Despite their unparalleled deliciousness, doughnuts aren't the first dessert that comes to mind when baking at home. To many, they seem difficult to make or require lots of time (and deep frying oil).
But making doughnuts at home can be super easy -- and some don't require deep frying at all. The trick? A doughnut pan, a very worthwhile, cheap baking purchase.
Here are seven easy doughnut recipes -- from strawberry buttermilk doughnuts and maple bacon doughnuts, to peanut butter and chocolate cake s'mores doughnuts.
1. Strawberry buttermilk sprinkle doughnuts
From How Sweet Eats.
These pink gems channel Homer Simpson in the best way possible. With a baked vanilla buttermilk doughnut base, these tasty morsels are topped with a strawberry glaze and rainbow sprinkles. *drools*
Get the recipe.
How Sweet Eats
2. 30-minute chocolate doughnuts
From Minimalist Baker.
These doughnuts are chocolaty, fluffy and perfectly sweet, and are topped with a rich chocolate glaze. Have fun with the toppings -- try cacao nibs, coconut flakes and sprinkles. These doughnuts also only require 30 minutes to make and are undetectably vegan and __gluten free.
Here's the recipe.
Minimalist Baker
3. Baked chocolate cake s'mores doughnuts
From Jessica in the Kitchen.
Holey moly (geddit?). These decadent doughnut are next-level. A delicious chocolate doughnut sandwich with a toasted, melty marshmallow and topped with a rich chocolate glaze. No words.
Try the recipe here.
Jessica in the Kitchen
4. Mini maple bacon doughnuts
From How Sweet Eats.
Bacon and maple is the ultimate sweet-salty combo and these deep fried doughnuts are the perfect vessel. Not only is bacon fat added to the yeasted doughnut base, but the glazed doughnuts are rolled in crispy bacon bits.
Here's the recipe.
How Sweet Eats
5. Blueberry lime glazed baked vegan donuts
From A Saucy Kitchen.
For a lighter doughnut, try these blueberry lime glazed baked vegan donuts. Imagine a fluffy cinnamon vanilla base with a berry and lime glaze. It's zesty, fruity and perfectly sweet.
Here's the recipe.
A Saucy Kitchen
6. Cookies and cream puff pastry doughnuts
From How Sweet Eats.
Yes, you can make your very own cronuts at home, in one hour from start to finish. All you need is store-bought puff pastry for the doughnuts, sugar, cream, milk and vanilla for the glaze, and crumbled Oreos on top.
You can't go wrong with peanut butter, especially when it's in these chocolate peanut butter doughnuts and its vanilla peanut glaze. Yes, double peanut butter.
Here's the recipe.
Averie Cooks
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Losing or maintaining weight can be hard, particularly when every diet out their promises quick results and contradictory rules. Low carb, high fat. High carb, low fat. High protein, high fat. The list goes on.
But diets are not a one-size-fits-all deal. Every body is different and what works for one person might not work for another.
British nutritional therapist Amelia Freer gets this. With more than 10 years' experience, Freer is an expert on weight loss and wellbeing. She's the nutritionist who aided singer Sam Smith's dramatic weight loss two years ago, and her other celebrity clients include Victoria Beckham and Boy George.
Here are her five tips for weight loss and better health.
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1. Ditch the diet
This might sound counterintuitive, but Freer urges people to let go of the strict rules around eating and dieting. Instead, focus on a whole foods diet and enjoy treats as treats.
"I am really anti-dieting," Freer told The Huffington Post Australia. "Diets are about deprivation. They cause confusion and misery.
"I don't think that having a load of rules around food is positive. The reason I began this journey is so that I could eat healthily, but still satisfy my love of good food.
"And, of course, I'm human so I accept that I (and my clients) are allowed to stray away from eating perfectly sometimes. I do that less and less as the years go by, so I know that it does get easier."
Depending on the person and their intolerances, there may be certain foods which are off-limits. See a nutritionist or dietitian for a tailored eating plan.
"I almost always work to a dairy-free and gluten-free program anyway, which although may seem daunting at first is actually a pretty simple way to eat, and can actually increase the variety of foods I eat as I can no longer rely on the old favourites like cereal, bread and pasta for most meals," Freer said.
2. Eat the rainbow
If in doubt over what to eat, remember to bring it back to basics and simply eat the rainbow -- not the lolly variety, though.
"Keep your meals simple, fresh, real, colourful and varied and base them mainly on lots of fresh vegetables and fruit, with a portion of protein and some healthy fats at every meal," Freer told HuffPost Australia.
"Cook from scratch and remove refined sugar from your diet."
Need rainbow inspiration? Try these healthy lunch and dinner recipes or these nourishing bowl recipes.
Getty Images/iStockphoto
3. Focus on quality over quantity
Instead of mindless snacking between meals, Freer recommends focusing on three nutrient-rich main meals per day.
