Recipe courtesy of Chef Lee Garman of North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS), a Newman’s Own Foundation grantee partner since 2021.
These vegan and gluten-free donuts get their delightful color and flavor from foods Indigenous to Turtle Island—sweet potatoes, cassava, and maple! Source these ingredients from Native producers from the Indigenous Food Lab.
As NATIFS shares, sweet potatoes originated in Central and South America and were domesticated over 7,000 years ago. Indigenous farmers in these areas brilliantly bred sweet potatoes to be productive, delicious, and nutritious. Spanish explorers eventually brought sweet potatoes to Europe, and they eventually spread to Asia and Africa. The sugar maple tree, used to make maple syrup, is native to North America and is an important tree to Indigenous peoples throughout its growth range.
Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@bonnarda?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Alain Bonnardeaux</a> on Unsplash
Recipe
Sweet Potato Donuts
Ingredients
- 8 large sweet potatoes
- 2 cups cassava flour
- 1 cup pure maple syrup
- ½ cup maple sugar
- High smoke point neutral oil (canola, sunflower, safflower, or peanut) for frying, optional
Tools and equipment needed
- Sheet tray
- Food processor, electric hand mixer, or stand mixer
- Large pot for frying (optional)
Instructions
Preparing Sweet Potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spread the sweet potatoes out on a sheet tray and carefully poke with a knife or fork. Roast the sweet potatoes until very soft and overcooked, checking at 40 minutes, to ensure a mashable texture.
- Remove sweet potatoes from the oven. Once cool enough to handle, peel the skin off of the potatoes*.
Making the Batter
- Transfer the flesh to a food processor, bowl (if using an electric hand mixer) or stand mixer and process until smooth and free of lumps.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sweet potato purée, cassava flour, and maple syrup. Mix just until homogeneous or until an evenly mixed dough forms. Avoid overmixing.
- Form the dough into even balls roughly the size of a golf ball.
Cooking Donuts
- If baking, preheat oven to 350°F. Place donuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
- Alternatively, heat oil until 350°F. Carefully place donuts into oil and fry until golden brown and floating. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.
After donuts are removed from heat, roll in maple sugar.
*The sweet potato skins will become bitter after baking, so you can compost them, or add them to dog food as a special treat.
Photo courtesy of Mary Potoplyak, Unsplash
November 5, 2026
Nourishing Communities Through Indigenous Foodways: Conversation + Cooking with NATIFS
Join us for a virtual conversation + cooking event with Chef Lee Garman in celebration of Native American Heritage Month! As you cook along with Chef Lee Garman, you’ll learn more about NATIFS work supporting Indigenous youth as well as the James Beard Award winning restaurant Indígena by Owamni.
Photo courtesy of NATIFS.