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Pumpkin Spice Doughnut Muffins (gluten-free)

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This weekend felt like a release from prison.

Pumpkin Spice Doughnut Muffins // The Pancake Princess

(I know I know dramatic much? It’s just all the Revenge I’ve been watching…)

I finished the GMAT. I’m done. And let me tell you—it’s so true that you forget how to study after college. Three weeks before taking the test, I made this self-imposed, incredibly unbalanced emergency cram study schedule for myself that involved (a) my GMAT book (b) no going out (c) no fun things.

Pumpkin Spice Doughnut Muffins // The Pancake Princess

So…..I went a little stir-crazy at times. Some days, I baked a little more than I studied. But in the end, things started balancing out and I got back on track. And took the test. And life on the other side is gooood. First thing I did? Went to Costco with my friend. #butseriously. Then I baked two types of doughnut muffins* and took some to my friend’s LOBSTER BOIL. Are you hearing what I’m saying? It was amazing. Then I hung out with my frans. On Sunday, Erik and I went to an art exhibition, ate Chinese food and watched Scandal. Garlic eggplant = heaven.

Pumpkin Spice Doughnut Muffins // The Pancake Princess

Back to the doughnut muffins: I’ve been anxiously awaiting my doughnut book by the incredible Ashley (her recipes are always healthy, always delicious and always impeccably-tested—she’s one of the bloggers I admire most) and spontaneously decided on Saturday that I could WAIT NO LONGER. Ashley’s stunning cookbook of gluten-free baked doughnuts has been making the rounds on its book tour and though there are happily a variety of recipes already floating the interwebs, I knew immediately which ones I was going to make.

Add doughnut pans to the list of things my kitchen lacks; instead, I made muffins and added a tiny pinch of baking soda. I used additional pumpkin puree instead of the applesauce since I didn’t have any and omitted the allspice for the same reason, but otherwise I followed the recipe completely as written. And they are delicious. Spiced, SUPER tender and moist. The interior of my muffins looked exactly like Izy’s doughnuts, which I think is the sign of a great recipe. Consistently delicious results, every time!

Pumpkin Spice Doughnut Muffins // The Pancake Princess

Yay Ashley! I have a feeling your book is going to be a smashing success.

*I’ve always wondered what constitutes a doughnut muffin as opposed to just a muffin that tastes sort of like a cake doughnut which really tastes like a muffin except with those little craggy crunchy edges. If you’ve wondered that too, WONDER NO MORE! Doughnut muffins taste like tender cake doughnuts in the shape of a muffin. And yes, they also taste like muffins. Got that?

Note: Something unfortunate that prevented me from making a lot of Ashley’s recipes in the past was a lack of sweet rice flour. However, sweet rice flour is really easy to find online, in supermarkets (Bob’s Red Mill carries some) and in most Asian markets. I picked up a box in a Japanese market near my work for $2-3 and it’s the best investment I’ve ever made. Ashley’s should-be-patented combo of oat flour, sweet rice flour and almond meal really makes for awesomely textured gluten-free goods of all sorts!

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Pumpkin Spice Doughnut Muffins

Incredibly moist, tender and perfectly spiced pumpkin doughnut muffins that no one will ever suspect are gluten-free!
Servings 8 standard muffins
Calories 163kcal

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup oat flour
  • 1/2 cup sweet rice flour
  • 1/4 cup almond meal
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons almond milk
  • 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons pumpkin purée
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

  • For a maple glaze:
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1.5 teaspoons maple syrup
  • 1-2 teaspoon almond milk start with 1 and add more if needed
  • dash of cinnamon

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350 F and grease or line your muffin pan with wrappers.
  • Combine all dry ingredients (flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and spices) in a large bowl, mixing well. In another bowl, whisk the eggs together, then add the milk, pumpkin purée, oil and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.
  • Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a large wooden spoon until just combined, being careful not to over mix (stop when you no longer see dry flour).
  • Spoon heaping quarter cups of batter into each muffin well, filling about ¾ of the way. Bake for 20-24 minutes, until puffed, golden brown, and firm enough to spring back against a light finger poke. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Let cool in the pan for a few minutes, then carefully remove and let cool fully.
  • I think these are great on their own, but for the glaze, whisk all the ingredients together and spoon over each cooled muffin.

Notes

From Baked Doughnuts for Everyone, via Izy.

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  1. Lilly Sue

    First off, you and I could probably be friends with the only problem being you would probably make me fat. These muffins look awesome! But the friend comment is based off of Scandal and Revenge! lol I love Scandal- cannot wait for the episode tonight!! Also, I just ventured into Revenge- totally addictive! 🙂

    Reply

    • erika

      Lol!! Better you than me because you are probably super skinny!! And OMG YES! I LIVE FOR SCANDAL. And I’m jealous of you–you have so many episodes of Revenge to watch! So many plot twists. It gets a little ridiculous at times but I still like it. What else do you watch? My latest obsession is Once Upon A Time in Wonderland. I never read the books so I have no idea what the plot is supposed to be, but I like it much better than the original series since it’s all about luuuurve.

