Quick & Easy Cinnamon Sugar Vegan Donuts (Gluten Free!)
These super easy baked cinnamon sugar vegan donuts taste just like a bakery with a hint of nutmeg and full of sweet cinnamon! Easily made gluten free and refined sugar free, these healthier baked vegan donuts are perfect for a fall breakfast or treat!
The perfect secretly healthy baked vegan donut recipe:
Forget the bakery donuts for a moment- you need to try these easy cinnamon sugar vegan donuts STAT.
Not only are these baked vegan donuts incredibly easy and quick to make, but they actually taste like they’ve come from a bakery, thanks to a dash of nutmeg. They’re the perfect sweet vegan breakfast treat to enjoy with a homemade vegan pumpkin spice latte.
These vegan donuts are full of cinnamon, deliciously sweet, naturally dairy free, eggless, and easily refined sugar free. And just like my vegan chocolate donuts, you can make them in just one bowl and in 20 minutes!
An added bonus? Your kitchen is going to smell like a fall bakery all morning, thanks to these easy donuts!
They’re perfect for brunch, breakfast, or even something more special, like Thanksgiving morning or Christmas morning! Pair these donuts with a side of vegan chickpea scramble or vegan quiche (or check out over 40 more vegan breakfast ideas to serve or my vegan baking cookbook for other baked breakfast treats!) for the perfect morning.
Let’s get to making these easy baked vegan cinnamon sugar donuts in under 30 minutes!
Ingredients & substitutions for vegan cinnamon sugar donuts:
What I love most about these baked vegan cinnamon sugar donuts is that they’re made with some of the simplest ingredients yet taste absolutely decadent and heavenly.
Plus, we have some tested & verified ingredient subs that work great, making these baked vegan donuts easily customizable for your dietary preferences.
For these vegan donuts, you’ll need:
- Flour: You can make these either just healthier baked vegan cinnamon sugar donuts or gluten free vegan cinnamon donuts. If doing gluten free, I highly recommend Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 baking flour (in a blue bag) here. This is actually different than Bob’s Red Mill Gluten free flour (in the red bag).
- Ground cinnamon: for a pumpkin spice flair, you can sub in an equal amount of pumpkin spice blend!
Nutmeg: literally the key to making homemade donuts taste like they’re from the bakery - Coconut sugar: you can also use organic granulated sugar if you don’t need refined sugar free, or a mix of both. If using granulated sugar, please be sure that the sugar is truly vegan if you are following a vegan diet.
- Vegan butter: you can also use coconut oil. For less of a coconut taste, use triple refined.
- Dairy free milk with Apple Cider vinegar: or ACV for short, this creates the vegan buttermilk that goes into gluten free vegan donuts and makes them cakey. You can use soy milk, almond milk, or even oat milk or coconut milk.
For the cinnamon sugar coating:
- Cinnamon (of course!)
- Coconut sugar: or organic granulated sugar, for a more classic look
- Vegan butter: or coconut oil!
Easy enough, right? Now let’s go over the best pan to use for these gluten free cinnamon sugar donuts!
What’s the best donut pan?
I’ve made these baked vegan donuts in both a large silicone mold (what’s pictured) and smaller metal donut pans. The smaller donut pan is truly small, but you get more donuts out of it, and the donuts do brown a bit better, giving them that “fried” look.
However, for larger donuts, definitely use the silicone mold!
How to make baked vegan cinnamon sugar donuts (overview)
For the full written instructions and ingredient measurements, see the bottom of this post in the recipe card. You can also hit the “jump to recipe” button at the top of this post! Here, we’ll go over a brief overview of the steps, along with providing visuals for a better understanding of the recipe.
As mentioned above, these baked vegan donuts are just so easy to make. With only 5 minutes of prep work and 22-26 minutes in the oven, you’ll have an easy and delicious cinnamon sugar donut recipe ready to enjoy in no time.
To make these vegan cinnamon sugar donuts, first start by making the vegan donuts:
Whisk together the dry ingredients. This is the flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and leavening agents. Be sure not to leave out the nutmeg, as this is what gives these donuts that “bakery” flavor.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. This is the vegan buttermilk, applesauce, melted vegan butter, and vanilla extract.
Add in the dry ingredients to the wet, and whisk together. Be careful not to over-mix, even with gluten-free flour.
Spoon the batter into a piping bag. This step is technically optional, but it will help get the batter into the donut molds much more easily. Simply cut the tip of the bag once full and pipe the batter into the donut pans, filling each about 3/4 fo the way full.
Bake the vegan donuts. Once baked, you’ll allow the donuts to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool further.
Now we’ll make the cinnamon sugar coating!
This next step is very easy. Simply brush the tops and bottoms of the donuts with melted vegan butter, dip into sugar and cinnamon whisked together, and enjoy!
Pro baked vegan donuts tips & tricks:
- Make these vegan cinnamon sugar donuts oil free: Swap in an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce for melted vegan butter. For the cinnamon sugar coating, immediately dip the donuts into the cinnamon sugar mixture after cooling in the pan for 10 minutes post-baking.
- Swap in pumpkin spice for cinnamon! For an even more fall-flavored vegan donut recipe, swap in pumpkin spice for cinnamon in both the donut recipe and the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Don’t have a donut pan? Turn these donuts into baked vegan cinnamon sugar muffins instead: Simply use make the batter, and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Fill the muffins with the batter and bake! For toppings, brush the tops of the muffins with vegan butter and dip into the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Make sure to use the vegan buttermilk! This is an often times overlooked step, but mixing the dairy free milk and vinegar will create a reaction with the baking soda, which creates the fluffiness you see without using yeast.
You are just going to love these easy baked vegan cinnamon donuts!
