Fork and Beans

Making food fun for the family

Vegan Snickers Mini Donuts

by

Sometimes I wonder if it’s not necessarily about allergies/intolerances to certain foods, rather having the incapability to properly express my emotions at times that causes such stress on my digestive system. It seems as if it’s through the times that I have difficulty fully expressing how I feel that my body rebels against me.

Vegan Snickers Mini Donuts - Fork & Beans

I don’t think I will ever fully understand the human body completely and the intimate relationship between body and soul; mind and emotions. There are times that I experience some of the worst physical pains in my stomach and then find that I have bottled my emotions up, only to find physical relief upon the first tear hitting my cheek. What a mystery indeed.

Vegan Snickers Mini Donuts - Fork & Beans

Do you ever just get tired of trying to figure everything out in regards to your health because you have realized that you never know what the next hour might bring that might possibly throw your current theory off its tracks? For example, I have been overindulging on foods I shouldn’t necessarily have been eating this weekend because, well, I have the tendancy to throw healthy habits out the window to a certain extent when feeling a bit off emotionally. Oddly, I have had no symptoms at all which has been strange. Then again I have been crying my face off so maybe, for my body, there is really is more of a deeper connection between expressing my emotions and how my body physical reacts, regardless of whatever I eat. Am I even making sense?

Vegan Snickers Mini Donuts - Fork & Beans

Regardless, how appropriate that these Snickers donuts would be what I create around this time in my life when the emotions are everywhere. Snickers are what I would grab back in the day when I was feeling down or even happy really as a kid. I wasn’t selective. Any emotion was sufficient. I find the irony of life interesting that in the midst of this current emotional place, I still find myself grabbing for a Snickers, despite the dairy, or lack thereof, content. Oh life. Aren’t you so funny.

Snickers Mini Donuts Recipe

Gluten, dairy, and egg free

Makes 16-18 mini donuts

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/3 c. sorghum flour (I use Authentic Foods brand)
  • 1/3 c. Brown rice flour (Authentic Foods)
  • 1/4 c. cocoa powder
  • 1/4 c. potato starch
  • 1/4 c. arrowroot powder
  • 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
  • (OR: 2/3 c. regular flour + 1/4 c. cocoa powder and omit xanthan gum)
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 c. brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 c. buttermilk (1/2 Tb apple cider vinegar + 1/2 c. non-dairy milk)
  • 1 1/2 tsp Ener-G egg replacer + 2 Tbs warm water, mixed til frothy
  • 1/4 c. oil
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Mix dry ingredients {from flours to salt} together until fully combined.
  3. Make a well in the center of the bowl. Add all the remainder of wet ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until just incorporated.
  4. Grease a mini donut pan.
  5. Place 1/2 batter into a ziploc baggie. Cut the corner of one side to use as an opening. This part is important in the shape of the donuts: Using one hand to firmly keep the dough flowing out of the hole, squirt the dough out in a circle in the pan.
  6. Bake 8 minutes. Allow to sit in the pan for 3 minutes after you take it out of the oven

Date Caramel Sauce

  • 8 dates, soaked in water for 1 hour {or omit soaking and double water}
  • 1/4 c. agave nectar or maple syrup
  • 3 Tbs coconut oil, solid (non-melted)
  • 6 Tbs water
  • Pinch of salt
  1. De-pit and chop dates into thick chunks.
  2. Place all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until completely smooth. Takes a good 5 minutes to get the right consistency
  3. Reserve 3 heaping Tbs {+ 1/2 c. peanuts} for topping.

Peanut and Caramel Frosting

  • 1/4 c. non-dairy butter {I like Fleischman’s}, softened
  • 1/4 c. creamy peanut butter
  • 1/4 c. date caramel mixture
  • 2 1/2 c. powdered sugar
  • 1 Tb non-dairy milk
  1. Mix butter, peanut butter and caramel mix together with an electric mixer on medium for 2 minutes, until fluffy.
  2. Add powdered sugar and mix. Add milk until creamy, smooth, and fluffy.
  3. Add 1 tsp caramel peanut mix into hole of donut.

  • Pipe frosting on top of donut.
  • Top with another tsp of caramel peanut topping and top with a vegan chocolate chip.

