On this blog, I don't tell people to abstain from gluten or avoid all sugar. I don't tell people that oil and salt are the roots of all evil. I have nothing bad to say about soy and I think raw vegan food is just as great as cooked vegan food. When a person is considering a vegan diet, I want to be here to show them the huge variety they can include in their diet. I want to show them the only things that need to be avoided are animal products. I want to help make the transition as easy and smooth as possible. Making it even more complicated by telling people that they need to avoid oil and gluten and cooked foods is not what I am here to do.
But what do you do if you want to be vegan but health issues prevent you from consuming gluten, sugar, soy, or even nuts? An allergen-free lifestyle is definitely a reality for many people and finding resources that can help make cooking food free from dairy, eggs, gluten, sugar, soy, and nuts is vital. I'm all for helping people in this situation get all the help they can.
Debbie Adler opened Sweet Debbie's Organic Cupcakes, a bakery that only uses organic and healthy ingredients, in Los Angeles in 2006. When she discovered her son was severely allergic to many foods, she revamped her bakery to make all of her products completely allergen-free and her business grew exponentially. Now, Sweet Debbie's is a go-to for allergen-free baked goods here in LA and lucky for all of us, she has written a book to share those popular recipes with the public. When I was asked to review her new book, Sweet Debbie's Organic Treats: Allergy-Free & Vegan Recipes From The Famous Los Angeles Bakery, naturally I jumped at the chance.
The first thing I made was her Pumpcornbread to go with my Pulled Jackfruit Chili. This cornbread was not only packed with tons of flavor from the pumpkin and the spices mixed in but it was super soft and moist with just the perfect amount of crumbliness.
The next thing I made were the Vanilla Bean-Glazed Banana Donut Holes. Vanilla and banana are flavors that go over pretty well with everyone in my house so it was no surprise that between Chris, the twins, and I, these little donut holes didn't last longer than 10 minutes after these photos were taken.
To be honest, they didn't have much of a donut-y texture or flavor, and they were more like little muffin-cookie balls. The subtle banana flavor in each doughy little bite and the beautiful vanilla bean-studded glaze were absolutely perfect, though. They were so simple to make (as was the pumpcornbread) that I could see them going into regular rotation over here (with two very picky tween twins, finding treats that all four of us enjoy is a rare thing). Debbie and the folks at PR By The Book have been nice enough to let me share this recipe with you here today.
Vanilla Bean Glazed Donut Holes
By Debbie Adler
Must Have
Donut Holes
15 x 10-inch sheet of parchment paper
11/2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour
2 tablespoons amaranth flour
1/4 teaspoon sodium-free baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon guar gum
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 tablespoons coconut nectar
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons vanilla rice milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon stevia powder
1/4 cup mashed banana
Vanilla Bean Glaze
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon coconut nectar
1 cup powdered erythritol
2 tablespoons vanilla rice milk
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise
and seeds scooped out and reserved
Must Do
1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan with parchment paper.
2. To make the donut holes, whisk together the two flours, baking powder, nutmeg, guar gum and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle.
3. Microwave the coconut nectar and coconut oil in a 2-cup measuring cup for 20 seconds. Add the rice milk, vanilla and stevia and stir to combine. Pour into the flour mixture, add the mashed banana and stir to combine.
4. Take about 1/2 tablespoon of the dough and shape it into a ball. Place the ball on the prepared pan. Repeat until you have used up all the dough, placing the balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared pan.
5. Bake the donut holes for 11 to 12 minutes, or until they are a light golden brown and bounce back slightly to the touch. Rotate the pan from front to back after about 9 minutes of baking.
6. Transfer the pan from the oven to a wire rack and let sit for 10 minutes before removing the donut holes to cool completely.
7. To make the vanilla bean glaze, microwave the coconut oil and coconut nectar in a measuring cup for 20 seconds. Add the powdered erythritol, vanilla rice milk and salt and stir to combine. Next add the vanilla bean seeds and mix well.
8. Frost the donut holes with the glaze and place them on the wire rack to set. Keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.
PR By The Book has also been generous to offer one copy of Sweet Debbie's Organic Treats to one of my readers! The giveaway is available to US residents only and will continue until 11:59pm on January 30th, 2014. Please use the box below to enter.
Thank you so much to PR By the Book for giving me a copy to review and for hosting this giveaway and thank you to all of you for stopping by and entering to win your own copy!
Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book to review but the thoughts and opinions shared here are my own.
Photography by Chris Miller
Emily - It Comes Naturally Blog
"On this blog, I don’t tell people to abstain from gluten or avoid all sugar. I don’t tell people that oil and salt are the roots of all evil. I have nothing bad to say about soy and I think raw vegan food is just as great as cooked vegan food." - Kristy, I LOVE you! xx
April Deters
Both of these recipes look delicious! The only allergy free baking I have done is egg-free. It was extremely daunting at first and there were many inedible results but I finally got the hang of it. Practice does make perfect.
Ali @ Farmers Market Vegan
I used to only bake gluten-free when I was trying a GF diet to manage my IBS, but have sense reintroduced gluten into my diet without negative results. One tip I learned, though, is that GF flours require less liquid than wheat flour.
