Fall is right around the corner. And that means apples are in season. When I was growing up there were just a few varieties of apples available. I can recall Red Delicious, Yellow Delicious, and Granny Smith. I never cared much for Granny Smith's as they were too tart. Of course nowadays we have so many varieties with interesting names like Honeycrisp, Fuji and Gala, and so many more.
When I saw that apples were on sale, of course I had to buy several pounds. Maybe I could make apple butter (one of my mom's specialties)… and then I wondered if my Pumpkin Poppers would convert to an apple version. The answer is a resounding yes! These little faux doughnut holes are yummy!
Like the Pumpkin [affiliate link] Poppers they freeze well. Just remember to give them a couple of hours to defrost at room temperature.
Oh, and one more thing: These are dairy-free, but of course butter is legal on GAPS. If you do not have to avoid butter, you may want to substitute the cinnamon [affiliate link] topping mixture with butter instead of coconut oil [affiliate link]. It is quite delicious.
Yields: 22-24 (one of my recipe testers yielded only 17 poppers from two separate batches)
Apple Poppers
- 1/2 cup coconut flour [affiliate link], firmly packed (I use Tropical Traditions brand)**
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt [affiliate link]
- 1-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg [affiliate link]
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 3 eggs [affiliate link]
- 1 cup applesauce (if you are making your own, you will need 1-1/2 pounds of apples)
- 1/3 cup coconut oil (I use Tropical Traditions Gold Label Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
- 1/4 cup honey [affiliate link] (I use Tropical Traditions certified organic, raw honey)
**If you order from Tropical Traditions by clicking on any of my Tropical Traditions links and are a brand new customer, you will receive this free book: Virgin Coconut Oil : How it Has Changed People’s Lives, and How it Can Change Yours, and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you. Thank you!
If you have applesauce on hand, go ahead and use it. If you are making your own, there are a few extra steps, but well worth it, in my opinion!
Applesauce Recipe
- 1-1/2 pounds apples (I used Honeycrisp)
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons water
- Wash and core your apples, slice into thin pieces (it's not necessary to peel).
- Place coconut oil and water into a saucepan with a thick bottom.
- Add apples.
- Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove lid.
- Cook 5 minutes longer or until liquid completely reduces.
- Cool apples, then add to a blender to make pureed apple.
- Measure out 1 cup of applesauce for this recipe.
Apple Poppers Doughnut Holes
Be sure to get an exact 1/2 cup of coconut flour by using the back of a straight edged knife to level off the flour even with the top edge of the measuring cup. Measure all dry ingredients (coconut flour down to cardamom) in a large mixing bowl. If you freeze your coconut flour (like I do with mine to keep it moist and fresh), you may sift after measuring to make sure there are no little hard clumps.
Mix together.
Add eggs, applesauce, coconut oil and honey to the dry ingredients.
Using a hand mixer, blend for 1-2 minutes until completely mixed. As the coconut flour absorbs the liquids the mixture will go from a very runny consistency to a thicker consistency. (This photo is from the Pumpkin Poppers but shows what the texture should look like). Add one tablespoon of coconut flour at a time until the batter has thickened. Note that it will still be very soft in texture, but it won't be runny.
Allow the batter to sit for 5 minutes so that the coconut flour can absorb the liquids.
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Use coconut oil to grease a mini muffin tin.
Lightly sprinkle coconut flour into the bottom of each muffin cup.
Measure out two tablespoons of batter for each popper. I have one of these and they make the job MUCH easier. Instead of having to meld two tablespoons together I just scoop and drop into the mini muffin tins: Norpro 703 Grip-EZ 2-Tablespoon Stainless Scoop.
The batter should be of the consistency where you can pick it up in your hands and form into a little ball. If you have to use a tablespoon measurement, be sure that you completely meld the two parts together, otherwise when they bake you will end up with little splits and fissures where you placed them together. If by chance your batter is not thick enough, add in coconut flour by the teaspoon waiting a minute or two in between adding more.
Drop into the muffin tins. I don't advise using cupcake papers for this recipe – in the last step you will drizzle a liquid cinnamon topping which will make a sticky mess of the papers so it is best to just put them bare naked into the muffin tin.
Bake for 20 minutes.
For the topping mix 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil (or butter) with 2 tablespoons honey and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
When the poppers are done, as soon as you remove them from the oven using a 1/4 teaspoon measuring spoon drizzle 1/4 teaspoon of the topping mixture on each popper.
The topping will melt into the popper and will also spill down and soak into the bottom.
Carefully remove each popper by sliding a butter knife in between the popper and the muffin tin. They should not stick because of the coconut flour placed under each one but I had a couple that were still a little stubborn and didn't want to come loose.
