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    Home » Recipes » Breakfast & Brunch Recipes

    Margarita Donuts #NationalMargaritaDay

    Modified: Apr 24, 2023 · Published: Feb 22, 2014 by Ashley

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    For me, margaritas bring forth thoughts of warm summer weather and good times with friends. And those are all things that I could use more of lately!

    So when I was asked to join a group of bloggers in celebrating National Margarita Day, I headed over to the liquor cabinet to get geared up.

    Margarita Donuts

    There are all sorts of fun flavors of margaritas out there, but I thought it would be fun to do something really different.

    Something that would give you an excuse to consume tequila before 9am work as breakfast or dessert. Or both. We're in a judgement free zone here.

    These donuts have lime zest running through them, and they're glazed with a tequila and orange liqueur-laced icing.

    They're also baked instead of fried, and are made with half whole wheat flour, so they're essentially health food. Breakfast of champions, without a doubt.

    Margarita Donuts

    I like my margaritas on the rocks with a salted rim, so I decided to give each of these donuts a "salted rim" by sprinkling a pinch of sea salt on top of the glaze before it set. My husband loved that addition. What can I say, the tequila inspired me.

    Be sure not to over-mix your donut batter or they'll be tough and you'll end up needing a shot of tequila to wash them down. Now that would be a shame, wouldn't it? 😉

    Check out what everyone else contributed to this holiday celebration in the roundup after my recipe below. Cheers!

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    📖 Recipe

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    Overhead view of a plate of donuts with lime wedges on a green plate.

    Margarita Donuts

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
    • Author: Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen - Ashley Covelli
    • Yield: 6 Donuts 1x
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    Description

    These donuts have lime zest running through them, and they’re glazed with a tequila and orange liqueur-laced icing.


    Ingredients

    Scale

    For the donuts:

    • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
    • ½ cup whole wheat flour
    • ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
    • Zest of 1 lime
    • ¼ cup sugar
    • 2 tablespoons honey
    • 1 large egg
    • ¼ teaspoon vanilla
    • ⅓ cup buttermilk

    For the glaze:

    • 1 teaspoons tequila
    • 2 teaspoons orange liqueur, such as triple sec
    • 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
    • Zest of 1 lime
    • ⅔ cup powdered sugar (you may need a little more or less)

    For garnish:

    • Sea salt

    Instructions

    For the donuts:

    1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a donut pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
    2. Melt butter in a small bowl and set aside to cool. Meanwhile, whisk together flours, baking powder, salt, and lime zest in a large bowl. Set aside.
    3. Whisk sugar, honey, egg, and vanilla into the cooled butter until well combined. Whisk in buttermilk. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and whisk until just combined, being careful not to over-mix.
    4. Pour batter into a piping bag (or zip-top plastic bag with a corner snipped off) and pipe evenly into the pan.
    5. Bake donuts for 7 minutes. Allow to cool 1 minute before turning pan over to remove donuts onto a cooling rack. Let them cool completely – about 15-20 minutes.

    For the glaze:

    1. Once the donuts are cool, in a flat-bottomed bowl, whisk together tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice and zest until evenly combined. Slowly whisk in powdered sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until smooth. If glaze is too thick, add another splash of tequila. If it is too thin, add in a little more powdered sugar.
    2. Dip the donuts into the glaze, rocking back and forth to evenly coat them on one side, and place back on the cooling rack, iced side up. Repeat if desired, for a thicker coating. Sprinkle the top of each donut with a pinch of sea salt while the glaze is still wet.
    3. Allow glaze to set, about 20 minutes. Serve straight up, down the hatch.

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @bigflavors on Instagram and hashtag it #cookbigflavors

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    Need more margarita action? Check out the roundup below to see what the other National Margarita Day participants came up with. I'd like to think of it as a to-do list of sorts. Bottoms up!!

    Margaritas:

    • Blackberry Margarita from Cooking for My Peace of Mind
    • Chili Lime Margarita from Curious Cuisiniere
    • Frozen Mango Margarita from Noshing with the Nolands
    • Lilikoi Margarita with Li Hung Mui from The Little Ferraro Kitchen
    • Margaritas Gone Wild from Delaware Girl Eats
    • Mixed Berry Margarita from Kudos Kitchen By Renee
    • Mom's Wicked Margarita from Desserts Required
    • Pomegranate Margarita from Daily Dish Recipes
    • Spicy Raspberry Frozen Margarita from The Weekend Gourmet
    • Tamarind Margaritas from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen
    • The Great Grapefruit Margarita from La Cocina de Leslie
    • Tim G's Margarita from Sidewalk Shoes

    Margarita Bites:

    • Baked Margarita Chicken Wings from Healthy. Delicious.
    • Margarita Cake with Sugar Cookie Crust from Gotta Get Baked
    • Margarita Cheesecake Bars from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
    • Margarita Cupcakes from The Foodie Army Wife
    • Margarita Donuts from Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen
    • Strawberry Margarita Sweet Rolls from The Dutch Baker's Daughter

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      Birthday Cake Confetti Pancakes with Sprinkles
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Camilla Mann

      February 22, 2014 at 12:19 am

      Now where did I put that donut pan?! I still have some tequila left from my truffles!

