Great tasting healthy doughnuts

I think I’m reaching the point where doughnuts need some sort of special mention in the blurb for this blog. I will freely admit that I am a little bit obsessed with them. There is just such childlike joy to be found in the harmless indulgence of a doughnut. Today’s offering is a little less indulgent than usual: Houghnuts brand themselves as ‘The original healthy doughnut’. Based in Sydney, the bakery offers doughnuts that are gluten free, vegan, baked not fried, and contain no refined sugar. Their philosophy is ‘You’re going to eat the cake, so why not make it a healthy one’. Certainly an idea I can get behind.

All of this is sounding perhaps a little too healthy. It would be fair to call them “doughnuts” as the resemblance between them and a ‘normal’ doughnut is not particularly strong – it doesn’t go much further than the shape. But don’t let that put you off; there is something indefinably moreish about these baked treats. Coconut fibre flour gives them a deliciously subtle taste, and they have an almost chewy texture which I can’t get enough of. It’s not really much like a doughnut, but surprisingly I don’t mind that.

One other surprise was the size of the Houghnuts. I bought the six piece sample box from iPantry, and when a disarmingly small box arrived I expected it to be stacked high with doughnuts. Boy was I wrong: these little things easily fit on the palm of my hand. Again unusually, I don’t really mind this as they’re pretty satisfying even at this small size, but it does make it tempting to have two. A legitimate downside is that the flavours are only really present in the toppings, which isn’t an issue in itself, but these toppings often lack punch. I would have struggled to identify the raspberry flavour in a blind taste test. But, mild though they are, the flavours are all pretty agreeable. My favourites were the cinnamon, and the lamington doughnuts (since moving to Australia I have developed a deep and sincere love of lamingtons).

You’ll need to slightly realign your expectations before trying a Houghnut, but once you have you’ll be rewarded with a delicious and surprisingly healthy baked treat. Check out their website for more info, and if you’re in Melbourne you can order them through IPantry.

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What is the best doughnut you’ve ever eaten? And what are your favourite vegan sweet treats? It’s easy to get stuck on the same usual things, so it’s nice to explore some new options! Do let me know your recommendations in the comments!