Sometimes you just want a doughnut AND pecan pie, but don’t want either of their sugar laden, deep fried, and in most cases, chemical filled properties.
DID YOU KNOW?
1 slice (1/8 of a 9″ pecan pie) contains 30g of sugar!?…From just a slice! And all coming from unhealthy sources such as brown sugar and corn syrup.
Just look at the filling ingredients in the typical Pecan Pie recipe:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups pecan halves or pieces
Oh, and if you want to check out the ingredients in those pre-made pies, it get’s even scarier!
Ingredients: Filling: Corn Syrup, Sugar, Pecans, Eggs, Margarine (Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Water, Salt, Mono- and Diglycerides, Soy Lecithin, Sodium Benzoate [A Preservative], Citric Acid, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Calcium Disodium EDTA [Added To Protect Flavor], Beta Carotene [Color], Vitamin A Palmitate), Water, Salt, Caramel Color, Natural and Artificial Flavor. Crust: Enriched Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Water, Dextrose, Salt, Sodium Metabisulfite. Contains: Tree Nut (Pecan), Egg, Soy, Wheat.
But hey, at least it’s not deep fried like a doughnut, right? *eye roll*
Now I don’t ever count calories, fat, carbs, etc., because my main focus (and it should also be yours) are the ingredients and where it’s sourced. The fat, carbs, and sugar in these pies come from unhealthy sources. If hey came from good wholesome ingredients then I’d have no problem with them.
The only sugar I use in these doughnuts are from pure, natural dates – that’s it! And excuse me, but I never once heard of someone getting fat off of dates.
Now if you are diabetic, on a candida diet, or keto, you can certainly just leave off the topping and just enjoy the base of the doughnut (it’s 100% SUGAR FREE!)
In fact, this entire recipe (topping included) is:
• Whole 30 Compliant
• Gluten Free
• Grain Free
• Refined Sugar Free
• Dairy Free
• Paleo
…plus it’s high in protein and contains gut healing properties from Vital Proteins collagen and gelatin!
Click HERE to read why I take gelatin every single day.
Great for Christmas morning, New Year’s morning, or that random Monday morning in February! haha I suggest making them the night before so you can wake up and just enjoy the goodness with family and your cup of warm frothy coffee.
Ok, enough yapping. Let’s get eating!
Makes 13 mini doughnuts.
THIS is the silicone mold I have and used.
Topping Ingredients:
1 cup pitted dates
1 cup boiling water
1/2 scoop Vital Proteins Gelatin (essential for the sauce to stick and thicken)
Pecan pieces and/or pecan meal to garnish.
Doughnut Ingredients:
1 recipe of my 5 Ingredient Pecan Pie Bread
Plus 2 scoop of Vital Proteins Collagen (optional)
Directions:
1. Soak dates in 1 cup of hot water while preparing the doughnuts.
2. Prepare doughnuts from THIS recipe and incorporate the collagen if using. (It does not alter the recipe or taste.) Bake for about 18 minutes at 350 degrees F and allow to cool (best if placed in freezer while making the “glaze”)
2. While doughnuts are baking, Puree soaked dates with all of the soaking water until smooth and creamy. Add gelatin and puree again until well incorporated.
3. Remove doughnuts from freezer and dip each into the date puree, then top with crushed pecans and/or pecan flour.
4. Allow to set in fridge until glaze has firmed (if you can wait that long!)
Notes:
*If you don’t have pecan flour, you can make your own by grinding up pecans in a food processor until it become a powder and resembles almond flour. Almond flour can also be used instead of pecan but it obviously will taste like almonds rather than pecan pie.
*I store mine in the freezer and they thaw quite quickly.
*I’ve stored my breads in the freezer for up to one month so I can only imagine you can do the same with these…but I doubt they will last longer than a week!
