Healthier Cinnamon Bun Doughnuts with Cream Cheese Frosting

Who doesn't like cinnamon rolls? Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could get that great taste at home in  30 minutes with a healthier low fat baked doughnut? Yep you can.

Baked doughnuts have several advantage for home: less mess, no hot oil to keep at 350 degrees, easy mixing in a bowl and only 30 minutes so you can do them quickly in the morning. All these are good but the doctor in my must go to the fat and calories.

Compared to a Dunkin' Donuts' Glazed cake doughnut
Calories: Dunkin' 360  Mine 150 for the doughnut and 45 for the frosting (probably a little less) for a total of 195. Fat: Dunkin' 22 gms. and mine only 3.5 gms.

Rating:

The easiest 5 in a long time. A high high 5.

Notes:
I love a good toy and I love a good doughnut so it was only a matter of time before the Wilton Nonstick 6-Cavity Donut Pan made it to my kitchen. But it has taken 4-5 tries to get this right. First I though the company would know their product. So a simple cake doughnut following the included instructions. Taste good (all round sugary things taste good) but the bottom of the doughnut were dark brown and top pale. Then several other recipes. Temperatures were 350, 400 and 425 again. But the right temperature is.... 325 for 11 to 12 minutes. Not even close to the company recommendation.

I don't have a particular "inspired by" since I have read so many recipes. They just all came together plus I simplified the ingredients commonly used to what I have all the time.  I want to wake up and decide to do this without planning. I keep powder buttermilk on hand, it needs to be refrigerated but comes in really handy. You can use normal milk and add a tsp of lemon juice or vinegar to a cup of milk as a substitute for buttermilk.

Next up, the all time breakfast of champions... the chocolate covered chocolate doughnut (the family knows... ).

 Preheat oven to 325 not convection. (salt is missing from picture)

Mix dry ingredients. 1 cup AP flour, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 t baking powder, 1/2 t cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt.

 In another bowl mix 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1 egg, 1/2 t vanilla and 1 T melted butter.

 Mix wet into dry. Mix until combined well but do not over mix.

 A heavy coat of PAM on the doughnut pan with extra on the center posts.

Divide the dough equally into the doughnut holes. Just dump onto the center post and the spread into the hole. They will smooth out during cooking.

Bake for 11-12 minutes until nicely golden. Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes before moving to cooling rack.

 While doughnuts are cooling, mix the frosting.

Soften 2 T of cream cheese in a mixing bowl for about 10 seconds in a microwave. I used 1/3 less lower fat.

Add 1/2 cup powder sugar, 1/2 t vanilla and 1 t milk.

 Mix the frosting and add more milk 1/2 t at a time to get the right consistency. I only need a total of 1/2 tsp more (1 1/2 tsp total of milk)

 Dip the doughnut into the frosting.

 Swirl the doughnut in the frosting.

Cinnamon Roll Doughnut with Cream Cheese Frosting

By Dan Mikesell
Published 08/31/2013

Who doesn't like cinnamon rolls? A great tasting healthier low fat baked doughnut with great cinnamon bun taste.

Ingredients

• 1 cup AP flour
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 T butter
• 1/2 t vanilla



Frosting

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons 1/3 lower fat cream cheese
• 1/2 t vanilla
• 1-2 t milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 not convection.
2. Mix dry ingredients. 1 cup AP flour, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 t baking powder, 1/2 t cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt.
3. In another bowl mix 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1 egg, 1/2 t vanilla and 1 T melted butter.
4. Mix wet into dry. Mix until combined well but do not over mix.
5. A heavy coat of PAM on the doughnut pan with extra on the center posts.
6. Divide the dough equally into the doughnut holes. Just dump onto the center post and the spread into the hole. They will smooth out during cooking.
7. Bake for 11-12 minutes until nicely golden. Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes before moving to cooling rack.
8. While doughnuts are cooling, mix the frosting.
9. Soften 2 T of cream cheese in a mixing bowl for about 10 seconds in a microwave. I used 1/3 less lower fat.
10. Add 1/2 cup powder sugar, 1/2 t vanilla and 1 t milk. Mix the frosting and add more milk 1/2 t at a time to get the right consistency. I only need a total of 1/2 tsp more (1 1/2 tsp total of milk)
11. Dip the doughnut into the frosting and swirl in the frosting.

Yield: 6 doughnuts
Total time: 30 mins
Prep Time: 10
Cook time: 20

Nutrition

• Calories: 195
• Fat: 3.5

Tags: breakfast, low fat, healthy, doughnut, donut, sweets
Updated

August 31 2013

Dan Mikesell