Welcome, weekend. The lovechild of two of our favorite secret guilty pleasures – bakery pastries and churros (secret’s out) – these gluten-free donuts from Purely Elizabeth‘s, Purely Magazine, have us salivating over our computer screens. We kind of can’t believe the ingredient list we’re seeing. Coconut oil? Applesauce? Ground flax? Maybe we’re getting ahead of ourselves, but these churro donuts seem more like breakfast fare then fairground food. Okay, maybe an indulgent breakfast, but still. Disconnect the wifi and go home, everyone…this recipe wins the internet for today.
Gluten-Free Churro Donuts
Makes 12 donuts
Ingredients:
1/3 cup melted coconut oil (plus more for brushing)
1 cup coconut sugar
1 ¾ cups gluten-free flour blend (we recommend Bob’s Red Mill)
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground flax + 4 tsp hot water (mix together and let sit for 5 minutes)
6 Tbsp unsweetened apple sauce
¼ cup vanilla extract
1/3 cup hot water
cinnamon
sugar
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325˚F.
Brush two 6-mold donut trays with coconut oil and set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine coconut sugar, flour blend, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
In a separate bowl, combine all wet ingredients. Add to dry ingredients and mix together to just combine – it shouldn’t be thick.
Use a melon baller or tablespoon to drop 2 ½ to 3 tablespoons of batter into each donut mold, spreading with the back to evenly distribute.
Bake for 8 minutes, rotate, and continue baking until the donuts are golden brown – about 7 minutes more. Ovens vary, so test with a toothpick after the initial 15 minutes. If it doesn’t come out clean, continue testing every 3-5 minutes. You don’t want them to be too firm, as they will continue firming up outside of the oven.
Remove from oven and let cool for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Coat with your choice of toppings (I suggest dipping in melted coconut oil and sprinkling with cinnamon and sugar, or dipping in a chocolate glaze!*)
*Note: To make the chocolate glaze, combine ¼ cup coconut oil and ¾ cup vegan chocolate in a double boiler with a dash of cinnamon and sea salt. Let cool slightly before dipping donuts.
Adapted from Babycakes classic gluten-free doughnuts recipe.
