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    Home » Recipes » Vegetable Desserts

    Grapefruit Watercress Donuts with Grapefruit Pearls

    Published: May 4, 2014 · Modified: Aug 10, 2022 by Kate Hackworthy · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    Jump to Recipe

    In these Grapefruit Watercress Donuts, the peppery flavor of the watercress fades, leaving a lovely earthy taste that pears beautifully with the grapefruit. The grapefruit pears are a fun alternative to sprinkles.

    Donuts on a cooling rack.

    I put watercress in doughnuts. Indeed. Watercress donuts. Yessiree.

    And I'll do it again. These zesty grapefruit baked doughnuts are vibrant, green-flecked spongy bursts of summer.

    When cooked, the watercress loses the pepperiness and turns more floral, lending these doughnuts a subtle earthiness to compliment the gutsy kick of the fruit.

    What are grapefruit pearls, you ask?

    I discovered them from the food Gods over at Saveur and they are little tangy bubbles of sunny citrus.

    So simple to make, they are a quirky, healthy alternative to sprinkles.

    Donuts being dipped into citrus glaze.

    Thursday was not a pleasant day. Double disappointments, wallowing in self-pity and Bob Marley's Legend on repeat. Friday dawned a little brighter. I had a quiet word with myself. Someone's mother said "What's meant for you won't pass you by." It helped.

    Today, however, is great. The sun blazed all day, and now I'm rambling on my computer to you while drinking Pimm's. My glass (okay, it's a jar, but I swear I'm only using it because the other glasses are all in the dishwasher. My grandmother would be horrified.) is rammed full of ice, lemon, strawberries, fresh mint and cucumber. So, it's sort of a veggie dessert.

    My husband is in the dining room with the exposed skeleton of a Victorian grand piano dismembered around him. He's listening to Chilly Gonzales while hacking away at pieces with small vintage tools like a gin-soaked (Pimm's-soaked) eccentric. Sweeney Todd with a tuning fork, if you will. A hundred years of the dust of dead people who hit keys in the succession to make tunes dances ghostly in the air as he tinkers and mends, prodding the music back into the wood. He is a piano tuner. I've encouraged him to sport a handlebar moustache, but thus far he is not keen.

    * I have a broken rib from an over-enthusiastic coughing fit three weeks ago.
    * I would like to see a barbershop quartet one day. Make it happen, someone.
    * My house is up for sale and I've cleaned it more in a week than in all of 2013.

    Chomp, chomp, chomp.

     

    Notice that coffee ring on the table? Oops. Caffeinating between shots.

    Doughnut with a bite out of it.

    Donut Recipes

    Looking for more donut recipes? Try these!

    Irish Cream Baked Donuts
    Pumpkin Donuts with Chocolate Drizzle
    Baked Lemon Spinach Donuts
    Vegan Baked Chocolate Donuts with Earl Grey Glaze

    Stack of three donuts.

    Get the recipe

    Donuts on a wooden table, next to half a grapefruit.

    Watercress and Grapefruit Baked Doughnuts with Citrus Glaze and Grapefruit Pearls

    Kate Hackworthy | Veggie Desserts
    In these Grapefruit Watercress Donuts, the peppery flavor of the watercress fades, leaving a lovely earthy taste that pears beautifully with the grapefruit. The grapefruit pears are a fun alternative to sprinkles.
    5 from 1 vote
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    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12
    Calories 212 kcal

    Equipment

    • Donut pan

    Ingredients
     

    • 50 g 1 cup, packed fresh raw watercress
    • 250 g 2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
    • 100 g ¾ cup sugar
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • pinch of salt
    • 1 egg
    • 250 ml 1 cup buttermilk (or mix full-fat milk with 3 teaspoons of lemon juice and let stand for five minutes)
    • 2 tablespoons butter melted
    • 1 tablespoon pink grapefruit juice
    • 1 teaspoon grapefruit zest
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    For the grapefruit pearls:

    • Half a grapefruit
    • Oil to cover

    For the glaze:

    • 200 g 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
    • 3-4 tablespoons grapefruit juice

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 175C/350F. Grease a doughnut pan.
    • Simmer the watercress for a few minutes until tender. Drain, refresh under cold water, squeeze out the moisture and puree with a hand-held blender or food mill. Set aside.
    • In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
    • In another bowl, whisk the watercress, egg, oil, buttermilk, butter, zest, juice and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients and gently stir to combine but don’t overmix.
    • Fill the doughnut moulds with the batter until nearly full and bake for 15 minutes or until springy and an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tray for 5 mintues, then carefully remove from the pan to cool completely on a wire rack.

    For the grapefruit pearls

    • Peel and segment the grapefruit over a bowl to catch the juices (reserve for the glaze). Put the segments in a bowl and cover with olive oil. Gently stir, occasionally. After about 15 minutes the grapefruit will dissolve into pearls. Strain the grapefruit (reserve the infused oil for salad dressings) and rinse under cold water to remove traces of oil. Set aside.

    For the glaze

    • Mix both ingredients until smooth, adding more juice to make a thin consistency. Dip the fully cooled doughnuts in the glaze and allow to cool on a wire rack. Top with the grapefruit pearls.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 212kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 3gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 47mgPotassium: 143mgFiber: 1gSugar: 26gVitamin A: 245IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 63mgIron: 1mg

    The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @kateveggiedesserts or tag #veggiedesserts! I love seeing your recreations.

     

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    Comments

    1. kate spinks

      November 14, 2015 at 5:52 pm

      5 stars
      I get a veg box every week and sometimes have things left over that I'm not quite sure what to do with. This week I had four grapefruits which were too much for me to eat on their own so I searched for grapefruit desserts and came across this one. I happened to have everything already, including only one egg, just one teaspoon of vanilla paste left and (can you believe it) my other veg box loner, a bag of watercress!

