Pumpkin Doughnuts

I hope you all had a fun and relaxing Thanksgiving! I know that I had a good time this holiday with my family. Even though I made a bunch of pies this Thanksgiving–pumpkin, Dutch apple, and cannoli pies; I still was in the mood to do some baking and for something pumpkin-flavoured. Call me crazy! Today I baked pumpkin doughnuts, and yes, of the gluten-free variety. I really have been bit by the gluten-free baking bug. 😀

If you wanted to, you can fry these cake-style doughnuts, but baking is easier and it tastes great!

Glazed some with apple butter and topped with raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Mini cinnamon-sugar and plain pumpkin doughnuts. I also made some doughnut holes (mini muffin pan) and a few regular muffins (not pictured). Hmmm….I guess I was feeling whimsical today with the colors! Maybe from when we watched Wreck it Ralph last night 🙂

Out of the oven! I only have one doughnut pan right now so I made a makeshift mini donut pan using rolled up baking paper (one side foil and another side parchment). In each muffin cup, I put a dot of batter in the center, then stuck on the baking paper rolls. After that, I greased the rolls and the pan with spray oil (safflower to be exact) before piping the batter into the greased pan. The makeshift mini doughnut pan was slightly bigger, but still fun-sized.

Crumb shot.

Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts

Adapted from The Realistic Nutritionist

Makes ~18 standard size doughnuts (I got 24 mini, 12 mini muffins/doughnut holes, and 3 large muffins)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons cooking oil of your choice (coconut, safflower, grape seed, etc.)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 3 large eggs (or use flax replacer: for every egg, use 1 tablespoon ground flax mixed with 3 tablespoons water)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cups unrefined sugar (evaporated cane juice, sucanat, ground jaggery, etc.)
• 3/4 cups pumpkin purée (canned or homemade)
• 3/4 cups almond butter
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 and 1/2 cups gluten-free flour mix (recipe below, or use gluten-free all purpose flour such as Bob’s Red Mill Brand)
• Cinnamon sugar (optional)

Gluten-free flour mix – adapted from Jeanette’s Healthy Living

Sift together the following:

• 125 grams brown rice flour (1 cup + 1 teaspoon)
• 125 grams almond flour or toasted quinoa flour (1 cup + 2 tablespoons)
• 125 grams potato starch (3/4 cup)
• 25 grams tapioca starch (1/4 cup)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease doughnut pans.
2. Mix together oil, applesauce, eggs, vanilla, sugar, pumpkin purée, and almond butter.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and flours.
4. Combine with wet and dry ingredients until there are no more pockets of dry ingredients.
5. Place the batter into a piping bag (or large zip-loc bag with tip cut off) and pipe into the greased pans two-thirds full.
6. Bake for ~15 minutes until toothpick inserted into the doughnut comes out clean.
7. Place on wire rack to cool. If desired, you can coat the warm doughnuts with cinnamon sugar or top with anything you want! Maybe a chocolate glaze?

Related articles

• Hanukkah’s coming…anyone for quick doughnut muffins? (kosherblogger.wordpress.com)
• Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread (strawberryginger.com)
• Halloween Pumpkin Muffins (cucinaceri.com)