Description
Colorful mini rainbow vanilla bean donuts bring whimsical charm to dessert tables with their playful sprinkle-coated exterior. Sweet vanilla undertones and delicate texture make these bite-sized treats perfect for celebrations or spontaneous sugar cravings you’ll want to savor.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
Leavening and Seasoning:
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Seeds from 1 vanilla bean
- Gel food coloring (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple)
Glaze Ingredients:
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon whole milk or heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Food coloring (optional)
- Rainbow sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare a mini donut pan by coating with non-stick spray and heating the oven to 425F (218C), ensuring a smooth baking surface.
- Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl, creating a uniform dry ingredient base.
- Incorporate buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds into the dry mixture, stirring gently until just combined to maintain a tender texture.
- Divide the batter evenly into six separate containers, then introduce gel food coloring to each bowl – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple – mixing until colors are fully integrated.
- Transfer each colored batter into piping bags or sealed plastic bags, trimming a small corner to create a precise piping tool.
- Carefully pipe rainbow-ordered dots and lines into donut wells, layering colors slightly to create a vibrant, blended effect. Fill cavities halfway to allow for rising.
- Bake for 4-8 minutes at 425F, monitoring closely until donut tops spring back when lightly touched, preventing potential overbaking.
- Rest donuts in the pan for 4-5 minutes, then delicately transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling.
- Whisk confectioners’ sugar, milk or cream, and vanilla extract to create a smooth glaze, adjusting liquid as needed for desired consistency. Optional: divide and tint with food coloring.
- Once cooled, dip donut tops into glaze, letting excess drip off. Embellish with rainbow sprinkles while glaze remains wet, then allow to set before serving.
Notes
- Prevent Overmixing by gently folding ingredients together, stopping just when combined to keep donuts light and tender.
- Customize Colors by experimenting with gel food coloring intensities, creating pastel or vibrant rainbow variations.
- Use Precision Piping with a small round tip or snipped bag corner for clean, controlled color placement in donut wells.
- Ensure Even Baking by rotating the pan halfway through cooking and checking donuts early to avoid overbrowning.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 100 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg