Grain-Free Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
These baked Grain-Free Cinnamon Sugar Donuts are made with my favorite blend of grain-free flours and perfectly spiced with cinnamon and allspice for the most flavorful gluten-free, vegan donuts that just so happen to be allergy-friendly.
I’ve never met a donut I didn’t like… I mean, what’s not to like about these round, sugary carb-filled rings? I’ll wait…. ya, nothing! Well except that they aren’t exactly the most nourishing things we grab for. And I’m not here to ruin all the donut fun, but today I am making one of culinary’s most prized creations just a tad bit healthier, without sacrificing any of the deliciousness.
One of my goals in this new year is to make more grain-free goodies. For some reason my body has become more sensitive to grains. Blame it on my overactive immune system, or blame it on how we mass produce crops these days… but I can definitely tell a difference when I eat any kind of grain. Now, I am not saying that grains are bad. Obviously there are many health benefits to including whole grains in your diet. And I’m not going to give them up completely, but the grain-free world is definitely a direction I feel like I’m headed.
Ok, ok, I know you came here for the donuts. So, now that I got that off my chest- let’s kick it off with these Grain-Free Cinnamon Sugar Donuts! Yes, I am swapping out grains- BUT I am also swapping in some really beneficial ingredients like almond flour, coconut flour, and cassava flour! All grain-free, all bringing nutritional value, and all mixed together to make the best flour combo for these melt-in-your-mouth donuts.
These donuts are baked and not fried, also bumping them into the healthier category. We omit the eggs here too, so those with egg allergies or intolerances (hello me again!) can still enjoy these cinnamon sugar donuts. To create the egg-like, fluffy texture we are going to create a vegan buttermilk, combining plant milk and apple cider vinegar. Bonus if you use flax milk like I do to even add some fiber to these little gems!
These Grain-Free Cinnamon Sugar Donuts are perfectly spiced with cinnamon and allspice. To keep them moist we are also adding in some avocado oil and apple juice! If you’re trying to keep your sugar intake down, these might not seem like the best choice, but let me offer some cane sugar swaps. To keep these naturally sweetened we are just going to use the apple juice and maple syrup in the batter as the sweetener. That’s right! No added refined sugar. Just be sure that the apple juice you use doesn’t have added sugars. If you wish to omit the maple syrup you may do that also.
The cinnamon sugar coating is where we can indulge maybe a bit too much, but with the use of coconut sugar or maple sugar we can at least keep it to natural sugars and not cane sugar. For me (yet again), I notice a huge difference if I consume too much cane sugar vs. natural sugars like coconut, maple or date sugar. So I try to keep it to one of those. In the case of these cinnamon sugar donuts, I would suggest the coconut sugar as it gives the best texture. But if you can’t have coconut or don’t like the coconut flavor maybe use maple or date sugar instead.
The other thing I love about these Grain-Free Cinnamon Sugar Donuts is that they get better as they sit for a day, which is very unusual for gluten-free, vegan baked goods. Usually by the second day they dry out and aren’t as appealing anymore. But not these! They taste more like traditional donuts as they “dry out” just a tad. And my tip to creating that perfectly round donut shape is to pipe the batter into your donut baking pan. For some reason they fluff up more and don’t have that flat donut bottom. Just a little trick I learned along the way.
If you prefer donut holes, check out my Grain-Free Churro Donut Holes too! And there you have it! Leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Facebook if you make these Grain-Free Cinnamon Sugar Donuts!
Grain-Free Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
These baked Grain-Free Cinnamon Sugar Donuts are made with my favorite blend of grain-free flours and perfectly spiced with cinnamon and allspice for the most flavorful gluten-free, vegan donuts that just so happen to be allergy-friendly.
Ingredients
- ½ cup plant milk (ex. oat, almond, cashew)
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- 2/3 cup apple juice
- 1 cup cassava flour (*see notes below)
- ½ cup almond flour
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon allspice
Sugar Coating
- Spray avocado/grapeseed/coconut oil
- ½ cup coconut or maple sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
Instructions
- In a glass bowl or measuring cup whisk together the plant milk, apple cider vinegar, vanilla, maple syrup, avocado oil, and apple cider and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, stir together the cassava flour, almond flour, coconut flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and allspice, then add wet ingredients and stir just enough to form a batter. Lightly spray a donut baking pan with oil, then fill a piping bag with the batter (or you can use a gallon plastic bag with the tip cut off) and pipe the batter into a donut baking pan. Tap the donut pan on the counter until all the batter is level and bake 10-12 minutes. Let the donuts cool completely before coating with the cinnamon sugar.
Sugar Coating
Add the sugar, cinnamon, and allspice to a gallon plastic bag and shake it to mix the ingredients well. When the donuts are cool, lightly spray them on both sides with oil and place each donut into the bag separately and very gently coat the donut with the sugar. Repeat for all of the donuts.
Notes
*Bob’s Red Mill, Otto’s, or Let’s Do Organic cassava flour works best. Not all cassava flours are equal!
**Leave them stored uncovered on your counter for up to 3 days. They taste even better the next day!
