Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and spray a 6 regular size donut pan well with nonstick spray. Wipe off any excess if it's pooling at the bottom. If you don't spray them, they WILL STICK. This recipe makes 6 regular size donuts. This may VARY depending on your pan having different donut size holes or depth of each one.

Step 2

First, make the pecan flour by adding a half cup of pecans to a food processor or vitamix. This will happen VERY quickly in a vitamix. I actually find it's much easier to get a flour consistency (that doesn't get too wet fast) in a food processor. You don't want to overprocess or it will turn into paste. Pecans are naturally very oily, so if you overprocess it will quickly go from flour to paste. Process starting on slow and then high until it's a flour, just a few seconds. See photo in post how it should look. You don't want big chunks, but should be a meal consistency. If nut-free, you will use the sunflower seeds option, getting it as fine as you can.

Step 3

Now make sure to measure out just 63 grams from the ground up pecan meal. You may have slightly extra from the processor, so just eat it. Add to a large bowl. If you weighed the correct amount of pecans, it will be the correct amount of flour. If you didn't weigh, make sure to use the correct amount of pecan flour.

Step 4

To the bowl of pecan flour, add the rice flour, potato starch, baking powder, apple pie spice and salt and whisk very well to ensure there are no lumps.

Step 5

Add the apple cider and syrup over the dry ingredients and whisk until completely smooth. It will seem too runny at first, but whisk a good 30 seconds or so until completely smooth and it thickens up a bit. It should be similar to a cake batter, very smooth and pourable. Do not worry about overmixing, this is a gluten-free batter and the smoother, the better. If making the version with the all-purpose flour, whisk gently just until all moistened and smooth, don't overmix or your donuts will be chewy.

Step 6

Be warned if you taste the batter, it's the yummiest batter I think I've ever tasted. The rice flour version will have a gritty texture if you taste the batter, but will 100% not be detected in the baked result. Divide the batter evenly into the 6 donut pan, basically almost to the very top, as in the photo. I like to spoon it in pouring from a measuring cup with a pour spout going around the donut cavity, so it's not messy and catching drippings quickly with my spoon. Smooth out the tops with the back of a spoon or pick up the pan and give it a side-to-side shake to even out the batter.

Step 7

Bake just 10 minutes! Both versions were perfect at 10 minutes. These bake up very quickly, so do not overbake or they will turn dry. But, as always, use the toothpick test, as you know ovens can vary, so yours may be done a minute quicker or later.

Step 8

While the donuts are baking, make the sugar mixture. Combine the apple pie spice and sugar into a wide shallow bowl and whisk until blended.

Step 9

Cool in the pan for 15 minutes only and then use a toothpick to help lift out each donut. This works best to remove them carefully. Use the bottom sides of the donuts (the sprayed side) to coat in the sugar mixture. It will stick perfectly because of the nonstick spray. I did not coat both sides since I felt they had enough sugar on just one side, but if you want to coat both, either lightly brush a little non-dairy milk, butter or oil to help the sugar stick.

Step 10

Let them cool completely and enjoy! Store any leftovers at room temperature covered well so they don't dry out. These actually taste even better a couple hours after they have baked. The apple flavor seems to intensify, as does the moisture, as they sit.