- Prep time: 15 min
- Cook time: 15 min
- Total time: 30 min
- Servings: 12 people
Plant-based blueberry muffin donuts drizzled in chocolate sauce
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¾ cup soy milk
- 2 tablespoons flaxseeds, ground
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Dry ingredients
- 1 cup buckwheat flour
- ½ cup brown rice flour
- ½ cup almond meal
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- pinch of salt
Other ingredients
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- 2 tablespoons cacao powder
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- cacao nibs to garnish
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- In a medium mixing bowl mash the bananas and add the maple syrup, soy milk, flaxseeds and apple cider vinegar.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the buckwheat flour, brown rice flour, almond meal, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until it forms a thick batter.
- Add the blueberries to the batter and fold through, being careful not to knock out the air bubbles.
- Spoon the batter into the donut baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes until springy to touch.
- While the donuts are cooling, mix the cacao powder and maple syrup until it forms a smooth paste. Add more maple syrup if it doesn’t look like it will drizzle easily.
- Drizzle the donuts with chocolate sauce and garnish with cacao nibs.
The health benefits
Blueberries not only are delicious but they are also really good for you! The pigment that gives them their distinctive dark blue or purple colour is anthocyanin, an antioxidant that not only has antimicrobial activities, but also acts as a powerful anti-cancer fighting chemical. Blueberries have been widely studied as they have the potential to be used as a chemoprotective agent in human cancers. These tasty little berries can improve visual and neurological health, and are protective against various non-communicable diseases. Within hours of eating a serving of blueberries our cognitive performance can improve.
The ingredients
Traditional baking with butter, milk and eggs is so outdated with many plant-based substitutes available. Mashed bananas provide moistness in these donuts while the almond flour gives them a beautiful texture. Flaxseeds replace eggs in plant-based baking as they act as a binding agent and help the dough hold together. They are also one of the best sources of plant-based omega 3s.
This recipe uses frozen blueberries as these are available all year round and inexpensive. You could substitute these for fresh if you have them on hand.
The abundance of plant-based milks means we are spoilt for choice these days when looking for a sustainable and ethical milk substitute. I’ve chosen soy milk in this dish as it has a lovely creamy texture and has many health benefits.
Maple syrup is the sweetener of these donuts and while it is minimally processed it still retains some nutrients. It can be easier to digest for those following a low FODMAP diet. It contains some vitamins and minerals and antioxidants compared to refined table sugar but is still very high in sugar. I’ve been able to keep the amount of maple syrup low in this recipe as the bananas also provide some sweetness. Be sure to choose a high quality grade when buying your maple syrup.
Cacao powder comes from the Theobroma cacao tree which we know as the chocolate tree. Cacao powder is usually unroasted and minimally processed. This makes it richer in antioxidants and phytonutrients than cocoa. You can of course substitute cacao for cocoa in this recipe and still have a delicious chocolatey sauce.
The method
This recipe is really quick and easy to put together. A good thing because the kids will want to taste them as soon as they are out of the oven! It’s as simple as mixing the wet ingredients together in one bowl and adding them to the dry ingredients in another bowl. Fold in the frozen blueberries carefully so as to not remove all the air bubbles created from the baking powder. A silicone or non-stick donut baking sheet replaces the need to deep fry the donuts which only promotes inflammation and weight gain. Hot tip, you may want to place the silicone mould onto a baking tray before you spoon the mixture into the mould. It can be difficult to pick up when filled with batter!
The verdict
Are they a muffin or a donut? Who really cares. They are delicious. The ingredients are anti-inflammatory, sustainable and ethical. Your body, the planet and the animals will thank you. The kids will love you for making these too!
Nutritional values
Blueberry muffin donuts (per donut)
Calories: 144 | Protein: 3.9 g | Carbohydrates: 26 g | Fat: 3.9 g | Saturated Fat: 0.4 g | Omega 3: 0.3 g | Fibre: 3.4 g | Iron: 0.9 mg | Calcium: 31 mg
Chocolate drizzle (per teaspoon)
Calories: 8.9 | Protein: 0.1 g | Carbohydrates: 3.8 g | Fat: 0.1 g | Saturated Fat: 0.1 g | Omega 3: 0.0 g | Fibre: 0.2 g | Iron: 0.1 mg | Calcium: 3.7 mg
