A Thanksgiving taste of summer- No Bake Lemon Millet Mini “Doughnuts”

This past weekend, Canadian Thanksgiving, was a decadent treat for weather. A Thanksgiving picnic in the park was just what the weather ordered, and we were happy to oblige. Kinpira stuffed sushi, fresh local apples, and my husband’s amazing macro take on oatmeal raisin cookies. Simple- yes. But with our packed schedules it was just what we needed. An afternoon with each other, breaking in our new picnic blanket with simple and lovingly made food, catching up on good fiction and absorbing as much vitamin D as the sun could give us. It was a nontraditional celebration of Thanksgiving, a day more commonly spent busily in the kitchen, oven blasting extra (and welcomed) warmth. It was a spontaneous celebration we embraced and instead of thinking about the winter that’s coming, we feigned ignorance and delightedly baked our bodies in the heat of the sunshine. Which brings me to these lemony kisses of deliciousness. They were perfect for the relaxed vibe of our weekend and we ate them as dessert…. as breakfast… as a snack… Enjoy them however you like, on these last windows-thrown-open days of  summer.

No Bake Lemon Millet Mini “Doughnuts”

 

1 Cup Millet

3 Cups Apple Juice

pinch of salt

Zest of one Lemon- I wanted these really lemony. You could use less zest for a more subtle flavour.

Lemon juice to taste- I squeezed about 1/4 of the lemon

Maple syrup or brown rice syrup to sweeten, to taste- optional

 

1. Rinse the millet in a bowl then strain out the water. Repeat until the water is mostly clear.

2. Soak the millet overnight in the apple juice.

3. Bring the millet and apple juice to a boil, add the pinch of salt, then lower the heat and cook on medium low for 40 minutes to an hour- you want the millet to be soft and not at all crunchy. I find the time varies depending on the type of stove you have, and where your medium low setting is. You might have to add a bit of water during the cooking time. Just check the liquid level occasionally.

4. When the millet is cooked, add in the lemon juice, lemon zest, sweetener, and mix. Taste it here to make sure you have your desired balance of lemon flavour and sweetness.

5. Pour the millet into your pan of choice- I used mini doughnut pans for these, but you could easily use mini cupcake tins or a shallow tart pan if you want a thin cake instead- and let the mixture cool. Once cooled, remove from the pan and enjoy.

 

If you’re eating more widely, these would be amazing with a bit of dried coconut mixed in.

Victoria @ Gluten/Dairy Freedom! - October 11, 2011 - 2:06 pm

Shauna, these look amazing! Lets do that joint recipe/blog post soon!

Shauna - October 11, 2011 - 2:38 pm

Hi Victoria!! Thanks so much- yes they are quite tasty if I do say so myself….. I would love to do a joint post soon!! Let me build my content a little more, then we can go for it! We should definitely meet up soon though to go over ideas, and catch up in general!! It’s been too long!!

Karin Thomas - October 13, 2011 - 9:42 am

YUMMY! I’m going to have to try these out soon. Where did you find that cute little doughnut pan? Coconut would be amazing in these!

T Jones - October 13, 2011 - 12:25 pm

Beautiful!!!
You created such a healthy and yummy cake.
Thank you for sharing us the great recipe!

Shauna - October 13, 2011 - 1:41 pm

Hi Karin! I found the little pan at Kitchen Stuff Plus… I bought it last February, so I’m not sure if they are still there. I should drop by and see though… I only bought one- which is definitely not enough when mini doughnuts are on the menu!!

Karin - October 14, 2011 - 3:58 pm

This may be a silly question, but….do you leave the bowl of millet out on the counter while soaking overnight or do you put it in the fridge to soak? I’m wondering if the cold would make a difference to the end product.

Shauna - October 14, 2011 - 4:05 pm

Hi Karin! No- not a silly question at all! Normally when I’m soaking grains or beans in water I just leave them on the counter overnight, covered with a cheesecloth or a sushi mat. However, for the millet soaking in apple juice I do put it in the fridge. Enjoy!!

Rachael - October 16, 2011 - 9:59 am

These look beautiful! I was wondering, would orange juice work at all? My daughter can’t drink apple juice. Thanks!!

Shauna - October 18, 2011 - 3:40 pm

Hi Rachael. Thanks! I would suggest trying peach or pear juice if you can’t use apple. Hope that helps!!

Janine - October 24, 2011 - 9:27 pm

YESSS!!! finally!! omg i miss doughnuts!! LOL rockstar yet again!

Ting - November 5, 2011 - 1:41 pm

Shauna – these look beautiful! Is maple syrup considered to be more wide than barley/brown rice syrup?

Shauna - November 9, 2011 - 4:04 pm

Hi Ting,
Yes- maple syrup is definitely more wide…. it’s an occasional use item really- but I like it when making things for non macro people, or helping people transition. Still- it is processed and does cause the blood sugar to rise rapidly. But oh it is ever delicious!!!!

Rita Haas - February 10, 2012 - 1:34 pm

Shauna, I LOVE your website and refer to it regularly. Why do these donuts look like they are frosted? Is there something you’re not telling us?

Is this your take off from Bettina’s pear tart? I’ve made that several times already.

Keep up the good work!

Rita

Shauna - April 13, 2012 - 10:48 am

Hi Rita!! thank you!! lol- the donuts are not frosted…. maybe the lemon makes them appear that way? but now that you mention it a macro-fied frosting on these would be delicious!!! I’ll keep you posted as I develop one!!

Alex - October 14, 2012 - 7:28 pm

great recipe Shauna! any suggestions for storage?

I used chopped dates and cinnamon instead of lemon juice and zest, and it turned out great. I was searching for a millet apple bake, but this is what I was really looking for.

Unsolicited advice warning!
to more thoroughly clean millet of unhealthy substances, it is good to soak it overnight at room temp, and then rinse very well. I prefer millet slightly fermented, so I leave it out for a day or two, rinsing to keep it fresh.

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