      I messed up the batter slightly, it didn't seem runny enough so in my infinite wisdom decided to add more grapefruit juice, I THEN remembered the butter was still in the microwave. I'm going to blame the distraction of baking them with a two year old.

      I don't have a doughnut tray so I improvised. The first half went into mini muffin cases, the second half I added chia seeds and used a yorkshire pudding tin. Both are delicious, but I had to add more sugar over the top of the glaze and grapefruit pearls because they are pretty tart due to my previously mentioned idiocy.

      GREAT recipe though, I'll definitely be checking out your other blog recipes and the two year old is similarly impressed.

      Reply
      • Kate Hackworthy

        November 15, 2015 at 9:19 am

        Ha, sometimes baking with kids around is just crazy! Glad they turned out in the end!

        Reply
    2. Angie (@angiesrecipess)

      May 26, 2014 at 5:19 pm

      What a creative doughnut recipe! I really would love to taste them.

      Reply
      • Kate Hackworthy

        May 26, 2014 at 8:19 pm

        Thanks Angie. They're really easy and good. I hope you get the chance to make them one day!

        Reply
    3. Anyonita

      May 11, 2014 at 11:02 pm

      I'm not a fan of raw grapefruit but I'm intrigued by this! 🙂 Going to scour Amazon for that doughnut tray & let you know how I get on!

      Reply
      • Kate Hackworthy

        May 12, 2014 at 3:31 pm

        Baked doughnuts are great! Buy buy!

        Reply
    4. Choclette

      May 11, 2014 at 4:44 pm

      You just get more innovative with each bake. I already voted for you last week and am crossing fingers that you win 🙂

      Reply
      • Kate Hackworthy

        May 11, 2014 at 7:58 pm

        Thanks Choclette! For all of your ongoing support. You rock.

        Reply
    5. Melissa

      May 11, 2014 at 3:55 pm

      Your desserts are so innovative and lovely at the same time. The wonderful thing, though, is that you're a beautiful writer, as well. Thank you for the bright spot in my day when I read. Glad you're keeping it up! Hope your rib is healing well, too.

      Reply
      • Kate Hackworthy

        May 11, 2014 at 7:56 pm

        Gosh, Melissa. That is such a kind thing to say. You've absolutely made my day!

        Reply
    6. Merlinda Little (@pixiedusk)

      May 07, 2014 at 8:22 pm

      Hmmm this is interesting! I am in dire need of making my son eat veggies. This could be a start right? Looks lush too! #MBPW

      Reply
      • Kate Hackworthy

        May 07, 2014 at 9:36 pm

        This would definitely be a fun place to start!

        Reply
    7. Stephanie Pass

      May 07, 2014 at 4:50 am

      This looks amazing! I love grapefruit, and I bet these taste delicious!

      Reply
      • Kate Hackworthy

        May 07, 2014 at 10:04 am

        Grapefruit is so lovely in the mornings, now it's lovely for dessert!

        Reply
    8. Kecia

      May 06, 2014 at 1:35 pm

      I must say, these look so good my family... non-veg eaters would completely go nuts over these doughnuts! They are so sweet and inviting looking! Wonderful!

      Reply
      • Kate Hackworthy

        May 06, 2014 at 2:12 pm

        Thanks Kecia, they're delicious - nobody would know there was a big bunch of leaves in it!

        Reply
    9. Mel

      May 05, 2014 at 11:51 pm

      Fab recipe, these look delicious! I love the photo montage of the disappearing doughnut! Congratulations for being shortlisted and good luck Mel #MBPW

      Reply
      • Kate Hackworthy

        May 06, 2014 at 11:41 am

        Thanks Mel! I fear the disappearing doughnut gif is going to start a gif obsession...!

        Reply
    10. Aunt Bee

      May 05, 2014 at 1:38 pm

      Wow! This looks great! Your photos are amazing! <3

      Reply
      • Kate Hackworthy

        May 05, 2014 at 2:43 pm

        Thanks so much, B!

        Reply
    11. Vohn McGuinness

      May 05, 2014 at 11:58 am

      I've seen grapefruit pearls before but had no idea how easy they were to make. I'm guessing this works for all citrus fruit? Love it! x

      Reply
      • Kate Hackworthy

        May 05, 2014 at 2:43 pm

        So easy! I bet it would work for other citrus fruits, worth a try!

        Reply
    12. Lou

      May 04, 2014 at 7:47 pm

      Kate, you are simly amazing!
      Watercress in doughnuts, very interesting!
      And the citrus pearl tip is really smart.
      Best of luck for the award.
      Have a lovely evening
      Lou

      Reply
      • Kate Hackworthy

        May 05, 2014 at 8:59 am

        Thank you so much, Lou! xxxx

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Kate, a journalist, author and multi-award-winning food blogger. I hope you enjoy my vegetarian and vegan recipes. About Me

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    Check out my Veggie Desserts Cookbook, full of tasty desserts with vegetables!

    Kate Hackworthy in the kitchen

    Hi, I'm Kate, a journalist, author and multi-award-winning food blogger. I hope you enjoy my vegetarian and vegan recipes. About Me

    Collage of press logos.

    Popular recipes

    • The BEST Easy Red Lentil Dahl
    • Easy Naan Bread Recipe (yeast-free)
    • Mini Baked Potatoes
    • Easy Lentil Soup

    Healthy Recipes

    • Butternut Squash Salad
    • Easy Healthy Cabbage Soup
    • Easy Vegan Ramen (15 minutes)
    • Rajma Masala (Kidney Bean Curry)

    My cookbook

    Veggie Desserts and Cakes Cookbook cover.

    Check out my Veggie Desserts Cookbook, full of tasty desserts with vegetables!

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