. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of one to make sure it comes out clean.
Be fully prepared for your kitchen to smell like, well, Heaven.
As the donuts were baking, I decided to make a frosting for them, too. They're absolutely perfect plain, since they're filled with such great flavors, but a little frosting never hurt anyone, now did it?
Unfrosted, they make a great breakfast. Frosted they make a good dessert. Actually, even frosted they make a great breakfast because it's a Greek yogurt frosting! Sure, there's some confectioners' sugar in it, but is there a law saying we can't have some sugar in the morning??
Plus, it's OK to eat two in one day because they have veggies in them. And whole wheat flour. And wheat germ.
Take ½ cup of the yogurt and mix it with ½ cup confectioners sugar and a ftsp of vanilla and let it sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes to thicken up.
Then, dip the donuts into the yogurt frosting.
I double dipped, but you do you.
Then, immediately devour the muffin-y carrot zucchini donuts.
Because I promise you won't be able to wait. Even if it's not breakfast or dessert time... Apparently they make fabulous snacks, too.
Really, these are some of the most moist baked donuts I've ever made. And I think I owe it to the carrot, zucchini, and Greek yogurt incorporated into the batter. Think baked donuts are dry and cake-y? Not these carrot zucchini donuts!
And the Greek yogurt icing has a nice little bite to it, which balances out some of the donuts sweetness.
Isn't it funny how some people can claim not to like zucchini, but when you put it into a baked good, they're suddenly all in? I guess I can't totally blame them.
And with that, I tell you that sometimes mistakes actually lead you to something better than what you were intending. Thank you to my missing muffin tin.
What's your favorite happy accident in the kitchen?
If you're looking for more ways to use your plethora of summer zucchini, check out my Baked Zucchini Chips or my Mexican Zucchini Boats. And speaking of zucchini bread, I do really want to try this Chocolate Zucchini Bread from Jenny Blogs!
📖 Recipe
Carrot Zucchini Donuts
Ingredients
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup toasted wheat germ
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and grated (about 2 cups)
- 1 large zucchini, peeled and grated (about 1 ½ cups)
- ½ cup vanilla Greek yogurt
- 2 large eggs, whites separated from yolks
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
Greek Yogurt Icing
- ½ cup vanilla Greek yogurt
- ½ cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees and lightly spray a donut pan with cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, mix together both flours, wheat germ, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.
- In a large bowl, combine the grated carrots, zucchini, yogurt, egg yolks, syrup, and orange zest.
- Slowly fold the flour mixture into the carrot mixture until just combined, taking care not to over-mix.
- In a separate large bowl with a hand mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment), beat egg whites until shiny, stiff peaks form. Gently fold stiff egg whites into the carrot mixture.
- Spoon batter into prepared donut pan filling just about to the top. I like to put my batter in a little plastic bag with the corner cut off, so I can squeeze it into donut pan.
- Bake for about 10 minutes, until donuts are turning golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the donuts comes out clean.
- Let donuts cool in the pan for a couple minutes before moving to wire racks to cool completely.
- Once donuts are completely cooled, dip them in yogurt frosting. I like to double dip.
Greek Yogurt Icing
- In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
- Let icing sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes before dipping donuts.
Erica says
I haven't tried cabbots greek- I will put it on my list! I think its pretty awesome that these turned into donuts by accident- they look totally yummy. My favorite happy cooking accidents usually come from having to find a random substitute for an ingredient when you're halfway through a recipe and realize you don't have something you need!
Maris (In Good Taste) says
These donuts look so perfect and a nice change from muffins! OMG too numerous to even think!
Simply Life says
ha this looks like the perfect "mistake"!
Barbara says
I have a grapefruit knife that seems to travel too. Here one day, gone the next. 🙂
Looks like you didn't need a muffin tin anyway...love the idea of donuts! And such healthy ones too.
Katie says
these were delicious! and i loovve that yogurt too! 🙂
Heather @ Get Healthy With Heather says
Everytime I see a donut recipe I tell myself to buy one. Now I REALLY want one! These look amazing. I love that you combined both carrot and zucchini in there.
brandi says
all these donut recipes are killing me! These look so good 🙂
Jenn's Food Journey says
I'm loving this! I never thought there could be a "healthy" donut that would make me forget a good Krispy Kreme....but I think this could do it!
Brittany says
I have to experiment with this sometime soon! What a great way to improve traditional doughnuts!
Emily @ A Cambridge Story says
This ended up being a *really* healthy doughnut! Nice work. My biggest kitchen blunder turned blessing was when I omitted flour entirely from a banana bread recipe. Incredibly enough, it didn't turn out like bread. Instead it was a sweet, banana-y, mushy mess... that ended up being excellent on ice cream. You live and you learn!
Jessica says
I've been wanting a doughnut pan FOREVER and the idea of baked carrot doughnuts sounds like the perfect excuse to finally pull the trigger. These look amazing!
Lauren @ Healthy Food For Living says
I recently had a kitchen mistake gone right as well. What was supposed to be cookie dough almond butter turned into chocolate almond butter when I stirred the chocolate into the still-warm almond butter. A delicious accident, just like your doughnuts :).
I need to seek out that Cabot Greek yogurt. I love their cheeses!
Anna says
These look amazing! Bet they'd also be great with some kid of nut or raisin mixed in....?
I love that my brain says healthy, but my eyes say Tasty Treat!! 🙂
Daisy says
"Ms. Muffin Tin" oh its been a long day indeed. that line cracked me up!
P.S. I think you just invented a new movie. "Kitchen Story". Lets sell it to Pixar.
Michelle Collins says
Any baked good with zucchini in it is always great in my book! These look fantastic!
Lauren at KeepItSweet says
Anything is fun in donut form! What a great idea!
briarrose says
Ehehehe....great post. 😉
These look delicious. I'm going to have to try out the zucchini/carrot combo. The yogurt frosting is very unusual, what a neat idea.
Monique says
Toss the muffin tin! keep the donut pan!
I keep seeing your doughnut pan and wanting to run out to Sur La Table and getting one! damn... and last night i totally had a carrot cake doughnut from doughnut plant that was life changing.
Amanda L. (Tales from a Kitchen Misfit) says
I think this is even BETTER than muffins. You could totally fool people into thinking these are sweet donuts!
Victoria says
You know, everything happens for a reason. I think your muffin tin ran off in order to leave you and the donut pan alone long enough to create beautiful donuts together 🙂 haha... ok I'm just being cheesy. These look awesome.
Lauren@littleyellowkitchen says
What a fabulous mistake to make!...These look so moist and yummy. I've really been wanting to make donuts but we don't have a donut pan 🙁 I'll try out those muffins though!
Jen @ BeantownBaker.com says
LOVE that you named your kitchenware. These do look great.
Molly says
I am so excited about this! I make carrot muffins almost every week, this is all the convincing I need to go out and get a donut pan!
Kerstin says
Donuts are more fun! And they baked faster, so that's a plus too! I love carrot cake so I bet I'd be a huge fan of these.
Alicia Fidalgo says
Ms. muffin tin sounds like a bit of a floozy. Haha. I think the donuts are SO cute. I would take them over muffins any day!