There’s something undeniably nostalgic about a doughnut. The color, the glaze, the feeling of getting away with dessert before noon. But Sabrina Rudin doesn’t believe you need artificial dyes or a fryer full of oil to get that magic.
In her new cookbook Healthy with a Side of Happy, Sabrina reimagines the classic vanilla doughnut with a vibrant Blue Magic glaze made entirely from plant-based color. No petroleum-based dyes, no neon mystery ingredients. Just naturally sweetened, oven baked doughnuts with a soft, cake like crumb and a glaze tinted with spirulina and butterfly pea flower powder. The result is playful, eye catching, and completely Chalkboard approved.
Inspired by her long-standing stance against artificial food dyes and a colorful bakery moment that sparked the idea, these doughnuts became an instant hit with her boys. They’re proof that you can give kids the fun, bright treats they love while keeping the ingredients clean and intentional. A little nostalgic, a little modern, and entirely delicious.
Read our recent In The Kitchen With interview with Sabrina here.
Recipe
Recipe reprinted with permission from Healthy with a Side of Happy by Sabrina Rudin © 2026. Published by Union Square & Co., an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group. Photography by Linda Pugliese.
Makes 12 donuts
1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour without xanthan gum, such as Bob’s Red Mill
1 cup almond flour
2/3 cup coconut sugar
2½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup unsweetened oat milk
½ cup coconut oil, melted
2 large eggs
¾ cup powdered maple sugar
¼ teaspoon blue butterfly pea flower powder
Edible flowers, for garnish (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, oat milk, coconut oil, and eggs until smooth and free of lumps.
Meanwhile, line a large serving platter with the butter lettuce.
Using a nonstick doughnut baking tray, spoon ¼ cup of the batter into each doughnut mold. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the doughnuts are dry, golden brown, and pull away from the sides of the pan. Allow them to cool slightly, then remove them from the pan and let cool completely, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the powdered maple sugar and 2 tablespoons water. In another small bowl, whisk together the blue butterfly pea flower powder and ½ teaspoon water. Add a few drops of the blue to the maple sugar and, using a spoon, gently swirl the two together to create the look of tie-dye. Do not overstir the icing unless you’d prefer a solid blue color.
To ice the doughnuts, dip the top into the icing, then let any excess icing drip off before flipping the doughnut over and placing it on a plate to set. Repeat for each doughnut.
Serve immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Recipe reprinted with permission from Healthy with a Side of Happy by Sabrina Rudin © 2026. Published by Union Square & Co., an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group. Photography by Linda Pugliese.
