Chocolate Coconut Donuts (Grain-Free)
I Like Bacon Marshmallows As Much As The Next Person
But sauerkraut cupcakes? Not so much. While creativity in the kitchen is nice, I still prefer healthy twists on tried-and-true favorites: a warm, bubbly peach crisp made without refined sugar, slow-churned coconut lime ice cream, decadent brownies and healthy homemade creamsicles in the spring.
If you feel the same way but are on a grain-free/dairy-free diet, Jenny of Nourished Kitchen has put together a collection of 90+ grain-free recipes that even sourdough families like mine are sure to adore.
Recipes like this these chocolate coconut donuts, which I-kid-you-not taste exactly like slightly less sweet Little Debbie snack cakes without the cream filling. I LOVE cream anything so I melted a little coconut butter in a double boiler with some water and poured it over the top as a glaze . . . yummo! Real whipped cream would have sent these over the top. I would dunk them like some people dunk coffee.
(Hey, no one’s looking, so now is the perfect time to wipe the corner of your mouth. It’s okay, I drooled the first time, too)
Before We Get To The Recipe, Though . . .
Let me tell you a little about this book. The Nourished Kitchen Guide To Grain-Free Baking, Sweets & Treats is everything I wish I’d known when my family went grain-free a few years ago. If you want to learn . . .
- The basics of grain free and dairy free baking
-
Simple tricks to improve the texture and flavor of your grain-free and dairy-free baked goods
-
How to prepare 90+ grain- and dairy-free breads, cakes, cupcakes, cookies, brownies, ice creams, fruit desserts and more
- How to recreate your family’s favorite desserts with simple grain/dairy substitutions
And how to make great-tasting grain and dairy-free treats for birthdays, parties or snacks on the go, definitely check out these recipes. Okay? Okay. Now about that recipe . . .
Grain-Free Chocolate Donuts
Equipment Needed
- donut pan
- hand mixer
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 eggs, separated
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp coconut extract, optional
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a donut pan.
- Whisk almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks, with honey, coconut oil, vanilla and coconut extracts. Then pour them into the dry ingredients, and beat until smooth.
- Beat egg whites until light and fluffy. Then, fold them into the bat- ter.
- Pour batter into donut pan.
- Bake about 12 minutes. Allow them to cool until comfortable enough to
- handle, then gently remove them from the pan and set them on a cooling rack.
Makes about 6 donuts.
Hungry for more?
The Nourished Kitchen Guide To Grain-Free Baking, Sweets & Treats is 33% off now through February 28th.
Disclosure: cmp.ly/4 and cmp.ly/5
Hannah
Hi Heather just wondering is it 3/4 cup of almond flour in the recipe or coconut flour? They’re different in the ingredient list versus the recipe. And I know that can make a big difference! Thanks.
Heather
Whoops! Sorry! The instructions should have said almond flour, not coconut flour!
Alisha
I was wondering the same thing as Hannah. Also, if it is almond flour, what kind did you use? Thanks!
Heather
I used Bob’s Red Mill, though I think any kind would work for this recipe
Fran
I’m in the same boat as Hannah and Alisha. Ready to make them, which flour?
Lela
Also is there a recipe for the icing?
carrie
I was wondering the same. False advertising!
Heather
Not a recipe persay, but in the post I did mention it. These reminded me so much of Little Debbie snack cakes without the filling that I **needed** the filling to complete the experience. Since it’s what I had on hand I melted a little coconut butter with water and a smidge of honey for the glaze. Daniel really liked them that way. I added cocoa powder to the second batch and it was very good, too.
Mandie
Hi Lela,
I’ve made an icing for cookies in the past that is palm oil and raw honey – just plop some palm oil in a small dish and mix in honey to taste, if you use a fork for the mixing it gets kinda fluffy
I know Heather has a coconut butter icing suggestion the post but just thought I’d throw this out there for variety.
Margaret
Same question about the flours, and: do you think you could do these in a muffin pan? No doughnut pan here.
Heather
Yes, I think that would probably work! You might need to play with the baking time a little, but be careful because they dry out in the oven pretty easily!
Jessica
What brand of coco powder do you use?
Heather
Though I know that raw cacao has more antioxidants than the more processed cocoa, I prefer this organic, fair-trade cocoa powder because it’s more affordable
Jessica
Thank you! I’m making these as my Easter treat!
