Chocolate and Caramel Frosted Doughnuts | Fusion of Baked and Raw

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In the world of doughnuts, they say that you are either a cake doughnut person or a yeast one. How about a bread-like doughnut? I am not here to say that I invented a new form of doughnut; perhaps unconventional is more like it. While preparing the dough to make bread today, I decided to try making doughnuts with the batter. The end result turned into a delicious, chewy, hearty doughnut smothered with a rich, raw, vegan, chocolate ganache and caramel frosting, making them the perfect weekend treat with a cup of coffee and the Sunday newspaper.

It’s my firm belief that one can never have too much fun in the kitchen. When I swing open the pantry doors, I am met with a “painter’s palette” of options. What to make? What to make? That is the never-ending question that lives rent-free in my brain. Today, as I mentioned above, I decided to try making doughnuts from one of my bread recipes. Bob’s snack surpluses were running low, and I wanted to get ahead of it — along with my leotard and cape, it makes me look like a superhero when I can pull out a delicious and nutritious treat when a craving hits!

What You Will Need

Doughnut Bread (see below)

• I used the same ingredients as I did for my Everyday Sandwich Bread with a FEW minor tweaks. If you want a detailed run-down on the ingredients, pop over there for a second and scan through them.
• Doughnut Pan: Since I bake oil-free, I love using silicone baking pans. Click (here) to see the pans that I use. If you don’t own a doughnut pan or want to purchase one, you can shape these by hand and bake on a cookie sheet. The centers might close up as they rise, but the flavor and texture will remain.

Chocolate Ganache Frosting

• This is one of my all-time favorite raw vegan frostings. It is SO easy to make, tastes amazing, and can be used in countless ways. You will find the recipe (here).
• It’s possible that you will have a little extra ganache left over. If this is the case, it can be stored in the fridge for several weeks or it can be frozen (doesn’t freeze solid).

Caramel Frosting

• It’s amazing what happens when you combine almond butter and Medjool dates. With a few extra ingredients and about 10 minutes of time, you will have an exquisite raw vegan caramel frosting on your hands. You can find the recipe (here).
• Should you have any left over, save it to dip apple slices in — heaven!

Decorating Ideas

My suggestion is to be free-spirited about the decorating process. As long as you make the two frostings, you can’t go wrong. You dip each doughnut in a single frosting, you can marble the two together, you can drizzle the frosting . . . on and on. You get the picture. Chopped nuts are also a creative addition. See my pictures for simple ideas.

Ingredients

Yields 10 (1/3 cup or 85 g) each

Doughnut Bread

• 1 cup (100 g) gluten-free rolled oats, ground
• 3/4 cup (100 g) sorghum flour
• 1/2 cup (100 g) raw hulled buckwheat, ground
• 5 Tbsp (40 g) arrowroot powder
• 1 tsp (4 g) baking powder
• 1/2 tsp (3 g) baking soda
• 1 tsp (6 g) sea salt
• 2 Tbsp (44 g) maple syrup
• 2 cups (16 oz) water
• 5 Tbsp (30 g) psyllium whole husks

Frosting

• Raw Chocolate Ganache
• Raw Caramel Frosting

Preparation

Psyllium Gel

1. Quickly whisk the water and psyllium husk powder in a mixing bowl. It will instantly start to gel, which is to be expected. Set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients, so it can thicken.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F).
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, sprinkled with a little extra flour.

Dry Ingredients

1. In the mixing bowl that we are going to knead the bread in, whisk together the oat flour, sorghum flour, buckwheat flour, arrowroot, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
   • If you have a sifter, use that to thoroughly incorporate all the dry ingredients.

Mixing the Dough

1. Add the psyllium gel and drizzle the maple syrup around the bowl.
2. Using either a hand mixer or a free-standing mixer with dough attachments, knead for 5 minutes (set a timer on your phone) to ensure that it gets kneaded enough (don’t we all love feeling needed?).
   • Start the mixer on low until the flour is folded in, then turn it up one speed.  If you start off at too high a speed, the flour will jump out of the bowl.
3. Shape 1/3 cup or (85 g) of dough into a round ball, then rolling it 7″ long between the palm of your hands.  Wrap it into a circle shape, leaving a hole in the center, and place it in the silicone baking mold. Smooth the meeting ends of the dough together. Repeat until all the dough is used up.
4. Score the tops of each donut with the tip of a sharp knife, going no more than 1/4″deep. This allows air to release during baking.
5. Bake on the center rack for 40 minutes.
   • Take the pan(s) out of the oven and once cool enough, pop the doughnuts out of the molds and place them on a cooling rack. If you want to eat them warm, dip them in the chocolate and/or caramel and enjoy. Otherwise, wait until they are cool, so the frosting doesn’t melt and slide off.
6. Store in an airtight container for several days on the counter. Eat sooner than later.