Donuts: Something We Can All Agree On

My husband likes to listen to talking head news analysts in the morning. At 6 am, it’s really the last way I want to start my day. I mean, my head contains enough self – criticism and negativity on its own. Instead, I prefer to start my day with donuts. And I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one.

Recently Aldi offered their large selection of gluten free special buys in May. (I say recently, because after two weeks, my store was completely cleaned out.) However, one person mentioned she couldn’t enjoy the chocolate glazed donuts, because they contained egg. Therefore, I created this VEGAN basic gluten free donut recipe. #COMMUNITY

Egg Substitutes

So, baking dairy free (in my opinion) is much easier than baking egg free. Many options abound for replacing eggs. Many people use flax + water as a substitute. However, flax seeds do something to my gut. I’ve used applesauce in my vegan chocolate chip cookies. Therefore, I chose to play with aquafaba this time.

What is aquafaba? It’s the liquid in a can of beans. Wild, right? It magically whips up like egg whites. Many people recommend using 1/4 of aquafaba to replace one egg. However, when I do so, my baked goods always sink. Therefore, I used three tablespoons in my basic gluten free donut recipe. It worked like a charm!

What to do with the leftover chickpeas? Make my hummus recipe, of course!

Life Is Better With Chocolate

Now, you can make this basic gluten free donut recipe plain. My non-gf husband thoroughly enjoyed them that way. If I remember correctly, his exact words were “I’d buy these!” But, IMO, life is always better with chocolate. Some days with copious amounts of chocolate, amiright?

Remember those chocolate glazed donuts from Aldi I mentioned above? Those donuts are dipped in chocolate on both sides. I tried that. MESS ALERT! Therefore, I grabbed the sprinkles from my cupboard and decorated away. Life needs a touch of color, don’t ya think?

Other Gluten Free Chocolate Recipes

Donuts are meant to be shared. Know who I’d share with? My fellow advocates who bless me with their support and encouragement. Sometimes it’s a quick text message or even a comment on a post that makes my day. While we may live far apart, I know those in my “E.L.F. family” support and encourage me. Examples include:

• Mēgan from Allergy Free Alaska- You’ll love her Grain free chocolate chip donuts with chocolate ganache!
• Erica from Celiac and the Beast – Have you tried her Gluten Free Bourbon Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cookies?!
• Amanda from Eat At Our Table – I highly recommend her easy, peasy gluten free vegan chocolate mousse!
• Michelle from My Gluten-Free Kitchen  – Her Gluten Free Chocolate Strawberry Layer Cake is breathtaking!

Basic Gluten Free Donut Recipe Notes and Tips

I tried this recipe using egg, regular milk, and butter with King Arthur Flour Measure for Measure flour. It baked up a bit more dense. Therefore, maybe use a bit less flour. In addition, I made these vegan, using Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 baking flour. I would recommend using 2-3 tablespoons less flour, as they turned out much more dense.

I tried this recipe with applesauce instead of aquafaba, with great results. They may require a bit more baking time, maybe 12 minutes instead of 10. I did not try this recipe with flax egg. This recipe makes 6 donuts. I have not doubled it to test the results for a full dozen. However, I think you should easily be able to do so.

Other Donut Recipes

I’m a big fan of donuts. Other recipes on my site include gluten free mocha donuts, gluten free chocolate donuts with SunButter frosting and two ingredient pumpkin donuts. I also modified this recipe to make gluten free donut muffins. Looking for even more donut recipes? Check out this list of 52 gluten free donut recipes from In Johnna’s Kitchen.

**This recipe is based on alterations made from King Arthur Flour’s baked doughnuts recipe.**

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Basic Gluten Free Donut Recipe (Vegan Options)

Equipment

• King Arthur, Measure for Measure Flour 3 Pounds
• Enjoy Life Semi Sweet Chocolate Mini Chips, 10 oz
• Wilton Non-Stick 6-Cavity Donut Baking Pans, 2-Count

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp coconut oil or butter
• 1 tbsp oil I used canola.
• 1/4 c sugar
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp aquafaba or 3 tbsp applesauce or 1 egg
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1 1/4 c flour I used King Arthur Flour Measure for Measure, 155 grams
• 1/2 c rice milk or your milk of preference

For chocolate glaze

• 1 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips
• 1 tbsp coconut oil

