Well goodness, it has been a loooong season of hard things. I believe this post was supposed to debut back in February for Valentines Day. It seems life had a different plan. I will keep this short so you all can get to what you have been waiting for! CHOUX PASTRY DONUTS!
So first things first, we want to thank every one of you for such a beautiful outpouring of love during this hard season. We were truly unsure if I would make it out of this body crash and we still don’t have many answers – although it is essentially the same thing that happened to me seven years ago. What I do know is that healthy diet, rest, meditation, neurofeedback and keeping hope alive have all been instrumental in getting me functional again. We have been surrounded by so much love that it is often overwhelming! But this isn’t why you are here, is it?
Ok now, THIS is what you are here for! I tell you no lies when I say these are absolutely THE BEST, lightest and “closest to the real deal” donuts I’ve made yet. Choux dough (what is generally used for eclairs and cream puffs) has proven to be the most versatile recipe from my book, My Paleo Patisserie! We make everything with it; from an amazing pizza crust to grissini breadsticks, to burger buns…and more! And now…donuts!
Speaking of My Paleo Patisserie, it has just been nominated for USA Today’s Best 10 Readers Choice Awards for 2018. Once the nominees were picked (which was such an honor to be included among these amazing authors), it is now left to our readers to vote. We would love it if you take a few seconds and go vote for My Paleo Patisserie. Just click HERE and click Vote…that’s it! (you can actually vote once a day…hint, hint.)
Anyway, back to the donuts. This version is baked – but you will also love the fried French Cruller version found HERE! Both are amazing and very different in their own ways, but the baked version is a little less labor intensive!
Ingredients
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon (130 g) Arrowroot flour* (Get it HERE)
2 tablespoons Coconut flour (Get it HERE)
2 tablespoons maple sugar (optional) and a pinch of salt
5 Tablespoons (65 g) nonhydrogenated, sustainable palm shortening (Get it HERE)**
½ cup (120 ml) full-fat coconut milk***
¼ cup (60 ml) water
2-5 large eggs, room temperature (# of eggs added will vary) Egg subs won’t work
*You can sub tapioca flour
**You can also sub ghee (casein & lactose-free) or even butter. You can use coconut oil, but it will affect the flavor and texture some, as it’s a different kind of fat solid. Sustainable palm shortening is preferred. Spectrum and Tropical Traditions are great brands. Thrive Market sells it too!
***You can use other milk subs, but if you do, you don’t have to add the water. Just use a total of 3/4 cup of liquid.
Get the instructions and video for the choux dough HERE (just ignore the pizza part, haha)
Method
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and Grease a nonstick donut pan like THIS Wilton one (It really is best if it is non-stick, I don’t worry about it because it’s not like we eat donuts every day. I think we’d have bigger fish to fry if we did, haha!)
Once you have your choux dough made (instructions HERE). scoop it into a 12-16-inch disposable piping bag with a large tip like THIS one (Wilton 1A). There is no need to have an additional coupler attachment with the large tips. You can simply snip a hole for it to fit snuggly in the bag. Alternatively, you can just snip a hole in the bag and not use a tip at all. It’s just not as clean and uniform.
Pipe the choux dough into the donut molds, about half full. You will get a feel for how much after the first time. If you fill them too much they will over-puff and cover up the hole, then you will have a ‘no-hole donut, and who wants that? But they will still taste amazing! You should be able to get at least 6 donuts, but it could vary depending on how many eggs you ended up needing, which often varies.
Bake on the center rack of the oven for about 30 minutes, possibly longer, or until golden and firm to the touch. They should not deflate once removed from the oven, or be soggy inside. If they do, you know to bake them longer next time. Again, this is one of those things you will get a feel for after the first try. Choux is just one of those pastries that you get better at the more you work with it! Just like French Macarons, it’s all about getting the feel of it!
Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack.
For the glazes, we’ll be pretty casual and not too precise: Just take 1 cup of powdered sugar (organic and unbleached of course), add 1 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup (you can skip this part too but it makes for a gorgeous consistency), then add water by the teaspoon till it’s the consistency you desire. Not too runny, not too thick – you can see what it looks like in the video above, just take it slow with the water as it gets runny very fast!
To make it a raspberry, blueberry, or strawberry glaze, use a coffee grinder to powderize freeze-dried berries, sift if needed. Then add the powder 1 teaspoon at a time till its the flavor and color you desire. You will have to add more water once you have added the powder. You can do the same with cocoa, green tea powder and more! There are no rules here, just be creative and have fun.
