Description
Made with real fruit, these Cherry Cheesecake Mini Baked Donuts are pure delight – especially when topped with thick cream cheese glaze and naturally colored pink cherry glaze and sprinkled with graham cracker crumbs.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup canned Morello cherries, both cherries and juice
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- ⅓ cup SPLENDA® Naturals Sugar & Stevia Blend
- 3 tablespoons salted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 graham cracker sheet, crushed into crumbs
Glaze
- 2 ounces Neufchatel cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon SPLENDA Naturals Sugar & Stevia Blend, divided
- 1 tablespoon Morello cherry juice
- 1 tablepoon milk
Instructions
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt.
Using a mini food processor or blender, puree cherries and juice; add to a small bowl. Whisk in eggs, almond extract, SPLENDA Naturals Blend and butter. Add mixture to flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon just until flour is mixed in.
Spoon batter into a plastic zip-top bag and twist top to seal. Snip a 1/2-inch triangle off the corner of the plastic bag. Pipe the batter into a mini donut pan, filling about 3/4-full. Bake in a 375-degree-F oven for about 10-12 minutes. Do not overbake, or donuts will be tough. Cool donuts in pan on cooling rack. Remove donuts from pan to glaze.
To make two glaze flavors, place 1 ounce cream cheese in a small bowl. Place 1 ounce cream cheese in another small bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon SPLENDA Naturals Blend to each bowl. Add cherry juice to 1 bowl and mix with a whisk (or fork) until smooth and creamy. To other bowl, add milk and mix until creamy. Top donuts with both glazes and graham cracker crumbs.
Notes
This recipe also makes about 20 mini-muffins if you do not have a baked donut pan.
Canned Morello cherries are usually found in large jars in the canned fruit aisle. (These are NOT maraschino cherries.) I’ve found Morello cherries at both ALDI and Trader Joes. You can also use canned dark cherries.
Tip: Check cherries for any stray pits. I found one AFTER the cherries went through my mini food processor.