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• In a small bowl, melt coconut oil in microwave for 30 seconds. Remove from microwave and allow to come to room temperature. Meanwhile, measure milk in a 1/2 measuring cup and also allow to come to room temperature. If using a regular egg, also get this out of the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature. 
• While those are coming to room temperature, combine baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and flour in a small bowl. I personally prefer weighing my flour instead of using a measuring cup, and I sift my flour prior to adding it to the other ingredients. Set bowl of dry ingredients aside. 
• Place melted coconut oil in bowl of stand mixer and allow to “cream” for up to 2 minutes. To that, add the oil, white and brown sugars, and vanilla. Cream ingredients together for 3-4 minutes. 
• Add aquafaba and whip for up to 1 minute. 
• Add bowl of dry ingredients and milk, alternating half of each until incorporated. Use a rubber spatula to make sure all flour is dissolved into the batter. 
• Lightly spray donut pan with cooking oil (like Pam) and fill the wells with batter. I do so by stretching a sandwich bag over the mouth of a tall glass, and pouring batter into the bag. Then cut the tip of the bag, and pipe batter into the 6 separate donut wells. 
• Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Allow to cool in donut pan for 5 minutes, then remove and place on cooling rack
• While donuts are cooling, place chocolate chips and coconut oil in a large glass bowl. Place over a small pot of boiling water, and allow to melt. Dip completely cooled donuts in melted chocolate glaze. Shake excess off into bowl, and transfer dipped donuts to cooling rack. 
• Enjoy, with or without sprinkles.

**Enjoy Life Foods sponsored this post, and compensated me for my time and energy. This post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through those links help support this blog with no extra expense to you. Thank you for your continued support!**

Originally Published May 2019

The post Basic Gluten Free Donut Recipe (Vegan Options) appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.

Super Simple – Just One Special Ingredient

So my aunt messaged me on Instagram wanting the recipe for these gluten free mocha donuts. The thing is, this recipe is super simple.  If you count this Better Batter Chocolate Cake mix as one ingredient, this recipe has 8 ingredients total. No dairy. Zero soy. No nuts.  So only 8 ingredients stand between you and gluten free mocha donuts. So let’s get started, shall we?

The trick from turning this chocolate cake mix into gluten free mocha donuts is one special ingredient. Coffee.(Duh, right?) You can use any coffee you like. Espresso. Dark Roast. Breakfast Blend. I used the Simple Truth Dark Roast Cold Brew Coffee my husband bought at our local Kroger. (Wow, that was a mouthful.)

The Better Batter Chocolate Cake mix calls for 1 and 1/2 cups of water. Instead, I used 3/4 cup of Cold Brew and 3/4 cup of water. (You can use regular brewed coffee.) Then I added the rest of the ingredients as directed, and mixed it in my stand mixer. Easy Peasy. Dump the batter into a gallon-sized plastic bag, snip the tip, pipe into a donut pan, and you’re in business.

Why You Should Never Add Liquid to Melted Chocolate

As you may have read in my Gluten-Free Mocha Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache recipe, my husband loves coffee. So when I made another batch of ganache for these gluten free mocha donuts, I again added espresso powder to the coconut cream. DO NOT ADD BREWED COFFEE.

Why? Because coffee is made with water, and water makes melted chocolate seize. Nobody wants that. Trust me. To keep my ganache dairy-free, I use Enjoy Life Foods Dark Chocolate morsels. Have you seen their new teal packaging in the store? I LOVE that they’re using the official color for food allergies for their brand. Bold and brave. Just like all of us living with food restrictions.

Ethically Sourced Chocolate

While I love talking about these easy gluten free mocha donuts, I want to take a moment to talk about ethics. When possible, I like to choose chocolate and coffee that are both ethically raised and cultivated. Coffee and chocolate are two crops that are notorious for using child and slave labor. My favorite ethically sourced chocolate is Guittard Chocolate. (It’s peanut free, too!)

That is why when I buy coffee I look for Rainforest Alliance or Fair Trade Certified. It makes what we buy a little more expensive on our end. However, by doing so we are investing in farms and families that are raising crops the right way. If we all use our dollars to support those that make the world a better place, imagine how much we can accomplish.

Ganache and Dairy Free Chocolate Truffles

Want to know what else you can make with the ganache you made for these easy gluten free mocha donuts? TRUFFLES. Deep, rich, dark chocolate truffles. The ratio of for the ganache for the donuts is one-to-one, in ounces. (4 oz chocolate to 4 ounces coconut cream) However, if you’d like to make truffles, you need double the chocolate. Therefore, I would recommend 8 ounces of chocolate and 4 ounces of cream for truffles. You can still add the espresso powder to the cream if you want mocha truffles.

So there you have it. A recipe for super easy gluten free mocha donuts, AND an idea for super easy chocolate truffles. If you’d like other donut recipes, you can try my two-ingredient pumpkin donuts or my mini donut muffins. If you’re looking for more creative donut flavors, I highly suggest checking out these from gluten-free gingerbread donuts from Gluten Free Palate.

