Blueberry Cardamom Donut Recipe

Cardamom goes well with vanilla, but that's not the only flavor you should combine this warm, herbaceous, antioxidant-packed spice with, especially when you're baking. "Cardamom pairs really well with blueberries, but it isn't an overwhelming amount, so you get a nice depth of flavor from it," Jessica Morone explains, who's crafted this simple yet flavorful recipe for blueberry cardamom donuts that get topped with a sweet vanilla glaze. They're great for a sweet snack or a luxurious breakfast bite — after all, cardamom goes nicely with coffee as well.

These donuts are baked rather than fried, which means they're not just healthier, they're also a lot easier and more convenient to make at home. However, donuts you make in the oven will have a different texture than fried donuts, which are airier and typically made with yeast. Baked donuts, also known as cake donuts, are generally crisper on the outside with a moist interior. What's not to like? Here's how to make these sweet, fruit-filled treats.

In addition to blueberries and ground cardamom (unless you want to grind the pods yourself), you'll also need flour, light brown sugar, unsalted butter, vanilla extract, confectioner's sugar, salt, baking powder, sour cream, an egg, and milk, plus a donut pan. "I used fresh blueberries, but you can also use frozen blueberries. If using frozen blueberries don't thaw them first, just add them to the batter frozen," Morone says. She also notes that "you can swap out the milk for any plant-based milk of your choice in a 1:1 ratio."

Start by preheating your oven to 350 F, spraying your donut pan with nonstick spray, and mixing together the batter's dry ingredients of cardamom, flour, brown sugar, salt, and baking powder. Then, combine the egg, sour cream, and melted butter in a bigger bowl. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients a little at a time, then fold the blueberries into the batter. That's all it takes!

Now that you have your donut batter, fill the molds in your donut pan, either by scooping the batter in or pouring it into a piping bag and filling the pan that way. Tap the pan on your counter a bit so there aren't any uneven sections or air holes. Then, put the pan in your preheated oven and let them bake for 15-18 minutes — until the edges of the donuts are golden brown.

While your donuts bake, make the glaze by combining the vanilla, milk, and confectioner's sugar.

When the donuts come out of the oven, let them cool in the pan for a bit, and then take them out and place them on a wire cooling rack. Put some parchment paper or a sheet pan below the cooling rack, since once your donuts are fully cooled, you'll dip each one into the glaze and place them back on the rack, allowing the icing to drip down the sides. 

Give them a few minutes to dry, and after that, you're free to dig into your homemade blueberry cardamom donuts. They're tasty and satisfying, and the addition of cardamom makes them more unique than what you'd find at your local donut shop. This recipe yields a dozen donuts, and if they won't all be polished off in one sitting, no worries: "You can store these in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days," Morone notes. The next time you're feeling the itch to bake, skip the usual muffins or cookies and whip up a batch of these lovely donuts.