Beth
I don't have allergies to foods, per se, but a lot of sensitivities, so my cooking and baking avoids using anything I am sensitive to. This involves making a lot of substitutions and creativity!
saniel
Gluten free vegan goods are not made as often from my kitchen but need to be make more . These look yummy, but what is powdered erythritol?
keepinitkind
Erythritol is a sugar alcohol that can be used as a sweetener in place of sugar. It has almost zero calories and does not affect blood sugar the way that sugar does. You could also try xylitol. If you can't find the powdered version of either, purchase the regular form and blend 1 cup with 1 teaspoon of arrowroot powder (or cornstarch) in a blender for 30-60 seconds.
Daniela
I have yet to try any allergen-free baking but I am curious give it a try. These recipes look quite yummy!
jac
My favorite gluten free flour is oat. You can undercook it without it tasting gross, unlike GF flours that contain beans. My favorite recipe with it is the wheat-free chocolate chip cookies from Veganomicon.
Heather
I have a few family members and friends with celiac disease, so there have been a few forays into GF baking on their behalf. I've also played around with it for myself and my husband, and usually have good results. My tip is to save the pulp from making homemade nut milks, dry it in the oven, pulse in a spice grinder, and save for GF baking!
Gabby @ the veggie nook
YUM, you really captured the amazingness of those goodies! I am all about moderation as well, but I love making gluten-free sugar-free, etc., treats so everyone can enjoy them! Let's maximize the enjoyment 😉
Ashley
I've never really done any gluten-free baking, but it's something I'd like to learn more about. I really like the idea of being able to produce food that's safe for everyone to enjoy, allergies or not.
Rebecca
Biggest tip for allergy-free baking: don't be discouraged by failure. Or by flavor and texture discrepancies. I do a lot of vegan baking, and in the beginning, was never satisfied with my treats. They were either lacking the flavor of butter, or the fluffiness of refined flour, but they were delicious in their own right.
Megan
I always do dairy/egg free and don't find it too difficult, but when I do gluten-free I find my baked goods don't rise 🙁 Everything still tastes awesome though!
Caitlin
since dayv and i can't eat gluten, i bake exclusively gluten-free. we also tend to avoid soy, not completely, but mostly. and now we no longer eat peanuts because they make dayv sick. so, i truly appreciate allergen-free recipes 😉
Danielle
I tried to do gluten-free when I was nursing but I failed miserably!
Jessica Eagle
Thanks for this wonderful recipe Kristy. I've got a question regarding the powdered erythritol. I can't find it in my region so I'm wondering how I can substitute it ?! Thanks and have a nice day.
keepinitkind
You could also try xylitol. If you can't find the powdered version of either, purchase the regular form and blend 1 cup with 1 teaspoon of arrowroot powder (or cornstarch) in a blender for 30-60 seconds. If neither are to be found and you have no issues with sugar, vegan powdered sugar will work as well. 🙂
Jessica Eagle
Perfecto !!! Thank you for your reply. I'll try with xylitol 🙂
Ana
I've been working towards dairy-free baking lately, and I'm surprised at how great things can still be!
Amber
I have made gluten free muffins before with some success! They had a weird flavor but I think its because I had never tried any gluten free flour before. I have had great success with gluten free pancakes however, though that doesn't count so much for baking!
Kim
This gluten free baking is tricky! When it works, it's great and when it doesn't, it's just kind of disappointing. I'm learning that there are certain flours that work for certain things. You have to be a scientist to really work it all out, but I'm learning just to visit lots of different recipes for the thing you want to bake and then figure out what will work best for you. So, my tip is rethink your flour substitutes and make sure you are using the right one for the recipe that you are making.
Thanks for sharing about this book. That cornbread looks mighty tasty!
Gaby
I always do! I've been vegan for 7 years so it's been egg and dairy free and in the last year has been entirely gluten free. I say just play with flours and find what works best! It won't always be the fluffiest or prettiest but will still get the job done. I prefer to either use a gf baking mix or use oat flour or chickpea flour rather than mess around with all those different starch mixes and having 10 different ingredients!
Julia
I generally follow a vegan diet, and my biggest piece of advice is to be adventurous, and go with your gut. I love to look at recipes as guidelines rather than rules, and sub in whatever I feel could work (or what I have left in my fridge!).
Emma
That cornbread! It looks out of this world.
I love your attitude Kristy. I believe in everything in moderation too though currently a couple of health issues have meant I've had to try eliminating some foods.
I can't really remember what donut texture is since I haven't ever had a vegan donut and non-vegan donuts are way in the past, but muffin-cookie balls sound good to me!
Kelly
I'm vegan, so yes! Mixing apple cider vinegar with almond/soy milk is a great sub for buttermilk. Also, Earth Balance sticks and shortening are amazing subs.
Shari
I really love your recipes and your stories. You make me wanna cook every thing you post!