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Gluten Free Mocha Donuts (Dairy Free)

Ingredients

For the donuts

• 1 box chocolate cake mix prepared according to directions
• EXCEPT subbing half of water/milk with coffee

For the mocha ganache

• 4 oz Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels
• 4 oz Thai Kitchen Coconut Cream in a can
• 1/2 tsp DeLallo Espresso Powde

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
• Combine cake mix according to directions, substituting half of the water called for with coffee of your choosing. Mix well and dump abtter into a gallon size plastic bag. Snip the tip and pipe batter into a donut pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. 
• Bake donuts for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool in pan 3-5 minutes, and carefully remove to cooling rack. 
• While donuts are cooling, warm 4 oz of coconut cream in a small microwaveable bowl. (If you can only find coconut milk, i would suggest using 3 oz of full fat coconut milk instead of 4.) 
• Add chocolate chips to warmed coconut cream and allow to set for 5 minutes. (I usually cover the bowl with a small bread plate. Stir until all the chocolate is melted. 
• Dunk cooled donuts halfway into ganache and allow excess to drip off. Flip over and place on cooling rack or parchment paper. Sprinkle with sanding sugar if desired. 

Who would you share these gluten-free mocha donuts with today? Do you intentionally shop for products that are ethically sourced? Share your story below! 

**I was provided free product form from Better Batter. I was not otherwise compensated for this post. I highly appreciate the care they take to make products free of the 8 most common allergens, as well as powdered sugar free from corn. This page contains affiliate links.**

The post Easy Gluten Free Mocha Donuts (Dairy Free) appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.

Bagels are Like Donuts, But Bread

Believe it or not, I don’t think I “enjoyed” my first bagel until I was in college. I put enjoyed in parentheses, because I don’t really remember eating a bagel prior to college. I remember that it was a Big Apple Bagel, and I’m pretty sure at that time I disliked cream cheese.

Oh how times have changed.

I LOVE bagels, and I definitely enjoy a good helping of cream cheese. I also know my weakness for them.  Thus, I don’t buy them often because I know I’ll eat the whole bag in a week.

My husband will tell you that I don’t so much like bagels, but bread in the shape of the circle. I want my bagels soft and tender, not hard and chewy. His statement gave me a brilliant idea. Bagels are round with a hole in a center. Doughnuts are round with a hole in the center. Bread dough can be piped. Are you following my logic?

How to Make Gluten Free Bagels With A Gluten Free Bread Mix

Lucky for me, I recently received a Pamela’s Gluten-Free Bread Mix in my American Gluten-Free box. (This company no longer exists.) So, on an inspired weekday, I broke our my bread machine and my donut pan, and got to work on a batch of easy gluten-free bagels.

Making anything with yeast is my absolute nemesis. Therefore, I use my bread machine to prepare and proof the dough. It creates the optimal environment.

Once the dough for these easy gluten-free bagels has fully proofed, I dump the dough into a gallon Ziploc bag. From there it’s a simple snip of a corner and it becomes a make shift pastry bag!

Finally, pipe the dough into lightly oiled Wilton donut pans, lightly brush with egg whites, and sprinkle with a bit of salt. You could season it with anything you like, I suppose. If you’re lucky enough to live near a Trader Joe’s, you could use their Everything But The Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend.

How Many Gluten Free Bagels Will This Make?

From there it’s a simple bake in the oven. These easy gluten-free bagels bake much faster than a loaf of bread. I baked mine approximately 15 minutes, similar to a muffin. Because ovens are different, I suggest checking it after 10 minutes. Once they come out of the oven, you can enjoy them immediately!

This mix made twelve of these easy gluten-free bagels. After I enjoyed one (or two), I sliced the bagels and placed them in a new, clean Ziploc bag and stuck them in a freezer. Now I have bagels for my husband and I anytime we want!

Can I Use A Different Gluten Free Bread Mix?

This can be done with any bread mix, as far as I can tell. I also made them with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Homemade Wonderful Bread Mix. However, I preferred the texture of the Pamela’s Bread mix for this purpose.

Other Uses for Your Donut Pans

These easy gluten-free bagels are a great alternative use for a donut pan. Want some other creative ideas for a donut pan? Stop over at Tiffanie Turner’s site, Corner Blog, for 60 Donut Pan Ideas! For example, make bird feeders, ice rings for punch and even giant candy necklaces!

Of course, you can use my favorite Wilton donut pans to make donuts in them as well. Check out my recipes for Gluten-Free Pumpkin Donuts, or visit In Johnna’s Kitchen for 52 Gluten Free Donut Recipes. 

What’s your favorite thing to make in a donut pan? Donuts? Bagels? Something else entirely? Leave me a note below, because I may just want to try it!

**This page contains affiliate links. Buy purchasing through those links, a small portion of your purchase comes back to help support this website. No additional costs are passed on to you. Just added support to keep this page running!**

Originally Published January 2018

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