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Chocolate Doughnuts with Cherry Cheesecake Glaze

April 24, 2015 By Becky 4 Comments

This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 
 
Chocolate Doughnuts with Cherry Cheesecake Glaze (Gluten free, Grain free)
These chocolate doughnuts with cherry cheesecake glaze are gluten free, grain free, and baked instead of fried, but you won’t feel like you’re missing out! They’re the perfect treat for any occasion.
 
It’s Friday! Paleo chocolate doughnuts with cherry cheesecake glaze, anyone?
I, for one, am super pumped about the color of this all-natural magenta glaze. It’s all about eating the rainbow, and aside from red cabbage, those purple hues can be kind of hard to find!
You may be surprised that this vibrant shade is all thanks to a mere handful of SIX frozen cherries (and, full disclosure, a tiiiiny bit of post-processing in Lightroom).
Chocolate Doughnuts with Cherry Cheesecake Glaze (Gluten free, Grain free)
When I came up with the idea of a cherry cheesecake glaze for doughnuts, I was excited for it be pink. I was really surprised, though, when I ended up with this lovely shade of fuschia! The color may depend on the kind of cherries you use–I always buy frozen dark sweet cherries at Whole Foods (even though they’re called sweet cherries, there’s no sugar added) because I love to put them in smoothies, but my new favorite use for them is this delicious glaze.

Chocolate Doughnuts with Cherry Cheesecake Glaze (Gluten free, Grain free)
The doughnuts themselves are simple, paleo chocolate doughnuts. You just need two bowls and a few minutes to whip them up–no mixer or egg-separating needed. They’re not super sweet by themselves, which makes them the perfect counterpoint to this luscious cherry glaze.
This glaze also comes together quickly. I used a little bit of cream cheese to give it a cherry cheesecake flavor, but you can omit the cream cheese or substitute coconut cream and a dash of lemon juice if you’re avoiding dairy.
Chocolate Doughnuts with Cherry Cheesecake Glaze (Gluten free, Grain free)
These are great right away, but I like to let them sit for an hour or two so the glaze has time to seep into the doughnuts and make them extra moist. Then, just before serving, I sprinkle a tiny bit of vanilla salt on top. It’s not mandatory, but it my book, the salty-sweet combo can’t be beat. If you don’t have vanilla salt, a sprinkle of Maldon will do the trick, too.
 
Chocolate Doughnuts with Cherry Cheesecake Glaze (Gluten free, Grain free)
 
Chocolate Doughnuts with Cherry Cheesecake Glaze (Gluten free, Grain free)
 
Chocolate Cherry Doughnuts with Cherry Cheesecake Glaze (Gluten free, Grain free)
Chocolate Doughnuts with Cherry Cheesecake Glaze (Gluten free, Grain free)

Chocolate Doughnuts with Cherry Cheesecake Glaze

Yield: 10 small dougnuts
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

These chocolate doughnuts with cherry cheesecake glaze are gluten free, grain free, and baked instead of fried, but you won't feel like you're missing out! They're the perfect treat for any occasion.

Ingredients

For the chocolate doughnuts:

  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons lightly packed almond flour
  • 
2 tablespoons tapioca flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 
Pinch of sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 
3 tablespoons honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter or ghee

For the cherry cheesecake glaze:

  • 1/3 cup frozen pitted cherries
  • 1 to 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 
1-3 teaspoons milk of choice (optional)
  • Vanilla salt or Maldon sea salt flakes

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease two six-cavity doughnut pans 
with butter or ghee.
  2. Whisk together the almond flour, tapioca flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar in a medium bowl.
  3. In a separate medium bowl, beat the eggs with the honey and extracts. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the butter.
  4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well. Spoon the batter into the doughnut pans, filling each well a little over half full. You should have enough batter to fill 10 of the 12 cups, give or take a doughnut. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the doughnuts are springy to the touch. Let cool for five minutes in the pan, then carefully scoop out with a spoon and transfer to a rack to cool completely.
  5. To make the glaze, microwave the cherries for a minute or so until they're soft and juicy. Mash them a bit with a fork and press them through a strainer (or just pick out the skins) and discard the solids. Whisk 1 cup of the powdered sugar into the cherry juice. Add the cream cheese and mix with a fork until smooth. At this point, you can use the glaze as is, or add more powdered sugar to make it thicker. I spooned thickened glaze onto the doughnuts, then thinned out the rest of the glaze with a little milk and drizzled it on top for a fun ombre effect. Just do your glaze thing and have fun!
  6. If you can resist, let the glazed doughnuts rest for an hour or two. For a salty-sweet effect, sprinkle on a little vanilla salt or flaky sea salt right before serving.

Notes

*The powdered sugar I use here is grain-free--it's made with tapioca instead of cornstarch--as is Whole Foods brand organic powdered sugar. You can also powder your own raw or coconut sugar in a spice grinder.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Bob's Red Mill Tapioca Flour - 16 Ounce - 2 Pk
    Bob's Red Mill Tapioca Flour - 16 Ounce - 2 Pk
  • Rodelle Gourmet Extract, Vanilla, 8 Ounce
    Rodelle Gourmet Extract, Vanilla, 8 Ounce
  • Bob's Red Mill Super-Fine Gluten Free Almond Flour, 3 Pound
    Bob's Red Mill Super-Fine Gluten Free Almond Flour, 3 Pound
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 214Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 624mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 7gSugar: 6gProtein: 9g

The nutrition label provided is an estimate for informational purposes only and may not be accurate. I am not a nutritionist or medical professional.

© Becky Winkler (doughnuts adapted from Running to the Kitchen)
Category: Gluten free, Grain free, Dessert, Doughnut

This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Filed Under: dessert, gluten free, paleo, recipe Tagged With: baking, cheesecake, cherry, chocolate, cream cheese, doughnuts, glaze, grain free, primal

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Comments

  1. Mary @chattavore says

    April 25, 2015 at 3:05 pm

    Oh my goodness, Becky! For some reason I have been obsessed with doughnuts lately. These look soooooo delicious. That glaze! And that salt on top! Yummmmmm.

    Reply
    • Rebecca Winkler says

      April 25, 2015 at 3:40 pm

      Thank you, Mary! I think this recipe may have marked the beginning of a doughnut-obsessed phase for me, too.

      Reply
  2. Janie Penn says

    April 24, 2015 at 10:56 pm

    Wooh! Love these jazzy-lookin' critters … the last picture makes me thing of the song … Leader of the Pack!

    Reply
    • Rebecca Winkler says

      April 25, 2015 at 1:56 am

      Haha, thank you! I like that–leader of the doughnut pack 🙂

      Reply

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Hi, I’m Becky!

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