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Chai Spice Baked Donuts (paleo & nut free)

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It’s Finally the First Day of Fall Recipe! 
It’s finally the first day of fall and to celebrate this season change, although I was very tempted, I am sharing with you a non-pumpkin/non-pumpkin spice latte related recipe *gasp*. Truthfully, I was planning on posting a Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe to celebrate this first day into autumn, but as the end of summer progressed I felt like Instagram became one big blur of other bloggers similar thoughts. I just couldn’t bring myself to add another cookie recipe to the pumpkin heap that is fall. And I’m glad I changed my plans because I’m extremely excited to share a recipe inspired by one of my favorite fall flavors, these Chai Spice Baked Donuts!
These donuts took a little extra time to perfect but I am so proud of the delicious results. They are baked so they do not feel heavy or overindulgent and still have an incredibly light and fluffy texture you hope for in a donut. They are moist but airy and perfectly spiced with all the warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger that are true to a traditional chai tea blend. Once baked, they are coated in a touch of coconut oil (but ghee would also be amazing) and rolled in a chai-inspired dusting; a deliciously addicting blend of coconut sugar, cinnamon, and powdered ginger. These donuts are basically like a churro and a healthy baked donut had a chai-flavored love child that will make you want to pull out all the cozy blankets, fuzzy socks, and eat alongside your favorite morning brew, be that coffee of tea. Yep, these are basically straight up cozy vibes. These donuts are incredibly easy to make and although the recipe list may seem long, don’t let that deter you! The seemingly long ingredient list is mostly just spices, the batter is actually made with only 8 main ingredients. To make the batter we just mix the wet and dry ingredients separately, stir the wet ingredients into the dry, and blend until a smooth batter forms. Then transfer to your donut mold and bake for less than 20 minutes! Once they are cool enough to handle they are kissed with a touch of oil. This can be done by either dunking in a bowl of melted coconut oil or ghee or brushing the exterior of the donut with a pastry brush. Surprisingly, I prefer the brushing method, typically I’d go to great lengths to avoid making an extra dirty dish, I found that brushing was a touch less messy and ensured a more even coverage of oil. Plus, ever since I purchased this machine safe pastry brush, I don’t think twice about busting it out. After the oil, the donuts are dunked in the coconut sugar dusting and that’s it! Cozy donut heaven ready to enjoy in just about 45 minutes.
These donuts are made healthier by using no refined sugars, flours, or oils. They are paleo-friendly meaning they are gluten, grain, and dairy free. Plus, they are nut free by using cassava flour. Since finding out I have an almond intolerance, I have relied fairly heavily on cassava. Although it’s a bit pricey (but comparable to almond flour) a little goes a long way. I typically use about 75% of the amount flour I would normally use with other flours. I highly recommend trying out a few cassava based recipes if you have yet to do so! It’s a pretty versatile flour. And anything that can create a healthier donut that looks and tastes like this is just fine by me.

Happy first day of fall friends! I can’t wait to share so many new seasonally inspired treats for autumn with over these next few months with you! And hit me up if you’re still interested in that Healthier Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.

paleo friendly (gluten/grain/dairy free), refined sugar free, nut free

If you make this recipe, please leave a review or rating down below! And I’d LOVE to see your creation! Please tag me on Instagram @freshlydafna and use #freshlydafna.

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Chai Spice Baked Donuts

These donuts are just right for fall. All the warming spices, a cozy, soft, fluffy texture, and sprinkled with chai inspired sugar dusting! It's kind of like a churro and a donut had a chai spiced baby. Don't have a donut pan? No problem! Just make these in a muffin tin!

paleo-friendly (gluten/grain/dairy free), nut free

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 cup + 2 tbsp cassava flour
  • 2 tbsp tapioca flour
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp cardamom
  • dash of cloves
  • dash of black pepper

Wet Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp almond milk or nut/seed milk of your choice
  • 3 tbsp avocado oil or coconut oil (melted and cooled)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Donut Coating

  • 2 tbsp coconut oil or ghee
  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees and prepare donut tin by spraying or greasing wells with a little additional oil.

  2. In a medium bowl mix the dry ingredients together until everything is well incorporated.

  3. In a smaller bowl whisk together the wet ingredients until light and frothy.

  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir gently until just fully combined. Taking care not to overmix. The mixture should be smooth with no lumps.

  5. Distribute the batter evenly into the 6 donut tin wells.

  6. Bake the donuts for 17-19 minutes or until donuts are puffed and just turning slightly golden.

  7. While donuts are baking, prepare the coating ingredients: In a small bowl melt the coconut oil or ghee. In another small and wide bowl mix together the coconut sugar, cinnamon, and ginger until well mixed.

  8. Let the donuts cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack with a pan or parchment paper underneath. Run a knife or spoon around the edges of the donuts if they are difficult to remove from the pan.

  9. While donuts are still warm, but cool enough to handle, coat each donut in a little oil (or ghee). This can be done by either quickly dunking each side of the donut directly into the melted oil or by brushing the exterior of each donut with a pastry brush. I much preferred the brushing method as it ensured more even coverage and was slightly less messy.

  10. Dunk each side of the donut into the sugar mixture and place back on the rack to let cool. Repeat the oil & sugar coating with all remaining donuts.

Recipe Notes

These are amazing eaten warm shortly after they have been coated. Donuts will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for a day or so. Afterwards store them in the freezer! When ready to eat, just warm in a hot oven for a few minutes or the microwave for a few seconds. 

