peanut butter fluff donuts

I feel like this post is doomed!

1.  I made these donuts last night, with the intention of topping + photographing today.  When I went to uncover the donuts from the plate, a disgusting bug came slithering out.  Not just a little ant, but a disgusting, slimy looking bug, with weird pinchers on it’s rear.

The donuts got canned.

Not a big deal, because they only take about 8min to throw together, but I just hate throwing out food.  Who knows what that creature did to the donuts though.  I was not willing to risk it!

2.  I uploaded 92 photos from this little baking session.  That’s more than typical, but I took some inside + outside and was just playing around.  I narrowed them down to 18, edited them completely and literally Lightroom ate my photos.  They all disappeared as I was editing the very last photo.  The folder that they were in read “0.”  This has never happened and it’s pretty much the most defeated feeling ever.  An hour of my time, wasted.

Ugh.

The re-editing was worth it, because this may be my best recipe ever.  It’s at least my best dessert recipe ever.

Here we go! 

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I kind of like the textured look of how the donut bakes and wasn’t sure which side I wanted to be the top.  I decided on the smooth side, thinking the icing would look nice + clean.

These donuts are very light, smooth + cakey.  There is no way you would ever guess they were gluten free.  Like I mentioned yesterday, I am loving the oat flour/sweet rice flour/coconut flour combo for baked goods.  There is no need for xanthan gum or any weird starches.

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And today I discovered you can even use rolled oats to make the oat flour!  I always use steel cut or whole oat groats and grind them in my blender.  I empty the flour in a bag and stick it in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.  Well, with the dumb bug incident, I didn’t have any steel cut oats to turn into flour.  Instead, I ground rolled oats in the blender until powdery.

Worked like a charm!

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So what exactly is in that donut?  It’s a peanut butter chocolate chip donut.

And what exactly is on top of that donut?  Peanut butter icing.

And we’re not done yet!

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Have you ever heard of a Fluffernutter Sandwich?  It’s basically a peanut butter sandwich, slathered with marshmallow fluff.  According to the history, banana is sometimes involved.  I never had this sandwich as a child, or marshmallow fluff for that matter, but figured it’s never too late to give it a try!  Donut style that is…

[source]

Fluffernutter

Instead of banana, I went for stuffing these donuts with chocolate.  I topped them with marshmallow and sent them back into the oven.

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Broiler magic!  Make sure you leave the door cracked and keep your eye on these the entire time!  No one needs a Fluffernutter FIRE!!

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The marshmallows deflate within seconds, but what you’re left with is a crispy-sweet, marshmallowy topping.

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Chewy crunch on top of a donut?

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With peanut butter icing?

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Winner.

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Although I enjoy backlit photos, I was getting sick of the darkness, so I took these babies outside.

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Ohhhh, the textures!!!

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Chew.

Cream.

Crunch.

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Peanut Butter Fluff Donuts [makes 8 donuts]

  • 1/2c oat flour [ground from rolled oats/steel cut/oat groats]
  • 1/2c sweet rice flour
  • 2T coconut flour
  • 1/4c creamy peanut butter, melted [not the oil on top kind]
  • 1/3c sucanat [or pure cane sugar]
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2T unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2c unsweetened almond milk
  • 2t vanilla
  • 1/2t salt
  • 1t baking powder
  • 1/3c dark chocolate chips
  1. Preheat your oven to 350* [I use 375* for high elevation] + grease your donut pan.
  2. In a medium sized bowl mix together the oat flour, sweet rice flour, coconut flour, sucanat, salt + baking powder.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla + applesauce.
  4. Whisk in the melted peanut butter.
  5. Stir wet into dry, until combined.  Do not over stir.  It will look slightly lumpy.
  6. Fold in the chocolate chips.
  7. With a spoon, spatula or piping bag, transfer the batter to your pan, leaving a little room at the top.
  8. Bake for 15-18min. 
  9. Test with a toothpick for doneness.  You want a slightly moist toothpick.  Not gooey but not bone dry.
  10. Let them cool in the pan for 5min then turn out onto a cooling rack.
  11. Frost when cooled.

*I got 8 donuts out of this recipe, but you could probably bulk them up a bit if you only want to bake the pan of 6.  They will take a few extra minutes to bake.

*If you can’t find, or don’t want to buy coconut flour, I would just add 2T extra of the sweet rice flour. 

Peanut Butter Icing

  • 1/4c peanut butter, melted
  • 1/2c powdered sugar
  • 2T unsweetened almond milk
  1. Whisk ingredients together until smooth.  If too liquidy, add 1T extra powdered sugar until nice + thick.  If too stiff, add 1t at a time of the milk + whisk.
  2. Spread onto cooled donuts with a butter knife or spatula.

*If you’re sensitive to sweet desserts [like me!], or want to keep the icing a little more mellow, just spread on plain creamy peanut butter!!

For the “fluff” topping:

  1. Preheat your oven to broil
  2. Coarsely chop or break apart marshmallows with your fingers.
  3. Lightly press a few pieces on the top of each donut and place on a baking sheet.
  4. Broil, with the door cracked open for 1-3min, keeping a close

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The recipe may look long, but they are extremely easy to make.  I literally had them in the oven baking, under 10min and the icing takes about 2min to throw together. 

Don’t have a donut pan???

Not to worry!!!

You can use a muffin tin or ramekin dishes!! 

How cute is this crispy marshmallow muffin hat???

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*If you use a muffin pan, you will likely have to bake them for about 4-8min longer.  Test with a toothpick at 17-18min and go from there! 

Also worth mentioning, if you just want a donut with no mallow or icing, these are 100% delicious as a plain ol’ cake donut!

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Muffin or donut…

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…this is one of the best things to ever come out of my kitchen!!

Hope it was worth waiting for!

Ashley