We always have bananas in the house. My husband loves them and I eat one after every workout. We put them in our cereal, add them to smoothies and I love baking with them. I always get a little excited when I see a couple of them survive past the peel and eat stage and slip into the over ripe stage.
Although, I do love a nice loaf of banana bread, I am not a huge fan of making the same thing over and over, so I have started expanding my banana desserts. An over ripe banana is so versatile. You can mash them into cookies, use them in brownies, freeze them to use in dairy free ice cream or smoothies, make pudding with them or build a banana split.
One more thing they can be transformed into are doughnuts. Yes! Banana doughnuts. The beautifully comforting flavor of banana bread that can mixed in one bowl, baked in 8 minutes and ready to eat as soon as they are just cool enough to pick up. They are moist, tender and super flavorful. You are going to love them…
Let’s get started…
Begin by gathering 2 medium overly ripe bananas, 3 tablespoons of butter, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1 cup of all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon of all spice.
You can bring everything together in one medium bowl and in the amount of time it takes to preheat your oven, so there really is no reason that you shouldn’t make these the next time you have brown bananas.
Begin by melted 3 tablespoons of butter in a microwave safe mixing bowl. Peel the bananas and add them in with the melted butter. Use a stiff fork to mash the bananas until they are nice and smooth. Add an egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and whisk to combine.
Add 1/2 cup of brown sugar, whisk vigorously until creamy and then add 1 cup of all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon of all spice.
Mix the batter until it is just combined.
Grease your favorite doughnut pan and fill each cavity half way. You can do this with a spoon, but my favorite way of filling a doughnut pan is by adding the batter into a piping bag and piping the batter in. It keeps the edges clean and helps prevent the left over batter from drying out while the first batches bake.
Bake the doughnuts in a 350 degree oven for about 8 minutes. If you are using a mini doughnut pan, they will be ready closer to 6 minutes and large doughnuts will be ready around 11 minutes in. They are done when they feel springy to a light touch. As soon as the first batch is done, flip the doughnuts onto a cooling rack and repeat the process with the remaining batter.
Once the doughnuts are baked and fully cooled, it is time to dress them up.
My three favorite ways to top banana doughnuts are with a simply cinnamon glaze, a thick chocolate glaze or with a crunchy brown sugar pecan topping. You can pick one or make all three!
For the cinnamon glaze and the brown sugar pecan topping, begin by combining 2 cups of sifted confectioners sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Add enough milk to create a consistency that is creamy enough to dip the doughnuts into, but not so thin that it will drip right off. This usually takes 2-3 tablespoons. If you add too much milk, no worries! Simple add a little more confectioners sugar to thicken it back up.
If you want to add the brown sugar pecan topping, combine 1/3 cup of crushed pecans and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar in a shallow bowl. Dip the top of a doughnut into the cinnamon glaze and then into the brown sugar pecan topping. Press the doughnut down a bit to ensure maximum topping coverage and then transfer the doughnut onto a cooling rack to allow the glaze and topping to set.
For the chocolate glaze, combine 2 tablespoons of melted butter with 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons of natural unsweetened cocoa and a pinch of salt. Slowly sift in about 1 cup of confectioners sugar and add about 2 tablespoons of hot water to create a smooth, thick chocolate glaze.
Sifting the confectioners sugar will help your glaze be smooth. Confectioners sugar can be really lumpy and if you add it right into the wet ingredients, it will clump up. Sifting the confectioners sugar into the bowl will help keep it smooth and will incorporate it slowly enough to make mixing easy.
However you decide to dip or top your doughnuts, transfer them onto a cooling rack to allow the glaze to set up. If you want to add some sprinkles, sprinkle away!
Aren’t they lovely? I like the brown sugar pecan topped doughnuts, but my husband is all about the chocolate ones. If you house is really warm, you can pop the glazed doughnuts into the fridge to help speed up the setting process so they can be stacked and not stick together.
These doughnuts have such wonderful banana flavor! They are moist, tender and perfect right out of the oven or dipped into that spicy cinnamon glaze or a rich chocolate one.
However you decide to enjoy these banana beauties, one thing is for sure, you are going to love them…
Banana Doughnuts
Ingredients
Banana Doughnuts
- 3 tablespoons of salted butter, melted
- 2 medium over ripe bananas (about 3/4 cup)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup of brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup of all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon a pinch of salt, black pepper and celery salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon of all spice
Chocolate Glaze
- 2 tablespoons of butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons of natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- a pinch of salt
- 1 cup of confectioners sugar, sifted
- about 2 tablespoons of hot water
Cinnamon Glaze
- 2 cups of confectioners sugar, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- a pinch of salt
- 2-3 tablespoons of milk
Brown Sugar Pecan Topping
- 1/3 cup of pecans, crushed
- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven 350 degrees
- Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large heatproof bowl
- Add 2 medium overly ripe bananas that have been mashed smooth along with a large egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- Whisk in 1/2 cup of brown sugar until creamy
- Add 1 cup of all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon of all spice and mix until just combined
- Grease your doughnut pan and fill each cavity half way
- Bake for 8 minutes or until the doughnuts feel springy to a light touch
- Transfer the doughnuts onto a cooling rack
Topping with the chocolate glaze...
- In a mixing bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons of melted butter with 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- Add 1 cup of confectioners sugar, 2 tablespoons of natural unsweetened cocoa and a pinch of salt
- Drizzle enough hot water into the glaze to achieve a thick, but creamy glaze (about 2 tablespoons)
- Dip the tops of fully cooled doughnuts into the glaze and transfer them onto a cooling rack until the glaze is fully set
Topping with the cinnamon glaze...
- Combine 2 cups of confectioners sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and a pinch of salt in a shallow mixing bowl
- Add enough milk to create a thick, creamy consistency (2-3 tablespoons)
- Dip the tops of fully cooled doughnuts into the cinnamon glaze and transfer them onto a cooling rack until fully set
Topping with the brown sugar pecan topping...
- Combine brown sugar with finely crushed pecans in a shallow bowl
- Make the cinnamon glaze and immediately dip the tops of the doughnuts into the topping after dipping them into the cinnamon glaze
- Transfer the dipped doughnuts onto a cooling rack and allow to set
