Grain Free Strawberry Cake Doughnuts

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Grain Free Strawberry Cake Doughnuts | Get Inspired Everyday!

So I might just lead with the fact that these doughnuts are insanely pink! I thought I was going for a more mellow shade, but I completely spaced the fact that beet juice powder gets more intense as it sits… so these beauties happened quite by accident.

By all means feel free to dial it down a bit, but after a seriously long winter, I’m actually loving the vibrance. These doughnuts also get quite a bit of color from a special ingredient – freeze dried strawberries – these are so fun to work with, and I know there’s going to be more creations in the future.

I took a package of freeze dried strawberries and pulverized them into powder. From there I added some to the batter, some to the frosting, and then saved a little to be ‘sprinkles’ on top. Freeze dried strawberries are a natural ‘natural flavoring’ agent, but without the chemicals. They have an intense concentrated strawberry flavor that really helps these doughnuts taste like strawberry in every single bite.

Grain Free Strawberry Cake Doughnuts | Get Inspired Everyday!

Grain Free Strawberry Cake Doughnuts | Get Inspired Everyday!

I bought my freeze dried strawberries at our local health food store, and I’d recommend stocking up whenever they go on sale, or looking for a good price online because they can be expensive in some store.

Grain Free Strawberry Cake Doughnuts | Get Inspired Everyday!

To crush them into powder, you can use a small food processor, or place them in a ziplock and crush them with a rolling pin, or a mortar and pestle works as well.

Grain Free Strawberry Cake Doughnuts | Get Inspired Everyday!

All the dry ingredients get mixed together in a bowl, and you can see how bright the strawberry powder is, it really adds so much beautiful color as well as flavor.

Grain Free Strawberry Cake Doughnuts | Get Inspired Everyday!

Then you add the wet ingredients and mix to combine…

Grain Free Strawberry Cake Doughnuts | Get Inspired Everyday!

… before adding chopped fresh strawberries to the batter.

Grain Free Strawberry Cake Doughnuts | Get Inspired Everyday!

Mix again to make sure the strawberries are evenly distributed…

Grain Free Strawberry Cake Doughnuts | Get Inspired Everyday!

… and then portion some of the batter into a lightly greased doughnut pan.

Grain Free Strawberry Cake Doughnuts | Get Inspired Everyday!

Grain Free Strawberry Cake Doughnuts | Get Inspired Everyday!

When the doughnuts are done baking, make sure you let them cool until they’re almost room temperature, before carefully removing them from the pan. I got a little over excited with the first batch, and broke half of them trying to take them out too early. They’re extra delicate cake doughnuts because of the strawberry chunks, but I promise the short wait will be worth it!

Finally it’s time to glaze them, and as I mentioned before, feel free to make the frosting as pink as you’d like. You don’t even need to add the beet juice powder to the frosting, and it will be a light pink just from the powdered strawberry.

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Grain Free Strawberry Cake Doughnuts | Get Inspired Everyday!

Grain Free Strawberry Cake Doughnuts


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5 from 8 reviews

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 3/4 cup fine almond flour
  • 1/4 cup tapioca starch
  • 1 Teaspoon baking powder
  • pinch of sea salt
  • 11.2 ounce package freeze dried strawberries, crushed into powder (yielding 1/2 cup)
  • Optional: 1/2-1 Teaspoon dehydrated beet juice powder, for color
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon zest, from 1 lemon
  • 4 Tablespoons salted butter, melted, or coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup diced fresh strawberries, about 4, or 3 ounces

Strawberry Glaze:

  • 2 Tablespoons coconut butter
  • 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 3 Tablespoons Grade A amber maple syrup
  • 24 Tablespoons water
  • 1/4 cup powdered freeze dried strawberries, (half of the amount prepared above)
  • Optional: 1/2 Teaspoon dehydrated beet juice for color

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF, and lightly grease a doughnut pan.
  2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, and pinch of sea salt. Measure out 3 Tablespoons from the 1/2 cup of powdered strawberries, reserving 1 Tablespoon to be ‘sprinkles’ on top of the doughnuts, and 1/4 cup for the frosting.
  3. Mix the 3 Tablespoons of powdered strawberries into the almond flour mixture along with the optional beet juice powder and lemon zest.
  4. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and honey together until just melted but not hot. Remove it from the heat and add the coconut milk, egg, and vanilla extract. Whisk together to combine. Don’t add the egg to the butter and honey if it’s hot or it will scramble the egg.
  5. Mix the butter mixture into the almond flour mixture until completely combined before folding in the diced strawberries.
  6. Portion half the batter into the 6 doughnut molds in your doughnut pan. Reserve the rest of the batter to make a second batch, or fill 2 pans for a total of 12 doughnuts.
  7. Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until lightly puffed and done in the center. Remove the pan from the oven and let the doughnuts cool for at least 20 minutes before carefully removing the doughnuts from the pan. Let the doughnuts continue to cool on a cooling rack as you make the glaze.
  8. To make the strawberry glaze, add all of the glaze ingredients starting with the lowest amount of water, including the reserved 1/4 cup strawberry powder into a small sauce pan placed over low heat. Stir the glaze while it melts until it’s completely emulsified, then remove it from the heat, add the remaining water only if necessary.
  9. Using a small spatula, spread the glaze over the cooled doughnuts. Then sprinkle the reserved 1 tablespoon of powdered strawberries over the top as ‘sprinkles’. Let the glaze set for 20 minutes or so, or serve right away with soft frosting
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 10 mins

 

36 thoughts on “Grain Free Strawberry Cake Doughnuts”

  1. The color on this donuts is stunningly beautiful! I’ve never used freeze dried foods before but I think I need to get onboard.






    Reply
    • I’m new to freeze dried foods too, but I know it’s going to be appearing more often in my cooking, I just love the flavor boost they give!

      Reply
  2. So pretty in pink these yummy donuts are! I don’t think I’ve ever had a strawberry donut before. That need to change, as these look unbelievable 🙂






    Reply
    • I’d never had a strawberry doughnut before either, but I was inspired by the freeze dried strawberries! 🙂

      Reply
  3. My favourite part about these besides the fact that they’re grain-free ARE how pink they are! Intense is good. Unicorn food is in 😉

    Reply
    • Unicorn food really does seem to be in, I’m working on a unicorn nice cream bowl right now since I had so much fun with these doughnuts, I’m moving onto more bright fun treats!

      Reply
  4. Love the look of these! My daughter goes crazy for doughnuts, so it will be good to be able to make her these and not feel bad! Love the colour, too. Beautiful recipe.

    Reply
  5. OMG Kari! Those look incredible! Now I’m REALLY glad I picked up a container of strawberries at the store this afternoon, because I have a feeling this will be our afternoon snack tomorrow. I’m assuming you haven’t tried using a donut maker? Wondering if I can use mine, though I do think I have a donut pan somewhere.

    Reply
  6. Wow!!! These are so pretty! Who wouldn’t love to enjoy some of these beauties. My girls would go crazy for these!






    Reply
  7. Wow! That freeze dried fruit really is magical! And it really gives amazing flavor too – I can’t wait to try these!






    Reply

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