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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

    10-Minute Spicy Ramen (Gluten-Free Option)

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    close-up overhead image of spicy ramen in a bowl with chopsticks

    This spicy ramen soup recipe is quick to make and soo much better than store bought ramen! The greatest part about ramen soup is that it’s easy to customize the way you want. You can choose between basic or gluten-free noodles and you can top it off with soft boiled eggs, green onions, chicken, tofu or seaweed – whatever you prefer!

    close-up image of spicy ramen with chopsticks

    Ramen noodles are a pantry staple for households everywhere. The packets are super easy to whip up and I can’t tell you how many times ramen has been my go-to during my school years! But, did you know you can just as easily make homemade ramen noodles in just 10 minutes?

    There are so many ways to customize ramen soup, but I like to make mine spicy with all sorts of wonderful ingredients that I always have on hand. So this recipe is for the spice lovers out there!

    two hands holding a bowl of spicy ramen

    MAIN INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE Spicy Ramen

    • Ramen Noodles – Of course the main ingredient to Ramen soup is the noodles! I used gluten-free, but feel free to use the basic noodles if you prefer.

    • Broth – Use either chicken or vegetable broth as your base. Beef broth works, too, but will have drastically different flavor.

    • Sesame Oil – A little drizzle of sesame oil adds a nice flavor and sheen to the soup’s surface.

    • Fresh Ginger –  You’ll need a 2-inch piece of freshly grated ginger. Dried ginger powder is fine to use as well, but fresh will give it a better taste and a nicer kick.

    • Soy Sauce – 1 tablespoon soy sauce, or feel free to use more to your personal taste. If you are allergic to soy, watching your sodium, or eating gluten-free, you can sub the soy sauce with tamari or coconut aminos.

    • Vinegar. 1 tsp rice wine vinegar.

    • Chili Paste – Chili paste offers a deeper spiced flavor than most powders and hot sauces, but if you can’t get your hands on any, sriracha works too.

    • Toppings – Top it off with soft boiled eggs, green onions, chicken, tofu or seaweed.
    noodles being lifted out of a bowl of spicy ramen

    ADJUST THIS RECIPE TO YOUR DIET

    • Gluten-Free: Use the gluten-free version of ramen noodles like I did for this recipe.

    TIPS FOR MAKING THIS Spicy Ramen Soup RECIPE

    • This particular recipe will give you a nice and spicy ramen noodle recipe. However, you can very easily dial back on the spicier ingredients for a not-so-spicy experience. If you’re looking for even spicier ramen, add in some hot peppers or chili flakes.
    overhead image of spicy ramen with chopsticks and a spoon
    4.27 from 15 votes

    Spicy Ramen Soup Recipe

    This spicy ramen soup recipe is quick to make and soo much better than store bought ramen! The greatest part about ramen soup is that it’s easy to customize the way you want. You can choose between basic or gluten-free noodles and you can top it off with soft boiled eggs, green onions, chicken, tofu or seaweed – whatever you prefer!
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 2 servings

    Ingredients

    • 1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
    • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
    • 2 garlic cloves, grated
    • 2-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon chili paste (aka sambal oelek), see Notes
    • 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
    • 6 ounces ramen noodles, I used gluten-free

    Topping Options

    • Soft boiled egg
    • Cooked and shredded chicken
    • Sauteed mushrooms
    • Sliced green onion
    • Dried seaweed
    • Sesame seeds

    Instructions

    • Add everything except for noodles to a large pot and simmer over medium-high heat for 10 minutes.
    • Taste broth and adjust any seasonings as desired, then add in the ramen noodles and cook until tender.
    • Ladle broth and noodles into two bowls and top with whatever you’d like.

    Notes

  • Chili Paste: If you can’t find chili paste, you can use an equal amount of sriracha instead.

    • Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

    MORE HEALTHY Soup RECIPES

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    30 Minutes or Less

    The BEST Vegan Pesto

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    This vegan pesto is the easiest and tastiest recipe you’ll make all week! Simply toss all ingredients in a blender, then serve over your favorite pasta. This classic recipe is exploding with fresh, bright, and savory flavor!

    overhead image of vegan pesto in a bowl with a spoon.

    I don’t mean to brag, but I’m kind of famous for my pesto. Even cheese-lovers rave about my cheese-less pesto! It was just sort of a recipe that evolved over time based on my dietary restrictions. Growing up, my mom would take me to the local farmer’s market on Saturdays and this one bread stand would hand out samples of thick sliced bread with a big ole’ slathering of pesto on it. It was my FAVORITE part of the farmers market and truly where my deep love of pesto began.

