Start your St. Patrick's Day off right with Lucky Charms Baked Donuts made with cereal milk!
There's nothing quite like a bowl of cereal. I especially enjoy that bit of leftover milk afterward. Did you know that you can use cereal-infused milk in recipes? You sure can! In fact, these Lucky Charms Donuts are made with just that, and are packed with Lucky Charms flavor in both the donut itself AND the icing. They are such a fun and festive treat to enjoy on St. Patrick's Day, and would be a hit at parties! Not only are they adorable, but these donuts really are "magically delicious"!
These Lucky Charms Donuts are a great treat to share on St. Patrick's Day. Here's what you'll need:
- Lucky Charms cereal - this cereal is the star of the show!
- milk: Whole, 2%, 1%, skim - any type of milk will work great. After letting the cereal steep in it, the milk carries the Lucky Charms flavor into both the donut batter and the icing!
- mini marshmallows - when melted, the marshmallows help the icing become light and fluffy.
- green food coloring - this is totally optional, but it gives the icing a festive St. Patrick's Day green color.
(Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are found below)
You will also need a hand/stand mixer, mixing bowls, whisk, donut pans, and nonstick spray.
Stir the milk and cereal together so that all of the cereal has been covered. Let the cereal sit in the milk for about 30 minutes.
Aren't these donuts so fun and festive? I love the green icing paired with the Lucky Charms marshmallows. Not only are these donuts cute, but they really are magically delicious!! They have been a hit with the whole family, and are fun for a St. Patrick's Day breakfast or after dinner treat.
Next, strain the cereal from the milk. You can eat the soggy cereal if you want, but we won't need it anymore. However, the milk - we do need. Set the milk aside to use to mix in the batter.
Combine the ingredients in a mixing bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer to make the donut batter. Pour the batter into a piping bag (or zipped storage bag with the corner clipped off) and fill two greased donut pans until about ¾ full.
Bake the donuts for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Once baked, immediately flip the donuts in the pan and allow them to cool for about 10 minutes. Move the donuts to a wire rack to finish cooling.
While the donuts are cooling, mix up the cereal milk icing. Yes, we're using the cereal milk again in the icing so that it's also packed with Lucky Charms magic! To make it a little more festive, add a little bit of green food coloring.
Important: make sure that the donuts are completely cooled. Dip the top half of each donut into the icing, and then flip it over onto a baking sheet or wire rack.
Immediately top the donuts with some Lucky Charms cereal - don't forget the marshmallows! Allow the icing to set, and then serve.
Lucky Charms Baked Donuts
Servings: 12
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 15 minutes
Donut Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cup Lucky Charms cereal
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup cereal milk
Icing Ingredients:
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- ¼ cup mini marshmallows
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons cereal milk
- Green food coloring (optional)
- Lucky Charms cereal (for topping)
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Grease 2 donut pans with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Pour Lucky Charms cereal into the 2 cups of milk and allow the cereal to steep for about 30 minutes.
- Strain the cereal from the milk and set the cereal-soaked milk aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
- Add oil, vanilla, eggs, and cereal milk to the dry mixture. Whisk to combine.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag and pipe it into the donut pans until about ¾ full.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the donuts are golden brown at the edges and bounce back when pressed lightly with your finger.
- Carefully flip the donuts over and allow them to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
- While the donuts are cooling, make the icing: melt mini marshmallows in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals. Stir well after each interval until completely melted and smooth.
- Add butter, marshmallow creme, vanilla extract, and green food coloring to the melted marshmallows and beat until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar and one tablespoon of cereal milk and beat to combine. If the icing is too thick, add more milk until you have the desired consistency.
- Dip the top half of each donut in the icing, then immediately top with Lucky Charms cereal.
Tips:
- Store donuts in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Allow frosting to fully set before stacking them in the container so they don’t stick together.
- Variations: substitute the Lucky Charms with different cereals for other donut flavors!
These Lucky Charms Donuts are the perfect St. Patrick's Day treat, and will be great to share at your celebrations on the big day. They are delicious, and very simple to make. If you decide to give this recipe a try, I'd love to hear all about it! Please share your creations on Instagram, Facebook, or leave a comment/photo on the project pin on Pinterest!
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