Raw doughnuts are hands down one of my favourite treats. I’ve been making them for years, as a way to replace the not so wholesome doughnuts I enjoyed as a kid.
They’re easy to make, require very little equipment and they’re both nourishing and health promoting to boot. I also really love the little hint of citrus in these. It comes from the addition of mandarin peel powder. If you’re yet to make that though, citrus zest will work just fine too.
Health benefits of raw doughnuts and raw desserts
If you haven’t tried raw desserts like these doughnuts before you’re in for a treat. It’s not often you can associate health benefits with your dessert but in this instance, you can!
Raw desserts contain ingredients that have not been heated above 48 degrees Celsius (118F)… or not heated at all. This means that they retain an abundance of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and enzymes – some of which can be lost in the cooking process.
So, indulging in these raw doughnuts means you’re actually filling yourself with nutrients. Isn’t that fab? Raw desserts for the win!
A word on the coconut cream glaze
First thing to note is that the coconut cream needs to be refrigerated overnight. So don’t forget to do that.
Next, is that I tried the glaze with two different kinds of coconut cream. One that stayed liquid but thick when chilled. The other that separated leaving the hardened coconut cream on top, and the liquid underneath. Both worked fine, but the latter is just a little more fiddly. I know this certainly happens with the brand I use most – Honest to Goodness.
If you will be using a coconut cream that you know goes hard in the fridge, check the recipe notes below before you start. I have some tips there to help ensure your glaze is nice and silky so don’t miss those.
And as to the doughnut mould…. this is quite easy to come by. They are readily available online or on occasion, can also be found in kitchen stores. Silicon is not something I will cook in, but I’m quite comfortable using it for raw desserts.
Are you a raw dessert lover? Let me know your favourites in the comments.
Raw doughnuts with coconut cream glaze
Equipment
- Silicone doughnut tray
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 10 pitted dates, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes*
- 1 cup almond meal
- 2 Tbsp mandarin peel powder, OR 1 Tbsp finely grated orange zest (! 1.5 large oranges)
- 3 tsp coconut oil
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup coconut cream, refrigerated overnight for the glaze**
- Toppings of choice – I used extra mandarin peel powder, crushed nuts, rose petals and cacao nibs
Instructions
- Add the soaked dates, almond meal, mandarin peel powder, coconut oil, 1 Tbsp of maple syrup and vanilla extract into a blender. Blend on high until the mixture comes together. This was 20 seconds speed 7 in a Thermomix. It should stick together and not be crumbly when pressed between your fingers. If it’s not – add in an extra date or two
- Press the mixture into a silicone doughnut mould and freeze for one hour. They may need to stay in a little longer if they haven’t firmed up completely
- Just before removing the donuts – Combine the cold coconut cream and the maple syrup in a bowl then mix on a medium to high speed with a hand beater. You want the coconut cream to become quite silky and have increased in size a little. This took about 2 minutes for me. If you are using a coconut cream that has gone hard in the fridge, please see notes below.
- Remove the donuts from the freezer, carefully take them out of their moulds and dip them top down into the coconut cream. Give your wrist a little twist to the right as you pull them up to ensure the glaze sits nicely on the top.
- Sprinkle with your toppings of choice straight away then place them on a plate and back in the freezer for 10 minutes so the coconut cream firms up a touch before you dig in!
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