Super easy baked maraschino cherry cake donuts with a simple cherry glaze and crunchy Fruity Pebbles for a topping! These Baked Cherry Donuts with Cherry Glaze are my FAVORITE, and they’re SO simple!
I have a special soft spot for cherry donuts. I really love them. They’re delicious and they’re one of my favorite. Sooo, yeah. 🙂 I had to create these Baked Cherry Donuts with Cherry Glaze so that I can have a cherry donut whenever I want.
I don’t know what it is for me about a cherry donut, but there’s something nostalgic about them for me. I can’t figure out why I feel that way though! There’s no particular reason that I can pinpoint or recall, but Baked Cherry Donuts with Cherry Glaze sort of remind me of happy times for some reason?? I’m sure this makes no sense.
Maybe it’s because donuts in general though are a kind of a source of nostalgia for me. They remind me of the days when my Grandpa would run out to buy a dozen at our favorite local donut shop. When I’m in Erie visiting my family, I try to make a point to stop at H&K Donuts to get a dozen… both for old times’ sake, and because, um, we all love donuts, of course.
With cherry donuts on my mind, I really wanted to create an easy baked cherry cake donut with cherry glaze. And this is just that. They’re very simple to make. The fruity pebbles? Well if I’m being perfectly honest, I thought they would look fun and colorful on top and would probably (hopefully) taste good too. They do. Yay!
We get to eat food that looks fun and cute, and tastes as good as it looks! I love when that works out. Sometimes ugly food is delicious, and sometimes really pretty food totally stinks in the flavor department. It’s nice when the two line up. The fruity pebbles also enhance the fruity cherry flavors and they add a nice little crunch for texture for these Baked Cherry Donuts with Cherry Glaze.
The batter whips up quickly, the donuts bake in about 15 minutes, and the glaze is a cinch – just whisk together the ingredients in the bowl. You could be eating these Baked Cherry Donuts with Cherry Glaze in about 25 minutes, start-to-finish!
Baked Cherry Donuts with Cherry Glaze and Fruity Pebbles Topping
Ingredients
Cherry Donuts:
- 2 c. flour
- 1 c. sugar
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 egg slightly beaten
- 1 c. buttermilk or sour milk
- 3 tbsp. maraschino cherry juice
- 1 tsp. cherry extract
- 2 tbsp. melted butter
- 1 - 10 oz. jar maraschino cherries drained well (reserve juice), chopped
Cherry Glaze:
- 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. cherry extract
- 3 tbsp. maraschino cherry juice
Topping:
- 2 c. Fruity Pebbles
Instructions
For donuts:
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Coat 2 regular-sized donut pans with cooking spray. (Regular-sized donut pans typically have 6 cavities.)
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In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
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In another bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk, cherry juice, cherry extract, and melted butter.
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Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined.
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Fold in the chopped cherries.
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Pour batter into a gallon-sized ziploc bag, and snip off the corner of the bag.
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Pipe the batter into the baking pans, filling each donut cup about 3/4 full.
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Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
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Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then flip the pans over and tap the donuts out onto a wire rack. Cool completely.
For glaze and topping:
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Spread out the Fruity Pebbles on a small plate.
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In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, cherry extract, and cherry juice. Whisk until smooth. This consistency was just right so that the glaze wouldn't run off the donut, but you can thicken or thin the glaze accordingly, if needed.
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To glaze the donut, dunk the donut into the bowl of glaze, covering about 2/3 of the donut. Allow the excess glaze to run off, then immediately dunk the donut into the plate of Fruity Pebbles.
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Place the donuts back on the wire rack to set for about 10-15 minutes before eating. Enjoy!
If you’re a fan of easy donuts, you may also want to try these Baked Chocolate Donuts with Peanut Butter Glaze and Reese’s Cups (so decadent!), these Spice Cake Donuts with Pecan Streusel and Brown Butter Icing (to-die-for!), or this really lovely Baked Red Velvet Donut Recipe. They’re so simple, delicious, and pretty.
Won’t these fun and colorful donuts lull you into believing that spring will be here soon? Let them brighten your morning!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
January 31, 2015 at 8:52 amSarah, I love these donuts! I’ve always wanted to make something with fruity pebbles (my favorite cereal) so these are perfect. And I don’t think I’ve ever had a cherry donut before! They sound delicious! Such a fun treat!
Sarah says
February 1, 2015 at 5:04 pmOh I love cherry donuts! You should try them! I love Fruity Pebbles too! Sugary cereals are a guilty pleasure of mine. Thanks, Gayle!
Renee @ Two in the Kitchen says
January 31, 2015 at 10:31 amThese are so cute! My kids would go nuts over them!! 🙂
Sarah says
February 1, 2015 at 5:05 pmThanks, Renee! As an adult, I went pretty nuts for them too. Haha! 🙂
Linda Omura says
January 31, 2015 at 11:16 amThese sure are pretty and if you are a Fruity Pebbles lover, Yum!
Sarah says
February 1, 2015 at 5:05 pmI agree! They’re pretty darn cute! Thanks, Linda!
Stacey @ Bake.Eat.Repeat. says
January 31, 2015 at 2:50 pmThose are definitely bright and colourful Sarah! So fun!
Sarah says
February 1, 2015 at 5:06 pmThanks, Stacey!
Manali @ CookWithManali says
January 31, 2015 at 4:02 pmSo colorful! Love them Sarah, now only if I could grab one out of the screen! It’s a fantastic idea to top the donuts with fruity pebbles! Pinned.
