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This recipe for soaked and baked whole grain doughnuts is probably my family’s favorite sweet whole grain recipe.
Did I say, “probably”? Silly me. I made two batches yesterday, one with gluten and one without. Two of us (including yours truly) ate the gluten and sugar free version and well, there are very few of those left. This time, it was my oldest son who was guilty of over-indulgence. Typically I share that “honor” with him.
We took the gluten- and sugar-free version (see notes following the recipe) to a doughnut eating contest at a homeschool gathering recently. Somehow, we were able to suspend my gluten-free treasure on a string between the other doughnuts without it falling apart into crumbly nothingness.
My daring husband entered himself in the contest and there he was, coming in second amongst a crowd of men eating those lightweight, devoid of all nutrients, processed rings of nothingness. Yes, in my humble opinion, he should have won. One of my doughnuts clearly by weight and amount-of-chews-needed-to-make-before-you-swallow equalled 2-3 of theirs. But then, I’m really not that competitive 
.
Ah well, back to baking.
I have had this recipe for a long time and it is adapted from one by Sue Gregg in her Breakfasts cookbook. They are easy to make, don’t require any special pan, are not deep-fried, and are coated with just a slight bit of oil, milk, or water to make the delicious sweetened cinnamon topping stick. And they have a wonderful hearty texture and flavor to them.
Cinnamon Baked Doughnuts (with gluten-free and soaking option)
Ingredients: (See below for alternative measurements of grain, etc.)
4 1/2 c whole grain flour (use 5 1/2 if using spelt)
4 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt (I recommend Real Salt)
1/2 t nutmeg
1 t cinnamon
2 eggs (or alternative – See Homemade Egg Replacer)
1 c granulated sweetener
5 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 T apple cider vinegar or lemon juice added to milk or milk substitute to make a total of 1 c liquid)
Topping:
3 Tbsp granulated sweetener
1 t cinnamon (See my post on The Best Cinnamon Sugar – made healthier!)
Directions:
For soaking:
1. Combine the flour, sweeteners, fats, and liquids together (excluding the eggs. However, if you are using a powdered egg replacer, you can add the liquid that you would add to the recipe at this point in order to make the dough easier to handle). Let dough rest for 12-24 hours. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
2. Roll out dough to approximately 1/2″ thickness. Cut with doughnut cutter (this one is really nice). Or alternatively, shape into desired shapes. Brush tops with melted coconut oil, milk, milk substitute, or water. Sprinkle with topping.
3. Bake at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
4. Try not to eat them all in one sitting!
Alternatives and notes:
- You may find that you need to be flexible with the amount of flour that you use for this recipe depending on the grain that you choose. You will want a very stiff dough that is not wet at all, like a shortbread. For spelt, you will probably need about 5 1/2 cups. For other grains, you will have to play with it to see what works, but you do not want a runny gooey dough.
- For gluten-free flours, use 25% more baking powder and soda. I typically use whatever I happen to have on hand. Yesterday I used 3 c sweet brown rice flour with 1 1/2 cups sorghum with success. I had to increase the liquid to about 1 1/2 cups to make it pliable, however.
- For a sugar free version, a mixture of 1/2 xylitol and 1/2 erythritol for the granulated sweetener works great.
Non-soaking Method:
Just mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wets in the other. Then add the dries to the wets. Continue with the recipe directions. But you can really step things up a bit in the health department by soaking the grains for at least 12 hours. You really will get a serious workout for your arms with the soaking method, but then you’ll get two health benefits at once ! Let me know how they turn out!
Interested in other Gluten Free Yummy Treats? How about:
- “Almond Joy” Bars
- Grain Free Coconut Macadamia Cookies
- Super Pumpkin Cookies (taste like store bought)
- Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Oh, and if you happen to link through to Amazon.com to see this doughnut cutter that I use, and then purchase that or something else from them within 24 hours (other restrictions apply, but they are really strict), I earn a very small commission. You pay the same price, so I’d be happy if you choose to do so and so support my site. Just so you know how these links work .
This post is linked to Fight Back Friday, The Humbled Homemaker, Diet, Dessert, and Dogs, Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free, Diet, Dessert, and Dogs, and Bake with Bizzy.
If we wanted to fry these, would we still use the same recipe? Thanks!
You certainly could. When made with whole grains, they will be considerably heavier than traditional doughnuts, but they should work out just fine. Let me know how they turn out!
I always shy away from making doughnuts, especially because of the frying. This might and I am saying might, entice me to give it a try. You are one ambitious lady.
Thanks for sharing this with Bake with Bizzy. I would appreciate it, if you would link back to us, in the future. More folks, more fun.
Hi Chaya! You’ll be linked to. My son handles it as part of homeschool, but he’s out until later this afternoon. I won’t forget you
!
hi!!!
i want to use gluten free flour…what do u recommend?>i can eat coconut,oat,millet,brown rice flour,
thank you
I have typically used a mix of brown sweet rice with some millet and maybe oat mixed in. I wouldn’t use the coconut b/c it absorbs too much flour. How about a mix of 1 part each of the other flours that you can have? I think that would taste great.
You say to sub vinegar or lemon juice for milk or milk sub, but there is no milk in the recipe.
The recipe says to add lemon juice or vinegar to milk or milk substitute to make a total of 1 cup liquid. Hope that makes sense.
I made these and they are nice but mine had a very strong baking soda flavor. Reminded me of an Irish Soda bread with cinnamon. My dough was also very dry during the soaking time and very wet after I added the eggs. I wonder if I did something wrong.
I’m so sorry – I have never had that problem w/ a baking soda-ey taste. The only thing I can think w/ the texture is that you are going for a very stiff dough. Not horrible but it needs to roll easily and cut well, so I’m going to update the post to reflect that. Then you sometimes need to add more flour to make them the right texture. Once you know how much you are using for a particular grain then you can keep those proportions for the future. I think maybe I should post a photo and that will help folks know what the dough looks like. Please try again and let me know how it works if you try them again.
DEFINITELY healthier than the donuts you’d find in the pastry section of the grocery store!!! I think I might try them with PEA PROTEIN FLOUR!
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I am having trouble finding ‘sweet brown rice flour.’ I can only find brown rice flour. Is it the same thing?
You might not be able to find it. I grind my own from sweet brown rice. I did find some on Amazon here.