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    Home » Breakfast » Vegan Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

    Vegan Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

    Published: Dec 23, 2020 · Modified: Oct 5, 2021 by Kaylie Grace · 10 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. Read the affiliate disclosure here. 

    Jump to Recipe

    Vegan cinnamon sugar donuts are light, fluffy, moist, and baked to perfection! They’re dipped in a sweet cinnamon sugar coating and super easy to make. No yeast, no eggs, and no dairy are needed. Enjoy this healthier donut recipe for breakfast, brunch, or even dessert!

    a stack of three vegan cinnamon sugar donuts on a small white ceramic plate

    What’s better than warm, fluffy, fresh-out-of-the-oven donuts on a cozy morning? If you’re a fan of baked goods, you will LOVE these homemade cinnamon sugar donuts! I imagine this recipe to be what would happen if churros and vanilla cake had a baby. The interior is light, moist, and tender while the outside is coated in sweet cinnamon sugar.

    If you haven’t tried making donuts before, it may seem a bit intimidating. Most people are used to the typical baked goods like muffins and cookies, but these donuts are actually easier to make! They’re ready in under 30 minutes, made with basic ingredients, and easy-to-follow instructions.

    These cinnamon sugar donuts are:

    • Vegan, dairy-free, egg-free, and made without yeast
    • Can be oil-free and gluten-free
    • Subtly spiced with warm cinnamon
    • Baked, not fried (a healthier homemade donut recipe!)
    • Kid-approved and non-vegan approved
    • A tasty baked good for breakfast, brunch, or dessert
    a vegan cinnamon sugar donut on a small ceramic plate beside a glass of almond milk, cinnamon sticks, and a bowl of cinnamon

    Ingredients needed for healthier baked donuts

    • Flour: We’ll use all-purpose flour, otherwise known as plain baking flour.
    • Sugar: Sugar is used to sweet the donuts, as well as the cinnamon sugar coating.
    • Plant-based milk: Use your favorite plant-based milk. I recommend keeping it simple with unsweetened almond milk, but other varieties can be used. Choose from soy milk, coconut milk, oat milk, etc.
    • Applesauce: Applesauce is used as a low-fat, healthier alternative to oil or butter.
    • Flaxseed: Since this recipe is egg-free, a flax egg binds the ingredients together instead. A flax egg is just ground flaxseed and water mixed together.
    • Cinnamon: This recipe wouldn’t be complete without cinnamon! A dash is included in the donuts, while more is used for the coating.
    • Leavening agents: This is a yeast-free donut recipe. A combination of baking powder, baking soda, and apple cider vinegar help the donuts rise.
    a partially bitten vegan cinnamon sugar donut with stacks of donuts behind it

    How to make vegan cinnamon sugar donuts

    For the full ingredients list and step-by-step instructions, scroll down to view the recipe card below.

    First, create the flax egg by combining ground flaxseed and water in a small bowl. Set aside to thicken for 10 minutes; it will form into a egg-like consistency.

    Next, combine the dry ingredients. This includes flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients. This includes the flax egg, plant-based milk, applesauce, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until evenly combined.

    mixing donut batter in a glass bowl

    Then, generously grease a donut pan with coconut oil or nonstick cooking spray. Fill the pan ⅔ of the way full with batter, leaving enough room for the donuts to rise while baking.

    Bake donuts for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. After, transfer to a wire cooling rack.

    batter inside a donut pan and a pastry brush coating donuts with melted vegan butter

    While the donuts are cooling, prepare the butter and cinnamon sugar coating. Add vegan butter to a small bowl and melt in the microwave. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in another bowl.

    Time for the fun part! Brush a donut with vegan butter, then toss it in the cinnamon sugar. Repeat until all donuts are evenly coated. Enjoy!

    a vegan cinnamon sugar donut on a small ceramic plate

    Kaylie’s tips

    Don’t forget the apple cider vinegar. This is an important ingredient for light and fluffy donuts. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, distilled white vinegar can be used instead. As a last resort, lemon juice will work too.

    Grease the donut pan to prevent sticking. Make sure you liberally grease the donut pan with coconut oil or nonstick spray before adding the batter. This prevents the donuts from sticking to the pan after baking.

    How to make them gluten-free: Replace the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour. I recommend the Bob’s Red Mill brand. Results may vary with other brands.

    How to make them oil-free: The donut recipe is already oil-free, but melted vegan butter is required for the cinnamon sugar coating. If you’re following a strict oil-free diet, you can skip the melted vegan butter. Instead, immediately coat the donuts in cinnamon sugar after baking.

    Make muffins, too! A great thing about this recipe is that it can double as muffins. If you don’t have a donut pan, simply use a muffin tin instead. Keep an eye on them while they’re baking; you may need to adjust the baking time.

    Store in a sealed container. Donuts are best enjoyed freshly baked or on the same day you make them. Keep leftovers stored in a sealed container at room temperature. They will keep for 2 days (at most).

    three vegan cinnamon sugar donuts stacked with a bite taken out of the top donut

    More vegan baked goods

    • The Best Vegan Banana Bread
    • Chocolate Banana Baked Oatmeal
    • Chunky Monkey Baked Oatmeal
    • Double Chocolate Banana Muffins (Vegan & Gluten-Free)
    • Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal
    • Vegan Gluten-Free Banana Bread

    More vegan brunch recipes

    • Banana Bread Pancakes (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
    • Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes
    • Banana Bread Granola
    • Vegan Blueberry Pancakes

    If you try these Vegan Cinnamon Sugar Donuts, please let me know your thoughts by leaving a rating and comment below! Ready for more? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Instagram and YouTube!

