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30 Minutes or Less

Healthy Vegan Apple Cider Donuts

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healthy vegan apple cider donuts on a sheet of parchment paper, one with a bite taken out.

Is there anything that screams Fall more than apple cider donuts?! If you’ve never tried making homemade baked donuts before, these apple cider donuts are a must-make for this Fall season!

close-up image of healthy vegan apple cider donuts stacked on top of each other.

Not only are these apple cider donuts incredibly soft and fluffy, but it contains no dairy or eggs, is baked instead of fried, and is adorned with crunchy and sweet cinnamon sugar topping that is absolutely mouth-watering. Fall isn’t complete without apple picking and a batch of these vegan donuts!

healthy vegan apple cider donuts on parchment paper with a bite taken out.

MAIN INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE VEGAN APPLE CIDER DONUTS

  • Apple Cider – Apple cider, whether store-bought or homemade, is going to create the delicious apple flavor we’re looking for in this recipe.
  • Rolled Oats – I love baking up my gluten-free treats with oats! Not only is it inexpensive, but they’re super easy to acquire. 
  • Flax Eggs – A flax egg is a vegan egg substitute and helps bind all the ingredients together!
  • Baking Soda & Powder – Baking soda and powder give the batter that quick inflation in the oven that creates the cake-like fluffy donuts we’re looking for.
  • Cinnamon – This ingredient will be used for making not only the donut, but of course, the cinnamon sugar!
  • Nutmeg – Known for its spicy, nutty flavor, nutmeg perfectly complements the sweet & warm cinnamon in this recipe.
  • Vegan Butter – I typically use the Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks in my vegan/dairy-free baked goods. Though any vegan butter will work here, just be sure to melt it completely before adding it to this recipe. 
  • Coconut Sugar – I use coconut sugar when making the cinnamon sugar, but you can opt for organic cane sugar if you prefer.
healthy vegan apple cider donuts stacked on top of each other, with a bottle of milk on the side.

ADJUST THIS APPLE CIDER DONUTS RECIPE TO YOUR DIET

  • Add Dairy: Although I use dairy-free butter, you could substitute it for melted coconut oil or regular butter if you’d like! You can also use regular eggs instead of flax.
  • Add Gluten: You can try using 1 cup of all purpose flour instead of oat flour.

TIPS FOR MAKING BAKED VEGAN APPLE CIDER DONUTS

  • Bring the wet ingredients to room temperature before you combine them with the flour and other dry ingredients.
  • Don’t be alarmed if you see bubbles starting to form after mixing the wet and dry ingredients. It’s just the baking soda and powder reacting the way they’re supposed to. 
close-up image of a healthy vegan apple cider donut with a bite taken out.
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Baked Vegan Apple Cider Donuts (Gluten-Free)

Is there anything that screams Fall more than apple cider donuts?! If you’ve never tried making homemade baked donuts before, these apple cider donuts are a must-make for this Fall season!
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients

For the donuts:

  • 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 flax eggs, see Notes
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 1/2 cup creamy almond or peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, optional but makes for fluffier donuts
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cinnamon sugar:

  • 1 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 6 tablespoons dairy-free butter, melted

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit and grease a donut pan.
  • Add the rolled oats, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to a blender. Blend until oats are ground into a flour.
  • Add in the flax eggs, apple cider, almond butter, coconut sugar, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract. Blend until a smooth batter forms.
  • Carefully fill your donut molds with the batter, I used a cookie scoop to keep things neat.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes and pop out of the molds onto a cooling racks, allow to cool completely before proceeding to the next step.
  • Combine the coconut sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl – set up an assembly line with the donuts, bowl of melted butter, bowl of cinnamon sugar, and a cooling rack.
  • Gently dip each donut in the butter before transferring and coating in the cinnamon sugar, place on a cooling rack while you finish up the rest. Once all are coated, store in a sealed container on either the counter for two days or the fridge for up to one week .

