Purple Sweet Potato Donuts with Coconut Glaze

I recently signed up for a farm delivery service. Do any of you participate in those? As a chef (ahah that’s just a joke) I like to pretend that sometimes I am on Food Network’s Cutthroat Kitchen or Donut Showdown, and I have to make something with whatever ingredients or flavor I’ve been assigned. This week in my farm box, I received purple sweet potatoes or yams. Normally I would uncheck the little box and exchange it for a regular sweet potato, but these intrigued me. So here it goes. I decided I didn’t want to make purple mashed potatoes because, well, that would look like purple mush on the plate and who wants to eat grayish purple mush. Definitely not me and definitely not my kids! Onward. I contemplated purple sweet potato pancakes but again worried about the dark crispy edges and them changing colors. Low and behold, the purple donut!

This recipe does have sugar in it, so I would definitely recommend it as a Gluten Free treat, and not a weekly staple. That being said, the sweetness and softness of the donut is probably the most perfect blend I have ever come across. Normally I’m fighting a panic attack just to get the cooled donuts out of the pan without them ripping or crumbling. When it happens, God kills a kitten. Kidding, but it seriously drives me bonkers. These little purple cakey dreams slid right out without any surgical operations whatsoever! How amazing! I knew I was in love as soon as they came out and I hadn’t even glazed them yet.

Oh but the glaze. The coconut milk glaze is going on all my donuts now. It’s perfect. I have a sugar alternative for those anti-sugar but I’ll save that for another post. Sometimes its good to be naughty.

Purple Sweet Potato Donuts

Serves 12

Clues

Poke multiple holes in your sweet potatoes with a knife or fork. Place in a microwave and (depending on size) cook for 5-7 mins until soft.

Rest for 2 mins or until you can handle the potato. Remove the skin and mash with a fork in a large bowl. Potatoes can be warm but should not be steaming hot.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg and set aside.

To the bowl of the stand mixer, add the potatoes, sugar, eggs, coconut milk, and butter, then mix on low until smooth. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until well combined.

Pipe dough into coconut oil greased donut pans (or donut hole pan) filling ¾ of the way. You may need to work in multiple batches.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 mins or until cooked all the way through. A toothpick test can be done to ensure they are completely cooked. Be careful not to burn them!

For the glaze: Whisk together the coconut milk and powdered sugar until a glaze is formed. While the doughnuts are still warm, dip them 1-2 each into the glaze, then let them harden on a wire rack. (you can also flash freeze them to get the glaze to harden quicker).

Ingredients

1-2 medium whole sweet purple yams

2 cups Pamela's Gluten Free Flour & Baking Mix

1½ teaspoon baking powder

1½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

⅓ cup granulated sugar (or coconut sugar)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

¼ cup canned unsweetened coconut milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Coconut or Avocado oil, for frying (optional)

For the glaze:

¼ cup canned unsweetened coconut milk

2 cups powdered sugar