Recipe: Healthy Vegan Baked Cinnamon Donuts

A few months ago, my lovely husband brought me home some gifts - including 2 donut pans (and he bought himself a monkey onesie but let's not go there...). He claimed it was because he knew I'd wanted a donut pan for ages but hadn't bought myself one - but then it started.... 

Sooooooooooooo, what about those donuts?

You know, I was thinking - I haven't had donuts in a long time....

Where did you put those donut pans? Don't you think you should test them out?

What kind of donuts are you going to make?

Soooooooooooooooooooo, when are you going to make those donuts? 

The gift had ulterior motives. The donut pans were bought more because Jesse wanted donuts rather than for the reason that I wanted a donut pan but resisted buying one for myself. 

I was in a bit of a baking funk and didn't feel like baking anything - so the questions continued for 2 days before I gave in and made some donuts.

 Healthy Baked Cinnamon Donuts, in fact! The warm smell of cinnamon wafted through our house and the donuts rose perfectly. I took the first bite and heeeeeellllllllloooooooo cinnamon-y heaven.

They're even super dooper easy as you don't need to roll them in butter and cinnamon sugar once they're done - your cinnamon sugar topping just bakes right on top of the donut!

But what happened when Jesse got home? 

Jesse: "Cinnamon donuts? What kind of donut is that?" 

Kristy: "A normal donut? No?" 

Jesse: "I've never eaten a cinnamon donut..." 

And it turns out, Mr SIL doesn't like cinnamon donuts - but Kristy and the rest of the SIL family were definitely fans. I don't know if cinnamon donuts are an Australian thing but these are deeeeeeeeeeeelicious nonetheless - but now I think you know there are more healthy donut recipes coming as I need to satisfy my husband too ;P 

Apparently glazed donuts are what I should have made - but now that's just a new challenge! 

But let me give you this recipe! >>

Healthy Baked Cinnamon Donuts Recipe

makes 15 medium donuts - adapted from my Healthy Cinnamon Roll Muffins Recipe

gluten free, vegan, low sugar, low fat

2 cup flour* see below for options

2 tbsp ground flax (I grind mine from whole flax in my magic bullet)

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

1/4-1/2 cup cane sugar/brown sugar**

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 cup unsweetened almond breeze (i've used both almond milk and cows milk)  

1 tsp vanilla extract 

Cinnamon sugar mix:

2 tbsp sugar (cane/white/brown all work)

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

• Preheat oven to 180°C/355°F. 
• Grease your donut pans and set aside. 
• In a large bowl combine flour, flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. 
• In a medium bowl mix sugar,  applesauce, milk and vanilla. 
• Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until combined.  
• Pour your mixture into your donut pan, filling each donut until it's around 3/4 full. 
• Sprinkle over your cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of each donut. 
• Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer removes clean and the edges have pulled in from the sides. 

*Flour Options
Gluten Free Flour Options: Feel free to use any of the following combinations

• 1 cup buckwheat flour + 1 cup gluten free plain flour 
• 1 cup gluten free oat flour + 1 cup gluten free plain flour 
• 2 cups gluten free plain flour 

Gluten Flour Options: Feel free to use either of the following combinations

• 2 cups plain flour 
• 1 cup wholewheat flour + 1 cup plain flour 

*Sugar Options
Feel free to use sugar or maple syrup/honey. We used 1/4 cup as we don't like things too sweet - but for a sweeter flavour use up to 1/2 cup :) 

But tell me, what kind of donuts are your favourite?

And are you a cinnamon donut fan too?