Coconut & Vanilla Bean Donuts
It's a rainy Sunday morning and that's always a great opportunity for baking. I was looking for a way to make a specific gluten-free recipe for my girlfriend, Molly. Long story short... this is not gluten-free! Something I learned in my research process: coconut flour is super absorbent and requires making significant changes to already established recipes. I was not prepared to start from scratch and make numerous (possibly failed) batches. So I decided to just adapt our favorite coconut vanilla bean cupcake recipe into a baked donut. It requires a little more preparation since the key ingredient is reduced coconut milk, but the result is fantastic and well worth it! Some of us like the shredded sweetened coconut flakes on top while others are a bit more purist. Either way, there's lots of sweet, coconut flavor throughout the cakey, vanilla-speckled donut. I also added some of the milk reduction to the glaze for good measure. Our most requested cupcake recipe might have just become our favorite donut recipe as well! Sorry, Molly... I'll get back to the drawing board soon (right after breakfast!)
Donut Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cups coconut milk reduction*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon of coconut extract
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted & cooled slightly
- 2 eggs
- seeds of 1 vanilla bean pod
*Coconut Milk Reduction:
Pour the contents of one can coconut milk (not cream of coconut) into a medium to small saucepan and simmer. Stir occasionally so the bottom doesn't burn. Remove from heat when there's about 1 cup of liquid remaining. Pour into a glass measuring cup and refrigerate until completely cool.
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a donut pan with nonstick baking spray and set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a larger bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, coconut oil, vanilla and coconut extracts and vanilla bean seeds. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, alternating with the coconut milk reduction. Don't over mix!
Scrape the batter into a gallon-sized Ziploc baggie and squeeze out the rest of the air before sealing. Snip off the corner of the bag, about 1/4-1/2 inch, pipe into the wells of the prepared donut pan (about half full.) Bake on the center rack for about 8-9 minutes. Turn the baked donuts out onto a cooling rack and prepare the glaze.
Glaze Ingredients:
- 2 cups confectioners sugar
- 1/4- 1/3 cup coconut milk reduction*
- 3/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut flakes
Glaze Directions:
Place the coconut flakes in a pie plate or shallow bowl and set aside. Slowly mix together the confectioners sugar and coconut milk reduction. The desired consistency will be thick but "drippy". (You don't want to have to spread the frosting with a knife.) Dip the top half of each cooled donut into the glaze, then into the coconut flakes and set it on a cooling rack over waxed paper (to catch the drips). Enjoy with a great cup of coffee, or big glass of milk!
Yield: 20-22 donuts
