These Chai-Spiced Vegan Apple Cider Donuts are loaded with Fall flavors from cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and cloves. Pair them up with a cup of coffee for a totally indulgent treat!
Photos by Emily Caruso
I love the idea of vegan donuts, but whenever I've gotten them, they're far too cakey and dense for my liking. I want my doughnuts to be soft and pillowy!
About a year ago, I set out to devise my own vegan donut recipe and I came up with these Vegan Apple Cider Donuts.
The doughnuts are tender and moist, and they freeze beautifully too. Last fall, I kept bags of them on hand in the freezer for quick snacks and desserts.
After moving cross-country and then feeling under-the-weather for a while, I decided it was the perfect time to revisit this donut recipe because I needed a little fall comfort food.
Tips & Tricks
I used a tablespoon of ground flax and warm water (known as a flax egg) as a substitute for the egg used in traditional donuts. And almond milk replaced the regular milk.
You can use any type of plant based milk that you prefer for this recipe. Cashew milk or soy milk are also great choices.
While you can use any oil you like to bake with, I like coconut oil because I think it results in more tender baked goods.
Also, if you bake with coconut oil, everything you make is healthy and coconut oil cures every ailment known to man. (Ha ha, not really.)
Now, if you don't have doughnut pans, don't worry - you can make these in muffin tins too. I've tested it! You'll only fill the muffin tins with about 1 inch of batter.
Your muffin-doughnuts (moughnuts?) will be the height of a regular doughnut, but without a hole in the center.
But no hole means you have more doughnut to enjoy and more doughnut is always a plus, right?
More Vegan Donut Recipes
If you love these donuts, be sure to check out these other vegan donuts recipes:
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 3 tablespoons warm water
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup apple cider, the refrigerated kind!
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup almond milk
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil, or any neutral-flavored oil you have on hand
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large apple, peeled and chopped (Fuji works well)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray doughnut tins with oil or cooking spray.
- Whisk the flaxseed and water in a small bowl; set aside.
- Combine the flours, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and cloves in a large bowl. Stir together the apple cider, sugar, milk, oil, vanilla extract and the flax mixture in a medium bowl. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in the chopped apples.
- Transfer the batter to the doughnut tins and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until doughnuts are beginning to brown on the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center comes clean.
Liz @ Tip Top Shape says
Stunning photos, Kiersten! These look delicious!!
dixya@food, pleasure, and health says
im not too crazy about cakey donuts either so this will be great..love the chai spiced idea.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Girl, these are fabulous and so beautiful! Apple everything!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
Adorable doughnuts, love the chai spices!
Kristi @ Inspiration Kitchen says
Love me some donuts! I love that they use apple - I have an apple tree, so have a good use for recipes like this. Pinned!
Kate @¡Hola! Jalapeño says
Whoa! These look amazing! I'm pretty sure cider donuts are about my favorite thing on earth!!
Joanne says
How cute! We caved and bought some apple cider doughnuts the other day and I was not impressed. I definitely need to try yours to make up for that subpar experience!
Jennifer {Peppers and Peaches} says
Beautiful photos! They have my mouth watering! I have been putting off buying a doughnut pan and I don't think I can do so any longer! I have to try these! 🙂
Ashley Madden says
Baaaa cannot wait to try these Kiersten! Thoughts on subbing apple sauce for the oil?