Vegan Snickers Mini Donuts - Fork & Beans

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

Almond Joy mini Donuts         Snickers Candy Bars                     

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Wow, Cara, you’ve got a new fan and follower right here 🙂 I recently went completely cow-milk free and have been craving all kinds of baked goods ever since. Your blog is such a relieve. I feel so inspired right now!

    If you like to, you can check out my blog as well, I try to cook as healthy and good as possible

    XO
    http://fashionfoodfight.wordpress.com/

    • So glad to hear of this, S! I am always touched knowing that others are in the same boat as I am and that we can all inspire each other. Once I get my head above water, I will head over to your blog–thanks for the link! xo

  3. I’m the same way, Cara…I cry and eat when I’m going through a tough time. And I think that tears do release those emotions and sometimes you just need to let your body do that…exhausting as it can be.

    I hope you’re taking care of yourself and getting strength from the love I can see in these comments.

    Those doughnuts look so decadent…I can just picture myself washing them down with a glass of cold soy milk 🙂

  4. I had to scroll back through your blog to find out what your latest post was all about. Why is it that I would love to give you a big fat long bear hug and I hardly know you? Prayers and well wishes coming your way.

    • I would gladly take that long bear hug!! I will hold you to it when I see you in Utah. However, I don’t snowboard–I hate being cold so it looks like I will be visiting in the summertime 🙂 SO grateful to be blogging friends, for reals. You are amazing. xo

  5. What the world needs now is Cara’s Snickering Mini Donuts — I hope a melody went off in your head my precious bestie!! BTW I wish your Zen would influence me because I had road rage like cray-cray today! Arg…but looking at your creations always makes me happy — you’re doing exactly what you’re supposed to be doing…and you are a delight (Lipton laugh cue)!

    • I have no words but I love you. Thank you for dinner the other night. Sending you zen vibes for the 405–though not sure if road rage can ever be cured while living in this city, ya heard?

  6. Your post made sense to me! Even though I know I have Celiac Disease and I follow the diet strictly, I still sometimes get sick and I have no clue why. I stress over it and feel lost as to what could be making me sick. Our GI tract really controls out whole body and I hate when mine is out of whack. I want to be comforted by foods, but when you don’t know what is bothering you, it can be frustrating. That aside, these donuts look amazing. I don’t even remember what Snickers taste like, but I remember liking them. Who couldn’t- caramel, peanuts…MMM!

  7. I don’t know what’s going on – but I hope you feel better (emotionally) soon. And these donuts? They could even get a card carrying donut hater like me to eat ’em. Beautiful!

    • Well if I wasn’t already feeling better then that sentence really did the trick! 🙂 But more importantly, I think we should discuss WHY on earth (or shall I say HOW on earth) can one be a donut hater??? This is blasphemous.

  8. Oh, I hear you. Emotions have such a strong effect on our bodies! The worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life had more to do with how scared I was at the time than what my body was going through– as soon as the fear was gone, I didn’t hurt at all. Strange but true.

    Also, as always, these look freaking delicious. I never really cared much for Snickers (really! put the pitchfork down Cara! I’m not maligning peanut butter again!) but you make me want to revisit that flavor combo…

    • My work here is done then. As long as I can bring people back to the throne of peanut butter, then I can sleep at night 🙂

      I don’t think I will ever understand the correlation of body and emotions. It’s the most strange yet beautiful connection really, isn’t it?

  9. *sneaksneaksneak* ::looks around and quicklygrabsacoupleofdoughnutsbeforeanyonenotices::

    Mmmmmm….
    Anyway, there are definite connections between feelings and eating habits and/or physical manifestations of said feelings. My jaws pop. Started back when I was a kid (due to stress). I hope you can find the happy place again. Go watch some Muppets and/or Simon’s Cat AND go visit cuteoverload.com
    🙂

  10. Dude, I hear ya…. my digestive issues play up so much when I’m not “right” emotionally… apparently the stomach/gut is where we hold onto un-dealt-with emotions, thus causing all sorts of digestive/absorption problems. It’s talked about it a lot in a few yoga books I’m reading at the moment.

    Snickers was always my go-to ‘I’m feeling sad want chocolatey caramel goodness NOW’ food. Oh remember those ice cream bar snickers? They were insane!

    These look fab, as usual Cara, I have grown to expect nothing less than wicked knickers from you… I am sending you a big cyber SQUUUUEeeeeZEY hug, and hope you feel better 🙂

    • I want my knickers to read “Wicked” from now on. And thank you for one of the best cyber hugs ever. You are the best, Lou. Now share what books you are reading!

