I have the perfect Valentine’s Day present for you.
Breakfast in bed!! And not just any breakfast in bed. A hot-pink-donut-with-sprinkles kind of breakfast in bed. Which is the best kind, obviously.
Valentine’s Day is on a Sunday this year, which is just begging for a special themed breakfast for you and your favorite human(s). There’s something so special and decadent about breakfast in bed – in my opinion, it’s pretty much the most romantic thing you can do for someone. Waking up to a mug of coffee and a homemade breakfast, and not even having to put on real pants to get it?! Heaven, people.
My friend Alina got me a baked donut pan for Christmas (woo hoo!) and I’ve been hankering for an excuse to use it ever since. I’ve also been waiting for an excuse to try out nature’s most fabulous pink food dye – roasted beets! Valentine’s Day breakfast gave me the perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.
Not only are these brown butter baked donuts with beet frosting one of the prettiest things I’ve ever baked, but they are also SO. FREAKING. GOOD. I mean, let’s call it how it is. A baked donut is just a cupcake baked into a round shape, a.k.a. a perfectly acceptable excuse to eat cake for breakfast. The brown butter base is fluffy and flavorful, and holds its own while allowing the real star – this insanely gorgeous beet cream cheese frosting – to shine. If making frosting with beets freaks you out, don’t worry – you really don’t taste the beet flavor, but you do get a little earthy sweetness that goes so nicely with a classic tangy, sweet cream cheese frosting. Plus, that color is seriously unreal. I am obsessed!
These donuts are the perfect special (pink!!) breakfast for you and your Valentine this year. They’re fluffy and flavorful and just a straight-up really fun way to show someone you love them. Which is really what this crazy commercialized holiday is all about, right?! I know you guys will love these easy, festive treats! XOXO
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. nutmeg
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 egg
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 8 ounces cream cheese, brought to room temperature
- 2 tbsp. beet puree (see Notes)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- Sprinkles, if desired
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray a 6 cavity donut pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and sugar. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Continue to cook until it starts to brown and smell nutty, watching very closely because it burns very quickly! As soon as it’s brown, remove from the heat and transfer to a small bowl to cool a bit.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add 2 tbsp. of the brown butter to the mixture slowly while whisking, to ensure the warm butter doesn’t cook the eggs. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix very lightly to combine, folding the batter just until no flour streaks remain. Mix as little as possible! Use a spoon to spoon the batter evenly into the donut cavities.
- Bake for about 8-10 minutes, until fluffy and baked through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- While the donuts are cooling, make the frosting. In a large bowl, add the softened cream cheese and beat with electric beaters for a few minutes until light and fluffy. Add the beet puree and combine again. Add the powdered sugar and beat until fully combined and smooth.
- Use a small knife or offset spatula to spread frosting on donuts. Top with sprinkles, if desired, and serve immediately!
- To make the beet puree: Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut a beet in half and wrap in foil. Roast for 40-45 minutes, until easily pierced with a fork. Allow to cool until you can comfortably handle it, then run under cool water to remove the skin with your fingers (this should come off pretty easily). Add the beet to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. This makes more than you need for the recipe, but you can stir the leftovers into smoothies or yogurt.
- To store: Since there is cream cheese in the frosting, store leftover frosted donuts in a covered container in the fridge.
Looking for more festive Valentine’s Day breakfast ideas?
White Chocolate Strawberry Cream Scones
Bakery-Style Double Chocolate Muffins
Dark Chocolate Chip Cream Scones