Notes

  • Flax Eggs: To make one flax egg, combine 1 tablespoon of ground flax meal with 3 tablespoons of water and let sit on the counter for five minutes to thicken.
  • Storage: store in a closed container at room temperature for 2-3 days, in the fridge for 1 week, or in the freezer for 1 month.

    • Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

    OTHER VEGAN AND GLUTEN-FREE DESSERTS

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    30 Minutes or Less

    Crunchy No-Bake Peanut Butter Balls

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    close-up image of crunchy peanut butter balls.

    Crunchy peanut butter balls covered in chocolate! Perfectly sweet, surprisingly healthy, and super easy to make. This no-bake dessert is the perfect summer treat when it’s too hot to turn on the oven!

    crunchy peanut butter balls stacked on parchment paper with milk on the side.

    What You’ll Need to Make Crunchy Peanut Butter Balls

    Creamy Peanut Butter – Unsweetened, creamy peanut butter is the base of this easy dessert recipe. Check your peanut butter labels closely and make sure it doesn’t contain any sugar! Added sugar in the peanut butter would totally throw off the sweetness in this recipe. For unsweetened peanut butter, I love both Trader Joe’s and Teddie’s brand.

    Maple Syrup – Really any liquid sweetener will work in these peanut butter balls. Maple syrup, along with honey and date syrup, are the three least processed options which is why I always use and recommend them. Though is you don’t have those, you can use agave nectar instead. Or, for a sugar-free dessert option, check the “Make it Sugar-Free” section below!

    Almond Flour – This gluten-free, low-carb flour is one of my favorites! It’s healthy, super easy to find, and virtually flavorless. The almond flour is also super helpful in holding these dessert balls together, so don’t go without it.

    Crispy Rice Cereal – One cup of crispy rice cereal gives these peanut butter balls their unexpected crunch! Feel free to use whichever brand you like best. Or, for an even healthier option, use one cup of puffed quinoa instead.

    overhead image of crunchy peanut butter balls on an upside-down pie pan.

    Tips and Tricks

    • Don’t feel like dipping in chocolate? Save major time and energy my melting the chocolate, then simply drizzling over the top of each ball!
    • For an extra salty plus sweet combo, finish off these crunchy no-bake peanut butter balls with a pinch of flaky sea salt! A bit of salt balances out the sweetness, and adds an extra layer of crunch.
    • These treats are best stored in the refrigerator! The freezer works too, but the fridge helps them hold their shape while also maintaining their crunchiness. But whatever you do, don’t store them at room-temperature, and especially not in the summertime because they will melt!
    a stack of no-bake peanut butter balls, one with a bite taken out.

    Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Nut-Free: For a nut-free no-bake dessert, sub sunflower seed butter for the peanut butter and 3 tablespoons of coconut flour in place of the almond flour! Still just as delicious, and totally nut-free friendly.

    Make it Sugar-Free: Replace the maple syrup in this recipe with your favorite liquid sugar-free sweetener.

    close-up image of crunchy peanut butter balls.
    5 from 3 votes

    Crunchy No-Bake Peanut Butter Balls

    Crunchy peanut butter balls covered in chocolate! Perfectly sweet, surprisingly healthy, and super easy to make. This no-bake dessert is the perfect summer treat when it’s too hot to turn on the oven!
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes
    Servings: 16 balls

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup creamy peanut butter, unsweetened
    • 1/3 cup maple syrup
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1/2 cup almond flour
    • 1 cup crispy rice cereal

    For dipping/drizzling:

    • 1 cup chocolate chips
    • 1 teaspoon coconut oil

    Instructions

    • Mix together the creamy peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract in a large bowl.
    • Add in almond flour and crispy rice cereal, mix to combine.
    • Scoop and roll tablespoon-sized balls of the peanut butter ball mixture between the palms of your hands. Repeat this process until no more mixture remains, should make about 12 crunchy peanut butter balls.
    • Place balls in freezer for 10-15 minutes, and add chocolate chips and coconut oil to a small bowl. Microwave chocolate in 30 second increments until fully melted.
    • Once crunchy peanut butter balls are chilled, dip or drizzle with melted chocolate before placing back in the freezer. Freeze for at least 10 minutes before eating, then store in the fridge.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

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    30 Minutes or Less

    Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps with Savory Peanut Sauce

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    overhead image of asian turkey lettuce wraps on a table.

