National (Gluten Free) Donut Day

These gluten-free chocolate SunButter donuts are a stroke of last minute inspiration. Some of my most creative and tasty creations stem from a stroke of momentary genius. (Or momentary need for chocolate.) The first Friday in June is always National Donut Day. As a result, I’m baking these gluten-free chocolate SunButter donuts on Thursday. But you Celiac Disease, Food Allergy mommas know all about that “last minute baking”, right?

I was first introducced to Jessica’s Natural Foods Chocolate Cake Mix years ago in a gluten free subscription box. I pondered a creative way to use this mix, which could easily be shared with my husband’s co-workers. Cha-ching! Gluten-free chocolate SunButter donuts! In addition, since my husband’s school is a nut-free zone, I whipped up a homemade SunButter frosting that is OUT OF THIS WORLD!

The Secret to Gluten Free Chocolate Baked Goods

Like many gluten-free bloggers, I bake my donuts. One, because I’m terrified of frying anything in oil. Secondly, because these Wilton donut pans are the easiest thing ever to use! The batter for these gluten-free chocolate SunButter donuts are super easy too.

I prepared the Jessica’s Natural Foods Chocolate Cake mix according to the directions. Well, mostly. If you’ve been reading my blog, you know I like to “adjust” things every once in a while. I subbed two of the tablespoons of oil with applesauce, and added a teaspoon of espresso powder. Espresso powder is the secret to deepening the chocolate flavor in any recipe, and it’s perfect in these gluten-free chocolate SunButter donuts.

Peanut Free Sunbutter Frosting

While my gluten-free chocolate SunButter donuts were in the oven, I whipped up this easy frosting recipe from Baked By An Introvert. I simply substituted creamy SunButter for the peanut butter called for in her recipe. I LOVE this frosting. It reminds me of the Mackinac Island Peanut Butter Fudge I devoured as a young child. I can imagine putting this in ice cream and on all sorts of delicious things!

Sunbutter Frosting Tips

I wanted to make it as thin as possible to make for easy donut dipping. As a result, I microwaved the SunButter frosting after all the ingredients were combined. While dunking, I ran out of frosting and had to make another small batch.

I used a little bit more butter than it suggested the next time. I think this will be a substitution I will consistently make in the future, and will share below. (As well as the ingredients for a larger batch, so you won’t have to make more.  I’ll stop yammering now so you can jump in the kitchen and make a quick batch of these gluten-free chocolate SunButter donuts!

More Gluten Free Donut Recipes

Not a fan of peanu butter/ Sunbutter? Try my easy Mocha Donuts, which also start from a mix. Or my Two Ingredient Pumpkin Donuts. Looking for a “from scratch” gluten free donut recipe? Try my Basic Gluten Free Donut Recipe. It’s a small batch and makes only 6-8 donuts. Don’t have a donut pan? Try my Gluten Free Donut Muffins!

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Gluten-Free Chocolate Sunbutter Donuts

Delicious gluten free chocolate donuts topped with a SunButter gananche.

Course Recipes

Keyword donut, gluten free donut

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Ingredients

For the Donuts

• 1 package Jessica’s Natural Foods Chocolate Cake mix
• 3/4 c. milk
• 1/4 c. canola oil
• 2 tbsp applesauce
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp espresso powder optional
• 3/4 c. boiling water

For the Frosting

• 4 tbsp SunButter
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 1/3 cups powdered sugar sifted
• 4 tbsp heavy cream

Instructions

• First, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. (This is the temperature listed on the Jessica's Natural Foods cake mix. If using another chocolate cake mix, bake at the temperature suggested.) 
• Next, grease and flour donut pans. (I coated mine with rice flour. Jessica's mixes contain no rice products, so use an alternative starch if you're sensitive to rice.)
• In a large bowl, add mix, milk, oil, applesauce, eggs, vanilla and espresso powder. (DON'T add boiling water yet!) Mix until all ingredients are well combined.
• Now add the boiling water, and mix on medium speed for 60 seconds. The batter for these gluten-free chocolate SunButter donuts will be thin. Therefore, I allowed the batter to rest for 10 minutes.
• Pour or scoop (I used my Pampered Chef 1 oz scoop) gluten-free chocolate donut batter into prepared donut pan wells.Or, place batter in a gallon size ziploc bag, trim a bottom tip of the bag, and pipe batter into the donut pan. 
• Finally, time to put the donuts in the oven! Bake donuts for 8 minutes, then rotate pans 180 degrees and bake for 7 minutes longer. 
• Remove from the oven and use a PLASTIC knife to GENTLY separate the baked donuts from the edge of the pan. Allow to cool for 3-4 minutes, then remove donuts to a wire rack to cool. The batter makes enough for 20 donuts, so you'll have to wash and grease your donut pans again to bake the remaining batter.
• Lastly, prepare frosting by placing creamy SunButter and butter in a microwavable glass bowl. Microwave for 20-30 seconds. Stir briskly, then add powdered sugar. It might be lumpy.
• Add cream to bowl and whisk thoroughly. I placed the frosting back in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to make it thin. (It will set upon cooling.) Stir quickly and then gently dunk donuts in frosting to coat. Return to the cooling rack to allow frosting to set.

