Freshly Milled Kamut Pumpkin Cake Donuts with Sourdough
These freshly milled Kamut Pumpkin Cake Donuts with sourdough are a special and fun snack treat during the fall season! The cake-y donut texture and favorite flavors of cinnamon spice and sugar, will have the whole family asking for these over and over again!
Packed with nutrients and minerals from freshly milled flour, these healthy pumpkin cake donuts are a yummy alternative to store bought donuts, but you are still getting the familiar texture and flavor of a store-bought donut!
Each bite is like a full burst of fall! Cozy, warm spices mingled with strong pumpkin flavor of the season.
These donuts are perfect on a crisp fall morning with your hot cup of coffee, or alongside a mug of your favorite tea on a cool evening!
Looking for other fall inspired recipes? Check out Sourdough Pumpkin Whoopie Pies, Kamut Pumpkin Bars and Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal!
Why you should make these Kamut Pumpkin Cake Donuts
No frying required!- this easy donut recipe doesn’t need hot oil and frying. All it takes is a donut pan or even a mini muffin tin works if you don’t have a donut pan on hand.
You can use a donut pan like this kind!
Healthy ingredients– no boxed mixes or white flour in this recipe! The key ingredients are fresh milled flour like Kamut and sourdough starter! The rest of the items are things you likely have in your pantry on hand.
Uses up sourdough starter– I hate to dump starter down the drain! Such a waste! In this recipe you can use starter that is active or discard. The discard can be something from earlier in the day, or what has been sitting in your fridge for a week! This recipe is a great way to use up any sourdough starter that you have.
Special ingredients in this recipe
This recipe uses two special ingredients: Kamut flour and sourdough starter. Each of them offer added nutritional benefits and amazing distinct flavor. Together, these complement each other well and make a delicious, flavorful and healthy cake donut for the fall season!
Here is what you need to know about both Kamut and sourdough starter and their benefits!
(While Kamut is the grain I used in this recipe, feel free to substitute with other grains of choice.)
What is Kamut
Kamut is an ancient grain that has Egyptian origins and has not been processed or genetically altered. It may be more commonly heard of as khorasan wheat.
My family was introduced to kamut very early in our homesteading/grinding whole grain journey and it immediately became the one and only replacement for all purpose flour for us.
Kamut has a rich buttery taste with a natural sweetness and no unpleasant aftertaste. Bread baked with Kamut, possesses a fine, cake like texture and has a very light amber color.
Not only does the Kamut grain offer more nutrients and minerals then regular whole wheat flour, but it also has about 20-40% more protein than typical wheat breads, has a higher vitamin and mineral content and is more easily digested. When it is freshly milled, there are additional benefits and better taste available!
There are many kamut recipes available online or in cookbooks, but finding ones that are to be favorites to replace white flour recipes, can be challenging. This recipe is one that you can count on and that can become a new staple for you.
Things to know about Kamut
Kamut is highly favored for its naturally sweet yet mild flavor .
Although the Kamut grain contains gluten, many wheat sensitive people can tolerate Kamut as an alternative to regular wheat, because of the lower gluten content.
Kamut makes amazing flavorful bread, cookies, muffins, rolls and cakes!
Kamut has become accepted by children, as they love the natural sweetness and texture of this grain.
Not only does it taste great – it is very good for you!
Benefits of sourdough
Sourdough is the process of fermentation by the natural use of lactic bacteria acid which is the natural yeasts in the environment around us. Adding sourdough starter to your Kamut baked goods offers several nutritional benefits plus it gives a wonderful familiar ‘tang’ to the baked good.
A sourdough starter has so many health benefits; easier to digest, addictive tangy taste, full of vitamins and probiotics due to the fermentation process.
It supports gut health and digestibly by the process of breaking down the complex carbohydrates and proteins, and increasing the prebiotics which make it easier for our bodies to digest. It also feeds healthy bacteria to the gut, which in turn supports so many other aspects of our health!
If you have sourdough starter needing to be used up, this is the perfect recipe to make! You can use active (fed) starter or sourdough discard. Either will work fine in this recipe!
Do your own research on the numerous health benefits of sourdough.
What kind of flour starter does this recipe need?
You can use any starter you have on hand – no specific flour type is needed for this recipe. If it is fed with white flour that is fine! It doesn’t need to be specific Kamut fed sourdough starter.
Why Freshly Milled Grain?
The internet and the world around us is becoming more aware and interested in the benefits of grinding whole grains and using “fresh milled flour”, which is essentially grain kernels that are freshly ground.
Using fresh flour that you mill yourself means you get the benefits of rich and fresh flavor with a slightly nutty taste and texture.
Supposedly, flour starts loosing its nutritional components as soon as THREE days after being ground! Wow! That says a lot about the benefits of freshly ground grain!
Freshly milled grains contain many nutrients and vitamins because you are consuming the whole grain; it has not been stripped of its properties during the processing phase.
Freshly milled grains contain:
B vitamins
Zinc
Magnesium
Antioxidants
Iron
Folate
Essential oils
Thiamin
and much more!
When you use freshly milled grains, you are benefiting from the nutrients and vitamins that are available in the whole grain!
Check out my favorite tools for baking with fresh milled grains in the kitchen!
Popular freshly milled recipes you might like!
