Sweet Potato Doughnuts - An Easy Recipe for Fall

As the leaves change and a crisp chill fills the air, there's nothing quite like the comforting aroma of freshly baked goods wafting through your home. Fall is synonymous with cozy flavors, and sweet potatoes are at the heart of that warmth. If you've been searching for a delightful and truly doughnuts easy recipe, you've landed in the perfect spot! These Sweet Potato Doughnuts with Molasses Glaze are not only incredibly simple to make but also deliver a wonderfully moist texture and a rich, spiced flavor that's utterly irresistible. Forget store-bought; making doughnuts at home means you get to control every delicious ingredient, from the homemade sweet potato puree to the decadent molasses glaze. Get ready to bake up a batch of pure fall happiness!

Ingredients

• For the Sweet Potato Doughnuts:
• 1 cup (240g) sweet potato puree (see instructions below for how to make it, or use sweet potato puree in a can)
• 1 ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
• ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup (120ml) milk (any kind)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• For the Molasses Glaze:
• 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons molasses (dark or light)
• 2-3 tablespoons milk (any kind), or water
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Prepare the Sweet Potato Puree:
   1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
   2. Wash and pierce 1-2 medium sweet potatoes several times with a fork. You'll need about 1 large sweet potato to yield 1 cup of puree.
   3. Place the sweet potatoes directly on the oven rack or on a baking sheet. Roast for 45-60 minutes, or until very tender when pierced with a fork.
   4. Once cool enough to handle, carefully peel the sweet potatoes peeled (the skin should come off easily). Mash the flesh with a fork or blend in a food processor until smooth. This is your mashed sweet potato recipe for the puree! Let it cool completely before using. Alternatively, use 1 cup of canned sweet potato puree, drained.
2. Mixing the Doughnut Ingredients:
   1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
   2. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the cooled melted butter, egg, milk, vanilla extract, and the cooled sweet potato puree.
   3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir gently with a spoon or spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few lumps are okay! The dough should be thick and somewhat sticky, but scoopable.
3. Baking the Doughnuts:
   1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a doughnut pan with cooking spray.
   2. Spoon the dough into a piping bag (with or without a tip) or a large Ziploc bag with a corner snipped off. Pipe the dough evenly into the prepared doughnut pan cavities, filling each about two-thirds full. You can also carefully spoon the dough into the cavities, smoothing the tops with the back of a spoon.
   3. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the doughnuts are golden brown and spring back when lightly touched.
   4. Let the doughnuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Making the Molasses Glaze:
   1. While the doughnuts are cooling, prepare the glaze. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, molasses, 2 tablespoons of milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
   2. If the glaze is too thick, add more milk, a tiny bit at a time, until it reaches your desired drizzling consistency. If it's too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. This creates a lovely sugar syrup with brown sugar flavor profile.
5. Serving Your Perfect Doughnuts:
   1. Once the doughnuts are completely cool, dip the top of each doughnut into the molasses glaze, or drizzle the glaze over them using a spoon.
   2. Place the glazed doughnuts back on the wire rack to allow the glaze to set.
   3. Serve immediately and enjoy your homemade sweet potato doughnuts! They're perfect with a hot cup of coffee or tea.