Kitchen Tools: (affiliate links) Donut Pan, Pastry Brush (optional)

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Homemade Chai Concentrate (sugar free)

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I recently re-discovered this recipe while I was cleaning out my recipe organizer. A broken down, accordion-style piece of plastic, typically used for receipt organization, that has lived with me for (at least) the past 10 years. Through 3 different countries, countless home moves, and is currently being held together with a series of rubber bands. Every few years I’ll go through all the printed off recipes, random bits of paper with scribbled notes, and torn magazine pages removing anything that I know I’ll never get to or has been replaced with a newer better recipe. At the back, I came upon a note card with a handwritten recipe for a Homemade Chai Concentrate. Which I very clearly remember making on a weekly basis when we briefly lived in Sao Paulo, Brazil. And as soon as I saw it, I knew I had to make it again and post it here! So perfect for these warmer months ahead!

This chai concentrate has all the flavors you’d expect from a good chai blend steeped in black tea. This homemade chai has its fair share of ingredients that I feel are essential for achieving the flavor complexity that is so unique to chai tea. And I promise it’s worth the potential spice purchases, because once you make this you’ll definitely be back for more. I love that you can control the strength of the caffeine, level of sweetness (or lack there of), and as an added bonus, it’s eco-friendly since you’re storing it in a reusable container rather than the single-use packaging you’d get from the store or to-go cups from your favorite coffee/tea spot. And extra eco-points if you use loose leaf black tea! 

paleo friendly (gluten/grain/dairy free), sugar free, keto

If you make this, I’d LOVE to see your creation! Please tag me on Instagram @freshlydafna and use #freshlydafna.

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Homemade Chai Concentrate

Easy and delicious homemade chai with the deep flavor complexity you'd expect from a good chai tea. Make it hot or iced and sweeten as you please! I left this unsweetened so everyone can enjoy it as sweet (or not sweet) as they like!

paleo, keto, vegan

Ingredients

  • 4 1/2 cups water
  • 10 cloves
  • 7 cardamom pods
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 2 star anise
  • 1 in piece ginger, rinsed and smashed slightly
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  • 1/2 tsp freshly zested nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper freshly ground, if possible
  • 9-10 black tea bags caffeinated or decaffeinated
  • 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. In a medium pot, bring the water to a boil.

  2. Once boiling, add the spices and tea bags and remove pot from the heat. Use less tea bags if you want the concentrate to be weaker.

  3. Let steep for 15-20 minutes. The longer the steep, the stronger the tea.

  4. Pour the contents of the pot over a bowl or large measuring cup topped with a strainer to remove all the tea & aromatics. Then stir the vanilla extract into the concentrate.

  5. Let cool and pour into reusable container before storing in the fridge.

  6. Pour over ice or drink hot by mixing with boiled water, add milk and sweetener as you please!

Recipe Notes

This will keep in the fridge for about 1-2 weeks. 

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Soft Baked Chai Spice Cookies (paleo)

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When I think of fall flavors, I, of course, think of the obvious first, pumpkin pie and apple spice. And yes, those are great. But fall to me is more about the turn of season from refreshing iced beverages to warm frothy mugs full of comfort. And perhaps no food feels more like warm woolen blanket to me than a steamy mug of chai latte. All the warm spices, like cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, coupled with some soothing nut milk is exactly what I want on a cool brisk day.

And thus, the inspiration of these Soft Baked Chai Spice Cookies. These cookies are like spiced little pillowy clouds of delicious coziness. Do I even need to say more??? Well, just in case, here are some further selling points. I use a blend of my favorite chai spices that is really well complemented by the natural rich flavor of the coconut sugar, of which, there is not much. These are sweet, but just perfectly sweet to be satisfying as a dessert, but not too sweet for a snack or breakfast. In my original recipe, I use tahini, which I think is just mild enough to not overpower any of the spices. I highly recommend you give it a try this way. All the warming spices, coconut sugar, and tahini just make these cookies feel oh, so comforting and just, yummy. And isn’t that really what fall baking is all about.

paleo friendly (gluten/grain/dairy free), no refined sugar

If you make this, I’d LOVE to see your creation! Please tag me on Instagram @freshlydafna and use #freshlydafna.

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Soft Baked Chai Spice Cookies

These cookies are warm and spicy in all the right ways. Super easy to mix up, in just one bowl, and have only good-for-you ingredients. These cookies have a delicious crisp exterior and super soft interior. And, these will make your kitchen smell amazing!

paleo (gluten/grain/dairy free), no refined sugar

Course Dessert, Snack

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

  • ½ cup coconut sugar
  • ¼ cup coconut oil melted and cooled
  • 2 tbsp nut or seed butter see notes
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 cup almond flour
  • ¼ cup tapioca flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • ½ tsp cloves
  • ½ tsp cardamom
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. In a stand mixer, or a medium bowl if mixing by hand, mix together the wet ingredients until everything is light and fluffy.

  2. Add in the dry ingredients and mix again until just well combined.
  3. Let the dough chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes to allow for easy scoping.
  4. Heat oven the 360 (yes, 360) and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
  5. Scoop the dough onto the baking sheet, and lightly press the balls down with the palm of your hand to form a cookie shaped disc.
  6. Bake for 9-11 minutes. For soft baked cookies bake for 9 minutes, for crispy and chewy cookies, bake for 10-11 minutes. Edges should be starting to brown.
  7. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Recipe Notes

I used and love tahini in this recipe. Just make sure your tahini (or any nut/seed butter for that matter) is well mixed and not too thick.

I like these cookies best baked for exactly 10 minutes, they have the crisp edges and soft chewy centers. Baked for 9 minutes these are super soft and little delicious spiced pillows that are also wonderful in their own right.

Keep in an airtight container for a few days, then move to freezer to store for longer.