Jelly Bean Donuts

These Jelly Bean Donuts are studded with jelly beans and drizzled with a strawberry glaze.  The perfect treat starring candy from your Easter basket!

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Original content posted April 2014.  Updated April 2019.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret…  I am friends with the Easter Bunny.  Oh yes, it’s true.  We’re on a first name basis and I’m able to pass along our Easter candy preferences to him to insure that each basket is filled with everyone’s favorites.  It’s a pretty cool arrangement, I must admit.

And although jelly beans will never be on the top of my Easter treat list, they’re popularity has skyrocketed in my book now that I can eat them for breakfast in these Jelly Bean Donuts.

The menagerie loves jelly beans.  Like LOVES.  They will request a handful after dinner and then play a game where they hand one to a sibling who has their eyes closed and then will eat it in an attempt to guess which flavor they’ve been given.  They also request jelly beans as part of our Thanksgiving dinner spread thanks to seeing Snoopy serve them during his yearly cartoon special… But I digress.

Funfetti anything has been all the rage with recipes as of late and I thought why should sprinkles have all the fun?  Wouldn’t it be awesome to have donuts dotted with jelly beans?  I knew the colors would be perfect and what a great way to make a dent in all of the Easter loot you’ll soon have on hand!

Donut fans you also won’t want to miss my Coconut Banana Bread Donuts, Tangerine Dark Chocolate Chunk Donuts or my Butterfinger Nest Eggs and Bacon Donuts.  Basically I like to have dessert for breakfast!

The best part is that these donuts is even easier to prepare than the donuts.  In less than an hour you can have fresh Jelly Bean Donuts that are glazed and at the table ready for you to enjoy!  

How to Make Strawberry Donut Glaze

The strawberry glaze for these Jelly Bean Donuts is likely my favorite part and couldn’t be easier!  With just four ingredients – strawberry powder, milk, vanilla and powdered sugar – they had a fresh element to what could have otherwise been an overly sweet treat.

TIP:  This is the same strawberry powder used in my Strawberry Sugar Cookies and Strawberry Rice Krispie Treats – trust me, your leftover powder will be put to good use!

How to Make Jelly Bean Donuts

[1]  In the bowl of an electric mixer, add milk, yogurt and egg. 

[2]  Mix together on medium speed until completely combined.

[3]  Add butter and vanilla.

[4]  Mix together to combined.

[5]  Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar to yogurt mixture.

[6]  Mix together until just combined

[7]  Add jelly beans and stir together lightly to combine.

[8]  Spray donut pan with nonstick spray.

TIP:  Don’t have a donut pan?  I highly recommend adding one to your kitchen as I use mine frequently enough to warrant a sliver of kitchen real estate.  Although you can also make these in a muffin tin and simply adjust the cooking time.  Donut muffins for the win!

[9]  Add batter to a large zipped top bag and cut off one corner to use as a piping bag. 

TIP:  I don’t often have food storage bags on hand as I use reusable silicone bags in the kitchen.  I do, however, often have frosting piping bags which I love to use for this recipe.  Just be sure to cut the opening wide enough to allow the jelly beans to pipe easily without getting stuck!

[10]  Pipe batter to each donut well until 2/3 full. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  

Allow to cool for two minutes in pan and then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.

TIP:  At times, the jelly beans will want to stick to the donut pan.  Don’t worry!  You can press them back into the donuts and once they are glazed, no one will ever know!

[11]  Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add all strawberry powder, vanilla, milk and powdered sugar.  

TIP:  Strawberry fruit powder is simply pulverized freeze dried strawberries.  In a pinch, you could make your own with freeze dried strawberries pulverized in your food processor.

[12]  Whisk together to combine.   Add glaze to a zipped top bag and cut off one corner to use as a piping bag and glaze donuts.

What is the Best Way to Store Donuts?

I recommend enjoying these Jelly Bean Donuts immediately as that’s when they’re best.  If you happen to have leftover donuts, you can store them in an airtight bag in cool, dry place like your pantry.  I will warn you, they do get a bit sticky this way but my children devour them just the same!

If you’ve tried these Jelly Bean Donuts or any other recipe on Melanie Makes, please let me know your thoughts in the comments below.  I love hearing from you and respond to each and every comment!

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Print Recipe

5 from 7 votes

Jelly Bean Donuts

The perfect treat starring candy from your Easter basket!  These Jelly Bean Donuts are studded with jelly beans and drizzled with a strawberry glaze. 

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8 donuts

Calories: 271kcal

Author: Melanie Bauer | Melanie Makes

Ingredients

Jelly Bean Donuts

• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons butter melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup miniature jelly beans

Strawberry Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons strawberry powder
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine milk, yogurt and egg. Add butter and vanilla and mix until combined.
• Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar to yogurt mixture and mix until just combined.
• Fold in jelly beans.
• Spray donut pan with nonstick spray.
• Add batter to a large zipped top bag and cut off one corner to use as a piping bag. Add batter to each donut well until 2/3 full.
• Bake for 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let donuts cool for 5 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together all glaze ingredients. Add glaze to a zipped top bag and cut off one corner to use as a piping bag and glaze donuts.

Nutrition

Calories: 271kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 84mg | Potassium: 182mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 140IU | Vitamin C: 67.7mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 2.1mg

Looking for other treats featuring jelly beans?  You won’t want to miss this Jelly Bean Fudge, these adorable Birds Nest Cookies and these easy Jelly Bean Flower Cookies.