  11. I am sorry you are feeling off, Cara. I, too, have been having a bit of an off week myself (and it’s only Tuesday). I have been a bit more emotional than usual and in turn my body feels a bit off. I agree 100% with you, it is all connected. Mind. Body. Soul. For me, yoga is my saving grace in times like this. It forces me to slow down, breathe and cherish each and every movement and moment. It allows me to be totally selfish for 90 minutes a day, without any guilt, only appreciation for the life that I do have, no matter how troubling it can seem to me on that day.
    After even the most stressful, trying and emotional day, I allow myself to let it all out and then I revel in the gratitude I experience as a result. I am thankful that I am in tune enough with myself to experience these emotions and not just shove them aside.
    You should be so proud of yourself, Cara, that you can not only acknowledge these feelings, but that you can express them and you don’t just bottle it up, hope for the best and complain about everything else. It is so hard for so many people to do. I really admire that about you! None of us are perfect, we all have our moments, but that is what makes this world such an amazing place. Take care of yourself, you are amazing! 🙂 xoxo

  12. Hi Cara, I’m sorry you’re not feeling too great. I’ve been having weeks like that recently as well. I’ve been trying to appreciate the beauty of the emotion(whatever it may be) at the moment I’m experiencing it. Sounds odd, but I’m trying to be grateful that I perceive enough in this world, understand enough about myself and others that allows me to experience sadness. For the faults in the universe or myself. When I’m angry, the passion and fire I feel is a gift. People who are in tune with their emotions, I find to be intelligent. I know it’s hard to think of this in the heat of the moment and you may be experiencing something entirely different. But whatever feelings you’re face with, instead of being angry at yourself, understand and accept that at this moment, you are “upset, disappointed, etc.” and then move on. Though I don’t know you, I can tell from your blog what a unique and beautiful person you are. When not everyone around you is like that, it gets difficult as well. Love the strength in your rage, the complexity in your sadness, and the magnificence of your happiness.
    Sincerely, your 16 year old friend 🙂

    • Where on earth did you come from? Seriously. You just made me cry, you old soul. This was positively beautiful and something that I hold dear to my heart. Thank you. xo, Your 33 year old friend 🙂

  13. those donuts are genius! and i hope they are helping you some.
    stress is totally going to put your system into whack.. doesnt matter what you eat.. I did not like eating at all most of 2010. Only when my stress levels started to get better, could i start digesting well, else i was on my way to skeletondom. Hope you find something to calm things down. Tight hugs! you can always ping me on fb or call me:) I dont know if i am great listener.. but we can try.
    Tight Hugs again.

    • Maybe once the uncontrollable sobbing stops I will take you up on the phone call offer. Right now, I’m just not sure if you will be able to decipher my words with the hysterical heaving going on… Thank you for that, Richa…

  15. I’m so sorry to hear you aren’t feeling your best! I really hope you are feeling better soon and I am sending out happy vibes to you 🙂

    These look delicious! I never ate snickers bars really (I was more of a Crispy Crunch and Oh Henry kinda girl) but I would definitely eat these donuts thats for sure! These look delicious!!

    • I cannot believe you never had a Snickers. They were the tastiest and in my opinion, far superior candy bar 🙂 But a Crunch was pretty high up there as well…
      Thanks for the happy vibes. Can you send them double time my way? I’m really going to need them.

  16. I’m sorry you aren’t feeling 100% Cara. If you ever need to chat, I’m a really good listener! I went to school for 6 years to learn how to listen so I’m REALLY good at it 🙂

    These are adorable and delicious looking and amazing. All of these things also apply to you. Just saying… 😉

  17. I’m so impressed at what you are able to do without traditional ingredients! You do love a good DOUGHNUT don’t you, Cara? I’m sorry you’ve been feeling a little off… Perhaps my post will cheer you up, I’ll try my best :D.

    • I love DONUTS, yes. ha. Thanks for that Nick–now I am excited to check your post out. It BETTER make me laugh or I will kick your emotionally retarded ass 🙂 How’s that for PC?!

  18. Are you missing me???!!! Is that why you’re so emotional? Or is it because I am so beautiful? No? Because I am Mom’s favorite???? No???? Too sexy????