Sarah says
February 1, 2015 at 5:07 pmThanks, Manali!! 🙂
christina says
February 2, 2015 at 2:52 pmThese look absolutely delicious! Do you think I could use the same recipe to make a cake instead of donuts? Thanks!
Sarah says
February 2, 2015 at 6:32 pmYou know, I really have no idea! I’m sorry – I haven’t tried that! I think it probably would make a good cake, but I can’t say for sure. If you try it, let me know! I’d be curious too because I wondered about using this batter for cupcakes at some point!
Lara says
February 4, 2015 at 1:19 amjust…WOW!
Sarah says
February 4, 2015 at 11:33 pmAww, thank you!
Brenley Davis says
February 4, 2015 at 9:07 amThese are so eye-catching! They would be gorgeous at a brunch, yet kids would love them too! I was Fruity Pebbles obsessed as a child 🙂 Thanks for sharing at Ducks N A Row!
Sarah says
February 4, 2015 at 11:33 pmThanks so much, Brenley! I still love Fruity Pebbles as an adult. Haha! 🙂
Stephanie says
February 6, 2015 at 9:22 pmLove this! Thank you so much for linking up at Tasty Tuesday!
Sarah says
February 8, 2015 at 6:53 pmThanks, Stephanie!
June Burns says
February 7, 2015 at 9:14 pmWhat an interesting doughnut flavor! They sound delicious, though–I’d totally go for one of those as a breakfast 🙂 bet they’d be great as muffins too!
Sarah says
February 8, 2015 at 6:54 pmThanks, June! You’re probably right! These would be great as muffins! These were really fun to make, and to eat!! 🙂
Grace says
February 9, 2015 at 5:27 pmSo glad I stumbled across your blog! You have so many yummy recipes and I love the pictures 🙂 Stopping by from Nifty Thrifty linky party – would love for you to stop by my baking blog to say hello! x
Sarah says
February 10, 2015 at 7:32 pmThanks so much, Grace! You’re so sweet! I’m glad to hear you like the recipes here! I’d be glad to stop by your blog. 🙂
Caden says
February 11, 2015 at 3:45 pmThis reminds me of something my Nana woulda done, but they wouldn’t have been as pretty as yours. I love all your recipes they look delicious! Found you from Heartsie link-up 🙂
Sarah says
February 11, 2015 at 10:20 pmOh thank you so much! That’s so sweet! I’m glad to hear you are liking the recipes here! Thanks for stopping by, Caden! 🙂
Julie says
February 12, 2015 at 7:27 pmBright and fun. I love them.
Julie
Thank you for linking up with #wordlesswednesday
Sarah says
February 12, 2015 at 9:24 pmThank you for the party, Julie!
Karly says
February 14, 2015 at 7:41 pmTotally irresistible! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
Sarah says
February 15, 2015 at 9:17 amThanks for the party, Karly!
Diane Ugo says
February 15, 2015 at 11:42 amSaw this on the Happiness is Homemade link party. These looks so tasty, and the fact that they’re are baked and not fried is an incentive to give them a try. Not sure if I can get cherry extract but I’ll try, pinning. Diane @ Mrs U Makes.
Sarah says
February 15, 2015 at 9:31 pmHi Diane! You can get away without the cherry extract – the maraschino cherries and cherry juice are sufficient, but I like the extra oomph. I think I get my cherry extract from Walmart, so hopefully you can track it down! I don’t have a difficult time finding it!
Katherines Corner says
February 15, 2015 at 12:54 pmNow that is a sweet treat, love it! Thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop. xo
Sarah says
February 15, 2015 at 9:32 pmThanks so much for the party, Katherine! 🙂
Kayla says
February 15, 2015 at 2:04 pmThis looks realllly good 🙂 Fruity pebbles were always an awesome cereal and now its so cool to see them in recipes!
Sarah says
February 15, 2015 at 9:32 pmThese are great donuts! The fruity pebbles add extra fruity flavor and the crunchy topping is fun for texture!! 🙂 Don’t you love kid cereal? I still love it!
Deb C says
July 13, 2016 at 5:44 amThese donuts were amazing. I substituted the cherry extract for 1 tbsp of cherry preserves and it came out perfectly because none of my local stores had the cherry extract in stock. I also lightened them up a little by using low fat buttermilk and covered them with sprinkles. Great Recipe!
Sarah says
July 22, 2016 at 10:16 amOh that’s great to know! Somebody else had trouble finding cherry extract too – the preserves are a great sub – I love that idea! I find Watkins brand cherry extract at Walmart. So glad you liked the donuts!!
Cheryl says
November 23, 2016 at 3:51 pmVery easy to follow recipe. The only thing I didn’t do was the fruity pebbles because I didn’t have any & I added a tinge of pineapple rum to the batter. I just used the given cherry glaze & added some mini chocolate chips & sprinkles over it. My first round came out somewhat brown & hard so I baked the rest at 325 Deg for about 12 minutes. They came out softer & lighter in color. Different from the deep fried versions but nice to have a baked one at hand.
Sarah says
November 23, 2016 at 5:26 pmHey Cheryl! Thanks so much for leaving feedback and notes! I love when readers let me know how they turned out, and it helps out other readers too. So glad you liked these! It really is nice to have a donut recipe that doesn’t have to be fried. Baked donuts are such less work. LOVE LOVE LOVE the idea of pineapple rum!! Omg, I NEED to do that. 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving!