The Samoa Donut Strikes again:
So, a number of years ago I had the privilege of posting my all time favorite treat to Juli Bauer’s blog, PaleOMG, the grain-free Samoa Donut, and of course, they were a hit! I mean, who wouldn’t like a Samoa Girl Scout Cookie….in donut form? Not long after that post, we signed a contract to write My Paleo Patisserie (That’s my cookbook! If you haven’t seen it, check it out HERE!) Anyway, as with all awesome things, they deserve to be “one-upped” by even more awesome things! And so I give you…..Samoa Donut Ice Cream Sandwiches!
I’ll say that again: Samoa. Donut. Ice. Cream. Sandwiches.
Yea…these babies just had to happen, and I’m so very glad that I made them; they are the perfect summer treat! But here’s the thing, with three more years of recipe writing and a full-blown pastry book under my belt, my approach to Paleo baking and recipe writing has evolved considerably. So, below is a revised version for some of the recipes that make up this amazing dessert. It’s not that the originals weren’t great, it’s just that I wanted them to be the best that they can be! This updated Samoa donut recipe is both lighter and bakes more beautifully. But more importantly, the new instructions are simply more user-friendly! The process of writing and editing a cookbook will make you cringe at everything you have ever written before it…and I mean EVER!
So feel free to dive in and try these babies out. They are actually very simple….despite consisting of several different recipes, haha!. And they are super fun to make. Each component of the Samoa Donut Ice Cream sandwiches can be made ahead of time and assembled when ready. Take a read though everything before you get started so that you have all you need. Ive included some great new tips to getting awesome donuts!
Take a moment to read though everything before you get started, to ensure you have all that you’ll need. And I’ve included some great new tips to getting awesome donuts, that you do not want to miss!
What you need:
Samoa Donut: (Revised recipe from my old guest post at PaleOMG, See the original HERE)
Ingredients:
2 cups (200g) fine almond flour (FIND it)
1/2 cup arrowroot flour* (FIND it)
2 teaspoons grain free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs plus 1 large egg white, at room temperature
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup (or 50/50)
1/3 cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla
*Can also sub with tapioca flour if needed (but not cassava flour, sorry.)
Method:
1. Preheat your donut maker machine (see note for options)*
2. In a large bowl whisk or sift together the flours, baking powder and salt to combine.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg white, liquid sweetener, coconut oil, lemon juice and vanilla. Be sure the eggs are at room temperature, or the cold will cause the coconut oil to harden in the batter.
4. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and whisk till smooth.
5. Fill each donut mold in the machine with 2 tablespoons of batter. I use THIS 2 tablespoon mechanical cookie scoop. It’s the perfect amount of batter to fit the molds! The amount of batter needed may vary if using a donut pan or a different machine than used here.
*Important Note: I highly recommend making these donuts in a donut maker machine (like THIS one). Donut pans will work, but there is a huge difference in the texture when a machine is used. Not only do the donuts cook faster (about 3 minutes), but they cook from both sides, at the same time. This makes them much more “cake donut” like in texture. When baked, in the oven they are more like a muffin bread, with a larger crumb. If using a mini donut pan, preheat the oven to 325 degrees and bake the donuts for about 15 minutes or until the top springs backed when lightly pressed. Cooking times will vary some depending on individual pans and ovens. So check them after about 10 minutes (not before) to get a feel for where they are at.
The rest of the things you need…
Dairy Free Caramel:
Get the recipe HERE:
Chocolate Coating:
Melt one bag (about 10 ounces) dark chocolate chips (dairy free, 70-85% cacao is perfect) in a heat proof bowl over simmering water, or in a double broiler. Stir in 2 teaspoons of ghee, butter or palm shortening until melted and incorporated. This will help the chocolate to not harden too much and crack in the freezer. Take care to not let any drops of water touch the chocoalte or it could seize.
Toasted Coconut:
Toast about 1 cup of shredded coconut in a pan over medium heat until golden. It can burn fast, so watch out! Alternatively, you can toast is in the oven.
Ice Cream:
Get a pint of your favorite Dairy Free vanilla ice cream or make your own. I have a fabulous dairy free one in My Paleo Patisserie. You want it to be soft enough to scoop and squish between the donut pieces, but not too melty.
Assembling the Samoa Donuts:
Pro tip: First, I like to start with a chilled cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. This helps the warm chocolate set faster and not spread out too much.
1. Have your warm caramel, melted chocolate, toasted coconut and donuts ready.
2. Dip one side of a donut in the melted chocolate, not quite half way up. Place the donut, chocolate side down onto the chilled cookie sheet. Once all the donuts have been dipped, place them in the freezer for about 5 minutes or until the chocolate is set.
3. Now dip the other side of the donuts in the warm caramel. Smooth the caramel with your finger if needed, then immediately dip the caramel side into the toasted coconut. Place the donut back onto the cookie sheet, chocolate side down.
4. Pour the rest of the melted chocolate into a small piping bag (or zip lock bag), secure the open end, then make a tiny snip at the other end with scissors. Make lines/stripes of chocolate on top of the coconut side, covering each donut.
5. Chill in the freezer until pretty firm before cutting in half for the sandwiches.
Assembling the sandwiches:
Cut the donuts in half and fill with ice cream. I like to use THIS 2 tablespoon mechanical cookie scoop and fill it with the ice cream, but don’t form it into a ball. Instead, fill the scoop, then flatten and smooth the bottom side and release the ice cream (rounded side up) onto the bottom half of the donut. Then using the back of a measuring cup, gently flatten the other side (see above picture example). Place the donut top on the ice cream and gently press downward to secure. Freeze until hardened.
Can be stored in a freezer safe container or bag once frozen solid. I don’t keep them longer than a week. If they last past a day anyway!
This is my first time discovering your work, and I am absolutely in love. will be picking up the book!
Wow these are absolutely stunning!! Wish I had these for breakfast right now! 🙂
I’m literally drooling all over myself right now! Wishing I had one of these ice cream sandwiches in front of my at this very moment! You can never go wrong with donuts and ice cream, ESPECIALLY when the donuts are samoa flavored!!!
Oh my gosh!!! This is genius!
The cake donut recioe is great on its own and do vetsatile. I added mini chic chips and made a wuick donut for my kids. They were a hit!
They look soooo good, but I’m bummed! I’m trying to get away from using non-stick surface bakeware and appliances – like babycakes donut maker. I can’t find cast iron donut pans. Any suggestions?
There’s not a lot of good stuff out there. I don’t really worry about. We eat donuts very rarely, maybe twice a year. If I were to be eating them everyday I might worry, haha. And, all non stick was reformulated a few years back to be PFOA free, so that that they don’t release the gasses that they used to. So they are much safer. So I’m good with minimal use.
Thanks much! I guess that would keep me from eating them everyday – something I’m likely to do!
Thank you for all of your amazing creativity and generosity in sharing your recipes! I cannot wait to try these out- is it possible to fry these donuts in coconut oil vs. using a donut maker? Thank you!
Unfortunately no because they are a cake donut made for a batter.
Im trying to figuRe out how these are Paleo???
I sEe that they are gluten free but loaded with dairy picK your favorite ice cream whaaat? And chocolate chips melted? Sugar?
Am I missing something? Im seriuosly noT Trying to be ARGUMENTATIVE
But I dO fInd it confusing as for health
Reasons and training purposes I take it seriously if suGar and Dairy were ok to eAt theyD be in every paleo book and Id be having donuts gor breakfast
I donT see the compromIse oN things You say you oNly eat donuts like 2x a year that forsnt make them paleo and would it be woth buying Snother appliance gor a recommmended 2x a year? Also a compromised sppliance that has non stick? Your andwer to being quEried @an alternativevto non stick was
1)its better then it Used to be
2 We only eat donuts 2x a year whaaat?
Id say walk the tAlk or call it gluten free but noT cool to ENCOURAGE folks to eat sugar and dairy because you dO and label it Paleo
Mahalo Nui Loa Jana
“You’re not from around here are you?” http://www.mypaleopatisserie.com
I finally made these and they are amazing! Thank you for such an amazing recipe!
Thank you for sharing! Glad you enjoyed them.
I am in the process of making these as I write this. Already finished the donuts, caramel, toasted coconut and chocolate. Just have to make the ice cream and assemble. My problem is whether or not the donuts can be sliced in half because they didn’t turn out as high/thick as the ones you made. I even ordered the donut maker you recommended. ARe the donuts suppose to be that flat (about 1 inch high)? Also I was only able to put 1 tbsp of batter into donut maker without spillage. Not sure why.
I’m sorry that you had trouble with these. Just made them yesterday morning actually. Sounds like one of your measurements was off or perhaps you used larger than “large”eggs.
That or somehow you added more than the amount of batter needed for the molds.
I’ve also had other people who accidentally used baking soda (as the original recipe called for it) instead of baking powder. That would also cause an over rise of the cake, and a collapse. Making them flat.
Your recipes look great. However, I am trying to keep my carbs low. Is there a substitute for maple sugar or packed maple sugar that I could swap out some or all of the sugar that would stil retain the bulk and texture of the recipe?
I wouldn’t really recommend this recipe if “low carb is the goal. I also do low carb and would only have this as a periodic treat.
i personally think that your ideas are innovative and brilliant! I purchased your book because I was impressed with your creative use of THE PALEO APPROVED ingredients and I’m eager to learn to do the same for myself. who doesn’t want delicious food to fit into their healthy lifestyle? i can’t wait to try and make these for the office for my birthday. I’m the only person at work who’s into the “PALEO LIFESTYLE” and i’d love to make a delicious alternative to the the carb and sugar loaded desserts that we are offered on a daily basis. I hope to show my coworkers and friends that healthy doesn’t have to mean deprived. my only question is APPROXIMATELY how many donuts does this recipe yield? I may have to triple or quadruple the recipe to make sure I make enough. Thank you very Much! i LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING MORE FROM YOU IN THE FUTURE! kEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!
just discovered your blog and i’m in loveeee! will definitely be making lots of these yummies!