Heather
I like Frontier. It’s organic and fair trade.
Loretta | A Finn In The Kitchen
These look fantastic! Still need to get myself a doughnut pan…
Loretta | A Finn In The Kitchen´s last [type] ..Taco Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Sara@AJoyfulMother
Oh. My. Goodness. These look delicious. I need to make these!
I hope you’ll consider entering it in the Saturday Round-Up, the new blog hop over at A Joyful Mother! I’d love it!
http://ajoyfulmother.com/2013/02/22/saturday-round-up-a-new-blog-hop/
Katie
I can’t wait to try these – I have had a hankering for doughnuts for a while now and was so excited to see this post. That dessert book looks like a treasure trove of recipes that I need in my kitchen! Thanks for sharing this recipe and I can’t wait to make them myself.
– Katie
Katie´s last [type] ..Nourishing Slow Cooker Beef Stew
G'anna
These looks so yummy! We are on gaps and my husband misses donut’s so much! i would love to make these! I have a question about the donut pan. I have only seen them made out of aluminum. And we try to avoid aluminum. We would not make these daily so using aluminum would be a compromise. Any one else have ideas on this? Or is there another donut pan option?
Heather
Another option is silicon. I’ve been skeptical of using it but had to out of necessity once or twice. According to a chemist who is in the traditional food movement, it’s more similar to glass or sand in composition than plastic.
Megan
Hi Heather,
2 questions, do you know if cocoa powder is GAPS legal? I think I’ve seen conflicting views on this. Also, what kind of vanilla did you use when your family was on GAPS? Is there a way to make it without using alcohol? Thanks! I have go to figure out a way to make these donuts!
Megan
Heather
Cocoa is considered legal after intro if it’s well-tolerated. I make my own with alcohol so I’m not sure on a brand – The Urban Poser would know!
Erin
Would it be possible to make these using a different flour? I don’t have almond flour and would have to order it. I don’t think the stores around me carry it. Thanks!
Heather
You might be able to use macadamia nut or sunflower seed flour – I’m not sure!
Lottie
I made these today and they were so wonderful. Used chocolate ganache for the icing, soy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips and cream. Delicious!
Heather
Yay! So glad you liked it!
Mandie
Score! my little boy has been talking about doughnuts lately. I’m grain-free now so I haven’t mastered sourdough yet. Thanks for this post!
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Sara Chambers-Moss
Heather, I love this recipe! Can’t wait to make it, so I posted it on my Facebook page!
Sara Chambers-Moss´s last [type] ..Is Sugar Slowly Poisoning Your Family?
Sarah
I love your recipes, however my son is allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, all dairy, and eggs. Do you have any suggestions for replacements in baking? I would like to try some of the recipes.
Thanks
Sarah
Heather
I’m sorry, Sarah, but I can only recommend the recipes as they are because I haven’t tested them with substitutions. However, he might like these coconut macaroons!
Eni
Hi Heather,
My 3 year old daughter is allergic to coconut and almond. I would love to bake for her but I don’t really know what’s the next best thing I can use? I noticed you mainly use coconut oil and almond flour. Do you have any suggestions what I can use?
Heather
So sorry, Eni, but I have not tested this recipe with any substitutions
Becky Webb
Ok, please tell me. Do you have a good brand of a donut pan to use? These non-stick pans don’t really seem ideal. Do you have one you can recommend?
Becky Webb´s last [type] ..Homemade Powdered Laundry Detergent
Heather
Hi Becky! I’ve not found a cast iron pan, which is what I would prefer. However, based on my research I think silicon is closer to glass in nature than plastic (in that it’s not leaching). I don’t use it for anything in my kitchen except for gummy stars and donuts, but I think it’s worth it to be able to make these things for my family!
Stephanie
Just found your site…love it already! What r the properties of the almond flour? Does it make or break a recipe? It’s so expensive and my family is not grain free. I wanted to try just wheat flour w the doughnuts, chocolate chip cookies and chocolate muffins. I have and love all the other ingredients. Any guess as to give it a try or do u think it’ll b a waste of ingredients (money). Thank you!
Heather
Hi Stephanie, sometimes wheat will work as a substitute, sometimes not. I haven’t tested this recipe unfortunately so I have no idea which one it will be in this case!
whitney
I got almond flour from Trader Joe’s. It’s cheaper than what you can find at other stores! you might want to check it out!