      Reply

  2. Nancy @ gottagetbaked

    Wahoo! I’m so proud of you for getting through the GMAT, Erika! Those standardized tests are the worst. I took a Kaplan course for $1000 to prep for the LSAT. I would’ve never studied if I didn’t force myself. I swore that if I didn’t get a good result the first time, i wasn’t going to put myself through that hideous ordeal a second time. I hope you kicked it’s ass! And yay for baking breaks. These pumpkin spice doughnut muffins look like the perfect thing to get you through all those days of cramming. Do you know when you get the result?

    Reply

    • erika

      Aww thanks Nancy!! Haha oh man I was positiveee I was going to have to take it again halfway through, but the score actually pops up on screen when you’re done with the test so I knew right away that I didn’t have to take it again!!

      Reply

  5. Katie (The Muffin Myth)

    I’ve always kind of thought that donuts baked in donut pans are silly. I mean, isn’t the whole point of a donut the deep fried donutty goodness? Donut muffins, though! For some reason the concept is different enough that I can get on board with it. Weird? I know.

    Reply

  9. Kaylie @ Skinny Muffin

    Baking > studying. Also, these look divine. Also. CONGRATULATIONS! You’re done! Kind of.. until you start school. But now you know baking > studying. So you’ve got 80% of it down pat already. PS: This might be a dumb question but… what makes these ‘doughnut-y’?

    Reply

    • erika

      Sooooo so so true.

      “I’ve always wondered what constitutes a doughnut muffin as opposed to just a muffin that tastes sort of like a cake doughnut which really tastes like a muffin except with those little craggy crunchy edges. If you’ve wondered that too, WONDER NO MORE! Doughnut muffins taste like tender cake doughnuts in the shape of a muffin. And yes, they also taste like muffins. Got that?”

      But seriously…jury’s still kind of out for me. These were meant to be baked in a doughnut pan (so the batter isn’t meant to rise a whole lot) but I mean really. They are fine as muffins.

      Reply

  10. Kelly

    Yay, congrats on finishing the GMAT Erika! That’s fantastic news! These gorgeous doughnut muffins are a great way to celebrate! They look amazing girl! Love that maple glaze – it looks mouthwatering! Glad to hear how great this gluten-free combination of flours are for baking – pinning to try this and thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply

  11. april

    Would brown rice flour sub for the sweet rice flour? I’m new to gluten free flours and I only have brown rice flour! Thank you!

    Reply

  13. janet @ the taste space

    Congratulations on completing that exam! Pesky quiz… I also felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders this weekend. Writing exams can do that! Let me know if you’d like to get together sometime now that your life has been given back to you. 🙂

    Reply

    • erika

      Thank you thank you! And YES. I would love to come to Austin! But if by some sad chance I don’t make it, you MUST go to Gourdough’s and capitalize on this doughnut trend!!!

      Reply

  16. Two Red Bowls

    CONGRATS!!!! Hahaha you sound just like me when I was studying for the bar — some days (while my boyfriend was dutifully studying) I’d be running around the kitchen, covered in flour, yelping “I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THIS” as I shoved yet another pan of brownies in the oven. I mean. We were just giving our brains sustenance, obv.

    And, OMG I can’t even tell you how HAPPY I AM to see a pumpkin doughnut recipe, especially one made in a muffin tin!!! I don’t have a doughnut pan either, and I don’t think I can justify buying one (as inexpensive as they are, really) because the only kind of doughnut I want to make is pumpkin anyway. Love these. Thanks for posting and CONGRATS AGAIN!! Enjoy returning to life 🙂

    Reply

    • erika

      Ahaha okay I am so glad to hear that because there were SO many times when I felt like I should be studying but I just HAD to try the recipe in my head. And then halfway (and a quarter way, and three-quarters of the way, etc) through the GMAT, I kept thinking I was doing awfully and regretting all the time I’d spent in the kitchen instead of in my textbook. BUT NO LONGER!!

      And yay–I know, I’ve held out for so long too! But I actually think I might give in and buy a doughnut pan because all of Ashley’s doughnuts look SO GOOD. Vegan gooey chocolate doughnuts?? Peanut butter cup?? Just pure yum. Thanks for the lovely comment 🙂

      Reply

  18. Brandi

    Hey, who can blame you for baking more than studying!! Haha! These look so delicious! I especially love the glaze on top. Glaze makes everything better. I have been baking mini-doughnuts for the last month because I got both a mini donut skillet plugin thing and also a mini donut pan on clearance. I also use oat flour, but with almond flour instead of sweet rice. Her book sounds awesome!!

    Reply

  19. katie @ ohshineon

    this is seriously seriously seriously similar to my pumpkin spice doughnut holes i baked up a few days ago. they’re doughnuts that taste like cake and are so good. i, too, explored Ashley’s donut recipes, and even though a lot of them require more complicated ingredients, they’re great to follow!

    Reply

    • erika

      Yes! These are so great if you can’t tolerate gluten (though luckily I can so I can make your doughnut holes too!!) and in my opinion they don’t taste like a “special diet” food at all!

      Reply