    When I moved away for college, I had no choice but to start making pesto myself. Also, around this same time is when I started experimenting with a dairy and gluten-free diet. So one day I randomly decided to just leave the parmesan cheese out of my pesto and see how I’d like it. And well, I LOVED it! Then I began playing around with different nuts in my pesto – the traditional recipes call for pine nuts but those can be pretty hard to come by. So I tried literally every nut I could think of and ultimately landed on cashews for creating the best and creamiest vegan pesto EVER. This recipe is perfectly tangy, incredibly fresh, and tastes just as good as (if not better than) the stuff I used to get at the farmer’s market growing up!

    vegan pesto pasta in a bowl with a fork and white wine on the side.

    What You Need To Make Vegan Pesto

    Basil – If you’re growing basil this year, definitely use it in this vegan pesto! I love doubling or tripling this recipe at the end of summer and freezing leftovers to make sure none of that gorgeous, fresh basil goes to waste. And if you don’t have your own basil plant, simply pick up a package of this delicious herb the next time you’re at the grocery store or farmer’s market. To prepare the basil for this recipe, start by giving it a quick rinse under cold water. Once clean, remove the leaves from the stems and add them to your blender. When I say “2 heaping cups,” I mean 2 HEAPING cups – pack that basil in there, and throw in a little extra if you’d like!

    Cashews – Traditional pesto is made with pine nuts, but this vegan pesto tastes even better with cashews. Cashews do an incredible job at contributing an almost cheesy flavor to this pesto, in the absence of parmesan cheese! Though feel free to use any nut or seed you’d like to in this recipe. Walnuts, almonds, or sunflower seeds would all make great substitutions. However, whichever option you choose, please make sure that it is raw and, most importantly, unsalted!

    Lemon Juice – Lemon juice adds a touch of brightness to this pesto and emphasizes the delicious fresh flavor. Start small on the lemon juice and add more to taste. I loooove a super lemony pesto so I tend to go a bit crazy, but feel free to customize this recipe to your liking! If you don’t have lemon juice, you can use a teaspoon or two of apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar instead.

    vegan pesto pasta being lifted out of a bowl with a fork.

    Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

    • Make it Nut-Free: Use raw and unsalted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds in place of the cashews to make this a nut-free pesto!
    • Make it Oil-Free: Substitute 2-3 tablespoons of water for the olive oil in this recipe.
    • Add Cheese: Throw 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese in with the rest of the ingredients if you’d like.
    overhead image of three bowls of vegan pesto pasta.
    5 from 1 vote

    Vegan Pesto

    This vegan pesto is the easiest and tastiest recipe you’ll make all week! Simply toss all ingredients in a blender, then serve over your favorite pasta. This classic recipe is exploding with fresh, bright, and savory flavor!
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings

    Ingredients

    • 2 heaping cups fresh basil
    • 1/2 cup raw unsalted cashews, see Notes
    • 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
    • 3 garlic cloves
    • 1/4 cup olive oil
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

    Instructions

    • Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

    Notes

  • Cashews: You can substitute the cashews in this recipe for pine nuts, pistachios, almonds, walnuts, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds if you’d like!

    • Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

    More Quick and Easy Vegan Recipes

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    30 Minutes or Less

    Simple Tomato Salad

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    overhead image of tomato salad on a serving platter with olive oil and fresh basil on the side.

    Fresh, easy, and totally delicious tomato salad! Made with a handful of simple ingredients, this summer salad comes together in just 5 minutes. Fresh tomatoes, basil, and red onion finished off with a sweet balsamic glaze – YUM!

    olive oil being poured over tomato salad.

    What You’ll Need to Make Tomato Salad

    Tomatoes – Use any variety of tomato you’d like in this recipe! I used heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges. However, I’ve also made this salad with cherry tomatoes and it was just as incredible.

    Fresh Basil – Tomatoes and fresh basil are the perfect pair! Grab a small handful of fresh basil leaves, and stack them on top of each other. Then, gently roll the leaves (like you would a cigar), and run a knife through the basil creating thin basil “ribbons.” Or, if that’s too much work for you, simply grab a handful of basil and gently tear it, then toss into your salad!

    Red Onion – Or really any kind of onion! A sweet yellow onion would also taste delicious, it’s totally up to you.