"Eat three meals a day. And no snacking," Freer said. "Include healthy oils from fish, meat, eggs, nuts, avocados and coconuts, and drink plenty of water."
4. Move your body daily
Whether that's a walk, swim, stretch or bike run, move every day -- for both your physical and mental health.
"Make time for yourself and exercise daily."
Try this awesome thigh workout that requires no equipment at all. And work your whole core with this move.
Alexander Rhind via Getty Images
5. Don't aim for perfection
It can be tempting to make diet rules that completely cut out your favourite doughnuts, biscuits or chips, but aiming for perfection can result in over-indulging later on. Instead, make room for treats, but keep them just as that.
"Be consistent, not perfect," Freer said.
Nourish and Glow: A 10 Day Plan by Amelia Freer. Michael Joseph, RRP: $32.99
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Chances are you've seen Taline Gabrielian's beautiful photos, whether on her popular Instagram Hippie Lane or elsewhere online.
The Sydneysider is a self-taught raw dessert master, recipe developer and mother of two, who was drawn to raw treats after finding out she had food sensitivities.
"It was around six years ago that I got into making raw treats," Gabrielian told The Huffington Post Australia.
"I had found out through my doctor who ran some tests that I had some food sensitivities to common everyday foods: gluten, dairy, egg, soy and refined sugar.
"I got interested in alternative ingredients to create sweet treats that were free of all the offending foods. I got my food processor out and started making bliss balls and raw treats made from nuts, seeds, dates and superfoods. I loved it."
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So much so that Gabrielian began experimenting with new flavours and remakes of classic favourites.
"It was so fun creating new recipes and discovering delicious flavours and combinations. I loved that there was no cooking involved. I got really into it and experimented with more complex recipes from there. I haven't turned back," Gabrielian said.
Now, Gabrielian has a successful app as well as a cookbook, which are full of her droolworthy wholefood plant-based treats.
"I learned how to use natural ingredients to create beautiful and nutritious cakes and treats, and through lots of trial and error, I developed a repertoire of beautiful recipes that I love and share through Hippie Lane."
Here are Gabrielian's top tips for making raw desserts.
Hippie Lane
1. Start with easy recipes
When starting out, stick to easy recipes and wait until you feel comfortable and confident before moving onto that huge five layered marbled cake.
"I'd recommend following a good recipe, and starting off with bliss balls and simple treats before moving onto cashew cheesecakes and more complicated recipes," Gabrielian said. "Once you get a taste, you'll convert -- the process and the results are so awesome.
"Raw treat making is actually very simple, you just need to have the ingredients on hand, a good food processor and invest some time."
2. Use the right equipment
"Invest in a good food processor," Gabrielian said.
Although a cheaper appliance may work for bliss balls, spending a little more is worth it if you regularly make raw desserts. Of course, food processors can be used to make other foods like hummus, nut butter, pesto, banana nice cream, curry paste and falafels.
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3. Keep the pantry stocked at all times
"Have plenty of nuts, dates, coconut oil and rice malt syrup in your pantry ready to go," Gabrielian said.
"When making raw chocolate, have good quality raw cacao powder and coconut oil to get the best result. I use dark cacao as I find that the chocolate always turn out more smooth and creamy."
4. Experiment
Once you've got the basics down pat, spend time creating your own desserts. You can even take inspiration from your (or your friends' and family's) favourite desserts.
"Experiment with fruit powders for some seriously beautiful natural and eye-catching cheesecake fillings. The colour palette is endless," Gabrielian said.
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5. Set and serve your raw desserts properly
After all your hard work, there's nothing more frustrating than going to dig in and the dessert is rock hard, or worse, a sloppy mess. To best serve the dessert, Gabrielian recommends this simple tip.
"Make sure you freeze your treats firm overnight before serving, and allow them to thaw for 15 minutes when you are ready to serve," Gabrielian said.
Ready to get started? Here are two Hippie Lane recipes to begin.
Raw hazelnut brownies
Chocolate and hazelnut: who can resist? These easy no-bake brownies are almost too good to be true. You don't need a whole lot of time or ingredients to get these ones happening -- but you may find it hard to resist the whole slab.
Makes 14. Raw, vegan, dairy free, __gluten free and refined sugar free.
INGREDIENTS
270g (2 cups) hazelnuts
265g (2½ cups) shredded coconut
85g (¾ cup) raw cacao powder
650g (4 cups) almonds
⅛ teaspoon Himalayan salt
225g (1½ cups) medjool dates
250ml (1 cup) rice malt syrup
Ganache:
450g (3 cups) chopped sugar-free dark chocolate
500ml (2 cups) coconut milk
METHOD
Place the hazelnuts, coconut, cacao powder, almonds and salt in a food processor and process into small crumbs. Add the dates and rice malt syrup and process until the mixture is well combined and sticky.
