Before I made the transition to a more natural and healthy lifestyle, I had a weakness for donuts. Chocolate covered, cream filled, big fat donuts!
But the problem was, after eating one, the overload of sugar and unhealthy fats would make me feel sick. Really sick.
Just look at all the ingredients (many of them toxic to our health) in a popular store-bought donut:
INGREDIENTS: Donut: Enriched Unbleached Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Enzyme, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Palm Oil, Skim Milk, Sugar, Water, Egg Yolks, Soybean Oil, Contains less than 2% of the following: Leavening (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate), Salt, Defatted Soy Flour, Soy Flour, Wheat Starch, Enzyme Modified Egg Yolks, Soy Lecithin, Gelatinized Wheat Starch, Konjac Flour, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Defatted Wheat Germ, Wheat Germ, Dextrose, Carrageenan, Colored with (Turmeric and Annatto Extracts, Beta Carotene); Chocolate Icing: Sugar, Water, Cocoa, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Soybean Oil, Corn Syrup, Maltodextrin, Contains 2% or less of: Dextrose, Corn Starch, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and/or Cottonseed Oil, Salt, Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Propionate (Preservatives), Soy Lecithin (Emulsifier), Agar, Artificial Flavor.
Yuck!
But at last I found a healthy way to satisfy my donut cravings…Baked Pumpkin Donuts!
These moist and delicious donuts are refined-sugar free and contain pumpkin- a great source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, fiber, and zinc.
You can eat one (or two, or three) without going away with a feeling of “ughhh”.
They’re baked instead of deep fried in unhealthy oils, and are also quick and easy to make!
You can either dip them in melted chocolate (my kids’ favorite way to eat them), or in a cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Check out this post on how to make your own pumpkin puree.
For this recipe, you can either cook these Baked Pumpkin Donuts in the oven using a donut pan, or use a donut maker:
Servings | Prep Time |
6people | 10minutes |
Cook Time |
7-10minutes |
|
|
- 1/2 cup pumpkin pureeor sweet potato or butternut squash puree
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 1/3cup honey
- 1/2teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour*
- 2teaspoon baking powder
- 1teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- If using a donut pan, preheat your oven to 375°F (175°C). Brush the pan with melted butter.
- If using a donut maker, preheat your device and brush with melted butter.
- In a medium bowl, combine pumpkin and milk. Whisk in egg. Add honey, vanilla and white vinegar and whisk to combine.
- In another medium bowl, add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and gently mix until just combined (be careful to not over-mix or your donuts will be too dense).
- Distribute evenly in pan and cook for 7-10 minutes (depending on the size of your donut pan), or according to your donut maker instructions.
- Topping option #1: When donuts have cooled a bit, dip into melted butter and then into a mixture of ¼ cup sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon.
- Topping option #2: Melt 1/4 cup chocolate chips** and 2 teaspoons butter. Dip donuts into this mixture.
*I use freshly ground whole wheat flour, or preferably, sprouted wheat flour.
**I use these chocolate chips
Javeria says
Planning to give this yummy donut recipe a try. Can u please look at the instruction 4, it says to add sugar but there isn’t sugar in the ingredients list. Also it states to add the baking soda. Can u please let me know the quantity?
Dr. Laura says
Oops sorry, that was a typo! I’ve fixed it now, thanks dear!
Javeria says
Thanks a lot dr. Laura