    Print
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    a stack of three vegan cinnamon sugar donuts on a small white ceramic plate

    Vegan Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

    ★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews
    • Author: Kaylie Grace
    • Prep Time: 20 minutes
    • Cook Time: 10 minutes
    • Total Time: 30 minutes
    • Yield: 8 Donuts 1x
    • Category: Breakfast, Dessert
    • Method: Bake
    • Cuisine: American
    • Diet: Vegan
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    Vegan cinnamon sugar donuts are light, fluffy, moist, and baked to perfection! They’re tossed in a sweet cinnamon sugar coating and super easy to make. The recipe is dairy-free, contains no eggs, no yeast, and can be gluten-free or oil-free. Great for vegan brunch, breakfast, or even dessert! #donuts #veganbaking #cinnamonsugar #vegandonuts #healthybaking #cinnamon #glutenfreebaking #veganbreakfast #veganbakedgoods #cinnamonsugardonuts


    Ingredients

    Units Scale

    Donuts

    • 1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water)
    • ½ cup plant-based milk
    • 2 tbsp applesauce
    • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1 + ¼ cup all-purpose flour
    • ½ cup sugar
    • 1 tsp cinnamon
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • ½ tsp baking soda
    • ¼ tsp salt

    Cinnamon Sugar

    • 3 tbsp vegan butter, melted
    • ½ cup sugar
    • ½ tbsp cinnamon

    Instructions

    1. Prepare flax egg: Combine ground flaxseed and water in a small bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes to thicken the consistency.
    2. Preheat oven: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
    3. Combine wet ingredients: In a bowl, combine the flax egg, plant-based milk, applesauce, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract. Mix together.
    4. Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix together.
    5. Add wet to dry: Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Mix until they evenly combine; do not over-mix the batter.
    6. Add batter to donut pan: Liberally coat a donut pan with coconut oil or nonstick cooking spray. Add the batter to each donut slot, filling it only ⅔ of the way so the batter can rise while baking.
    7. Bake: Bake donuts for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them cool for about 5 minutes in the pan. Then, transfer to a wire cooling rack.
    8. Coat donuts in cinnamon sugar: In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, melt the vegan butter in the microwave. Brush a donut with melted vegan butter, then gently toss inside the cinnamon sugar. Evenly coat the entire donut, and repeat until all donuts are coated. Enjoy!

    Notes

    • Donuts are best enjoyed freshly baked or during the same day you create them. Store leftovers in a sealed container at room temperature. They will keep for 2 days (at most).

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 Donut
    • Calories: 205
    • Sugar: 22g
    • Fat: 5g
    • Carbohydrates: 37g
    • Fiber: 2g
    • Protein: 2g

    Keywords: Vegan cinnamon sugar donuts, vegan donut recipe

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    Tag @purelykaylie on Instagram and hashtag it #purelykaylie

    This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use, trust, and love!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    1. Sarah

      January 17, 2022 at 1:03 pm

      I was looking for a dairy-free donut recipe as most recipes have milk, butter and sour cream and your recipe was so good. I know I shouldn’t review a recipe if I don’t follow it fully but I did make some changes and it is very adaptable. I did swap 1 egg for the flax egg, I used GF flour and used coconut sugar. The texture of the donut was on point like a full gluten donut. I will def come back to this recipe again.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Kaylie Grace

        January 18, 2022 at 12:41 pm

        Thank you so much, Sarah! It is helpful to hear that those replacements worked well for you. Enjoy! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Chelsie

      October 18, 2021 at 4:28 pm

      Can you replace the flax egg with additional applesauce instead?

      Reply
      • Kaylie Grace

        October 19, 2021 at 9:45 am

        Hey, Chelsie! I have not tried that, so I can’t say for certain. I would recommend using flax egg, if you can! Flax egg helps bind the ingredients together. Applesauce is going to be thinner, which may cause the donuts to fall apart.

        Reply
    3. Bea

      September 20, 2021 at 8:55 am

      Can I use oat flour instead of all prupose flour?

      Reply
      • Kaylie Grace

        September 20, 2021 at 3:54 pm

        Hey, Bea! I have not tested these cinnamon sugar donuts with oat flour. However, you can usually replace all-purpose flour with oat flour and achieve similar results. They won’t be exactly the same, but they should be quite close! Let me know how it goes if you give it a try. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Andrea

      January 17, 2021 at 2:59 pm

      Just tried this recipe and it turned out amazing i was looking for a good donut recipe for a while and this one hit the spot the donuts are fluffy, tasty and a great snack. Love the cinnamon sugar

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Kaylie Grace

        January 17, 2021 at 8:23 pm

        Thank you, Andrea! I’m so happy you loved these vegan cinnamon sugar donuts 🙂 Enjoy! xo

        Reply
    5. Hiba

      December 23, 2020 at 11:47 pm

      Applesauce isn’t available where i’m at. What can I use instead of it?

      Reply
      • Kaylie Grace

        December 25, 2020 at 1:17 am

        Mashed overripe banana will work, too! 🙂

        Reply

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