*These Sweet Vanilla Baked Doughnuts are such a cute and delicious treat! The batter is easy to whip up and bake, and a vanilla glaze is the perfect sweet finish.*

One of my favorite things to think about are the crazy new food trends that rise to the surface every single year. It always seems to me that in each realm of the kitchen – be it desserts, obscure vegetables, or even cocktails – there’s a go-to, new and amazing, of-the-moment item that everyone’s raving about. First it was cupcakes, then cake pops, then cronuts and cruffins. Don’t even get me started on kale, kimchi, and quinoa. As it often seems to happen in fashion, too, these trends emerge from seemingly nowhere, and what’s more exceptional is usually also more trend-worthy.

So, who wants to guess what the next big trend of 2017 will be?! In terms of healthy superfoods (prime suspects from 2016 were matcha, green juice, and coconut oil) I’ve been hearing a lot about turmeric, spirulina, and maca. And why stop at zoodles and cauliflower rice – let’s start grating and spiralizing every vegetable imaginable! But we’re more interested in the sweet, yummy stuff, right? My boyfriend Adam and I are super into the kouign amann, which definitely seems to be gaining popularity, and perhaps these doughnut cones that are blowing up in Prague will make it over to the States.

So, here’s the thing. I know I’m super late on the whole doughnut trend (I mean, why eat normal ones when you can enjoy them stuffed with ice cream?). But I’ve been wanting to experiment with baked doughnuts for a while now. So, I finally picked up the appropriate pan, and I had so much fun trying out these sweet vanilla baked doughnuts! Honestly, the process of making the batter and baking these little guys is as easy as muffins – no hot oil or deep frying here! The resulting rounds are light, fluffy, and perfectly sweet. A drizzle of vanilla glaze on top, plus maybe some sprinkles, is all you need to finish off these cute, delicious little treats!