I recently decided to make donuts. Why? Because on a typical non-pandemic Sunday, we would go to church and eat the donuts that would be served afterwards. Instead, we watched a church service online and when it was done, my older daughter asked if we could get donuts. Oh my...that innocent question gently reminded me that things are not normal right now. My girls always looked forward to donuts after church and it always brought them joy. Their favorite? Any glazed donut with sprinkles.
So, naturally, since I do like to bake and that brings me joy, I decided to make donuts for them. We also attended a friend's online Zoom birthday party later that day and instead of cake, the birthday boy had donuts. I took that as a sign that I really did need to make donuts. 😁
I found a baked donut recipe that was #glutenfree, refined sugar free, and vegan and used ingredients that I already on hand in my pantry. It was super easy to make and my girls could have helped me. But this time, I chose to make them on my own - call it my therapy if you want. And when they were done and ready to eat, it gave me joy to see how happy my girls were to eat them.
In making these donuts, I wanted to give them something they remembered that was fun even though they both are blissfully unaware of what is going on out in the world. I hope you are all still finding joy and happiness throughout all of this. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. It can be as simple as a donut. Enjoy.
Peanut Butter Banana Donut
(Recipe adapted from Bakerita)
Ingredients -
1/2 c coconut oil (melted)
2 TBS maple syrup
1 large banana mashed
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 c creamy peanut butter
3 TBS coconut flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp kosher salt
Toppings of choice - nuts, sprinkles, hemp seeds
The original recipe called for a peanut butter chocolate glaze but I had extra syrup from another recipe I had made so I adapted that.
Chocolate Maple Glaze
2 TBS sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c maple syrup
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c dark chocolate chips
Directions -
1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a donut pan with coconut oil.
2. In a bowl, mix together the coconut oil, maple syrup, banana, vanilla extract, and creamy peanut butter until smooth.
3. Add in the coconut flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until completely combined. Let the batter sit for a few minutes to let the coconut flour absorb.
4. Spoon the batter into a zipper bag. Snip the corner and pipe the batter into the donut pan.**
5. Bake until a toothpick is inserted into the center and comes out clean (about 10-12 minutes). Let it cool completely on a wire rack before glazing.
6. For the glaze, combine the maple syrup, condensed milk, and salt in a microwavable bowl that is wide enough to dip the donuts in. Heat for about 20-30 seconds and stir. Add the dark chocolate chips and stir until it is completely smooth and melted.
7. Carefully dip the smooth side of the donut into the melted chocolate and use 2 forks to remove them. Place back on the cooling rack with a baking sheet underneath to catch the drips.
8. Decorate with toppings of choice and let them set for at least 30 minutes. I used what I had on-hand but kinda wished I had these.
**Note: I would recommend piping the batter so it goes in uniform in the pan. I didn't do this and instead scooped and smoothed the batter in. It worked fine (meaning it was still tasty) but I did have some breakage.
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Some links may be affiliate links. I may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these.