Baked Peach and Nectarine Donuts with White Chocolate

 Before leaving for Aruba, I did what any normal person would do.

I made donuts.

I had a countertop full of ripe peaches and nectarines and although I thought about making jam with them, that was even a bit much for me.

So I did the next best thing with them.

Make donuts, of course.

And they were looking a little naked so I splattered them jazzed them up with creamy melted white chocolate. Peaches and cream go together, after all.

And no baking project would be complete without spilling a jar of sprinkles.

In this case, I managed to get them on the donuts. Most of them, anyway.

They turned out light, airy, and delicate.

If love density in my brownies and banana bread, but in homemade donuts, I prefer them lighter. Unless it’s a Krispy Kreme but that’s a whole different animal and one cannot compare baked to fried donuts.

I made them using a pineapple upside-down-cake approach. I diced one peach and one nectarine into small cubes (didn’t even bother peeling them), sprayed the wells of the donut pan very well, placed cubes in the bottom of the wells and prayed that when the time came for the donuts to release, that they would.

I poured batter over the top of the fruit and baked while I waited with fingers crossed, hoping that the fruit underneath the batter wasn’t going to stick, burn, or prevent the donuts from setting up.

I had just a little bit of extra batter, too much to throw out but not enough for another donut, so I took a big pinch of diced fruit, placed it in a muffin liner, and poured the batter over it and baked one lone little muffin-ish thingy.

It had Skylar’s name written all over it.

After they came out of the oven, I let the donuts cool for about 15 minutes in the donut pan, I loosed them with a spatula rather than a knife so I wouldn’t scratch up my pan, and they popped right out. Whew.

I melted some white chocolate, got the sprinkles out, and went to town.

Scott loved these, and he’s not that into peaches, so that’s saying something. He kept raving about the texture. I was just happy to use up some spare fruit before the trip.

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Baked Peach and Nectarine Donuts with White Chocolate Drizzle and Sprinkles (Inspired by Baked Vanilla Donuts with Vanilla Glaze and Baked Orange Banana Coconut Donuts)

Makes 6 to 7 donuts in this Wilton doughtnut pan or 6 donuts + 1 small muffin

3/4 cup fresh peaches or nectarines, diced (I used half of one peach and half of one nectarine, each with the skin kept on)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon baking powder

pinch salt, optional

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 egg

1/4 cup cream and 1 tablespoon cream or milk, plus additional if necessary

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup white chocolate chips, for drizzle

1 tablespoon vegetable shortening, optional

1/4 cup sprinkles, for garnishing

Preheat oven to 325F degrees, spray a 6-count donut pan very well with cooking spray; set aside.

Dice the peaches and/or nectarines into small cubes and evenly distribute and place the fruit in the bottom of each donut cavity.

In a large bowl, add flour, sugars, baking powder, salt, and stir to combine; set aside.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter on high power, about 1 minute. Wait for the butter to cool for 1 minute (so you don’t scramble the egg). Add the egg, cream, vanilla, and whisk to combine. Pour wet mixture over dry, folding until just combined; do not overmix or donuts will be tough. Batter should be thick, but not as thick as cookie dough. Add a splash of cream or milk if necessary to thin batter slightly.

Fill each donut pan cavities with batter, divided evenly; fill each about 3/4 of the way full. If there is a small amount of excess batter, either discard it or make 1 muffin, or make 1 additional donut in another pan.

Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, or until doughnuts have risen, the tops have turned slightly golden, and are springy when touched. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Allow donuts to cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before removing them. If they are a bit stuck, rather than using a knife and scratching your pan, use a spatula to gently dislodge them.

Combine the white chocolate and shortening in a small microwave-safe bowl and heat on high power in 20 to 30 second bursts to melt, stopping after each burst to stir until chocolate can be stirred smooth. White chocolate can be stubborn to melt and it scorches easily; using shortening helps it to become and stay smoother. Drizzle melted chocolate over each donut, divided equally. Before chocolate sets up, garnish each donut with sprinkles, divided evenly.

To make gluten-free, use your favorite gluten free flour blend. To make vegan, use a flax egg, melted margarine, and use a confectioners’ sugar-based glaze rather than the white chocolate glaze.

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Related Recipes:

Ironically, in the two days before we went to Aruba the last time, right before Christmas 2011, I made Baked Eggnog Donuts with Vanilla Rum Glaze with leftover eggnog I had. From eggnog to peaches, crazy how I put my leftovers and extras to use in the form of donuts, two trips in a row.

Baked Vanilla Donuts with Vanilla Glaze – If you fried these, they would taste just like a Krispy Kreme. As it stands, they’re baked and pretty darn close.

Baked Cinnamon Bun Donuts with Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze – I love Cinnabon cinnamon rolls, which inspired these donuts

Baked Orange Banana Coconut Donuts with Orange Coconut Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze – fresh, light, and use up ripe bananas

Apricot Butterscotch White Chocolate Peanut Butter-Filled Sandwich Cookies  – Something about the peach and nectarine chunks in the donuts reminds me of these cookies with chunky apricots

Have you ever made donuts?

Feel free to link up your favorite recipes.

I never knew how easy donuts were to make until I tried about a year and a half ago.  Quicker than muffins and just as easy.

For ten bucks, pick up a donut pan and get creative. Between the donuts themselves, and frostings and glazes, there are infinite possibilities. Sort of like cupcakes or muffins, the flavors and combinations are endless.