Apple Fritter Donut Holes

I was so excited when we were given the opportunity to review cookbooks! My choice was “Sweet Debbie’s Organic Treats” by Debbie Adler. This book is filled with delicious sounding treats and what makes the book really special is that all of the recipes are allergy-free, gluten-free, sugar-free and vegan. For anyone who has a friend or family member with food allergy challenges, or a friend or family member who has made the decision to follow a vegan lifestyle, "Sweet Debbie's Organic Treats" would be a wonderful addition to your cookbook collection!

My husband absolutely adores apple fritters but, let’s face it, they’re not exactly healthy, right? When I came across Debbie’s recipe for Apple Fritter Donut Holes I knew right away this would be my recipe. I did a little investigating and found a couple of websites that suggested making a slurry of flaxseed meal and hot water as a substitute for guar gum. Great! I have flaxseed meal in the house all the time! For the erythritol in the glaze, I made the decision to go ahead and use powdered sugar. I did make my own sunflower butter from the recipe in Debbie’s book, and imagine my happiness when I discovered this as my new substitute for peanut butter, which I love but cannot eat, so I've avoided it for years. Sunflower butter is super easy and so delicious. If you get Debbie’s book, be sure to give her recipe a try!

Even though my recipe is not gluten- or sugar-free, or vegan (because I used honey), I do appreciate that I was able to make a healthier version of apple fritters. So here’s my twist on Debbie’s Apple Fritter Donut Holes!

Apple Fritter Donut Holes
by Susan
Adapted from Sweet Debbie's Organic Treats by Debbie Adler

Donut Holes:
1 1/2 cups organic all-purpose white flour
1/4 cup organic wheat flour (in place of buckwheat flour)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon flaxseed meal + 1/2 teaspoon hot water, made into a slurry (substituted in place of guar gum)
1/4 cup plain rice milk (I made my own…lots of recipes online)
1/4 cup organic honey (in place of coconut nectar)
2 Tablespoons sunflower seed butter

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup grated, peeled apple (I used Fuji and I used a little bit more than 1/3 cup)

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (in place of erythritol)
1 Tablespoon organic honey
1 Tablespoon cream of coconut (used in place of coconut nectar and coconut oil)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons apple cider
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325°F. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flours, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.) In a medium bowl, whisk together the flaxseed meal slurry, rice mile, honey, sunflower seed butter, lemon juice and vanilla. Mix together until just combined (don’t overmix.) Fold in the grated apple.

Roll the dough into about 1 1/4-inch balls and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake donut holes for about 12 to 13 minutes, or until they are light golden brown (mine took about 15 minutes.) Rotate the baking sheet halfway through baking. Remove baking sheet from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before transferring donut holes to a wire rack to cool. Do not glaze until they are completely cooled.

Once the donut holes are completely cooled, whisk the glaze ingredients together in a mixing bowl. With a regular teaspoon, drizzle a little bit of the glaze over each donut hole and let sit for a few minutes. I repeated this process (drizzling and letting them sit for a few minutes) until all of the glaze was gone. Enjoy immediately! If there are any leftover be sure to refrigerate, or Debbie says they can be frozen for up to 3 months.