- Kamut mini chocolate cake donuts
- Easy Kamut biscuits
- The best Kamut cinnamon rolls
- Kamut pumpkin pie cinnamon rolls
- Kamut pancakes
- Kamut walnut chocolate chip cookies
- Kamut lemon bars
- Kamut blueberry muffins
- Kamut pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting
Tips and tricks
You can use any starter you have on hand – no specific flour type is needed for this recipe. If it is fed with white flour that is fine! It doesn’t need to be specific Kamut fed sourdough starter.
Allow the donuts to cool slightly before dipping in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
If the cinnamon and sugar mixture doesn’t;t stick to the donuts, you can first dip them in a little melted coconut oil.
You can prepare the batter ahead of time and keep it covered in the fridge until ready to use. This is especially beneficial for the sourdough starter benefits.
I like to use sugar -free sweetener like this kind, but it is not necessary. Regular brown sugar or unrefined sugar/evaporated cane juice is good also.
This recipe is not egg free but you can experiment with using an egg replacement option like flax seed and water or this egg replacer from Amazon.
Equipment you may need
Donut pan
Mixing bowl or mixer
Measuring cups and spoons
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Recipe
1/4 cup sourdough starter (active or discard is fine)
2 eggs
3/4 cup pure pumpkin puree
1/4 cup oil (I like to use olive, avocado or melted coconut oil)
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup evaporated cane juice, unrefined sugar or conventional brown sugar (I like to use this sugar-free brown sugar replacement)
1 1/2 cups freshly milled Kamut flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a donut pan or mini muffin tin.
In a large bowl, combine the sourdough starter, eggs, pumpkin puree, oil, and vanilla.
Add the sweetener of choice and mix until fully incorporated.
Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice and mix until everything comes together and there are no lumps.
To put the batter into the donut pan or mini muffin tin, you can use a small ice cream scooper, two spoons, or put the batter into a ziplock baggie and cut a tiny hole in the corner to pipe the dough out of. You will want to fill the pan up about 3/4 of the way in each section.
Bake for about 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
Allow the donuts to cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan before transferring them to a cooling rack. While they are cooling, prepare the topping.
Combine the cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl.
Dip both sides of the donuts in the cinnamon sugar mixture. (Or tops of the muffins). If it isn’t sticking to the donut, then dip the donuts slightly in a little melted coconut oil or better, then back into the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
Transfer to a container and store up to 5 days for best freshness.
Pin this recipe for later!
What to serve with Kamut pumpkin cake donuts
Your favorite tea is always a good idea! Whether fruit, herbal or black, hot tea is a classic comfort drink that accompanies so many baked goods perfectly!
A cup of good clean coffee is my common go-to. I use this coffee that isn’t too acidic for me and I know it was sourced sustainably and in a good environment. I can feel good about drinking this coffee all day!
Freshly Milled Kamut Pumpkin Cake Donuts with Sourdough
These Freshly Milled Kamut Pumpkin Cake Donuts with sourdough are a special and fun snack treat during the fall season! The cake-y donut texture and favorite flavors of cinnamon spice and sugar, will have the whole family asking for these over and over again!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup sourdough starter (active or discard is fine)
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup pure pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup oil (I like to use olive, avocado or melted coconut oil)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2/3 cup brown sugar (I like to use this sugar-free kind)
- 1 1/2 cups freshly milled Kamut flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
- 1/2 cup evaporated cane juice or unrefined sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a donut pan or mini muffin tin.
- In a large bowl, combine the sourdough starter, eggs, pumpkin puree, oil, and vanilla.
- Add the sweetener of choice and mix until fully incorporated.
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice and mix until everything comes together and there are no lumps.
- To put the batter into the donut pan or mini muffin tin, you can use a small ice cream scooper, two spoons, or put the batter into a ziplock baggie and cut a tiny hole in the corner to pipe the dough out of. You will want to fill the pan up about 3/4 of the way in each section.
- Bake for about 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
- Allow the donuts to cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan before transferring them to a cooling rack. While they are cooling, prepare the topping.
- Combine the cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl.
- Dip both sides of the donuts in the cinnamon sugar mixture. (Or tops of the muffins). If it isn’t sticking to the donut, then dip the donuts slightly in a little melted butter, then back into the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Transfer to a container and store unto 5 days for best freshness.
Notes
You can use any starter you have on hand – no specific flour type is needed for this recipe. If it is fed with white flour that is fine! It doesn’t need to be specific Kamut fed sourdough starter. Allow the donuts to cool slightly before dipping in the cinnamon sugar mixture. If the cinnamon and sugar mixture doesn't;t stick to the donuts, you can first dip them in a little melted coconut oil. You can prepare the batter ahead of time and keep it covered in the fridge until ready to use. This is especially beneficial for the sourdough starter benefits. I like to use sugar -free sweetener like this kind, but it is not necessary. Regular brown sugar or unrefined sugar/evaporated cane juice is good also. This recipe is not egg free but you can experiment with using an egg replacement option like flax seed and water or this egg replacer from Amazon.
A little about me!
Hi! I’m Rebecca, wife and mother and I love homemaking and cooking on a daily basis.
Baking healthy desserts and cooking nutritious filled foods is a passion that I have and that is reflected in the recipes I post here!
Read more about me here.
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Happy baking!
