This post was created in partnership with Nuts.com.
We’ve got a subtly red-white-and-blue treat for you today. Donuts! First though, let’s get this out of the way: these donuts are vegan, gluten-free and baked, so there’s nothing classic about them. There will inevitably be textural and flavor differences, when compared to the (delicious) fried donuts that you would acquire at a donut shop. These baked donuts are so good in their own right though: they’re studded with blueberries, sweetened with maple syrup, and made extra special with a sunny tanginess from lemon juice/zest. There’s also a perfectly glossy, four-ingredient coconut glaze that’s completely irresistible. Making these guys is definitely a much easier venture than frying up proper donuts at home, so that’s another bonus. In fact, though they look impressive, they do not take long to prepare at all.
I really like the batter in this recipe. It’s dead simple to make, requires only one type of flour (brown rice), and produces a beautifully light dough. I keep thinking that it would also make for a great muffin/cupcake base, or could even be used to make layers for a vegan layer cake. The bursts of blueberries and addition of lemon really take it to the next level here.
Most of the dry ingredients and all the decoration ingredients for these donuts came from our amazing partner, Nuts.com. The stone-milled organic brown rice flour for the batter, the pomegranate or beet powder for the pink glaze, as well as the freeze-dried cherries, freeze-dried blueberries, and coconut flakes that act as toppings are all from them. They really care about the quality of the ingredients they sell, and it shows in every single product. It’s hard to stop yourself from eating all the freeze-dried cherries/blueberries in one sitting, but if you do, they make for a great snack, and kids love them. Nuts.com carries thousands more pantry staples, healthy snacks, and harder-to-find ingredients, aka they have everything. Hope you check them out, try this recipe, and have a beautiful holiday weekend if you are in the U.S.!
- coconut oil for oiling the donut pan
- 1½ cups brown rice flour
- pinch of sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- zest from 1 organic lemon
- ½ cup plant milk
- ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- splash of vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- coconut glaze (recipe below)
- freeze-dried cherries, blueberries, and coconut flakes for decoration (optional)
- ¼ cup coconut butter
- ¼ cup plant milk
- 1½ tablespoons maple syrup
- a splash of vanilla extract
- pomegranate or beet powder (for pink color, optional)
- Preheat your oven to 375° F (190° C). Prepare a donut pan (I have this set) by oiling each cavity with coconut oil.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and lemon zest. Mix to combine. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the plant milk, lemon juice, olive oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Gradually add the whisked wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients, mixing everything as you go, until well-combined. Fold in the blueberries.
- Distribute the batter in your donut pan, evening it out as you go. The donuts will rise a bit, so leave some space for them to rise by not filling the cavities all the way. Pick up and drop your filled donut pan a few times to get rid of any potential air bubbles. Place in the oven and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until slightly golden brown in appearance and a toothpick, that's inserted into the batter, comes out clean. Let cool completely before gently inverting the donuts onto your working surface. Place the donuts onto a drying rack, curved side up. Glaze and decorate the donuts as you like. Refrigerate after a day.
- Combine the coconut butter, plant milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract in a small saucepan. Melt over low heat, whisking, until the mixture becomes unified. Glaze all the donuts with just the white glaze or proceed to making the pink glaze.
- If making the pink glaze, separate the amount of glaze in half. Add about 3 tablespoons of pomegranate powder or ½ teaspoon of beet powder to half of the glaze and whisk it in. Add more for a more vibrant color. Proceed to glaze the donuts interchangeably, with the white and pink glaze.
So beautiful these donuts are! So basically you just add the full blueberries into the mixture and distribute them in the pan, the blueberries will burst out when they are bake, right?
– Natalie Ellis
Thank you Natalie! Yes, the blueberries get all jammy in the oven :)
I love that anyone can eat these. They look delicious without being over the top in their richness or sweetness. Yum!
Thank you so much!
I love blueberry donuts. these are perfect for summer. and they look so so delicious!
cool kitchen gadgets
These donuts look heavenly.
http://www.mylifeingreens.com
Is there another flour I can replace the brown rice flour with and have it still be gluten free?
Hi Katherine,
Quinoa or sorghum flour might work :)