Line a 24cm square cake tin, about 5cm deep, with baking paper. Transfer half the brownie mixture to the tin and press down evenly. Set the remaining brownie mixture aside.
To make the chocolate ganache, add the chocolate and coconut milk to a saucepan and stir over medium heat until the chocolate has melted and thickened. Remove from the heat. Using a tablespoon, randomly dollop about six tablespoons of the ganache over the brownie base. Freeze for 10–20 minutes.
Remove the tin from the freezer and press the remaining brownie mixture evenly over the top. Pour the rest of the ganache over the brownie, spreading it evenly.
Freeze for 3–4 hours, or until set.
Remove from the freezer 30–40 minutes before serving. Cut into slices to serve. The brownies will keep in an airtight container in the freezer for 4–6 weeks.
Supplied
Cherry bites
You won't be able to keep your hands off these babies, made with a combination of dried cherries, coconut, cacao powder and creamy nut butter, then coated in homemade chocolate. A densely satisfying sweet and sour sensation, perfect for when you get that chocolate craving.
2 tablespoons macadamia or almond butter (see tip)
45ml rice malt syrup
Chocolate coating:
375ml (1½ cups) melted coconut oil
175g (1½ cups) raw cacao powder
185ml (¾ cup) maple syrup
METHOD
Place the dried cherries in a food processor and reduce to a paste. Add the coconut oil and coconut and pulse until combined.
Add the salt, vanilla, cacao powder, nut butter and rice malt syrup and process until the mixture sticks together.
Line a rectangular baking tin, measuring about 34 x 23cm and 5cm deep, with baking paper. Press the mixture into the tin and freeze for up to one hour.
Whisk the chocolate coating ingredients together in a bowl.
Place a sheet of baking paper on the kitchen bench, then set a wire baking rack on top.
Remove the baking tin from the freezer and cut the cherry mixture into bite-sized pieces.
Dip each piece in the chocolate and place on the wire rack to allow the excess chocolate to drain off.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge. The cherry bites will keep for 2–3 weeks.
Tip: You can replace the nut butter with seed butter to make this recipe nut-allergy friendly.
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Images and recipes from Hippie Lane: The Cookbook by Taline Gabrielian (Murdoch Books RRP $39.99). Photography by Petrina Tinslay.
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As the temperature gets cooler, we tend to do the following things: a) 'forget' to go to the gym, b) 'accidentally' cancel plans and stay at home, and c) eat allll of the comfort foods, whether it's carbs, sweet treats or more carbs.
To help facilitate the natural hibernation and desire to eat every comfort food ever known, here are eight desserts that ooze warmth, cosiness and, of course, chocolate, caramel and frosting.
1. German chocolate brownie pie
From Foodie Crush.
Thanks to a lot of chocolate (no complaints whatsoever), this brownie creation is exceptionally rich, dense and fudgey -- and that's before it's topped with a coconut pecan frosting. Drool.
Get the recipe.
Foodie Crush
2. One-bowl banana bread cinnamon rolls
From Minimalist Baker.
What's better than fresh-out-of-the-oven cinnamon rolls? Cinnamon rolls infused with banana bread. Imagine warm, gooey and perfectly sweet rolls, with banana slices, walnuts and puree in the centre. And the recipe is surprisingly simple.
Here's the recipe.
Minimalist Baker
3. Chocolate lava cake with salted caramel filling
From Delicious Everyday.
Yes, you can make this restaurant favourite at home, complete with oozing salted caramel filling. Plus, it's __gluten free which makes us feel just a little less bad for eating one a few of these.
Try the recipe.
Delicious Everyday
4. One-bowl apple gingerbread cake
From Minimalist Baker.
Along with hot, comforting foods, the cooler months can bring a craving for warming spices like ground cinnamon and ginger. This cake combines the best of both for a Christmas feel -- a layered apple gingerbread cake with cream cheese frosting.
Here's the mouthwatering recipe.
Minimalist Baker
5. The berry best four-berry pie
From Foodie Crush.
If you love berries, it's time to encase them in soft, sweet, cookie dough-like pastry and bake to golden perfection. A big scoop of ice cream is a welcome addition to this dessert, melting together with the sweet berry filling.
If you're the sort of person who can't go past chocolate ice cream or cake when given a range of flavour options, this cake is for you. By roasting the cocoa before mixing into the cake batter, the delightfully dark and decadent dessert becomes even more rich.
Here's the recipe.
Delicious Everyday
7. Cinnamon baked pears
From Jessica in the Kitchen.
For a healthy-ish dessert, try these three-ingredient cinnamon baked pears topped with pumpkin spice granola and coconut cream. And this light, satisfying treat takes under 30 minutes to make.
