Molasses Doughnuts (Baked!)

This fluffy, non-greasy, baked doughnut was the result of yet another pregnancy craving.

When I was a kid, there always seemed to be a bakery in town that made these fabulous (fried) molasses doughnuts.  I liked the doughnut holes the best. They were always packed with molasses flavor and rolled in crunchy granulated sugar.

Apparently, Florida hasn't heard of molasses cake doughnuts.

Bummer.

Of course, even if they had, I probably still couldn't justify a greasy, fried doughnut.

Sigh.

The pains of trying to be healthy.

Anyway, I have this awesome baked doughnut pan that I got on Amazon a while back and decided to do some research.  (aka, google "molasses baked doughnut recipe").  Lo and behold, the molasses doughnut recipes I came across were either fried (shocker) or chock full of all the sugar, vegetable oils, white flour, etc. that I try my best to avoid.

I did find a baked doughnut recipe that looked like it came close to the texture and type of ingredients I was looking for, so I decided to give it a try.  No molasses, but I figured the original recipe used a liquid sweetener, so molasses should be an easy substitute.

Sigh of relief when they came out perfectly. Fluffy. Sweet, but not too sweet. In a word, delectable.

The doughnuts aren't very sweet, by design, because I knew I would be dipping them in granulated sugar.  If you decide not to dip them in sugar after baking, feel free to up the molasses or add at least 2 Tbsp brown sugar to the batter. 

Here's the step by step of making pretty baked doughnuts...

1. Put a decorator bag (the kind used for piping frosting onto cakes) inside a large, heavy bottomed glass.  Fold over the top.   Use a spoon or spatula to shove the batter into the bag.
2. Remove the bag from the glass.  Twist the top shut, and hold the bag at the top at the twist.  Cut off the bottom 1/2 to 3/4 inch of the bag (the pointy end). 
3. Squeeze the bag firmly to pip out the batter into the baked doughnut pan (lightly greased pan is preferred). 
4. Bake. Flop out immediately onto a cooling rack.  If the doughnuts don't pop right out, encourage them to pop out by sticking a fork in between the side of each doughnut cavity in the pan and the doughnut and pry gently in a few spots  around each doughnut to loosen them up.

For the granulated sugar topping, I brushed a little melted coconut oil on top of the doughnuts and either dipped the doughnuts into the sugar or just lightly sprinkled them with sugar.  Dipping into the sugar give you more of a wet sugar finish.  Sprinkling with sugar is a lighter coating, and more crunchy.

Your call.

Check out the full recipe below, or pop over to recipage to see the nutrition facts. Enjoy!

Baked Molasses Cake Doughnuts

by Raye

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Keywords: bake breakfast bread fall winter

Ingredients (6 doughnuts)

• 1/2 c. all purpose flour
• 1/2 c. white whole wheat flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 2 Tbsp Rapadura or brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 6 oz plain yogurt
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 c. molasses
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• granulated sugar, for topping
• additional melted coconut oil, for topping

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400* F.
• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flours, Rapadura or brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
• In a small dish, stir together baking powder, baking soda, and apple cider vinegar and let sit for a minute or so. In a separate, large mixing bowl, whisk together egg, molasses and yogurt.
• Add dry ingredients to molasses mixture. Stir in coconut oil and vinegar mixture. Mix well.
• Scoop batter into a pastry bag (like the kind used for piping frosting onto cakes). Cut off the bottom 1/2 inch of the bag and pipe the batter into a baked doughnut pan. (If you don't have a baked doughnut pan, feel free to use a standard muffin tin. May have to bake a few minutes extra).
• Bake for 10 minutes or until doughnuts spring back when lightly touched; immediately remove from pan. Toss in granulated sugar, or cool slightly before dipping the tops in melted coconut oil, then dipping into granulated sugar. Best if eaten the day they're made.
• Recipe makes 6 doughnuts. Nutrition facts are shown per doughnut, without added sugar or oil for topping.

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