Today I'm partnering with Lifeway Kefir to create the ultimate blueberry elderflower kefir donuts!
There was a time when I avoided baked donuts. But after successfully creating a baked gingerbread pear donut recipe last Christmas, I can't get enough. I discovered a whole new world...of donuts. For this new recipe, I wanted to incorporate fresh blueberries with cornmeal for texture and elderflower for floral notes. Add blueberry Kefir to enhance those berry flavors and you have the softest, most delicious blueberry elderflower kefir donuts. Are you as excited as I am for these donuts?
Recipe
Blueberry Elderflower Kefir Donuts
Ingredients
Blueberry kefir donuts
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (74 grams)
- ½ cup yellow cornmeal (74 grams)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup Lifeway blueberry kefir (125 ml)
- ¼ cup melted butter (57 grams)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup blueberries (3 ounces)
Blueberry elderflower glaze
- 1 cup blueberries (5 ounces)
- ¼ cup water (50 ml)
- 1 cup powdered sugar (130 grams)
- 2 teaspoons elderflower syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 2 6-donut pans with cooking spray.
- Sift flour with cornmeal, sugar, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together blueberry kefir with melted butter, egg, lemon zest, and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into the bowl with dry ingredients and whisk until combined. Fold in blueberries.
- Fill donut pans halfway with batter. Bake donuts for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the glaze. Simmer 1 cup blueberries with ¼ cup water in a medium saucepot over medium heat. Continue to cook for 10 minutes or until blueberries have softened and liquid has thickened. Strain blueberries, mashing them to extract as much juice as possible. Discard berries and reserve juice.
- Beat together 2 tablespoons blueberry juice with 1 cup powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons elderflower syrup. Working with one donut at a time, dip the donut in the glaze. Alternatively, drizzle it on top with a spoon. Repeat with remaining donuts. Serve.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
The issue I used to have with baked donuts was that most of them were too dense. When I think of donuts, whether baked or fried, I think of light airy treats. After many trials and errors, I was able to achieve just that.
To make these lovely blueberry elderflower kefir donuts, first, sift together all of the dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients including the blueberry kefir. If you can't find the blueberry flavor, you can use regular kefir instead. I personally enjoyed the extra hint of blueberry from the kefir.
Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, stirring just until combined. Then, fold in the blueberries. You can use fresh or frozen berries for this recipe.
Grease two donut pans and fill them about halfway with the donut batter. Pop the donut pans in the oven and bake the blueberry elderflower kefir donuts for 10-12 minutes.
Let the donuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
While the donuts are cooling, make the blueberry elderflower glaze. Simmer the blueberries with water until they soften; again, you can use frozen or fresh berries. However, if blueberries are in season, I highly recommend using fresh ones.
Strain the sauce, mash the berries, and squeeze out as much of the juice as possible. We only want the juice so go ahead and discard the skins.
Let the juice cool, then combine it with powdered sugar and elderflower syrup until well mixed. Working with one donut at a time, carefully dip them in the glaze. The blueberry elderflower kefir donuts are soft so handle them with care.
Now close your eyes and take a big bite out of that beautiful baked donut. Delicious, isn't she?
With my first bite, I knew that I was going to have a hard time resisting another. The blueberry elderflower kefir donuts are so light and not overly sweet, making them feel "healthier." Now, what baked donut should I make next?
Leave a Reply