    Balsamic – A touch of acidity brings out the fresh flavors in this easy plant-based salad recipe. I LOVE a sweet, yet savory balsamic glaze, but a drizzle of regular balsamic vinegar will also do the trick!

    super close-up image of tomato salad with fresh basil on top.

    Tips and Tricks

    • Toss your tomato salad together, then refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving. This rest time will allow the tomatoes to marinate in all of their delicious flavor. And remember, the longer your salad sits, the more flavorful it’ll be!
    • Have fun with this recipe, and don’t be afraid to make it your own! Add or remove anything you’d like. This salad is super simple, and should remain uncomplicated.
    close-up image of tomato salad on a serving platter.

    Delicious Additions

    Any or all of the following would make delicious additions to your tomato salad!

    • Fresh Cucumber
    • Chickpeas
    • Grilled Chicken
    • Mozzarella Cheese

    This side dish is vegan, plant-based, gluten-free, and dairy-free!

    overhead image of tomato salad on a serving platter with a fork and spoon.
    No ratings yet

    Simple Tomato Salad

    Fresh, easy, and totally delicious tomato salad! Made with a handful of simple ingredients, this summer salad comes together in just 5 minutes. Fresh tomatoes, basil, and red onion finished off with a sweet balsamic glaze – YUM!
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes
    Servings: 6 servings

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound tomatoes (I recommend cherry, grape, and/or heirloom tomatoes), sliced
    • 1/4 cup fresh basil, sliced
    • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, or balsamic glaze
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

    Instructions

    • Arrange the sliced tomatoes, fresh basil, and red onion on a large platter or in a large bowl.
    • Top with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and black pepper then cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

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    30 Minutes or Less

    Mom’s BEST Frozen Daiquiri

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    frozen daiquiri with fresh limes on the side.

    Cool and refreshing frozen daiquiri, with a secret ingredient! My Mom’s famous recipe for this best EVER frozen cocktail. Just four ingredients, perfectly sweet, and totally delicious.

    two frozen daiquiris with fresh limes on the side

    The Secret Ingredient: Coconut Rum

    A few weeks ago, my Mom had the genius idea to swap out regular rum in her frozen daiquris for coconut rum. And boy, it made allllll the difference! A hint of coconut in this tropical cocktail left everyone asking “what is that?! that’s DELICIOUS!” It’s sort of like a cross between a classic daiquiri and a piña colada. The coconut is light, not at all overpowering, and simply perfect.

    My Mom – a fan of the finer things in life – uses an exclusive small-batch brand of coconut rum. But let me tell you, I recreated her recipe with this Bacardi Coconut Rum (purchased for $15!) and my frozen daiquiris tasted just as good!

    closeup image of a frozen daiquiri with limes on the side.

    What Else You’ll Need to Make a Frozen Daiquiri

    Lime Juice – Fresh squeezed is best! My Mom insists on using freshly-squeezed juice in all of her cocktails. And I must admit, fresh squeezed lime juice makes a world of a difference in these frozen daiquiris!

    Simple Syrup or Agave – Feel free to use whichever you have on-hand! I used agave nectar because it’s what I had leftover from these Skinny Strawberry Margaritas.

    Ice – This one seems pretty self-explanatory, ha! Though I will say, if you’d like a frozen strawberry daiquri instead, replace the ice with two cups of frozen strawberries.

    Blender – I own and LOVE my Vitamix blender. It’s super powerful, and there truly isn’t anything it can’t blend. However, any blender will work to blend this frozen cocktail. You could even use a Nutribullet for easier cleanup!

    overhead image of a frozen daiquiri with a lime on top.

    Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Sugar-Free: For a sugar-free option, replace the simple syrup with your favorite sugar-free liquid sweetener.

    Make it a Mocktail: Turn this into a delicious non-alcoholic frozen beverage by using equal parts coconut water in place of the coconut rum!

    frozen daiquiri with fresh limes on the side.
    3 from 3 votes

    Mom’s BEST Frozen Daiquiri

    Cool and refreshing frozen daiquiris, with a secret ingredient! My Mom’s famous recipe for this best EVER frozen cocktail. Just four ingredients, perfectly sweet, and totally delicious.
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 3 minutes
    Total Time: 3 minutes
    Servings: 2 daiquiris

    Ingredients

    • 4 ounces coconut rum
    • 2 ounces lime juice
    • 1 1/2 ounces simple syrup (or agave)
    • 2 cups ice

    Instructions

    • Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth, serve immediately.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

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