  19. This is brilliant! And I definitely know how you feel. My family and I all developed allergies to all types of foods recently and have to miss out on so many of our favorites. Luckily I can eat this!

    • It is a good thing that there are so many options despite having food allergies. The possibilities are rather endless, aren’t they? Bummer to hear about your recent diagnosis but know you will find so many replacements to your old favorites 🙂

  20. I absolutely understand where you are coming from – stress for me or when I feel overwhelmed is an absolute trigger for me, it is pretty amazing how the whole mind body energy works together….when I had several sessions of Reiki and was practicing Yoga on a daily basis I noticed a huge difference in my mental well being which in turn had a direct impact on my physical well being.

    …mmm Snickers & Peanut M & M’s are the two candies I miss the most – I would totally eat the caramel/peanuts sans donut just beacuase I’m lazy sometimes 🙂

    *hugs* xoxo

    • I am definitely looking into Reiki, thanks for this comment. I have been thinking about it for awhile now and your mere mention of it makes me think I should seriously look into it. Do they do any healing work on a broken heart?

      • big bear *hug* coming your way right now, did you feel it? I hope so I squeezed really tight <3

        When you open your mind and heart to reiki it is amazing how your energy realigns itself – at the start you always set your intent for the session – your intent could totally be to "heal my broken heart" – it can be anything YOU want 🙂

        one more big *hug*

        xoxo

  21. Yes. You are making absolute sense. I too wonder sometimes what difference eating clean makes when I’m not healing. But then I realize it’s much worse when I don’t. And stress, especially the enormous load you are under WILL affect your digestion. I’ve read article after article about it but as my head is more sievelike than solid I can’t pinpoint one at the moment. Suffice it to to say that stress torks up your adrenal glands and when your body thinks it’s fighting for its life (fight or flight) it takes all available energy away from every other system in your body. So yeah, your stomach, your hormones, your whatever won’t be talking to each other because you are in effect, fighting for your life. So breathe, kava kava is supposed to work, ashwaghanda works for me and I think astralagus is supposed to as well. You might look them up.
    I adore you. You’re one of the brightest lights in my life but I still refuse to make your cupcakes. I’m out of dates and boohoo, don’t own a donut pan and if that’s not something to REALLY stress about, well. xoxoxoxoxoxxo

    • I was thinking about you as I wrote this post, Laurel 🙂 I was excited to hear your 2 cents worth. Very interesting on the entire “what your body does in the midst of fighting.” I haven’t heard of ashwaghanda or astralaus–do either one of them heal a beat up, broken heart? If so, I need like, 56…

      • Sweetheart, if I could send you to Dubai, I would. In the meantime, there should be 2 things in your mail box. They were in Bell Gardens at 1a.m. Love you lots.

        • Um, make that 1 a.m. YESTERDAY morning. Must be taking the scenic route. Maybe a few hours meditation on the beach, with the dolphins, the sea and the sky would be soothing if just for those few hours? <3

    • Thank you for your concern and for the smile that this comment put on my face. I hope it gets worked out soon too! I will keep you posted 🙂 xo!

  23. this post makes me confused, sad, and worried about you.

    the donuts, of course, looks absolutely delicious and irrisistable. snickers were always a go-to candy bar for me as well. i remember once when i was 15, eating an entire bag of mini snickers while i was pmsing.

    <3

    • haha. That last line was my favorite. It happens 🙂
      Thank you for your confusion, sadness, and concern for me. I’m just going through a very rough time and the only thing that I know how to do in order to express how I feel is cry…and somehow I strangely feel great physically because I am releasing these emotions that have been building for months. I have watched myself build up an emotional dam and I just knew the day that I decided to feel an ounce of it, would be the day that I would not be able to control the breakage of said dam. That happened yesterday.

      • So that means there are lots and lots of Cara crying at the wedding photos? Seriously, cry it out it’s the Universe’s pressure release valve.

  24. The donuts look great (and DELICIOUS) – but let’s address the real thing here.. bodies kind of suck. I’ve been eating really, really clean (ahem, no processed foods, 90% fruit and veggie based) for three weeks and am STILL experiencing digestive episodes. Which leads me to believe what you’re thinking.. that maybe it’s my emotions? Could the anxiety and stress possibly be taking a toll on my digestive system? Yep. So, for the past two days I’ve been taking pure kava root supplements to help me chill the eff out – and it’s worked. But we’ll see how long it lasts. Sending happy digestion vibes your way, my love.

