The holidays are in full swing and I’ve been baking up a storm! I love holiday baking more than any other time of the year, and I adore developing festive new recipes that push my creative boundaries. Guess what? I’ve got a new favorite and it’s all about that gingerbread. Are you ready to drool? I hope so, because you are going to love these yummy Gingerbread Iced Donuts!
Scent has always played a big role in the holidays for me. Growing up, they were always filled with smells of cinnamon, gingerbread, peppermint, and warm apple cider. My grandmother had a family party every December since I can remember, and every time I walked in I was greeted with gingerbread and cinnamon. For me, that was the holidays. She is gone now, and I’m all grown up, but I still can’t smell gingerbread without reminiscing about my grandmother’s holiday parties. So, when this time of year rolls around I fill my house with that same scent in the form of candles, oils, sprays and baked goods.
I also love incorporating my baked goods into gifts, so I had an idea for gingerbread themed gift baskets. I have tested out a lot of different seasonal scent brands throughout the years, but my favorite by far is the warm, spicy gingerbread collection from Thymes. I will tell you all about it later in the post, but for now here is the recipe for my Iced Gingerbread Donuts!
These cake-like donuts are amazingly soft and fluffy, and the layer of sweet vanilla icing really takes it over the top! This recipe makes 12 donuts, but you can easily adjust for more or less (wait, who am I kidding, you wouldn’t want less!) Here is what you need:
For the Donuts
- One donut pan – available in the kitchen section of most stores
- 1.5 cups flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/3 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 stick butter
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1/4 cup molasses
For the icing
- 1 tablespoon almond milk
- 1.5 cups powdered sugar
- pinch of cinnamon
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. To make your donuts, combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl, then add in all wet ingredients and mix thoroughly. I like to use a stand mixer, but you can easily use a firm spoon or a stick mixer. Once evenly blended, grab a gallon sized zip bag and pour your mixture in then seal shut. Cut off a corner and pipe the mix into your greased donut pan. Cook for around 20 minutes (or until a nice fluffy consistency). Once out of the oven, set your donuts on a wire rack to cool.
While they are cooling you can mix up your icing. You want your donuts completely cooled down before you ice them, so make sure you wait to mix it up because this is a quick-firming icing. When you are ready, all you have to do is mix your milk, powdered sugar and cinnamon together vigorously until you have a smooth paste-like consistency. *If your icing is too thick or thin, add in more milk or powdered sugar until you have it right – don’t worry about the ratios, this is impossible to mess up!
Once your icing is mixed, dip the top half of each donut in for a few seconds and then set aside. In a few minutes your icing will set, and your donuts will be ready to eat! Wasn’t that super easy?
These are great for gifting, and I’m packing mine with a basket full of gingerbread scented items from Thymes because they make my house smell like I’ve been baking all day. Their gingerbread collection is filled with warm, subtle notes of cardamom, crystallized ginger and amber for a truly immersive experience.
They have some seriously luxurious products including sprays, lotions, hand washes, candles, and oil diffusers.
What if gingerbread just isn’t your thing? Well, they have tons of great scent options! You can pick up your own FREE sample set with any $25 purchase over at Thymes and decide for yourself, and you can also use the code TRADITION5 for a special promo!
Now what are you waiting for, go ahead and get lost in some gingerbread!
