Yes, it’s going to get all Cinnamon Sugar Vegan Pumpkin Spice Donuts in here. Break out that donut pan (this is the one I have) and get your cinnamon and sugar ready, because we are in full fall recipe mode here!
Let’s talk about fall recipes! It seems that as soon as Labor Day hits, everyone is ready to buy a pumpkin, sip steaming hot tea, and bust out the hearty soup recipes. I realized that summer went way too fast and I didn’t get a chance to make all the “summer” recipes I wanted to (there is corn to be grilled! Strawberries to infuse!) before the squash and pumpkin season was ripening in full force and we are all trying our season’s first sip of pumpkin spice latte.
But then I found a Cinnamon Sugar Vegan Pumpkin Spice Donuts recipe. It’s the perfect balance of the summer to fall transition, sweet but not “I’m a sweet donut with teeth achingly sweet icing with sprinkles, AND oh and by the way I have 5 other friends in the box with me that you have to eat rightnow” kind of donut (made sense, right?).
The key to these vegan pumpkin spice donuts is letting them cool before you dip them in butter and toss them around with a party of cinnamon and sugar. Take my word for it, they will fall apart as you try to coat the entire donut in the butter and sugar, which is not a horrible situation, because you obviously have to eat that one now (drat!).
First, gather those ingredients! Pumpkin makes this magical and fall-like. The milk looks weird because it’s curdling with vinegar to make a buttermilk type situation happen.
Give it a whisking and pipe it into that glorious greased donut pan.
A word of advice, when piping the dough into the pan, make sure you don’t get too excited with the bag and squeeze too hard. I got a little over zealous when filling the pan that the bag blew apart and I was left with pumpkin batter covered hands/counter/floor. Slow and steady!
After they are baked and cooled, these tasty circles get dunked in melted butter and shaken up with the always winning combo of cinnamon and sugar.
After they are coated and ready to inhale, you might only be left with this..
Just saying, it happens to anyone!
This recipe is vegan, but if you want to make it with regular butter and sugar, feel free!
Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Spiced Doughnuts
Inspired by recipe from Oh She Glows
6 regular-sized doughnuts
Pumpkin Doughnuts:
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar (white vinegar may work)
- 6 tbsp non-dairy milk
- 1/2 cup fresh or canned pureed pumpkin
- 1/4 cup organic cane sugar (or white)
- 3 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tbsp lightly packed brown sugar
- 2 tbsp Earth Balance (or other non-dairy butter substitute), melted
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon + 1/2 tsp ginger, + 1/4 tsp nutmeg (or 1.75 tsp pumpkin pie spice)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
Cinnamon Sugar:
- 1/4 cup Earth Balance (or other butter sub), melted
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease two mini doughnut pans or two regular sized doughnut pans with Earth Balance (or other butter substitute).
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, milk, pumpkin, sugar, applesauce, brown sugar (sift if clumpy), and melted Earth Balance (or other butter sub).
3. Sift in in the dry ingredients (baking powder, baking soda, spices, salt, and flours). Mix until just combined. I didn’t sift as I was lazy.
4. Using a ‘zip-lock’ baggie or pastry bag, spoon the batter into the bag and then secure it with the zip lock or rubber band. Twist the bag slightly and then cut off a hole at the corner to ‘pipe’ out the batter. Pipe the dough around the circle and gently flatten down with slightly wet fingers to smooth. Repeat.
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350F or until they gently spring back when touched. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully using a butter knife to remove. Place on cooling rack for another 10-15 minutes.
6. Cinnamon Sugar: Melt Earth Balance in a small bowl and dip the cooled doughnuts into butter one at a time. Transfer the dipped doughnut into a bag with the cinnamon sugar and shake until coated thoroughly. Doughnuts keep for 2-3 days.
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