Name: Orange Poppy Seed Donuts
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: ½ cup whole wheat flour; ½ cup all purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; ¼ teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon kosher salt; 1 ½ tablespoons poppy seeds; 1 large egg, room temperature; 1/3 cup granulated sugar; 1/3 cup milk, room temperature; ¼ cup Greek yogurt, room temperature; 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled; 1 tablespoon orange juice, about one mandarin orange; 1 tablespoon orange zest, about 2-3 mandarin oranges; ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar; 2-3 tablespoons orange juice, about 2 mandarin oranges

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These orange poppy seed donuts are exploding with fresh orange flavor, crunchy poppy seeds and topped with an easy orange icing. This recipe is great for birthday parties, weekends or Easter brunch!

stack of three orange poppy seed donuts on a plate

I'm back with another breakfast recipe and while I would not necessarily consider this one healthy, it isn't terribly un-healthy either!

close up of an orange poppy seed donut on a plate

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I bought a large bag of mandarin oranges at Sprouts when I stocked up a couple of weeks ago and they've been staring at me in the fruit bowl every time I am in the kitchen. We've been eating a few daily, but the pile doesn't seem to be getting any smaller! Since we have more time for leisurely breakfasts these days, I decided to use some oranges for donuts. Wow!! The whole family fell in love with them, so today I am sharing baked orange poppy seed donuts with all of you.

Don't let the long list of ingredients intimidate you. This recipe is very easy! You will combine your dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet ingredients in another and mix them together.

do I need special tools to make orange poppy seed donuts at home?

The donuts are baked with a donut pan, here's the one I use. If you don't have a donut pan, they can be baked in a muffin pan. Bake at the same temperature for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned at the edges.
A microplane zester for creating the orange zest. This is my favorite!

Why add poppy seeds to orange donuts?

Poppy seeds add both a nice little crunch and flavor. They also contain calcium, phosphorus, iron and zinc, which are all good for our bodies. See, I told you this recipe wasn't terribly unhealthy! 😉 Here's an article from Food Network about the health powers of poppy seeds.

do my ingredients really need to be at room temperature?

Truthfully, for this recipe, no, they do not. BUT, the egg, milk and Greek yogurt will combine so much easier and create a better emulsion that traps air if they are not cold. The trapped air then expands during baking to create a fluffier donut.

If you know you are going to bake donuts for breakfast, just pull out your ingredients as soon as you get up. Depending on your kitchen temperature they likely only need 30 minutes to an hour to be at room temperature.

Let's bake donuts!

Start by preheating the oven and preparing your donut pan and ingredients.

I found three mandarin oranges yielded the perfect amount of zest and juice for the recipe. It's best to zest the oranges first, then squeeze them for the juice. (I forgot to include the melted coconut oil in the wet ingredient photo 😢)

ingredients for orange poppy seed donuts

Next whisk the dry ingredients together. Then whisk the wet ingredients together until fully combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined. The batter will be thick. Spoon the batter into each donut well, filling them about ¾ of the way full. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.

Allow the donuts to cool a few minutes in the pan and then transfer them to a wire rack.

Let's make the orange icing!

Is a donut really a donut without icing? I think not! Powdered sugar and orange juice is all we need for the icing. Mix the two together, starting with 2 tablespoons of orange juice. If the icing is too thick start by adding more orange juice in ½ - 1 teaspoon increments until you reach the desired consistency.

Gently place a donut in the icing and lift it straight up. Place the iced donut on a wire rack over a baking sheet (to catch any icing drips). Allow the icing to set for several minutes and then enjoy!

How long do baked donuts last and how do I store them?

Baked orange poppy seed donuts are best eaten the day they are made. They can be stored covered at room temperature for 1-2 days or refrigerated for up to one week. Non iced donuts can be frozen for up to 2 months. Allow them to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before warming. Our Breville toaster oven is perfect for reheating them!

orange poppyseed donuts with glaze on plates

other breakfast recipes to try

To pin this recipe, you can use the button on the recipe card or the share buttons on the side or bottom of the page. Remember to snap a picture and tag me @twosugarbugs on Instagram if you make these orange poppy seed donuts. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!

Yield: 8 donuts

Orange Poppy Seed Donuts

Exploding with fresh orange flavor, crunchy poppy seeds and topped with an easy orange icing. This recipe is great for birthday parties, weekends or Easter brunch!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

Donuts

½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ tablespoons poppy seeds
1 large egg, room temperature
⅓ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup milk, room temperature
¼ cup Greek yogurt, room temperature
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
1 tablespoon orange juice, about one mandarin orange
1 tablespoon orange zest, about 2-3 mandarin oranges
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Orange Icing

1 ¼ cup powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons orange juice, about 2 mandarin oranges

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a donut pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
In a medium size bowl, whisk together both flours, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt and poppy seeds. In another bowl, whisk the egg, sugar, milk, Greek yogurt, coconut oil, orange juice, orange zest and vanilla until fully combined.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. The batter will be fairly thick. Spoon the batter into each donut well, filling about ¾ of the way full.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Allow to cool a few minutes in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack. Bake the remaining batter.
While the donuts are cooling, make the icing by mixing powdered sugar and orange juice until fully combined. Start with 2 tablespoons of orange juice and add more in ½ - 1 teaspoon increments until you reach the desired consistency. I prefer the icing to be on the thicker side so it doesn’t run off the donuts.
When the donuts are cool enough to handle, dunk each donut into the orange icing and place on a wire rack set over a large piece of parchment paper or over a large baking sheet. Allow the icing to set a few minutes and then enjoy!

Notes

If you don't have a donut pan, they can be baked in a muffin pan. Bake at the same temperature for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned at the edges.

The donuts come together and taste the best with room temperature eggs, milk and Greek yogurt, but the recipe still works without following this step.

Baked donuts are best eaten when freshly baked and iced. They can be covered and stored at room temperature for 1-2 days or refrigerated for up to one week. Non iced donuts can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before warming to your liking.

You can use all all-purpose flour, but I do not recommend using all whole wheat flour.

Greek yogurt can be substituted with sour cream.

You can omit the poppy seeds if desired.

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