A doughnut by any other name would taste as sweet

Oh I soooo want a doughnut! I have been craving them lately. I haven't eaten a doughnut in years. I miss them, or, really the thought of them. I miss the warm cakey sugary goodness of a fresh doughnut.


But alas, the reality is not the memory. The last time I ate a doughnut it made me feel ill and it didn't taste like I remembered it. It was light and fluffy like I wanted it to be, but the taste was overly sweet. And this wasn't from some grocery store or chain doughnut shop. This was a wonderful family owned shop in my neighborhood. Apparently in my search for healthy eating, I lost my taste for overly greasy and sweet.  

But lately I have craved that wonderful taste that is in my mind. I wanted the aroma, the flavor and sweetness without the upset stomach afterwards. I searched the internet to find something that could match what was in my head; a recipe that I could adapt to a healthy version without losing that taste. 

I found my base recipe in a muffin. I found it with slight variations under different names: French Toast Muffin, Coffee Cake Muffins, and Cinnamon Sugar Muffins. But one thing was consistent in all recipes: the person writing about the recipe said it tasted like a doughnut.

The original recipe is a traditional one with white flour, white sugar, oil, etc. I use organic ingredients and like to mix as much nutrition into my food as I can while still having it taste good. I modified this recipe to add more fiber, less white flour, healthier fats and less sugar. 




Doughnut Muffins (makes 12)
1 cup organic unbleached white flour
¾ cup oat flour
1-½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¾ teaspoon cinnamon

⅓ cup coconut oil
¾ cup organic evaporated cane juice (organic sugar)
1 egg
¾ cup coconut or almond milk

For the Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
1/4 cup soy butter, melted
1/3 cup evaporated cane juice (organic sugar)
1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350º. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

In a separate bowl, combine coconut oil, sugar, egg and milk.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir only to combine.

Coat your muffin pan well with nonstick cooking spray (preferably organic olive oil) and divide the batter evenly among the cups.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Tops should be lightly browned and muffin should spring back when you lightly touch the top. 

Run a knife around the sides of the muffin and shake them out of the pan while still hot.


Melt the butter in a bowl.

Combine the white sugar with the cinnamon in another bowl (I used a shaker so I could sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar on top instead of dipping).

Dip muffins in butter, then into the sugar/cinnamon mix. Let cool. Eat immediately.



The muffins are warm, cinnamon goodness with that wonderful flavor of a fresh doughnuts without the grease.

They are very moist and taste fabulous the next day as well. They hold their moisture and flavor for at least 2 days after baking--which is when we devoured the final muffin.

A little about Coconut Oil 

Coconut oil has many health benefits that other oils do not. There is a lot of research on the internet, a good source being CoconutOil.com

The picture on the right shows the coconut oil in the jar. It is solid to about 78 degrees F. 

The picture on the left shows it scooped into the measuring cup. It smells incredibly good (if you like the smell of coconut) and is said to be used by the body as energy instead of stored as fat. It has the same caloric values as other oils. I plan to use coconut oil for most of my cooking, but you can read the information and make your own choice.


I will continue to refine this recipe until I have the healthiest "doughnut" I can make. I will share future successes with you.

Happy Sunday!
Laureen