Please let me know if you have any questions, comments or suggestions!
Would you like to learn more about Baking with Coconut Flour? Would you like to know:
-
How to successfully reproduce other people's recipes?
-
How to work with coconut flour?
-
How to adapt your favorite family recipes?
-
The steps I take to convert recipes (including a work sheet)?
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How to troubleshoot your flops and how to use your flops so that you don't waste expensive ingredients?
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The results of my experiment where I compared three different brand-name coconut flours?
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Sources for finding coconut flour, including my favorite?
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Why you might want to use coconut flour?
Baking with Coconut Flour will answer all these questions and will teach you how to use this unique flour to make delicious and nutritious baked goods that your friends and family will love.
Learn more here: Baking with Coconut Flour
Happy eating!
- ½ cup coconut flour, firmly packed (I use Tropical Traditions brand)**
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup applesauce (if you are making your own, you will need 1-1/2 pounds of apples)
- ⅓ cup coconut oil (I use Tropical Traditions Gold Label Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
- ¼ cup honey (I use Tropical Traditions certified organic, raw honey)
- If you have applesauce on hand, go ahead and use it. If you are making your own, there are a few extra steps, but well worth it, in my opinion!
- Applesauce Recipe
- /2 pounds apples (I used Honeycrisp)
- tablespoon coconut oil
- tablespoons water
- Wash and core your apples, slice into thin pieces (it's not necessary to peel).
- Place coconut oil and water into a saucepan with a thick bottom.
- Add apples. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove lid. Cook 5 minutes longer until liquid completely reduces.
- Cool apples, then add to a blender to make pureed apple.
- Measure out 1 cup of applesauce for this recipe.
- Apple Poppers Doughnut Holes
- Be sure to get an exact ½ cup of coconut flour by using the back of a straight edged knife to level off the flour even with the top edge of the measuring cup. Measure all dry ingredients (coconut flour down to cardamom) in a large mixing bowl. If you freeze your coconut flour (like I do with mine to keep it moist and fresh), you may sift after measuring to make sure there are no little hard clumps.
- Mix together.
- Add eggs, applesauce, coconut oil and honey to the dry ingredients.
- Using a hand mixer, blend for 1-2 minutes until completely mixed. As the coconut flour absorbs the liquids the mixture will go from a very runny consistency to a thicker consistency. (See photos for consistency)
- Add one tablespoon of coconut flour at a time until the batter has thickened. Note that it will still be very soft in texture, but it won't be runny.
- Allow the batter to sit for 5 minutes so that the coconut flour can absorb the liquids.
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Use coconut oil to grease a mini muffin tin.
- Lightly sprinkle coconut flour into the bottom of each muffin cup.
- Measure out two tablespoons of batter for each popper. I have one of these and they make the job MUCH easier. Instead of having to meld two tablespoons together I just scoop and drop into the mini muffin tins: Norpro 703 Grip-EZ 2-Tablespoon Stainless Scoop.
- The batter should be of the consistency where you can pick it up in your hands and form into a little ball. If you have to use a tablespoon measurement, be sure that you completely meld the two parts together, otherwise when they bake you will end up with little splits and fissures where you placed them together. If by chance your batter is not thick enough, add in coconut flour by the teaspoon waiting a minute or two in between adding more.
- Drop into the muffin tins. I don't advise using cupcake papers for this recipe - in the last step you will drizzle a liquid cinnamon topping which will make a sticky mess of the papers so it is best to just put them bare naked into the muffin tin.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- For the topping mix 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil (or butter) with 2 tablespoons honey and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
- When the poppers are done, as soon as you remove them from the oven using a ¼ teaspoon measuring spoon drizzle ¼ teaspoon of the topping mixture on each popper.
- The topping will melt into the popper and will also spill down and soak into the bottom.
- Carefully remove each popper, they should not stick because of the coconut flour placed under each one but I had a couple that were still a little stubborn and didn't want to come loose.
Hi, so i made these and i have been cooking them for 30 minutes now and they are so soft and not forming into something i can pick up without it crumbling? Any suggestions on what went wrong? thanks
Sarah, was the dough really moist when you formed the balls? Maybe your batter was too dry? ~Starlene
Hi! Made these today and the taste is delicious!! They are quite dense though and a bit too moist. Is that how they are supposed to turn out? Otherwise, maybe I didn’t add enough coconut flour?? I was able to form balls although my batter was sticking to my hands quite a bit…
Hi Karine, since they were a little sticky when forming them, I think you’re right they may have needed just a touch more coconut flour. They sure are tasty little bites! Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment! Best, Starlene