Pumpkin Banana Chip Donuts
Paleo, grain-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free
When I was little, my sister and I were on a local little league soccer team. I won’t lie, I didn’t really love it, but there was one reason I would go every Saturday: donuts. The mother of one of my teammates would bring a two dozen donuts to every game. I went right for the chocolate donuts after the last whistle was called.
I still love a donut. I might be one of the rare folks who do not really like those yeasted, soft donuts. I prefer the old-fashioned, cake donuts. I will not say how many I have eaten in my life, but let’s just say that at the gluten-free and vegan bakery I worked close to in New York City, they knew to add a donut or two to my box.
When it came to trying to create my own sort of donut, one that was grain, gluten and dairy-free, it was not easy, but it was a labor of love. May I just say that these are truly delicious. There is very little sugar added as most of the sugar comes from our friend the banana.
Banana and Pumpkin
I have said it before, but I am not the biggest pumpkin fan. I like it in a curry, but less so in a dessert. That being said, it is a great addition to baked goods because it adds moisture, a little sweetness and a subtle earthy flavor. Not to mention that beautiful orange color. In order to tamp down the pumpkin flavor, I like to add banana. Bananas are naturally sweet, even more so when they are super ripe. By using banana and pumpkin, you get the best of both worlds, natural sweetness.
If you want to mix it up a bit, then try adding pureed sweet potatoes. It’s heavenly.
Almond Butter
I have tried to make donuts before with just oil as the fat source and I always found them to be a little too greasy. Almond butter AND oil solved this problem. Although there are natural oils in almonds, almond butter is basically an amalgam of oils and nut solids that also add some fiber and protein. Also, almond butter gives that nice, deep roasted flavor.
For almond butter, I always pick the ones that only have two ingredients: almonds and salt. The runnier, the better too. I like salted almond butter (not sweetened though), so I do not add any additional salt here.
Paleo Chocolate Chunks
My fridge is always stocked with chocolate. Right now I have three types of paleo chocolate, so why not add some chocolate chips to these babies? When I add chocolate to any recipe, it is rare that I will use chocolate chips. I like to buy bars and chop them myself. Why? Because when you chop the chocolate at home, you get some small chunks that melt into the batter and bigger chunks that create a gooey chocolate oasis in the finished donuts or whatever you are making.
It might mean more work, but it is worth it. For this recipe, I used Taza Chocolate’s Paleo Slab (I removed the almonds from it, saving them for another use) that is found at Costco or online. If you have a paleo chocolate that you like, then use that.
Recipe
88g overripe banana (1 small banana, about 1/2 cup mashed)
95g (about 1/3 cup) organic pumpkin puree
60g (about 1/4 cup) almond butter
10g (1 tbsp) olive oil
1 free range egg
30g (about 2 tbsp) maple syrup (dark and robust is my preferred)
100g (3/4 cup) almond flour
33g (4 tbsp) tapioca flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt (omit if you are using salted almond butter)
60g (about 1/2 cup) chopped paleo chocolate
Glaze:
4g (1 tsp) refined organic coconut oil
78g (1/2 cup) chopped paleo dark chocolate
Preheat your oven to 375F and liberally grease a standard donut pan with coconut oil. I recommend using coconut oil, rubbing it all over with your hands over using cooking spray.
In a large bowl, mash together the overripe banana and pumpkin puree. It’s ok if there are some chunks of banana in there. Add the almond butter, olive oil, monk fruit maple syrup and egg; whisk together until smooth and incorporated.
Add the dry ingredients to the banana-pumpkin mixture and fold together with a rubber spatula. The batter won’t be super thick but that is ok. Transfer the batter to a disposable/reusable piping bag (or a ziplock bag with one corner snipped) and pipe into the prepared donut wells.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, just until the top starts to turn golden brown at the edges. Let cool completely before putting on the glaze.
To make the glaze, melt together the chocolate chips and the coconut oil in the microwave or a double boiler. If you use the microwave, heat in 30 second spurts, stirring after each. It should only take about a minute.
Dip the cooled donuts into the glaze. Place in a cool part of your kitchen to chill. Or just eat them right then and there; you do what feels good.
Store at covered at room temperature for a week. If you want to freeze these donuts and save; do not put the glaze on.