When one is married to a gluten free food blogger and recipe developer I suppose one feels obligated to try everything said food blogger and recipe developer cooks. And when one really likes what they try, they may be inclined to do more than have just a taste. And when one does more (a lot more) than taste, one may just tend to put on a few pounds.
Such was the case with my hubby. So, when he came to me asking for help in shedding a few of the unwanted pounds that he has “inexplicably” put on, I was happy to oblige. I don’t mind being the food police and to him the whole weight loss thing seems daunting and mysterious.
The truth of the matter is it’s pretty simple. If you want to lose weight, you need to cut calories. It’s just math—you need to burn more than you consume. In my experience the best way to do this is to cut back on starches, carbohydrates and fats, to cut out sugar, fried food, and dairy (and of course, gluten) and to consume plenty of veggies, lean protein, and some fruit. And you need to eat less—but when you eat less you need to make every calorie count—more nutrition-packed foods to fuel the body. And cut Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
The problem with being the food police is there is no such thing as the “good cop.” You are always the bad cop, saying “no,” watching the “suspect” like a hawk and smacking their hand if they reach for something they shouldn’t. So, I have also learned that the trick to staying on any kind of diet (or eating plan, as I like to call it) is to indulge in a few modified treats here and there that help curb the urge for bad things like those Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
With that in mind, I made some baked doughnuts that were not just gluten-free, but also free of dairy and sugar. And I decided to throw in another treat relegated to the “not ‘til you lose the weight” category—cereal and milk. Thus, Cereal and Milk Doughnuts were born. A little bit of starch and carbs, a tiny bit of fat, but a zillion calories less than regular doughnuts (that’s a rough estimate) and none of the forbidden things like gluten, sugar, dairy and deep-frying.
Are these doughnuts just like a Krispy Kreme? Nope. Not gonna lie to you. Are they tasty, sweet and satisfying? Yep. You bet.
Gluten-Free Cereal and Milk Doughnuts
Makes 12
Ingredients
gluten-free nonstick cooking spray
2 c gluten-free fruit-juice-sweetened brown rice crisps or toasted rice cereal
1 ½ cups gluten-free flour blend
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp kosher or fine sea salt
2 large eggs
2 c Zero sweetener, divided
2 Tbsp agave nectar
¼ cup grapeseed (or other neutral tasting) oil
3 tsp pure vanilla extract, divided
¾ cup rice milk
1 tsp corn or tapioca starch
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray two (six-count) doughnut pans with cooking spray.
Pour the cereal into a baking pan and bake for 7 to 8 minutes or just until fragrant. Let cool.
Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. In another mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and add 1 cup of Zero sweetener, the agave, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and ½ cup rice milk. Whisk to combine, add to the flour mixture, and mix well. Add 1 cup of the toasted cereal to the batter and stir.
Fill the doughnut pans about two-thirds full and bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until they are firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of a doughnut comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. You may need to run a knife around the edges to help remove (especially if you fill them too full).
Place the remaining cup of Zero into a blender with the corn or tapioca starch. Blend on high speed until it resembles powdered sugar. Pour into a mixing bowl and add the remaining teaspoon of vanilla and remaining ¼ cup of rice milk. Stir until it turns into a thick frosting (you may need to add a drop or two more of rice milk if it is too thick—it should be spreadable).
Frost each doughnut and then dip the frosted side into the remaining cereal. These doughnuts are best eaten the day they are made.
