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 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 soaking option)

Ingredients: (See below for alternative measurements of grain, etc.)

4 1/2 c whole grain flour (I use a gluten free blend)
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 (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 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 :-).