    Crisp, fresh, and flavorful Asian-inspired turkey lettuce wraps, topped off with a creamy, savory peanut sauce! Naturally gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and super healthy. These turkey lettuce wraps are the perfect addition to your weekly meal prep, best enjoyed as a quick and easy grab-and-go lunch!

    four turkey lettuce wraps on a table, one being picked up.

    What You’ll Need To Make Turkey Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce

    Ground Turkey – Like chicken, ground turkey is a great source of lean protein. It’s a blank canvas to however you season it, and will leave you feeling full until your next meal. Though if you can’t find ground turkey for this recipe, you can easily use ground chicken instead.

    Water Chestnuts – Don’t worry, I didn’t know what a water chestnut was until a few months ago. And while I’m still not exactly sure what it is, I do know that it’s some type of crunchy vegetable commonly sold in cans. You’re most likely to find these canned water chestnuts in either the canned produce aisle, or the ethnic food aisle of your local grocery store. However, if you can’t seem to track down any water chestnuts, don’t worry – this recipe will taste just as delicious without them!

    Peanut Butter – The two main things your peanut butter should be for this recipe are creamy and unsweetened. Most peanut butters on the market today unfortunately come sweetened, with some kind of sugar added to them. While I never recommend buying sweetened peanut butter (it doesn’t need the added sugar!), I definitely recommend against buying it for this recipe. Any sugar in your peanut butter will definitely throw off the savory balance of flavors in this peanut sauce.

    Butter Lettuce Leaves – This particular variety of leaf is perfect for filling, folding, then eating. They’re crisp, mild, and pretty much melt in your mouth. Though if you can’t find butter lettuce leaves, you can use either iceberg lettuce leaves or romaine lettuce leaves in their place. Really, any type of leaf that will cradle your filling will work here!

    turkey lettuce wraps being assembled

    Tips and Tricks

    • I highly recommend prepping a big batch of these turkey lettuce wraps ahead of a busy week! They’re my all-time favorite grab-and-go meal, requiring no time at all to heat up and assemble. If meal prepping, I recommend storing the turkey mixture separate from the peanut sauce, and keeping lettuce and any toppings separate as well. When ready to eat, simply reheat the turkey, then fill your lettuce wraps any way you’d like!
    • Feel free to top these wraps however you’d like! I’ve topped mine with everything from kimchi, to shredded carrots, to even simply eating them on their own. It truly doesn’t matter which way you serve these guys, they’re always going to taste delicious.
    • If you’re like me and like a little spice, go ahead and spice these babies up with a little sriracha! Add a couple teaspoons of sriracha to either the filling, as a topping, or both.

    Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Paleo: For an entirely paleo meal, use creamy almond butter instead of peanut butter in the savory sauce. Otherwise, these lettuce wraps are an entirely paleo recipe!

    Make it Nut-Free: Make this recipe nut-free by swapping out the peanut butter for an equal amount of creamy sunflower seed butter (just make sure it’s unsweetened!).

    5 from 2 votes

    Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps with Savory Peanut Sauce

    Crisp, fresh, and flavorful Asian-inspired turkey lettuce wraps, topped off with a creamy, savory peanut sauce! Naturally gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and super healthy. These turkey lettuce wraps are the perfect addition to your weekly meal prep, best enjoyed as a quick and easy grab-and-go lunch!
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings

    Ingredients

    For the turkey:

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 pound ground turkey
    • pinch of salt
    • 8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
    • 1 (8-ounce) can chopped water chestnuts, drained
    • 3 scallions, chopped
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
    • 1/4 cup coconut aminos, see Notes
    • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

    For the peanut sauce:

    • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, unsweetened
    • 2 tablesoons coconut aminos
    • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, optional
    • 1 garlic clove, grated
    • 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
    • 2-3 tablespoons warm water, add more to thin sauce

    For the lettuce wraps:

