Saffron Donuts with Rosewater Icing – for Valentines breakfast or any day of the year, these light pink donuts are flavored with saffron and rose and the perfect amount of sweet!
Here I am with another pink and yellow dessert.
I have had the flavors of this doughnut in my head for a while. I couldn’t wait to taste it, and I have to say, they are as good as I imagined they would be.
These will be a unique and decadent Valentines breakfast or dessert option. Well, one of them. It’s Valentines Week around here, I cannot limit myself to one pink dessert.
I love the complex flavor saffron brings, and pairing it with a subtle rosewater is simply meant to be. I love these flavors, I love these doughnuts.
Saffron Donuts with Rosewater Icing
dairy, gluten and soy free, vegan
makes 6 doughnuts
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup gluten free 1:1 flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch sea salt
1/4 cup coconut milk (So Delicious carton)
3 large pinches saffron strands (or 1 teaspoon powdered)
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup coconut oil
INSTRUCTIONS:
Pour coconut milk into mixing bowl, pinch saffron strands between fingers to break strands, stir into milk. Add maple syrup, vinegar and oil.
In separate bowl*, combine flour, baking powder and salt, add to liquid mixture. Fill doughnut pan between 1/2 – 3/4 full (or use muffin tin).
Bake at 375 for 12 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes clean. Allow to cool before icing.
*the way my mom taught me when I was 5: mix all wet ingredients; add flour on top of wet but do not mix – add remaining dry ingredients to the flour, mix into just the flour, then mix into wet ingredients. Save a bowl!
Rosewater Icing
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 1/2 tablespoons* coconut milk
1 drop rosewater essence
coloring, optional (I used Seelect Tea – vegan + organic)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Sift powdered sugar into mixing bowl. Whisk in coconut milk, *adjusting amount for desired consistency. Mix in a drop of rosewater essence and color if using.
Do you cook with saffron? What kinds of dishes do you make with it?
printable Saffron Donuts with Rosewater Icing recipes:
- 1 cup gluten free 1:1 flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- pinch sea salt
- ¼ cup coconut milk (So Delicious carton)
- 3 large pinches saffron strands (or 1 teaspoon powdered)
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- Pour coconut milk into mixing bowl, pinch saffron strands between fingers to break strands, stir into milk. Add maple syrup, vinegar and oil.
- In separate bowl*, combine flour, baking powder and salt, add to liquid mixture. Fill doughnut pan between ½ - ¾ full (or use muffin tin).
- Bake at 375 for 12 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes clean. Allow to cool before icing.
- *the way my mom taught me when I was 5: mix all wet ingredients; add flour on top of wet but
- do not mix - add remaining dry ingredients to the flour, mix into just the flour, then mix into wet ingredients. Save a bowl!
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1½ tablespoons* coconut milk
- 1 drop rosewater essence
- coloring, optional (I used Seelect Tea - vegan + organic)
- Sift powdered sugar into mixing bowl. Whisk in coconut milk, *adjusting amount for desired consistency. Mix in a drop of rosewater essence and color if using.
Not that these aren’t awesome already, but if you added sprinkles to the top, they would look like the “Simpsons Doughnuts.”
Awesome flavor combo! I love rose flavored desserts and I bet rose and saffron make for an unusual and exotic treat.
When I can stomach the expense of saffron (seriously how can those tiny little strands cost so darn much!?) I love using it for cooking. I’ve never used it in a dessert, usually just savory dishes (specifically risotto) but I bet it’s wonderful in these donuts, which are gorgeous by the way 🙂
I love donuts. I have been trying to use rosewater more frequently, because I accidentally ended up with two bottles in my pantry. It’s so hard to find the right combinations.
