These Low FODMAP Jelly Donuts are yeast-raised, with that classic and desirable soft and spongy texture. We also have a Gluten-Free Jelly Doughnut for you, which is also yeast-raised, but that one is a bit cakier. The two recipes not only vary in ingredients but also in technique. These Low FODMAP Jelly Donuts are filled with jelly before frying; the other recipe is filled after!
Check them both out, but if you want the maximum yeasty donut texture, stick with this one right here. And make sure you pay attention to the flour called for, which is necessary. And by the way, either one of our recipes is perfect as Sufganiyot for Hanukkah.
Flour Makes A Difference
If you are not familiar with Better Batter Gluten Free Flour, let me introduce you. It is the star of this recipe and also in our Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting and Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns. It is a very soft gluten-free flour, high in starches, and its “magic” ingredient is pectin!
Pectin is low FODMAP, regardless of its derivation. Sometimes products do not tell you what the pectin is derived from; Better Batter does tell us, and it is derived from lemons for their product (just mentioning as a point of interest).
As I work more and more with yeast, along with other low FODMAP ingredients, I find that this flour can make the difference between a recipe working – and not working. It is that dramatic.
If you want these Low FODMAP Jelly Donuts to be the best they can be. If you want them to be soft and spongy like in the images, then you HAVE to use this flour. Period. No more conversation needed.
You can also try and make your own DIY blend.
Jelly, Jam & Donuts
Monash University has lab tested strawberry jam and now, as of spring 2020, raspberry jam as well, and they are both low FODMAP in 40 g portions, which is about 2 Australian tablespoons.
You can use a jelly or jam. We prefer products that list fruit before sugar for more fruit flavor. And you will be using far less than the 2 Australian tablespoons per donut, so no worries about FODMAP load.
Frying Temperature & Oil
I wrote a book on donuts, called The Baker’s Field Guide to Doughnuts, and as I was preparing to develop those recipes and spend months making hundreds and hundreds of doughnuts, I first did some side-by-side frying tests to assess different frying mediums.
The short story is that solid vegetable shortening, like Crisco, gave the driest, least greasy results. That said, I find that most folks do not want to scoop out large chunks of solid fat into their fryer to melt for deep-fat frying. (But be my guest if you like).
Looking at liquid fats, I discovered a fascinating thing. I had been buying rice bran oil and safflower oil and was having great results, then one day I decided to spend less money and I bought “vegetable oil”. All of a sudden, the recipes I had been using for testing various fats was frying really differently and not as well.
Choice Of Oil Counts
The donuts were browning in an unreliable way and I was flummoxed. And then it hit me. “Vegetable oil” is a blend of oils, and you never actually know what it is. It could be a blend of sunflower and canola and something else and they all have different smoke points. When you combine different oils with different smoke points, the oil you are using is not as pure in its reliability in how it acts at high temperatures. I had been cooking for decades at that point and this had never been an issue, but it became crystal clear with deep-fat frying.
When deep fat frying your choice of oil really matters. Use Crisco, if you want the least greasy donuts. Try safflower and rice bran oil if you want to use liquid fat.
Donuts Wait For No One
Donuts are at their peak fresh from the fryer. And I mean fresh as in the first 15 minutes out of the fryer. After 15 minutes, their texture diminishes. They become less spongy, drier and not nearly as good. After 1 hour, forget it.
I take a hard line with donuts. If you cannot enjoy these right away, I suggest not making them. Now, you might be thinking I am being overly strict – and perhaps for your palate you will have a greater tolerance level – but I can tell you that the reason why donuts from bakeries last is because of all the preservatives and dough conditioners that are used. None of those are present here.
Eat these fresh as can be for best results.
How To Make Low FODMAP Jelly Donuts
Whisk your room temperature eggs and a little oil together in a small bowl and set aside. You could use melted butter, which will give the dough more flavor, but the oil keeps the dough extra-springy.
This recipe used instant or rapid-rise yeast, which means that you do not have to proof it first in warm water. Simply begin by combining your dry ingredients in your mixer bowl: flour, yeast, sugar, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt.
Your water should be warm, about 110°F to 115°F (43°C to 45°C). Pour it over the dry mixture and beat it with a flat paddle until it begins to come together, then drizzle in the egg/oil mixture as well. Below you can see that it is still very sticky and wet.
After a minute or so – if using a stand mixer – the dough will be much less sticky.
You will know it is mixed enough when it comes away from the sides of the bowl very easily with one swipe of a spatula.
Place it in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set in a warm, draft-free location for an hour until risen and spongy, then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. You can see how it has grown in size and the texture is lighter and spongier, but not sticky.
Roll out to 1/4-inch (6 mm) thickness…
…then cut out rounds with a cookie or biscuit cutter.
Place a scant teaspoon of low FODMAP jam or jelly in the center of half of your rounds.
Brush the edges of these rounds with water, the place a second round on top of each one and press edges to seal.
Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rise again briefly while you get oil ready, sugar (or cinnamon/sugar) topping, set up your pans lined with paper towels to receive fried donuts, etc.
