Name: Saffron Donuts with Rosewater Icing
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Gluten Free
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups gluten free all purpose flour; 1 cup fine almond flour; 1 teaspoon saffron strands; 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon baking powder; ¼ teaspoon baking soda; ¼ teaspoon sea salt; ¾ cup dairy free milk; ¼ cup organic vegetable oil (or your favorite neutral oil); ¾ cup maple syrup; 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract; 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted; 1 ½ tablespoons* dairy free milk; 1-2 drops rosewater essence; natural food coloring, optional

Make these saffron donuts with rosewater icing for Valentines breakfast or any day of the year. Light pink donuts flavored with saffron and rose are the perfect sweet!

recipe originally published February 8, 2012

Saffron Donuts with Rosewater Icing

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 Saffron Donuts with Rosewater Icing 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.

Do you cook with saffron? What kinds of dishes do you make with it?

Did you make this recipe?

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Yield: 12 donuts or muffins

Saffron Donuts with Rosewater Icing

These light pink donuts are flavored with saffron and rose and the perfect amount of sweet!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

Saffron Donuts

1 ½ cups gluten free all purpose flour
1 cup fine almond flour
1 teaspoon saffron strands
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¾ cup dairy free milk
¼ cup organic vegetable oil (or your favorite neutral oil)
¾ cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Pink Rosewater Icing

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 ½ tablespoons* dairy free milk
1-2 drops rosewater essence
natural food coloring, optional

Instructions

Make saffron donuts

Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter / oil your donut pan or muffin tin.
Using a mortar and pestle or the back of a spoon and a bowl, combine saffron strands and the ½ teaspoon granulated sugar. Grind the saffron strands into powder.
In a mixing bowl, sift together the gluten free all purpose flour, almond flour, saffron powder, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt.
To the dry ingredients, add the milk, oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Stir until no dry flour remains.
Divide the batter evenly in the donut pan or muffin tin.
Transfer to the oven and bake at 350° F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
When donuts are cool enough to touch, transfer them to a cooling rack.
Cool completely before icing.

While donuts bake, prepare icing

Sift powdered sugar into mixing bowl.
Whisk in milk. *Adjust amount of milk for desired consistency.
Whisk in rosewater and food coloring if using.
When completely cool, dip each donut into icing and return to cooling rack or parchment lined baking sheet to set.

about Kristina:

Kristina is spabettie! She found cooking at an early age, and created spabettie in 2010 to share vegan recipes. Kristina turned her culinary training into sharing vibrant vegan food! Read more...

spabettie / Kristina Sloggett is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Comments

Carmella says

February 10, 2016 at 8:02 am

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...

Heather | girlichef says

February 13, 2015 at 4:35 pm

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. 🙂

- Kristina Sloggett says
  
  February 16, 2015 at 7:30 pm
  
  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!
  
bb says

February 13, 2015 at 11:53 am

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.

- Kristina Sloggett says
  
  February 16, 2015 at 7:36 pm
  
  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!
  
pam (Sidewalk Shoes) says

February 13, 2015 at 9:50 am

I need to get a donut pan!!! I love this. Saffron!

- Kristina Sloggett says
  
  February 16, 2015 at 7:40 pm
  
  the doughnut pan was a good addition, Pam - I use it often! 🙂
  
Alisa @ Go Dairy Free says

February 13, 2015 at 9:22 am

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!

- Kristina Sloggett says
  
  February 16, 2015 at 7:41 pm
  
  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...
  
Brandon @ Kitchen Konfidence says

February 13, 2015 at 7:00 am

These are gorgeous! I'm loving the flavors here. I had a saffron doughnut once here in San Diego, and I loooooved it.

- Kristina Sloggett says
  
  February 16, 2015 at 7:43 pm
  
  thank you Brandon! saffron is such a lovely flavor, and goes so well with rose, I think. now I want a doughnut... 😉
  
Rachel Cooks says

February 13, 2015 at 4:22 am

Wow! These are stunners.

- Kristina Sloggett says
  
  February 16, 2015 at 7:43 pm
  
  thank you Rachel!
  
Pat says

April 18, 2012 at 6:46 pm

these are beautiful, unique flavors

Gail says

February 14, 2012 at 7:44 pm

I love saffron, and bookmarked this lovely recipe!

- spabettie says
  
  February 17, 2012 at 2:20 pm
  
  yay, Gail! hope you like them! 🙂

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Saffron Donuts with Rosewater Icing

Saffron Donuts with Rosewater Icing

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