Pumpkin Cider Donuts (vegan, gluten free)
Pumpkin cider and donuts are two autumn treats that I love sooo much, and when you combine the two into pumpkin cider donuts… OMG, heaven on the taste buds!! But why, why do they only seem to carry all the yummilicious pumpkin flavors in the fall? 🍂🍺😩
Another thing I love is the smell of these donuts while they’re baking, because they fill your home with the spicy scent of autumn. They also come together fairly quickly, so you don’t have to wait long before devouring them!
Well one way you can speed up the preparation process even more is by making the flax egg overnight. They stay good in your fridge for up to a week. Another method is using aquafaba instead of the flax meal and water. I haven’t tried it in this recipe yet, but you stir 3 TBSP until frothy (not whipped). Let me know if you’ve had success using it.
You’ll love these Chocolate Glazed Mango and also Apple Cider Donuts too!
You can make this recipe two different ways, and both taste fantastic! One is a sweeter snack, and the other is a cornbread version that’s delicious with Sweet Potato Chipotle Chili and also my Easy Vegan Chili recipe.
I came up with the pumpkin cider cornbread donuts, while putting together chili for dinner. I didn’t have enough cornmeal for cornbread, but I did have just enough to make donuts. They turned out even better than I envisioned!
The batch below has more cornmeal in it, because I wanted a sturdier version to take on our hike. It tasted amazing paired with the Vegan White Chili, and what an enjoyable picnic feast for a gorgeous autumn day!
This really is a great recipe, and I love how versatile it is. I’m thinking of a savory garlic bread donut with Italian herbs, perfect for the next time I make pasta or soup. Let me know if you make this recipe, because I’d love to share your experience on here.
Oh, and btw… the top photo was taken on a day with bright crisp sunlight pouring through the changing leaves outside the window. It has a pinkish glow, but I love the colors of autumn so much I decided not to edit it out. 🍁
Baked Pumpkin Cider Donuts
Print RecipeIngredients
- 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
- 3 tablespoons warm water
- 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour or 1 1/4 cup gluten free flour*
- 1/4 cup fine almond flour or fine cornmeal
- 2 tablespoons tapioca flour or cornstarch (omit if using gf flour)
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Ceylon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup apple cider, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup pumpkin purée, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pumpkin Cider Cornbread Donuts
- (use all the ingredients above, except for these changes)
- substitute the almond flour with fine cornmeal
- lower the amount of sugar to 2 tablespoons
- omit the Ceylon ground cinnamon
- add in an additional 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
- sprinkle some pumpkin seeds on each donut before putting in the oven to bake
Instructions
Stir flaxseed meal and water in a small bowl and set on the counter for 15 minutes.
In the meantime preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 6 donut pan with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk the ap flour, almond flour, tapioca flour, (cornmeal if using), coconut sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt together; set aside.
Add the apple cider, pumpkin purée, coconut oil, flax egg, and vanilla extract to a small bowl and whisk gently until combined. Pour into the flour mixture and stir just until mixed. You don't want to over mix, or your donuts won't be tender.
Spoon the batter evenly between the donut wells. Smooth the tops. If you're making cornbread donuts then sprinkle each donut with some pumpkin seeds. Your donuts are going to expand as they bake, so sprinkle toward the middle of the batter.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in one comes out clean. Remove pan to a wire rack to cool in pan for 5 minutes. The donut holes may have closed up. I use the blunt end of a chopstick to open up the holes before removing the donuts from the pan. Turn the pan upside down over the rack, and tap them out. Let cool completely on the wire rack.
Once they're cool you can form them if you want. The bottom of the donut, which was the top when baking, may have expanded out. You can snip around the bottom, with small kitchen shears, to have more of a rounded look if you want. This isn't necessary, and I only do it if I'm taking them somewhere or taking pictures of them. You can drizzle or coat the top of each donut with glaze and sprinkle on toppings for a fancier treat if you like.
Simple Vanilla Glaze
1 cup of organic confectioner's sugar
up to 3 1/2 tablespoons water, to thin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Stir the sugar, 2 tablespoons water, vanilla, and pumpkin spice in a bowl wide enough to swirl the top of the donuts in (if not drizzling it on instead). If you need more water, add it in 1 teaspoon at a time. You want it thin enough to coat the donut, without being so thin it won't set.
Notes
*This recipe is for gluten free flour that is already prepared, so you are able to substitute it with regular flour on a 1 to 1 basis.
Important: Always stir up your flour with a spoon before measuring. Then scoop the flour into your measuring cup with the spoon. Level off with a knife. This ensures that you aren't adding too much flour into your batter.