Saffron is SO expensive that I’ve never had the opportunity to bake with it. BUT it’s on my list of things to purchase by the CASE when I’m in India in a couple of days. I’ll definitely be making these donuts when I get back home 🙂
I am so in love with the colors of these donuts, sister! Once again, you did a fabulous job–would I have expected anything different from you?? Of course not 🙂 I cannot wait to try these! xo
Not only do the donuts sound perfect, but that pink and yellow is just so gorgeous, Kris! YUM and beautiful all in one!
I love your pretty desserts! I really don’t cook with saffron ever.
I haven’t made much with saffron (I’ve only used it once, I think). But I am always intrigued by it–it’s so interesting and unique!
The donuts look super good (as always!) 🙂
I just can never get over your beautiful food photos. You inspire me, to be better with my camera (I suck) and in the kitchen. XO!!
These look stunning. Love the flavour combinations too.
we usually use saffron in indian sweets and in rice.. i am loving it in the doughnut! with the rose water icing.. it is almost an indian gulab jamun!
Saffron in doughnut, definitely unique and decadent and definitely for breakfast.
Hahaha, everything on pink here! Even more than usual. 😉
oh, wow! these look amazing and I’m sure taste incredible. I’ve never baked with saffron, but this recipe might just change that. I have some new things to add to my grocery list.
These are perfect for a valentine’s day treat. They look so yummy!!
I love saffron. I steep it in hot cocoa.
Kris, will you be my valentine? Ryan Gosling bailed on me!
Yummy! My hubs loves saffron (has it every nite) so I’m sure he’d love these. Just need a donut pan…
That’s it. I’m moving to Portland. Make room on your couch or put a tent up in the backyard. 🙂
WEEEEE!! yours wouldn’t be the first friend’s tent in our yard… 😀 and if you’re sleeping inside, you just may wake up to Basil’s head sharing your pillow 🙂
That would be happy times, sharing a pillow with the sweet Basil-man. 🙂
it definitely is… okay, we need to make this happen for you. <3
I so very much look forward to the day! The way things have been going I’m going to have to win the lottery first, but I’m working on it. 😉
these look beautiful – i love cooking with saffron, put it in soups, jams and baked goods. for my biz, i also made a soda around xmas, clementine with cardamon & saffron. it was super tasty w/beautiful color.
I love saffron, and bookmarked this lovely recipe!
yay, Gail! hope you like them! 🙂
these are beautiful, unique flavors
Wow! These are stunners.
thank you Rachel!
These are gorgeous! I’m loving the flavors here. I had a saffron doughnut once here in San Diego, and I loooooved it.
thank you Brandon! saffron is such a lovely flavor, and goes so well with rose, I think. now I want a doughnut… 😉
Saffron, really? I wish I could see into your brain to discover how these flavor ideas come up! I don’t cook with saffron enough – it is one of those things I easily forget about!
saffron and rose are some of my favorite flavors – in college I used to make an Arabic tea with these ingredients – so good! I should make it again…
I need to get a donut pan!!! I love this. Saffron!
the doughnut pan was a good addition, Pam – I use it often! 🙂
Looks gorgeous and is a favorite flavor combo of mine. Have you ever made Persian Love cake? http://www.dirtylaundrykitchen.com/persian-love-cake/ I wonder if you could use coconut flour in the mix as well? I don’t know much about gluten free ap flour. Not sure what I would need to do to make a blend.
coconut flour is a tough one – you could use a small amount in a blend, not replacing the full amount – coconut flour is very absorbent, so using a small amount is recommended.
thank you for sharing that recipe, Barrett – the flavors sound so good and I am intrigued by the Rose Petal Spread – I will definitely be looking for that!
This is a gorgeous flavor combination, very middle eastern! I haven’t used saffron in a while, but I want to pick some more up. And I do love the pink and yellow together. 🙂
I love the pink and yellow too – and yes, these flavors remind me of an Arabic tea I loved in college – saffron and rose, so SO good!
Wow, these sound incredibly fancy! I stopped and looked at saffron in the grocery store for a solid 60 seconds before deciding not to get it since I didn’t really have anything in mind to make with it. But now…