Paleo Pumpkin Donuts

By Chef Meaghan Hurn of Consulting Chef Services   www.consultingchefservices.com

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut flour
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
2 large eggs
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup honey (look for local raw honey)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional: Coconut sugar, for dipping

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a standard donut pan generously with coconut oil.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, salt, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice. Add in the eggs, pumpkin puree, honey and vanilla, and mix well. I found that using a wire whisk worked best for creating a smooth batter– it helps break up any coconut flour clumps.
3. For easy piping, transfer the batter to a plastic storage bag and cut off the tip to make a piping bag. Pipe the batter into each donut well, being careful to not overfill. You don’t want the batter to overflow and ruin the donut-shape.
4. Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes, or until golden. Allow the donuts to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
5. If you’d like a sugar-coated treat, dip each donut (while they’re still slightly warm) into a dish of granulated coconut sugar.
6. Serve warm or at room temperature, and store leftovers in the fridge for best shelf life.

Substitution Notes:

• Do not attempt to substitute any other flour for coconut flour– it is uniquely absorbent. The recipe will not work with any other type of flour.
• Flax eggs will most likely NOT work in this recipe. The result will probably be mushy.
• Maple syrup could be substitute for the honey, but if you’d like to try a sugar-free option, like stevia, you’ll have to experiment. Try adding a bit of extra moisture to compensate for the lack of liquid sweetener.