Timbits were a staple bake sale offering when I was growing up. I mentioned before the bake sale hierarchy, and those delectable doughnut holes were definitely on it - at 5 cents a pop it was a cheap and cheerful snack that even the most broke of us could afford. But even amongst the Timbits there was a ranking system - chocolate anything was the first to disappear from the Snack Packs, then the filled ones, the sour cream glazed, and finally the apple fritters and Dutchies (if they went at all).
Since leaving my elementary school, I don't think I've had a Timbit other than the very occasional time it was on offer at an event. It seems that the doughnut holes (also called Munchkins, Country Bits, Coffee Bits and other assorted "bite size" cutesy things) lose favour the older you get - but sometimes you just want that taste of something sinful without the whole package. Traditional doughnuts are a rarity around here - it's rare to find a place that actually deep fries them, and at any rate with our assorted health conditions they really shouldn't be on the menu at all. However, a baked option that still tastes divine is a little easier to swallow - and is a nice option for coffee break rooms (mom took some of these with her to work and I dropped the rest off at my stylist's place) and bake sales where the main buyers are adults concerned with body image! I came across a gluten free, vegan recipe for baked doughnuts in Colette Martin's Learning to Bake Allergen Free and was intrigued - not only was it free of eggs, dairy, gluten and nuts, but it was also low fat! After making the recipe as written (with the one swap of Coconut Dream for hemp milk since I had it) I wasn't thrilled with how the "large" rings looked and behaved in the oven (the "dough" was way too wet to shape) - but the leftover batter/dough that I stuck in my mini-muffin tin baked into the most beautiful, tasty nuggets.
With a decent recipe and an idea under my belt, I got going with a second batch. I played up the "coconut" aspect with coconut oil and coconut flour as well as the Coconut Dream, and added a more "butterscotchy" flavour with some toasted maca. Since the "traditional" flavouring in doughnuts (nutmeg) was missing in Martin's recipe, I added some of that too, and a touch of ground chia and psyllium husk to help everything bind. With those additions, the dough went from being too wet to too dry!! While I added extra starch to the first mixture to "dry it out", I had to add a bit more Coconut Dream in the second. Since I used the last of my applesauce with the first batch, I used up a leftover ripe banana in its place (the recipe indicates it's to "replace 2 eggs"). Into the muffin tins the mixture went and I crossed my fingers!
In all honesty, I think I prefer the banana ones (second batch) to the originals. Not quite banana-bread flavoured, they have a nice sweetness that is accented with the simple cinnamon-sugar glaze I used. I wanted to fill some with my homemade blueberry jam but I forgot!
In all honesty, I think I prefer the banana ones (second batch) to the originals. Not quite banana-bread flavoured, they have a nice sweetness that is accented with the simple cinnamon-sugar glaze I used. I wanted to fill some with my homemade blueberry jam but I forgot!
I'm sending these to Ricki's Wellness Weekend event. Check it (and the rest of her awesome blog) out!
Allergy Free Baked Doughnut Holes
Makes 28
Makes 28
2/3 cup coconut milk alternative beverage (like Coconut Dream, not coconut milk)
1/2 cup light brown sugar (or coconut sugar, which would taste fantastic!)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce or 1 mashed banana
1 tbsp melted coconut oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup gluten free all purpose flour (mine is a pre-bought mix of garbanzo bean flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, white sorghum flour, fava bean flour)
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup tapioca starch
2 tbsp maca powder, toasted
2 tbsp psyllium husk
2 tbsp psyllium husk
1/2 tbsp ground chia seeds (optional)
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp guar gum
4 tsp corn-free baking powder (or 3 1/2 tsp baking soda + 1/2 tsp cream of tartar)
1/2 tsp salt
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease mini muffin tins.
- In a large bowl, beat together the coconut beverage, brown sugar, applesauce or banana, oil, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the flours, potato starch, tapioca starch, maca, psyllium, ground chia, nutmeg, guar gum, baking powder and salt.
- Mix until a sturdy batter-dough forms - about 5 minutes.
- Form into balls and place in the mini muffin tins.
- Bake 15 minutes. Cool in the tin 3 minutes then unmould.
- If tossing with cinnamon sugar, dip warm doughnut holes in melted coconut oil and immediately roll in the sugar.
- If filling or glazing, allow doughnut holes to cool completely.
Amount Per Serving (with applesauce, psyllium and chia)
Calories: 74.2
Total Fat: 1.0 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 88.7 mg
Total Carbs: 17.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.8 g
Protein: 1.2 g
Amount Per Serving (with banana, psyllium and chia)
Calories: 76.2
Total Fat: 1.0 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 88.7 mg
Total Carbs: 17.5 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.9 g
Protein: 1.2 g
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