God is waiting around every table, in every pantry, in every backyard garden. You just need some fresh ingredients, some time, and a friend or two. No matter where we find ourselves, mealtimes can become sacred spaces of supernatural satisfaction.

Margaret Feinberg

These cake-style donuts (doughnuts, if that’s your preference) are so moist and delicious, no one will know they’re gluten- and dairy-free!

The flour blend gives them the perfect heft for dunking in coffee or hot cocoa (while adding nutrition without affecting flavor). And the addition of xanthan gum and psyllium helps create a tender but sturdy chew — the kind of bite you’d expect from a wheat-based recipe but not easy to find in GF baked goods.

GF/DF Baked Donuts

1. Sift together:

  • 1 c. gluten-free flour blend (I use America’s Test Kitchen recipe, minus the dry milk powder.)
  • 2 Tbsp. coconut flour 
  • 2 Tbsp. almond flour 
  • 1/4 c. oat flour 
  • 2 tsp. psyllium husk powder (such as Viva Naturals)
  • 1 tsp. baking powder 
  • 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum 
  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg (optional)
  • 3/4 tsp. salt 
  • 2/3 c. maple sugar (sugar, not syrup)

2. Mix separately and add to the dry ingredients:

  • 2 eggs 
  • 1 c. unsweetened DF milk (I use almondmilk.) 
  • 1/4 c. oil (I use extra light-tasting olive oil.) 
  • 1 tsp. vanilla 

3. Mix everything well (a few little lumps are OK), cover, and set in the fridge for 30 min.

4. Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly grease donut baking pans with palm shortening to make 12 donuts.

5. Pull batter from the fridge and stir once more (it’ll be thick and sticky).

6. Fill the donut pan cavities about 1/2 full; don’t cover the center posts. (The easiest way is to put your donut batter in a decorating bag or flat Ziplock — not the kind with an expandable bottom. Cut about one inch off the tip of the bag, then pipe the batter into each cavity. NOTE: This batter rises, but it won’t smooth out as it bakes. If you want, you can gently dab the batter with a small spatula to help level it before baking.)

7. Bake for 20 min., rotating halfway through. (Donuts will start to brown on edges.) Let the pans cool on a rack for 20 min., then remove the donuts from the pan and let them finish cooling on the rack.

8. Store in an airtight container for three days in the fridge or one month in the freezer. (If you freeze them, I suggest wrapping individually first.)

Toppings

Cinnamon sugar: Brush donut tops with melted DF butter (such as Miyoko’s) and sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar. (My recipe is 1/2 c. granulated sugar mixed with 2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon. To keep these donuts refined sugar-free, use maple sugar instead of granulated.)

Chocolate glaze: Use a double boiler to melt 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips with 1 Tbsp. coconut oil. Let cool a bit, dip donut tops — or the whole thing! — into the glaze, set on parchment paper, and let harden in the fridge. (This glaze is like hard shell ice cream topping and will melt if it gets too warm.)

© 2020 Carol Stillings