Notes

If you are not allergic to peanuts, you can use peanut butter instead of SunButter

What’s your favorite gluten-free donut? Do you prefer to fry or bake your donuts, or buy premade ones? Leave me a note in the comments below!

**This post is not sponsored. However, it does include include Amazon Affiliate Links. Purchases made through those links provide me a small commission. However, this does not influence the cost of your purchases. Thank you for helping to support this website!**

The post Gluten-Free Chocolate Sunbutter Donuts appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.

Helping Teachers Learn About Keeping a Nut Free Classroom

Most of my blog focuses on educating individuals and families about Celiac Disease. With a degree in Elementary Education, teaching comes naturally to me. Sometimes, this involves teaching my fellow educators as well. Today, I deviate a bit from my gluten-free guidance to discuss maintaining a peanut free classroom. With some training, we can make this process smoother for educators and parents alike.

1 in 13 Children Live with a Food Allergy

Educators have to be a jack-of-all-trades these days. Educator. Counselor. Sometimes we supply basic needs like socks and food. Because we do so much for our students, we constantly educate ourselves on new methods. We should also be educating ourselves about food allergies. One in 13 children live with some type of food allergy, so preparation on this issue is important.

Food Allergy Training for Teachers

Working hard to maintain a food-allergy or peanut-free classroom becomes “easier” when you realize the risk at hand. Educators (and all school personnel) should learn the signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction, as well as how to administer epinephrine in case of emergency.

FARE, the Food Allergy Research and Education organization, has a website full of resources for educators. This includes free online training. The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Connection Team also offers training for school personnel. In addition, the CDC offers guidelines on their Food Allergy Toolkit for schools.

Sunbutter as a Peanut Butter Alternative

America lives on peanut butter. From PB& J to peanut butter cups, Americans consume more peanut butter than probably any other country.

Insert SunButter, which is made from ground sunflower seeds. It is an excellent replacement for snacks in any peanut-free classroom. Not only is it peanut-free, it’s free from the 9 most common allergens, which comprise 90% of food allergies.

SunButter also contains less fat and twice as much fiber as peanut butter, however still contains the same amount of protein. SunButter even has a food service section to their website, so school cafeterias can use their product while maintaining federal nutrition guidelines.

Other Peanut Butter Alternatives

Other nut free spread options include WowButter (made from soy beans) and 88 Acres. 88 Acres products are made from sunflower or pumpkin seeds.

Food Allergy Bullying Awareness

The words we use to address food allergy situations are key. When we say “We can’t have (insert food here) because Johnny’s allergy requires us to keep a peanut-free classroom,” it may trigger food allergy bullying.

While this statement may indeed be factual, placing “blame” on Johnny may cause students to harbor ill feelings towards him. Upwards of 2 million children with food allergies experience bullying every year.

When having classroom parties, try to focus on foods that are free of the 9 most common allergens. (I share a list, here.) These include fruit cups, popcorn, or celery with SunButter. For a list of other peanut and tree nut free suggestions, visit the SnackSafely website.

Challenge: Eat Peanut Free for One Week

My husband’s school district made a bold move. They required all teachers to maintain a peanut-free classroom. (The district allows peanuts in the middle school and high school cafeteria.) It posed an interesting challenge as I daily packed my husband’s lunch. I’ve made a concerted effort to never pack foods containing nuts in his lunch.

I pack things like the Buddha Bowl pictured above, which uses a satay sauce made with SunButter.  I would encourage educators everywhere to eat peanut-free at school, even if just for a week. It truly creates an awareness of what your students might be experiencing. I use sunflower seeds instead of nuts in his trail mix, make SunButter and jelly sandwiches, and even make Asian food dishes using SunButter in a satay sauce.

Classroom Communication and 504 Plans

In spite of global social media connection, humans still struggle with true communication. Creating a peanut-free classroom takes communication from both teachers and parents. Parents should meet with the teacher at the beginning of the year to outline their student’s needs. Composing a letter to send home to other parents in the room helps as well.

I highly recommend having a 504 plan on file. This puts all concerns in writing so both sides know what to expect. Teachers can be proactive in telling parents about upcoming activities that include peanuts, so parents can bring alternatives to school. As a substitute teacher, I always appreciate communication about children who have food allergy issues.

Are you a teacher that maintains a peanut-free classroom? What tips would you share with fellow educators about keeping kids with food allergies safe? Does your child have a peanut allergy? What would you want their teacher to know? And if you have any SunButter recipes you love, please share them with me!

*This post was sponsored by SunButter. However my thoughts and passion for the safety of all with food allergies and intolerances are completely my own.*

Originally Posted March 2017

The post Helping Educators Keep a Peanut Free Classroom appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.