I got a donut pan for my birthday, so brace yourselves for copious amounts of donut recipes. Being it is the first, I had to go chocolate. Chocolate on chocolate. Huzzah!
Chocolate is pretty controversial. Some studies say you should eat some every day, others claim it will kill you. You can pretty much find some study that backs up whatever you want to believe is true. But what are the FACTS of chocolate? Where is the truth about chocolate?
Cocoa powder is an unsweetened chocolate product that occurs when the fat (cocoa butter) gets removed from the cacao beans during processing. The leftover dried solids get ground into the product known as cocoa powder. Bar chocolate combines cocoa solids and cocoa butter along with sugar and some form of emulsifier to hold the ingredients together. Cocoa powder contains primarily cocoa solids with only about 10 - 15% cocoa butter versus the 50% or more in chocolate.
Cocoa powder is rich in theobromine, which helps to reduce inflammation and can protect you from diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Since cocoa is rich in phytonutrients but low in sugar and fat, the calories you get from cocoa powder will be nutrient-dense.
Where the problems start to occur is when you add milk fats and solids, emulsifiers like soy lecithin, refined sugars like corn syrup, stevia, sugar alcohols, and other flavor enhancing chemicals like 'natural flavors'. These processed foods negate the anti-inflammatory properties and make it next to impossible for your body to assimilate the phytonutrients that you could otherwise be utilizing.
If you are pregnant, I would suggest avoiding chocolate, in all forms, even the so-called healthy raw cacao. I know, I know. Its probably the only thing you want to eat, depending on what stage of pregnancy you're in. But hear me out. Cacao is a stimulant and not suitable for developing babies, and not considered a health food if you are pregnant. Chocolate is filled with alkaloids, which are toxic to the baby in the womb. That's why its helpful to keep all forms or chocolate out of your diet if you are pregnant or trying to conceive.
Only you can make the decision about what's best for you and your health, depending on what stage of life you are in. But as far as this recipe goes, there is no added fat, loads of dietary fiber, and of course no refined sugar or chemicals.
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Ingredients:
3 cups of oat flour
2 tbsp. ground flaxseed
5 tbsp. water
3/4 cup of coconut sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup + 2 tbsp. plant milk (I used oat milk)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
Chocolate Ganache
1 cup of chocolate chips
1 cup plant milk (oat or coconut work best)
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, combine the ground flaxseed and water, stir, and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk oat flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, sea salt, and cocoa powder together. Add the vanilla extract, plant milk, and flax egg and stir together with a spatula until completely combined.
Grease a nonstick donut pan (I use coconut oil) and pour the batter into a large freezer bag. Cut a tip off one corner of the freezer bag and carefully pipe the batter into the donut wells, filling them up to the top. Gently tap the donut pan on the counter to even out the batter and release any air bubbles.
Pop in the oven and bake for 16 - 18 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Using a fork, gently remove each donut and place on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Once the donuts are completely cooled, make the ganache.
In a shallow, microwave safe bowl combine the chocolate chips and plant milk. Microwave for 30 seconds, take out and stir. Repeat this until the chocolate is completely melted and silky smooth.
Carefully dip one side of each donut in the ganache, tapping off the extra gently before placing back on the cooling rack to try. Repeat until all donuts are covered. You can eat immediately, or wait about 30 minutes for the chocolate to harden a bit. Store leftovers in the an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week (but I doubt they last that long).
If you have leftover ganache, you can pour it into an ice cube tray (or other dish) and place in the freezer until you need it again. Just scoop into a microwave safe dish and reheat in 30 second intervals until smooth and silky again.