Nearly every year, we travel back East to visit family for the holidays. While there, we enjoy the fun tradition of visiting a local apple farm to pick up some fresh-pressed cider and the most amazing apple cider donuts!
Since going gluten-free, I’ve been missing these tasty holiday donuts. So I finally decided it was high time to transform this family favorite into an irresistible grain-free, dairy-free treat that everyone can enjoy whether they’re gluten-free or not!
Of course, traditional apple cider donuts call for using spiced apple cider to add that characteristic fall flavor. However, you may be surprised to discover that I save the cider for sipping.
Instead, this tasty grain-free twist, calls for creating your own apple pie spice mix and blending it with applesauce and pure canned coconut milk. This simple combination ensures that these scrumptious donuts bake-up with a light cake-like texture, and taste just like their namesake.
These delightful donuts are perfect with just a sprinkling of powdered sugar, or powdered coconut (see recipe note below). For an extra special treat, serve them warm with a cup of hot apple cider.
Wishing you and your family a very happy (and delicious) holiday season!
Blessings, Kelly at The Nourishing Home
Apple Cider Donuts (GF, DF)
Makes 8-10 donuts
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups Honeyville Blanched Almond Flour
3/4 tsp ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Ginger
1/8 tsp Allspice
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/8 tsp Sea Salt
1 large Egg, plus 1 Egg White
1/4 cup pure canned Coconut Milk
1/4 cup unsweetened Applesauce
1/4 cup pure Maple Syrup
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil, melted
1 tsp pure Vanilla extract
1 Tbsp Coconut Flour
Optional: Powdered Sugar or Powdered Coconut for dusting (see recipe note below)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 6-cavity donut pan with palm shortening or coconut oil; set aside.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the blanched almond flour, spices, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, egg white, *canned coconut milk, applesauce, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, vanilla and coconut flour until well combined. (*For best results, I recommend using pure canned coconut milk, not coconut milk beverages.)
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and use a spoon to thoroughly combine. Then, carefully spoon the donut batter into the prepared donut pan just shy of the fill line. Use your finger or back of spoon to even out the top of the batter.
5. Bake for 16-18 minutes, until donut springs back when touched.
6. Remove from oven and allow the donuts to cool in the pan for 1-2 minutes. Then turn them out onto a sheet of parchment paper. Dust with a little powdered sugar or powdered coconut. Then, transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling – if you can wait that long! Yum!
Recipe note: To make powdered coconut, simply pulse-blend together 1/4 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut with 1 teaspoon of coconut flour until fine, almost powder-like. Be sure to use the pulse function of your blender and pulse slowly, so you don’t make coconut butter. Use the powdered coconut to add a pretty and tasty decorative effect to your baked goods.
