Name: GLUTEN-FREE BAKED CINNAMON DOUGHNUTS
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 9
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon; 2 tablespoons coconut sugar; 1 cup gluten-free oat flour; 1/2 cup fine-shredded coconut; 1/2 cup coconut sugar (or less as preferred); 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder; 1 large egg, beaten; 1/4 cup pure butter or coconut oil, melted (plus more to prepare the doughnut pan and coat doughnuts); 1 cup organic Greek or Bulgarian plain yogurt (I love organic Bulgarian yogurt from White Mountain) or coconut milk yogurt alternative

These beautifully baked gluten-free doughnuts are super soft and coated with warm cinnamon and coconut sugar. Enjoy them for breakfast or brunch with your favorite hot beverage, or as a guilt-free treat! Top them off with healthy-ish marshmallows, and you got yourself an exceptional kids' dessert!

Perfect doughnuts for breakfast or brunch!

These doughnuts are easy to make—you have a freshly baked batch ready in 30 minutes—and they melt in your mouth with each bite. They are super soft and have the right amount of sweetness that is entirely guilt-free in my book. I often make these baked doughnuts on the weekend part of Sunday brunch. And then leave the leftovers on the counter for anyone to grab as a snack later in the day. When they come out of the oven, let them cool just a bit before topping them with cinnamon coconut sugar. However, don't wait too long because you want to enjoy them when still warm—simply irresistible. My favorite way of eating these treats is with a hot cup of black coffee or green tea!

Doughnuts are a favorite in my household!

I had to come up with a healthier version of a doughnut. My family loves them, and they can get very excited when a warm batch comes out of the oven. I am all for occasionally indulging on the weekends, but a bunch of donuts from Krispy Kreme or Dunkin is something you will never see on my table. Instead, I prefer to make dessert-like recipes that I consider "better choices." Well, these baked doughnuts are

Unbelievably easy to make,
Smell incredible,
Are baked, gluten-free and refined sugar-free
And as a bonus, you can customize their level of sweetness or toppings depending on the occasion.

So let's take a look at some of the ingredients for this healthy doughnut recipe!

Ingredients

Greek or Bulgarian plain yogurt. It gives these doughnuts a super soft consistency. You preferably want to use a brand with no added sugars, thickeners, or artificial sweeteners. Buy it from a local farmer's market—if you are lucky enough to have a creamery farm in your neighborhood—or from a family-owned company that makes health-conscious products with few simple ingredients. I love the Bulgarian yogurt from White Mountain Foods that you can easily find in stores, depending on your location. I have included the link to their website for more information and to find a store near you. I use it for baking, making fruit desserts, adding it as a topping, or merely enjoying it as-is. Although Greek yogurt will do just as well, the Bulgarian yogurt is more liquidy and has, therefore, a much softer consistency. Do you want to keep it, dairy-free? Then try a coconut milk yogurt alternative.
Oat flour. I use either gluten-free steel-cut oats or gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats and pulse the oat groats into a fine meal in an upright blender. You can, of course, buy gluten-free oat flour. But if you are like me and already use steel-cut oats for breakfast, there is no need to purchase any extra flour. Note that one cup of old-fashioned oats yields about one cup of flour, whereas you only need half a cup of steel-cut oats to produce about one cup of flour.
Hain Pure Foods Featherweight carries a sodium-free, gluten-free baking powder, and that is the one I used in this recipe.

Customize it for birthday parties or special occasions

There is nothing more fun for kids than a dessert with marshmallow toppings. And when it comes to special occasions, I have no qualms dressing up these baked treats with flavored marshmallows. I love the Smashmallow snackable marshmallows because they come in many different types of flavors, and they are soy and gluten-free. It is fun to place them in bowls at the table so kids can pick and choose their favorite! Ours is the Mint chocolate chip.

Another party favorite is to coat them with melted butter (or coconut oil) and let the kids add chocolate sprinkles on top!

Try to make them this weekend, because I know you will love these doughnuts! Don't also forget to check out some of my other mouthwatering gluten-free brunch ideas like the plantain pancakes or sweet buckwheat waffles to change it up.

Enjoy!

Want to try these doughnuts? Then PIN IT to your Healthy Treats Board to save for later! Come and find me on Pinterest for more great recipes! And when you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment, or tag a photo with #mychefsapron on Instagram. I'd love to see your creations!

9 doughnuts