I even like to double and triple batch plain glaze, separate into 3 or so bowls and make multiple flavors at a time for variety! Really feels like you went to the donut shop!
Dip the tops of each donut in a glaze, let the excess drip off and then leave to partially set on the wire rack! Add sprinkles and such, before the glaze completely sets.
You can serve these all at once when they’ve completely dried but in all of my years I’ve never seen an entire batch make it from the pan to the glaze to the drying rack – *somebody* always snacks on them.
Enjoy!
These are beautiful! I have a coconut allergy. Is there sny sub for the flour? If i was tO experim with a gf floyr, what anount do you think i would need? Thanks!
My book has a sub of 1/4 cup almond flour. Both have been tested tons of times and both are fabulous! Technically you can just leave the coconut flour out. It’s more about the heating of the milk and how many eggs you can add based on that. Watch the video on the pizza post for more on that. That said any Changes will always affect the fina falcon and texture as compared to the recipe designed here.
I am so glad to see that you are alright and that you are posting again! Your recipes are fabulous. I cannot wait to try both versions of these donuts. Thank you for sharing your recipes with us!
Ahhhh thank you! We are very blessed for sure! I hope you love the donuts!
Hi jenni
Why fo you nit use Organic or grass fed butter when baking? CAn we substitute if We choOse?
Of course you can. For the most part this is a Paleo Blog and there for Diary Free and the only dAIRY our family can eat is in the form of aged goat cheeses. I usually recommend ghee or palm shortening for that reason.
CAN’T WAIT TO TRY THIS RECIPE! wILL THE bABYCAKES DONUT MAKER WORK?
For the choux? Likely not so well. A regular pan and oven would be best.
I am livibg abroad and do not have access to a donut mold. CAn this batter be used without a mold?
It can be piped with a bag and tip as well. Or you might prefer the fried version the French Crullers. There is a link to them in this post.
Dearest Jenni, Wow, I had nooooo idea you were sick. How scary. I absolutely luuuuuv your book and shocked you went through such a hard time. You are truly as beautiful as your creations. Please get well.
Oh thank you sthank much! It has been a fairly difficult season, but we have experienced so much peace and the faithfulness of God so deeply in it. We have been very blessed! ❤️
WOULD THIS WORK IN A GOOD QUALITY SILICON DOUGHNUT PAN? THATS ALL I’VE BEEN ABLE TO FIND (HERE IN sWITZERLAND – THEY’RE A BIT LAGGING IN THE INDUSTRY 🙂
OTHER THAN THAT I’VE USED THIS RECIPE MANY TIMES WITH ASTOUNDING SUCCESS. i DO SEEM TO BLOAT FROM THE Arrowroot BUT FOR ME IT’S ALL ABOUT THE TREAT. THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR EFFORTS
Yes, absolutely it would work!
I’d like to know more about the glazes. How much cocoa for the chocolate? Can I just make powdered sugar from maple sugar in the grinder? Would the chocolate glaze work from your book? I love love, love your recipes!!!!!! Thank you. PS: You need to try a tarte tatin for the fall…I may attempt it using your pear tartlet as a springboard…
Yea glazes canjusr be add a little her and there….but the glazed in the book are the same. I do give instructions in the book for maple powdered sugar, but it’s just the same S making homemade powdered sugar. So any google recipe works.
WIll cassava flour work in place of the arrowroot?
It could with some changes as cassava has a different absorption rate than arrowroot. We’ve played with using cassava for them and they just don’t turn out as good.
I’m not one to leave comments on blogs about recipes, but I wanted to thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I made it this morning as a special valentine’s day treat for my family. I made some with chocolate glaze and some with fresh strawberry glaze. My pickiest eater ate two! although i overcooked some, they were still very good and the ones that weren’t overcooked were amazing. I didn’t realize how much I missed doughnuts since giving up gluten and then grains years ago. i’m eager to order your book and try more of your delicious recipes. thanks again for your efforts and for sharing your talents with others. god bless.
Wow what a wonderful comment to come to! Thank you! Sorry my health made me take so long to respond! ❤️
Has anyone tried making the choux Pastry with a Hand mixer? I really want to try this recipe, but I don’t want to waste ingredients if it wont work. I don’t have a standing mixer.
I know lots of people who have used a hand mixer. It’s just a bit messier and likes to climb the beaters! A bit more work, but works.
Oh. My. Gosh. These are SO GOOD! Needless to say, step 6 is my favourite. I also appreciated that there are no eggs, so my two year old brother could sample the dough. He helped bake them too!
Oh wait. Wrong recipe. I like your recipes too much lol. I was talking about your cookies. #Embarrassment.