    Oh, and I need your address for the third and last time. Gotta little something for ya.. 😉

    • So kava root enables one to chill the eff out eh? Does it block out the crazy shite one experiences in their day-to-day lives too? If so, I am hoping you are sending me some 🙂 ha. I think I have come to a scientific conclusion that you can eat as great as you can but if you are ignoring your internal world, your body still won’t be happy. So many freaking things to remember in the day: Eat your veggies. Check. Stay away from processed junk. Check. Cry a little to release the toxins. Check.

      • I don’t think kava helps with that, but I can ask the home bum down the street if he can deal me some crack. After a few hits of that, your life will blend in perfectly with all of the bad shit that’s happening around you. HA HA HA! Also add to that list: stay away from the crazy crack head home bum.

        I THINK A TRIP TO DENVER TO BAKE WITH ME WOULD MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER. Hint, hint 😉 I have a pretty room for you, you know.

        • Note to self: Get crack and then fly to Denver. Check and check. Hopefully this summer we can arrange a baking party, what do you think? 🙂

  25. I completely understand. Sometimes I feel like I haven’t a worry in the world (even though _______ happened), but man, my back (or stomach, or head, or chest) hurts! It is so easy to ignore your own emotions and transfer them elsewhere. It isn’t until we address those emotions that wherever we’ve stored them can be releived. Maybe it’s easier for our brains to deal with physical pain rather than emotional? On one hand, it’s kind of neat that our bodies know to do that when we can’t properly cope immediately. On the other hand, human bodies crazy. I agree with Anonymus Burn- just like in yoga (why aren’t people catching on???), breathe into your pain and it makes it so much easier. 🙂

    Also, the donuts look amazing. I think I know what I’ll be doing with my new pan!

    • I think you are so right, especially with my body I know that to be true. I could (even prefer) physical pain over emotions pain. At least with the physical stuff you know it has its end. The most painful part of it all lasts shortly (or at least can be controlled through drugs) but with emotions, man those things come flying out of nowhere and just when you think you are better *BAM* it can hit you unexpectedly. Remembering to breathe. And spreading the gospel of yoga as I do 🙂

      Thank you for this comment. I am excited to meet you for lunch!! You can show off all donut goodies then…

  26. Food and beautiful photos aside, I just wanted to add that I hope you’re doing okay, given the background included above. I tend to get just as frustrated with my body in that I can be doing everything “right” and still feel like crap on a cracker some days, with no rhyme or reason to point to, and the do everything “wrong” and feel fine. Sometimes I just throw in the towel and “woe is me” by doing whatever I want at that point, but other times I remind myself that I AM doing all that I (probably) should be doing, so stressing out and making it worse just…well, makes it worse.

    The emotional/physical connection is a tricky one, but it’s most certainly there. I hope that you’re feeling a bit better!

    • Thank you for thoroughly reading this post and thoughtfully responding, Abby. I so appreciate everything you said here and it’s always nice to know that there are people who get it and knowing I’m not alone is always comforting. Awareness is all that I can hope for in myself and right now I acknowledge that there are painful things going on and that I have to remember to let my emotions out in order for my physical health to be okay…xo! You are great 🙂

  28. Coconut oil in date caramel sauce: solid? liquid?

    You make perfect sense my dear, dear friend. You can be living off the earth and all of it’s living foods and still find yourself in physical pain. Food is not the only thing that nourishes the body; so does laughter, tears, smashing the shit out of something that sounds angry upon impact. It’s the release of emotions – like steam from a tea kettle. It’s just as necessary and breathing. Which brings me to my next point – – –

    BREATHE

    Always and with everything. When life is hard and scary and great and easy, nothing brings a greater sense of calm and strength than a deep breath. They say “You can and will get through this” and “You do deserve this.” Cry for as long as you need – then breathe.

    You are loved.

    • This just made me ball my eyes out. So beautiful, Megan. Thank you for such a wonderful response. Trying to breathe. I will remind myself to do so all day, every moment. Thank you. YOU are so loved by me! xo

    • Snickers-inspired foods must be on the brain as of late. If they look anywhere as good as those Toffee Apple Cupcakes you made, I’m sure they are FAB!