Sarah
I was about to say that I don't do any allergen-free baking or cooking, but then I remember that I'm lactose intolerant and that EVERY DAY I make food that is delicious and satisfying, without dairy products. In fact, the things I bake are always vegan, and I cook mostly vegan meals at my house as well. I just have no dairy in the house... aside from my boyfriend's small container of cream cheese. I stopped buying fake cream cheese because they all have carrageenan in them. yuck.
Kristy
I do not regularly do allergen-free baking, but I would LOVE to learn more about how to. I know it would make me feel better inside!
Greg
No, I don't usually do allergen-free baking. I don't myself or know anyone that has a need. My mother-in-law has celiac, but I don't bake for her 🙂
Jessie
I haven't done much allergen-free baking other than occasionally replacing wheat flour with oat flour in muffin and pancake recipes. I'm definitely curious to try some more allergen-free baking though!
Anna {Herbivore Triathlete}
No, I don't really have the need for allergen-free baking! I do like to explore alternatives for baking though.
Debbie
Tips for baking: using oat flour to replace regular flour and water to replace any nut milk allergy.
Kimberly
My cousin is allergic to gluten, nuts, dairy and eggs. We overlap on a few things, since I am vegan, but he mostly relies on meat and sugar. I have tried lots of different recipes during the holidays to encourage him to branch out (and I've been occasionally successful), which usually means cooking 'allergy-free'. He's only in elementary school, but has a passion for cooking and baking already!
Emily
tips for allergen-free baking? arrowhead mills all-purpose gf flour! you'd never be able to tell the difference!
Richa
these doughnut holes and the cornbread look great! i do try to make allergen free food. i was intrigued by it when I was baking a lot of bread and the readers would ask me for a gluten free bread. I did not know anything about gf baking and I wanted to know why everyone complained about it being very difficult and leading to bad results:) letsjust say i did get the answers to the questions and invented my way of gf baking too
Kamaldeep Kaur
For egg-free baking, the flax egg is the best substitute.
Jasmine B
I always recommend making your own gluten free flour in order to get the perfect consistency that you desire! The store bought ones are always gummy to me, but I have found specific mixes for different types of recipes for the result to be the most delicious and enjoyable!
Shannon Baas
Luckily, I have not.
alyce poalillo
I am lucky that we do not have any food allergies so no I do not know how to cook with that in mind.
Penny Snyder
I occasionally do gluten-free baking. I aim for healthy cooking with a variety of flavors & spices!
Sarah
I do a lot of gluten-free cooking; my favorite flour substitute in baking is half oatmeal flour and half sweet rice flour.
HilLesha
I don't really have any tips, but I do a lot of allergen-free baking since I have a lot of food sensitives such as dairy (I use flaxseed milk instead of actual milk and Daiya cheese instead of real cheese). I also use Egg Replacer instead of actual eggs.
MelodyJ
I have never done allergy free baking.
Kelly J. R.
I have to stay away from gluten and a few other things right now due to health problems. This isn't exactly a baking tip but I just love Enjoy Life semi-sweet chocolate chunks. I was missing chocolate in a bad way and Enjoy Life is so good. I like to add the minis to no-bake cookies that I make with almonds, coconut oil, maple syrup, and coconut.
Kelsey
I do gluten free baking, and was super intimidated by it at first - there are so many different kinds of flours! My tip is to dive in! When a recipe calls for four different kinds of flour, use them! It's worth it.
Lily
never tried any allergen-free baking, sorry!
Lily
never done any allergen-free baking, sorry!
Katie T.
I just found out 2 months ago I have Celiac disease and can't have gluten - ever again! I've been baking up a storm ever since and learning to perfect my very own GF flour blend... One thing I've learned is you need xanthan gum (or guar gum!) and a LOT of starches (corn, tapioca, potato) to get the right texture in your baked goods.
Barbara Butler
no I have not
Carolsue
I don't really, other than just to avoid things that I know cause problems with my family members. If they are having a reaction to something, I eliminate one thing at a time to determine what it is that's causing the problem.
Marina
I always do allergen-free baking, because it is so much healthier for you!! My tip would be to play with baking times, my oven seems to cook faster than what a blog's directions might give, and no one likes overcooked brownies...
sarah
not really. but i'd like to try different gluten free flours
Charles Burbridge
No, we don't do any gluten free cooking because we don't need to.
Lauren-Olivia Wood
I have done some allergen-free baking. My tip is to mix nut and bean flours and not just use one as this can leave an unpleasant taste and texture.
Jennifer R
I have not done any allergen free baking up to this point but am very interested.
Samantha
I don't do any allergy free baking, but I don't eat meat so I do a lot of cooking and to avoid any meats
Nicole
I've noticed that I feel so much better without wheat (or barley and rye for that matter) in my life/system. I avoid it as much as I can now and go for everything gluten free. I'm really excited to try out gluten free homemade breads and baking, I think the book would be a good way to start!
Serena Powell
I've never tried it before.
Allison
I have done GF for work and for my dad; I have used garbanzo flour, almond flour or just GF all-purpose (I work 3 minutes away from the King Arthur Flour store and am SOOO lucky!).
Michaela
Yes! I do Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, and Soy-Free Baking. My tip: introduce yourself to almond flour! Super yum
Heather
These little pockets of goodness look amazing!