Bring the oil to 350°F (180°C) and fry just a few at a time. They will turn golden quite quickly. Flip them over and cook second side as well until golden.
I like to use a spider, seen below, to remove them from the oil, but you can use any slotted spoon. I love spiders because they allow maximum amount of oil to flow back into the pot and they have stay-cool wood handles. They are built for the job!
As soon as the donuts come out of the oven, dab briefly on paper towels to absorb excess oil, then immediately rollin sugar to coat.
Your Low FODMAP Jelly Donuts are ready to eat.
Low FODMAP Jelly Donuts
These Low FODMAP Jelly Donuts are yeast-raised, with that classic and desirable soft and spongy texture. We also have a Gluten-Free Jelly Doughnut for you, which is also yeast-raised, but that one is a bit cakier. The two recipes not only vary in ingredients but also in technique. These Low FODMAP Jelly Donuts are filled with jelly before frying; the other recipe is filled after! Check them both out, but if you want the maximum yeasty donut texture, stick with this one right here. And make sure you pay attention to the flour called for, which is necessary. And by the way, either one of our recipes is perfect as Sufganiyot for Hanukkah.
Low FODMAP Serving Size Info: Makes about 20 donuts; 20 servings; 1 donut per serving
Ingredients:
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon neutral flavored oil, such as canola oil
- 2 cups (300 g) Better Batter Gluten Free Flour; please do not substitute any other flour
- ¾ cup (149 g) sugar, divided
- 1 tablespoon instant or rapid-rise yeast, such as Saf-Instant Yeast
- 2 teaspoon baking powder; use gluten-free if following a gluten-free diet
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- Pinch cinnamon
- Pinch nutmeg
- 1 cup (240 ml) warm water (about 110°F to 115°F/43°C to 45°C)
- 1/2 cup (140 g) strawberry or raspberry jam
- Neutral-flavored oil such as rice bran or canola for greasing and frying
Preparation:
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Whisk the egg and 1 tablespoon of oil together in a small bowl or measuring cup with spout and set aside.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a flat paddle add the flour, ¼ cup (50 g) sugar, yeast, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix on low speed briefly to combine.
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Add the warm water and the beaten egg mixture to the flour mixture and mix on medium speed until the dough comes together; it will pull away fairly cleanly from the sides of the bowl. Scrape down and keep mixing for about a minute or 2 or until the dough is soft, not sticky at all and can form a cohesive shape.
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Oil a large bowl, place dough in bowl, turn it round to coat with oil, cover with plastic wrap and a towel and place in a warm, draft-free location for about 1 hour or until it looks risen, soft and a bit spongy.
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Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper; set aside. Dust your work surface and rolling pin with extra flour and roll out your dough to about 1/4-inch (6 mm) thick. Using a 2 1/4-inch (5.5 cm) cookie cutter, cut out about 40 rounds. Place a scant teaspoon of jam in the center of half of the rounds. Moisten your fingertips or a pastry brush with water and moisten the edges of the dough around the jam. Top each donut with another dough round and press the edges firmly to seal well. Place on prepared sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm, draft-free place while you get ready for frying.
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Pour oil to a depth of at least 3-inches (7.5.cm) in a deep sided heavy pot, or prepare your deep-fryer machine. Bring oil to 350°F (180°C). Have two sheet pans nearby, one lined with paper towels and the other lined with a rack. Have the remaining ½ cup (99 g) sugar in a small bowl near the pan with the rack.
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Use a spatula to carefully lower the donuts into the hot oil. Cook only as many doughnuts as will fit comfortably in your pan, allowing space between them. Fry the donuts for about 1 minute or until golden brown, then flip over and cook the second side for a similar amount of time, again until golden brown. Try to keep the heat between 325°F (165°C) and 350°F (180°C).
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Use a spider or your spatula to remove the donuts, place on paper towels very briefly to absorb excess oil, then immediately toss in waiting sugar to coat on all sides. Place on rack as you finish.
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Serve your donuts immediately, while still warm - not even 1 hour later!
Notes:
Tips
FODMAP Information
Our recipes are based on Monash University and FODMAP Friendly science.
- Oil: All pure oils are fats and contain no carbohydrates, therefore they contain no FODMAPs.
- Sugar: Monash University and FODMAP Friendly have both lab tested white, granulated sugar. Monash states that a Green Light low FODMAP serving size of white sugar is ¼ cup (50 g). FODMAP Friendly simply states that they have tested 1 tablespoon and that it is low FODMAP. Regular granulated white sugar is sucrose, which is a disaccharide made up of equal parts glucose and fructose. Sucrose is broken down and absorbed efficiently in the small intestine.
Please always refer to the Monash University & FODMAP Friendly smartphone apps for the most up-to-date lab tested information. As always, your tolerance is what counts; please eat accordingly. The ultimate goal of the low FODMAP diet is to eat as broadly as possible, without triggering symptoms, for the healthiest microbiome.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
