This is the recipe that I had posted on Tuesday, but decided to take it down as it didn’t feel appropriate. I still wanted to share it, so I decided to post it today. Enjoy!
Xyla Review
A few weeks ago, I was contacted by a representative at Xyla to try out some of their products.
Xyla creates various products (candies, chocolate, jams, etc) made from xylitol. If you’re unfamiliar with it, xylitol:
- is all-natural; it is naturally occurring and extracted from fruits and veggies
- contains 2.4 calories per gram (40% less than sugar) and is absorbed as a complex carbohydrate
- is good for diabetics, as it’s a natural insulin stabilizer
- has dental benefits; it can reduce plaque, dental cavities, and helps prevent demineralization of tooth enamel
Sounds pretty good, right?
In the package that Xyla sent me, I received candies/mints, gum and the xylitol granules. Of course, I wanted to try everything:
The candies are interesting: they’re candy, but they’re recommended to help prevent cavities. Kind of the opposite of most candy, don’t you think? These were pretty good – I would pop 3-4 when I wanted a burst of flavour. Although, I found it odd that the lemon lime was really sweet, while the watermelon flavour was kind of sour.
The gum…meh. The flavour was nice, but it was gone really quickly. And the texture was a bit off – almost too chewy.
Of course, the real test was the granules themselves. Out of the bag, they had an almost citrus-y taste, which threw me off a little bit. But when I tried baking with it?
I never would have guessed that it wasn’t sugar. There was absolutely no aftertaste, and the baked goods were just as sweet as they would have been using plain old white sugar.
So…the recipe.
Donuts
One childhood memory that stands out a lot as a kid was making donut stops at Tim Hortons. It would usually only happen when on road trips or special events, but it was awesome. Being the chocolate fiend that I was (and am) I usually went for my favourite, Chocolate Glazed. Although now, I would have to give that title to Sour Cream Glazed.
So when I was trying to decide what I wanted to make with my newly-acquired Xyla, I decided to revisit some of those memories and make donuts 
I’ve had a donut pan for about 2 years now, but I’m pretty sure I’ve only used it once. Pretty unacceptable. I decided to go with banana, because really – who doesn’t like banana flavoured baked goods?
These are baked, so obviously not quite like the Timmies donuts of my childhood. But, they are every bit as delicious. And if you don’t have a donut pan, they would work just as well as muffins – you just would require some extra time in the oven.
Coconut-Dipped Baked Banana Donuts
(serves 6. Basic donuts inspired by this recipe)
Ingredients:
- 1 large banana, mashed
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (I used 2%)
- 1/4 cup Xyla
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (if you want even more coconut flavour, use coconut extract)
- 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- dash salt
Glaze:
- 1/4 cup coconut butter
- 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1/4 cup milk (I used almond coconut)
- 1/2 teaspoon honey (optional if you want the glaze to be a little sweeter)
- crumbled banana chips (optional, but not really)
- unsweetened shredded coconut
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease donut pan. Beat mashed banana, yogurt, and Xyla.
2. Add oil, vanilla and egg. Beat until mixed.
3. Add dry ingredients. Beat until just incorporated – do not over beat.
4. Pipe or carefully spoon batter into donut pan. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until golden brown and donuts spring back when pressed.
5. Let donuts cool in pan while you prepare glaze.
6. Add all ingredients together and heat – either stovetop or in the microwave. Stir often. Place in shallow bowl.
7. Dip donuts in glaze. Add coconut and banana chips, then let glaze harden. Store leftover glaze in the fridge.
So…these are pretty fabulous. Soft, fluffy, and taste like banana bread with an added hint of coconut. Like I said, you would never have guessed that it was Xyla as opposed to white sugar in there.
So.freakin.good.
Enjoy your Tuesday!
<— What’s your favourite kind of donut?
<— What’s your favourite sweetener besides sugar: xylitol, stevia, honey, maple syrup, other?
Yea…I’m an interesting one.
Better With Sprinkles 