    • 12 butter lettuce leaves
    • shredded carrots
    • bean sprouts
    • fresh cilantro

    Instructions

    • Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in ground turkey and a pinch of salt, cook until no longer pink.
    • While turkey cooks, whisk together all peanut sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
    • Once turkey is cooked through, add in mushrooms, scallions, garlic, ginger, and water chestnuts. Cook 2-3 minutes or until mushrooms are soft.
    • Add in coconut aminos and rice vinegar, stir and cook for about 1 minute then remove from heat.
    • Fill butter lettuce leaves with ground turkey mixture and top with peanut sauce, shredded carrots, bean sprouts, and fresh cilantro.

    Video

    Notes

  • Coconut Aminos: If you don’t have coconut aminos, you can use soy sauce instead!

    • Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

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    Dairy-Free

    Healthy Gluten-Free Donuts (One-Bowl!)

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    gluten-free donuts coated in powdered sugar

    Perfectly soft, sweet, and delicious gluten-free donuts! Finish em’ off with powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, or a simple glaze for a healthier version of a classic dessert. Made entirely with whole ingredients, these perfect gluten-free donuts are also vegan and refined sugar-free!

    a stack of gluten-free donuts covered in powdered sugar.

    What You’ll Need To Make Gluten-Free Donuts

    Oat Flour – Oat flour bakes up beautifully in this gluten-free recipe. It’s also super cheap and easy to get your hands on! You can either buy oat flour, or make it yourself. To make it yourself, simply pulse rolled oats in a blender until very fine. Once the oats resemble the texture of flour, they’re ready to use in this recipe!

    Flax Eggs – This vegan egg substitute is also very quick and easy to make yourself. To make one flax egg, combined one tablespoon of flax meal with three tablespoons of water. Whisk that mixture up and let it sit for at least 10 minutes before adding to your donuts batter. As the flax egg sits, it’ll thicken into a gel-like consistency.

    Almond or Peanut Butter – Really any nut or seed butter will work here! I used peanut butter because I personally love the taste. Though almond butter will add little to no nutty flavor. And for a nut-free version, simply use sunflower seed butter instead.

    Coconut Sugar – While still sugar, coconut sugar is an unrefined, slightly healthier version of white sugar. It offers up the same amount of sweetness as regular sugar, but less of a blood sugar spike. Also unlike white sugar, coconut sugar contains fiber which helps to slow down the rate at which it metabolizes in our body. If you’ve got a sweet tooth like me, you’re all too familiar with that famous energy spike, then crash from eating processed white sugar. Well, with coconut sugar, you can expect much less of that!

    a gluten-free donut in a bowl of powdered sugar.

    Tips and Tricks

    • Use a large cookie scoop to transfer your gluten-free donut batter to your donut pan! A cookie scoop allows for a more precise transfer of batter. Also, while I’ve never tried it myself, I’ve heard people have a lot of success with piping batter into the donut pan from a large zip-top bag (similar to how you’d pipe frosting on a cupcake)!
    • No donut pan? No problem! Simply bake these donuts into muffins instead.
    • Finish these gluten-free donuts off any way you’d like! I went this classic powdered sugar route. Though for a krispy kreme copycat, dunk them in a simple glaze.

    Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Nut-Free: For a nut-free donut recipe, replace the peanut butter with sunflower seed butter!

    No ratings yet

    Healthy Gluten-Free Donuts (One-Bowl!)

    Perfectly soft, sweet, and delicious gluten-free donuts! Finish em’ off with powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, or a simple glaze for a healthier version of a classic dessert. Made entirely with whole ingredients, these perfect gluten-free donuts are also vegan and refined sugar-free!
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 24 donuts

    Ingredients

    • 1 1/2 cups oat flour
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 2 flax eggs, see Notes
    • 1 cup milk, I used non-dairy milk
    • 1/2 cup almond or peanut butter
    • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
    • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Topping options:

    • 1 cup powdered sugar
    • 1 cup coconut sugar + 1 tablespoon cinnamon
    • 1 cup confectioners sugar + 2 tablespoons milk

    Instructions

    • Preheat your oven to 350F and grease a donut pan.
    • In a large bowl, mix together the oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
    • Form a well in the center of your flour mixture and add in flax eggs, non-dairy milk, almond butter, coconut sugar, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract.
    • Slowly whisk the batter starting at the center, slowly moving outward until both wet and dry ingredients are incorporated.
    • Carefully fill your donut molds with the batter, then bake for 20-22 minutes. Once done, pop donuts out of the mold and onto a cooling rack.
    • Once cool, dip in either powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar to coat.

