Vegan Gluten-Free Apple Cider Donuts

Ingredients

• 2.75 cup oat flour (Store-bought or sifted homemade oat flour is recommended for a fine texture.)
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1.5 tsp cinnamon (For the donut batter.)
• 0.25 tsp sea salt
• 0.6667 cup apple cider (For the donut batter.)
• 0.5 cup soy milk
• 0.3333 cup maple syrup
• 2 tbsp canola oil (For the donut batter.)
• vegetable oil (For lightly oiling the donut pan.)
• 0.25 cup granulated white sugar (For the cinnamon sugar coating.)
• 1 tbsp cinnamon (For the cinnamon sugar coating.)
• 0.25 cup apple cider (For dunking the baked donuts.)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly oil a donut pan and set it aside.

2. 2

   Add the oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, batter cinnamon, and sea salt to a large bowl. Whisk until evenly combined.

3. 3

   Add the batter apple cider, soy milk, maple syrup, and canola oil to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Whisk until combined and no floury bits remain.

4. 4

   Set the thin batter aside to rest for 5 minutes so the oat flour can absorb the liquid and the batter can thicken.

5. 5

   Spoon the batter into the prepared donut pan, filling each cavity to the top without covering the center post. Wipe away excess batter so each donut retains a hole.

6. 6

   Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the donuts spring back when pressed lightly with a finger. If an indent remains, bake for another 1 to 2 minutes.

7. 7

   Turn the donut pan upside down over a wire rack to release the donuts. They should release easily if the pan was oiled; if needed, run a knife around the edge of each donut.

8. 8

   Let the donuts cool for about 5 minutes.

9. 9

   In a small bowl, mix the granulated sugar and coating cinnamon to make the cinnamon sugar.

10. 10

    Pour the coating apple cider into a separate small bowl.

11. 11

    Quickly dunk one donut into the apple cider and flip it to coat the other side. Do not leave it in the cider for longer than half a second. Alternatively, brush the donut with cider; dunking coats the entire donut more effectively.

12. 12

    Place the cider-coated donut in the cinnamon sugar and flip it to coat the other side.

13. 13

    Repeat the cider dunking and cinnamon-sugar coating with the remaining donuts. Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Store in an airtight container or tightly sealed bag at room temperature for up to 2 days. They can be refrigerated for up to 4 days, but should be reheated in the microwave for 20–30 seconds. They are best eaten fresh the day they are made. If using homemade oat flour, about 3 ⅔ cups rolled oats makes 2 ¾ cups oat flour. Coconut sugar can be used in the coating. The recipe may yield a different quantity depending on donut-pan size; the stated yield is 12 donuts approximately 2.75 inches in diameter. If making multiple batches with one pan, clean and respray the pan between batches. A mini muffin tin can be used to make donut holes.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• vegan
• gluten-free
• baked
• donuts
• fall
• apple cider
• kid-friendly