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        February 25, 2014 at 9:35 am

        Those truffles looked fabulous, too!!

        Reply
    2. Sarah | Curious Cuisiniere

      February 22, 2014 at 8:43 am

      This is the PERFECT excuse to break out the bottle of tequila for breakfast!

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        February 25, 2014 at 9:35 am

        Glad to be an enabler 😉

        Reply
    3. Tara

      February 22, 2014 at 9:30 am

      What a great idea for the flavors of a margarita!! So clever!! I will join you at 8:00 am!!

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        February 25, 2014 at 9:35 am

        Such a great collection of margarita recipes!

        Reply
    4. Betsy @ Desserts Required

      February 22, 2014 at 11:12 am

      Great post and delicious way to celebrate National Margarita Day! It is always 5:00 p.m. somewhere!

      Reply
    5. Heather @girlichef.com

      February 22, 2014 at 11:21 am

      Healthy breakfast margaritas - YES! 🙂 Seriously, this was a brilliant idea, and I want a couple right this minute.

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        February 25, 2014 at 9:36 am

        They disappear QUICKLY! Thanks again for getting this group together - it was delicious!

        Reply
    6. Liz

      February 22, 2014 at 11:44 am

      What a delicious way to start the day! YUMMY!

      Reply
    7. Danielle Imstuffed

      February 22, 2014 at 11:49 am

      What a great twist!!! I might want to wash them down with a lot of tequila...just because its National Margarita Day of course! 🙂 Cheers!!

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        February 25, 2014 at 9:36 am

        I applaud your holiday spirit 😉

        Reply
    8. littleredkitchen

      February 22, 2014 at 12:23 pm

      Love the addition of the salt! Great looking donuts, I certainly wouldn't mind one or three. 🙂

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        February 25, 2014 at 9:37 am

        Thank you! Sweet and salty is always a good idea 🙂

        Reply
    9. Samantha Ferraro

      February 22, 2014 at 3:57 pm

      I like my margaritas on the rocks with salt as well!! 🙂

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        February 25, 2014 at 9:37 am

        It's the best way! Who wants a watered down margarita?

        Reply
    10. Pam Armstrong Greer

      February 22, 2014 at 8:45 pm

      Oh my gosh you just combined two of my most favorite things in the whole world!

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        February 25, 2014 at 9:38 am

        Cheers! 🙂

        Reply
    11. Joanne (eats well with others)

      February 23, 2014 at 8:56 am

      Starting your day with liquor and in a totally acceptable way! I love it.

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        February 25, 2014 at 9:38 am

        And cake. It's basically booze-soaked cake for breakfast, and I love it!

        Reply
    12. Nancy

      February 25, 2014 at 12:13 am

      Ermagawd these donuts look ridiculously good! I love seeing the bright flecks of lime zest in the glaze. These donuts plus a few margaritas would make the perfect breakfast!

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        February 25, 2014 at 9:39 am

        Thank you so much! I figured they'd be a little plain without the green flecks, plus it added lots of flavor. Cheers!

        Reply
    13. BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

      February 25, 2014 at 9:35 am

      Thank you! Love the name of your blog, too 🙂

      Reply
    14. BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

      February 25, 2014 at 9:36 am

      Started AND ended a few days with these beauties 😉

      Reply
    15. Julie

      February 25, 2014 at 10:47 pm

      Well, I'm adding this to the very long list of reasons I need to get a doughnut pan!

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        February 26, 2014 at 9:11 am

        Donut pans are the best! And they don't take up much room in your cabinets, either 🙂

        Reply
    16. joni

      July 24, 2022 at 9:48 am

      Love the addition of the salt! Great looking donuts, I certainly wouldn’t mind one or three. thanks for sharing this article with us.

      Reply
      • Ashley

        July 25, 2022 at 11:16 am

        Thanks! Yeah this was a fun one for sure. It's been a while since I've made them - I may just need to make another batch 🙂

        Reply
    17. traava

      October 27, 2024 at 7:43 am

      How do you feel about traditional cooking methods?

      Reply
      • Ashley

        October 28, 2024 at 10:22 am

        I haven't tried this out as a deep-fried donut if that's what you mean. I think it would need to be reconfigured to contain yeast in order for that to work out properly.

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Ashley and I’ve been writing about food & recipes here at Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen since 2006. I want to help you (yes, you!) gain confidence in the kitchen so you are excited to cook at home for yourself and your loved ones.

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