These cinnamon sugar donuts are the definition of fall. They are:
- Perfectly moist, fluffy, and soft
- Sweet and full of cinnamon
- Taste like a bakery donut, thanks to the nutmeg
- Healthier thanks to being baked
- Much easier than yeast-risen donuts!
- Taste just like autumn
- Perfect with a cup of coffee or homemade pumpkin spice latte
- A wonderful brunch for Thanksgiving or holiday breakfast!
I can’t wait for you to try these healthier baked donuts!
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!
More vegan breakfast recipes you’ll love:
Gluten Free Vegan Oat Banana Pancakes
Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest!
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!
Print
Quick & Easy Cinnamon Sugar Vegan Donuts (Gluten Free!)
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 22
- Total Time: 32 minutes
- Yield: 10 small donuts 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These super easy baked cinnamon sugar vegan donuts taste just like a bakery with a hint of nutmeg and full of sweet cinnamon! Easily made gluten free and refined sugar free, these healthier baked vegan donuts are perfect for a fall breakfast or treat!
Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar Donuts:
- 1/2 cup (120 mL) vegan buttermilk
- 1 1/2 cups (160 g) gluten free flour blend or regular all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 1/3 cup (83 g) unsweetened applesauce, room temperature
- 1/3 cup (66 g) vegan butter, melted
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 3 tsp cinnamon
Cinnamon Sugar Coating:
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar or coconut sugar
- 2 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (115 g) vegan butter or coconut oil, melted
Instructions
- Make sure to read through all instructions before beginning.
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a large 4-hole donut pan* with olive, coconut, or avocado oil. Mix together the dairy free milk and apple cider vinegar. From this point forward, this will be referred to as vegan buttermilk. Measure out all ingredients.
- Make the donut batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the vegan buttermilk, coconut sugar, applesauce, melted vegan butter, and vanilla until smooth. Add in the dry ingredients, and whisk together until the flour mixture is just incorporated into the wet.
- Fill the donut pan: scoop the batter into a piping bag or large plastic bag. Cut the end tip with scissors and pipe the batter into each donut cavity, filling the hole about 3/4 of the way up. With a large donut pan, you’ll yield 5 donuts, with two medium donut pans, you’ll yield 10-12.
- Bake the donuts: Bake in the oven for 22-26 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the donuts to cool in their pan for 10 minutes. Then transfer over to a cooling rack to finish cooling for 15 minutes before dipping into cinnamon sugar.
- Prep the cinnamon sugar coating: Melt the vegan butter for the dipping, and in a separate bowl, whisk together the cinnamon and coconut sugar.
- Coat the cinnamon sugar donuts: Brush each donut with melted vegan butter using a pasty brush. Brush both the top and bottom. Dip the donuts one at a time into the cinnamon sugar bowl, and flip to evenly coat. Place back onto a cooling rack to allow the butter to set for 10 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Notes
Donut pan: you can use a large silicone donut pan, which will yield 5 donuts all together, or two small 6-donut pans, which will yield 10-12 donuts.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 small donut with coating
- Calories: 202
- Sugar: 14.5 g
- Sodium: 144.5 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 29.1 g
- Fiber: 1.4 g
- Protein: 1.9 g
- Cholesterol: 22.8 mg
Keywords: vegan cinnamon sugar donuts, cinnamon sugar donuts, vegan donuts, baked donuts, healthy, gluten free, vegan, refined sugar free
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You know, I was never a fan of cinnamon donuts (chocoholic through and through 😂) but decided to give these a shot since your recipes are so amazing and WOAHHHH you turned me into a fan!!
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Aw I’m so happy to hear that!! That makes me so happy! Enjoy!
This recipe looks amazing! I was wondering if the coconut milk could be subbed for normal milk, or does it have to be the full fat tinned kind? Thanks!
Hi Chloe! Aw thank you! I hope you love them! You can definitely sub it for regular milk! I would recommend 2% or whole if you can, but it will still work! 🙂
Amazing donuts!
Aw thank you!
hi! could I use oat milk instead of coconut milk (or any other non dairy, nut free milk)?
Hi Katie! Yes you can! Any df milk will work here 🙂
Thank you!!! Exactly what I needed to make a happy child!!! Thank you!! Mmmmm mmmm mmmmm!!!! So good!
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Aw I’m so glad to hear it!! Enjoy!! 🙂
I only have a mould for mini-donuts. Will this affect the baking time?
Yes, they will bake more quickly! You’ll have to keep an eye on it
Hey! Could you use oat flour here?
Hi Emily!
Yes you can, but be sure to use the gram measurements, and add in 1 tbsp of either arrowroot starch or cornstarch! The donuts will be a bit more delicate but if you can use a silicone donut pan, it’ll be easier to get them out without breaking 🙂
Hi!
Thank you for your recipe.
I will try this one in a few days.
I wonder if you could recommend any vegan doughnut shops in the U.S. or U.K(if you have been to any of them) or any books/blogs..that has a lot of vegan doughnut recipes.
These days I am thinking about baking vegan doughnuts but I am just a beginner.
Hi David! I’ve actually never been to a vegan doughnut shop, I wish they had them near me! We do have tons of vegan donuts on here (yeasted and non-yeasted), including vegan chocolate donuts, vegan funfetti donuts, vegan Boston cream doughnuts, and more 🙂
May I sub the vegan butter for olive oil if I don’t have enough butter? Thank you
Yes you can!
The perfect cake donut! I used oat flour with 2 tbsp tapioca, left out the cinnamon and added vanilla paste, used coconut oil instead of vegan butter and oh boy did it turn out to be an amazing vanilla cake donut! Seems like a perfect base recipe for whatever variation hits the spot that day. Thanks!
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This is so wonderful!! So happy you loved 🙂 Enjoy!! Thanks for the review!