Get the recipe.
Jessica in the Kitchen
8. Peanut butter oat bars
From A Saucy Kitchen.
If peanut butter is your weakness, make these super simple peanut butter oat bars with a chocolate drizzle -- ready in under 30 minutes. They're a satisfying protein-rich treat perfect for any sweet tooth.
We can always rely on a bowl of pasta -- it's quick, delicious and comfort food at its best.
Although homemade pasta sauce is ideal, many of us rely on the convenience of ready-made supermarket pasta sauces. But not all pasta sauces are made equal.
"Bottled pasta sauce can be a convenient low-cost option to feed the family. However, many compromise on taste and nutrition," dietitian Kaitlyn Bruschi told The Huffington Post Australia.
"One of the biggest issues is that there are so many options out there and they all vary on taste, salt, sugar and energy content. It can be really difficult to find a product which suits your needs, within budget."
DronG via Getty Images Stay tuned for easy ways to make supermarket pasta sauce more nutritious.
When shopping for pasta sauce, be wary of health claims or buzzwords like 'natural', 'nature', 'organic' or 'gluten free' on the packaging.
"Be aware of how marketing influences our buying decisions. A product labelled to look more 'natural' and to contain more vegetables is often misleading," Bruschi said.
"It is important to flip the bottle over and check the ingredients list."
Not sure how to read nutrition labels? Don't worry, it's easy.
"First step is to have a look at the ingredients list and find the products with the least ingredients," Bruschi said.
Yulia_Davidovich via Getty Images
"In Australia, ingredients must be listed in order of their quantities in that product, with ingredients making up a larger portion of the product being listed first.
"This can be a really valuable tool when comparing products. It helps identify products that have the best nutrition, while also minimising our intake of preservatives and additives."
As a general rule, steer clear of products with sugar or sugar alternatives listed early on in the ingredients list.
"Same goes for salt and fats. These are three nutrients that creep into bottled pasta sauces," Bruschi said.
"If you have the time to look in a bit more detail, you can also check the nutrition information panel. For sugar, aim for less than five grams per 100 grams, for sodium aim for less than 400 milligrams per 100 grams, and for overall energy content aim for less than 300 kilojoules per serve."
Getty
According to Bruschi, the best supermarket pasta sauces are the tomato-based jars (without cheese or meat) which meet or fall below the sugar, fat and salt targets. Examples include most tomato varieties by Dolmio 'Extra', Barilla and Leggo's.
But the healthiest pasta sauce? One that is fresh and homemade.
"Passata is one of my all-time favourite ingredients, which I always have in the pantry. It's basically puréed tomatoes which you can use in soups, stews, and of course in your own pasta sauces. It's also a lot cheaper than conventional bottled pasta sauces," Bruschi said.
"Simply sauté some diced onion and garlic in Aussie extra virgin olive oil, add lean mince, brown, then add your passata. I also add a tin of diced tomatoes, a splash of red wine and some Italian herbs.
"Serve your spag bol with a side salad and you have a quick, nutritious and delicious meal."
If you don't have the time to use passata to cook your own pasta sauce, then dressing up a bottled product is a great idea.
"Consider adding grated carrot, celery or even diced eggplant to your pasta sauce, add some extra herbs such as fresh basil to dress it up, use lean cuts of meat or mince, and add a side salad to boost your veggie intake," Bruschi said.
Getty Images/iStockphoto Tip: use lean mince (or lentils for a vego version) and wholemeal spaghetti.
"Instead of lashings of cheese, try a good quality Parmesan. It has a stronger flavour so you use less, while also being a good source of calcium. As in most situations, it's about how much you're having and what you're having with it which makes the difference at the end of the day."
As for the least healthy supermarket pasta sauce options, well, they are those that stray from a tomato base.
"Cream-based sauces or those with a lot of added flavour send off red flags for me," Bruschi told HuffPost Australia.
"Although the creamy, cheesy sauces sound delicious, they can also be the options with the highest energy, fat, sugar and salt content. Pasta bake sauces are renowned for this.
"Cream-based sauces are going to increase the fat content and typically this is saturated fats which we want to limit in the diet. Highly flavoured sauces can also often contain a lot more artificial colours, flavourings and additives, which I prefer to avoid."
Eugene Mymrin via Getty Images Best to leave creamy pasta as a treat.
Regardless of which pasta sauce you use, portion size of the meal itself is also important.
"With all food, it often comes back to portion size. Pasta is a slow release carbohydrate (low GI), giving us sustained energy and keeping us fuller for longer. However, you can have too much of a good thing," Bruschi said.
"Excessive portions can raise your blood glucose levels considerably, increasing your risk of type two diabetes, as well as a whole range of other long term health conditions.
"Choose tomato-based sauces and check the ingredients list."
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