Have Your Donuts and Eat Them Too???

Years ago, I loved donuts. Didn’t matter where I got them, I loved them. I especially loved the traditional fall donuts at some of our local pumpkin and apple farms that were apple cinnamon and ohhhhh sooooo good!!! As the years went by, I became aware of the fact that they weren’t exactly a health food or even provided any necessary nutrition for my body so they became a very occasional treat.  After being diagnosed with hypothyroidism, an auto immune disease, I didn’t realize how differently food could impact my body. Now that I have been dealing with it for quite a few years, I have come to understand the huge connection between food and how my body will react. For instance, donuts are made with flour and usually fried, neither of those being good for anyone with an autoimmune disease. Apple Cinnamon donuts are baked so maybe a little healthier?? Anyway, I love finding swaps for foods I love that can become healthier for me and like sharing with others even if you don’t have an autoimmune disease or are gluten free. Here is my favorite fall find this year that involves swapping out traditional or wheat flour with almond flour! Almond flour is gluten-free and incredibly nutritious. Be careful when working with flour swaps as the texture can be different and there is always a learning curve when working with them but stick with it and you can enjoy an indulgent donut that is loaded with nutrition, great flavor, and much less sugar, not to mention no processed flour!!!  The other swap I used in this recipe was not using table sugar but coconut sugar(equal measurement swap) which is low glycemic and doesn’t spike blood sugar levels.

Baked Apple Cinnamon Donuts

Ingredients for Donuts:

1 cup blanched Almond Flour

1/3 cup coconut sugar or Erythritol

2 tsp baking powder (gluten free if your are sensitive)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp Sea Salt

¼ cup butter (unsalted, measured solid then melted)

¼ cup unsweetened almond or coconut milk

2 organic eggs

½ tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp apple extract

Cinnamon Coating

½ cup coconut sugar

1tsp cinnamon

3-4 tbsp butter (unsalted, measured solid then melted)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a donut pan well.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the almond flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and sea salt.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, almond milk, eggs, vanilla extract and apple extract. Whisk the wet mixture into the dry mixture.
4. Transfer the batter evenly into the donut cavities, filling them only ¾ of the way. Bake for about 22-28 minutes (or longer if silicone pan), until dark golden brown. Cool until donuts are easy to remove from the pan.
5. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the coconut sugar or erythritol and cinnamon for the coating.
6. When the donuts have cooled enough to easily remove from the mold, transfer them to a cutting board or parchment paper and brush the top of one donut at a time, followed by pressing the buttered donut top into the cinnamon and sugar topping.

My personal tips:

Really grease the pan well!!!

Let butter melt to room temp before mixing with eggs and other ingredients or it clumps due to hot(if micro waved) & cold.

Every oven is different and the baking time from 22-28 can be tricky so watch carefully.

Let donuts REALLY cool off before removing. I usually rushed this and they fell apart.