    Video

    Notes

  • Flax Eggs: To make on flax egg, combine 1 tablespoon of ground flax meal with 3 tablespoons of water and let sit on the counter for 10 minutes to thicken.
  • Store these gluten-free donuts in an airtight container at room temperature where they’ll stay fresh for up to 5 days!

    • Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

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    30 Minutes or Less

    3-Ingredient Healthy Vegan Caramel Sauce

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    3 ingredient vegan caramel sauce in a small jar with a spoon

    This homemade vegan caramel sauce is perfectly sweet and super easy to make! It comes together in one saucepan, with just 3 ingredients, and in under 5 minutes. This vegan caramel is delicious drizzled over ice cream, apples, cake, or cookies! Try it over my no-churn vegan vanilla ice cream recipe, or even on top of my healthy apple crisp. YUM!

    3 ingredient vegan caramel sauce being poured over a green apple.

    What You’ll Need

    Coconut Cream – Coconut cream is the thick, white cream found at the top of a can of full-fat coconut milk. It’s important to note that coconut cream can only be obtained by a can of full-fat coconut milk, not low-fat or boxed coconut milk. Native Organics also sells a great canned coconut cream, which is what I used in this recipe. Also, remember to only use the coconut cream and not any of the liquid found at the bottom of the can. To do this, open your can of full-fat coconut milk or cream, then scrape and remove the cream from the top. Fill a one-cup measurer with this coconut cream, then save the liquid for use in smoothies later on!

    Maple Syrup – This natural sweetener is the only sweetener in this vegan dessert recipe! Our vegan caramel is so much healthier than your standard caramel because it contains only natural ingredients, and has a lot less sugar. However, healthier doesn’t mean any less delicious. Maple syrup gives this sauce an irresistibly rich flavor.

    Peanut Butter – Peanut butter is the finishing touch to this recipe, adding the perfect texture and flavor. Though if you’re not a fan of peanut butter, you can use almond butter, cashew butter, pecan butter, or sunflower seed butter in its place!

    vegan caramel sauce being whisked in a saucepan

    This Vegan Caramel Is….

    • Healthy
    • Plant-Based
    • Gluten-Free
    • Refined Sugar-Free
    • Paleo
    • & Delicious!

    Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Nut-Free: Replace the peanut butter in this recipe with 1/4 cup of sunflower seed butter!

    Make it Paleo: Use almond butter instead of peanut butter for a delicious paleo caramel recipe.

    3 ingredient vegan caramel sauce in a small jar with a spoon
    5 from 1 vote

    3-Ingredient Vegan Caramel Sauce

    This homemade vegan caramel sauce is perfectly sweet and super easy to make! It comes together in one saucepan, with just 3 ingredients, and in under 5 minutes. This vegan caramel is delicious drizzled over ice cream, apples, cake, or cookies!
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 2 minutes
    Cook Time: 3 minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes
    Servings: 8 servings

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup coconut cream, see Notes
    • 1/2 cup maple syrup
    • 1/4 cup almond butter or peanut butter

    Instructions

    • Add coconut cream and maple syrup to a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir constantly until bubbling, then reduce to low heat and continue stirring for 3 minutes.
    • Remove pan from heat and stir in almond or peanut butter. Let cool, it’ll continue to thicken as it cools.

    Notes

  • Coconut Cream: Coconut cream is the thick, white creamy part at the top of a can of full-fat coconut milk. You can only obtain coconut cream from either a can of full-fat coconut milk, or a can of coconut cream.
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