Cinnamon Baked Doughnuts (with gluten-free and soaking option)

This soaked and baked donuts recipe is probably my family's favorite whole grain recipes of all time.

Did I say, “probably”?  Silly me.  I made two batches yesterday, and there are very few left. This time, it was my oldest son who was mainly guilty of over-indulgence.  Typically, however, I share that “honor” with him.

We took this 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 this treasure on a string between the other store-bought 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 the Baked Doughnuts.

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.

Recipe 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 (if you are eating gluten), 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. You want it to be thick.
• 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 cups 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.
• An alternative can be used instead of eggs – see Homemade Egg Replacer.
• You can substitute any healthy sweetener for the xylitol in the doughnuts, but if you use a liquid sweetener you may need to use a different amount, so read Substituting Sweeteners. For the topping, any healthy granulated sweetener can be used.
• Here are homemade versions of both coconut milk and almond milk, which will both work great as a milk substitute.
• Here is a great brand of organic lemon juice.

Cinnamon Baked Doughnuts (with gluten free and soaking option)

This Cinnamon Baked Donuts Recipe is one of our family favorites! Say bye bye to Krispy Kreme and make this gluten-free healthier version instead!

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Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan

Ingredients

Cinnamon Baked Doughnuts

• 4 1/2 cups whole grain flour (I use a gluten-free blend)
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp organic nutmeg
• 1 tsp organic cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup xylitol
• 5 Tbsp organic coconut oil (melted)
• 15/16 cup milk (1 cup minus 1 Tbsp; or milk substitute)
• 1 Tbsp organic apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)

Topping

• 3 Tbsp xylitol
• 1 tsp organic cinnamon

Instructions

For soaking

• 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.
• 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.
• Bake at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
• Try not to eat them all in one sitting! 🙂

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