These healthy vegan baked cinnamon donuts are soft, lightly sweet, and warmly spiced, making them perfect for breakfast or an afternoon treat. Made without eggs or dairy and naturally sweetened with applesauce, they offer a comforting donut flavor while keeping the ingredient list simple and wholesome.
Baked instead of fried, these donuts come together quickly and are easy to customize based on your sweetness preference or pantry staples. Finished with a light cinnamon sugar topping, they deliver just the right balance of cozy flavor and tender texture—proof that plant-based baking can be both nourishing and satisfying.
Ingredients
Donuts
- 2 cups flour (all-purpose, whole wheat, or gluten-free blend)
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼–½ cup cane sugar or brown sugar (to taste)
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- 2 tablespoons sugar (cane, white, or brown)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Lightly grease a donut pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, ground flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
- In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, applesauce, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Spoon or pipe the batter into the donut pan, filling each cavity about ¾ full.
- In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon for the topping. Sprinkle evenly over each donut.
- Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a donut comes out clean and the edges begin to pull away from the pan.
- Let cool slightly before removing from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Adjust sweetness to taste: use ¼ cup sugar for lightly sweet donuts or up to ½ cup for a more traditional sweetness.
- Sugar can be replaced with maple syrup or honey if preferred (note this may slightly alter texture).
- Donuts store well in an airtight container for 2–3 days.
Based on recipe found on southerninlaw.com