Last winter just for fun I started making donuts to see if I could create some healthy protein donut recipes. Then when covid hit and everyone went on a baking spree I joined in and kept making more types of donuts. I came up with some good recipes that were not only vegan, but also on the healthy side. If you are Canadian like I am you probably think of the iconic Canadian coffee shop Tim Horton’s when you hear the word Donut. I used to love Tim Horton’s Maple dip donuts as a kid. I remember rushing to the box and calling out “the maple is mine”. Unfortunately most donut shops don’t offer vegan options and I have missed having a sweet treat so I developed this healthier veganized version of the maple dip. These donuts are baked as opposed to the traditional frying method which cuts down on fat. I use ground flax seed in place of eggs and maple syrup as a sweetener. If you are feeling creative and have different toppings on hand like I did try experimenting with some different varieties. I added cinnamon to some and they were delicious! Probably my favourite. I tried some with chocolate shavings and coconut, also good but the cinnamon and plain vanilla + maple were still my favourite. My son picked out some sprinkles for his. These are a great baking project for the kids as well. Let them get messy and decorate their own.

I baked the donuts in silicone donut trays that I purchased off of amazon. I also put the trays on a cookie sheet to make it easier to take them in and out of the oven. Did you know that mixing 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water makes the equivalent of one egg for baking? I use ground flaxseed in a lot of my baking. Flax seed is high in fibre and Omega 3 fatty acids. Adding flax into your diet can also help lower cholesterol.

The icing is made with cashews, oat milk, maple syrup and vanilla. No refined sugars here. Cashews are high in protein, healthy fats and fibre. Oat milk is used in the recipe because it has a delicious creamy texture. I’ll stop typing and get to the recipe since most people don’t even read this stuff anyways and want to get to the good stuff. Thats why you came to this page right?

Vanilla + Maple Dip Donut

Soy free, Dairy free + Vegan | Makes 12 Donuts

Ingredients

For the Donuts:

2 Cups organic all purpose flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 Cup vegan buttermilk (1 Cup of oat milk with 1 TBSP of apple cider vinegar added)
2 Flax eggs (2 TBSP ground flax seed mixed with 6 TBSP of water)
2 tsp organic vanilla extract
1/4 C maple syrup
1/4 C melted coconut oil
1/2 C additional oat milk

For the Icing:

1/2 C cashews soaked for 2-3 hours or overnight
3 TBSP maple syrup
1/4 C oat milk
1 tsp organic vanilla extract

Directions

For the Donuts:

1) Preheat oven to 350*F.

2) In a small dish prepare vegan buttermilk by adding the apple cider vinegar to the oat milk. Let sit for 5-7 minutes to allow it to curdle.

3) In a separate small dish prepare flax egg by adding water to the ground flax seed. Stir the mixture so it doesn’t become a lump at the bottom of the dish and absorbs more evenly.

4) In a large mixing bowl add all dry ingredients and set aside.

5) Melt coconut oil and add to small mixing bowl.

6) Give the flax egg a stir to see if it has absorbed most of the water and is more of a gooey texture. Add the maple syrup, vanilla and flax egg to the bowl with the coconut oil.

7) Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir really well. The flax will absorb more liquid and make the batter really thick so add the additional oat milk to ensure the batter doesn’t get too thick. The batter should be a cake batter consistency. If it’s too thick add a splash more oat milk and if it’s too runny add more flour as needed.

8) Spoon batter into donut molds. I filled mine right to the top so I got larger donuts.

9) Place the donuts into the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes. When the baking time is up insert a toothpick inside one of the donuts to see if they are fully baked, if the toothpick comes out dry they are finished baking. Once they are done baking leave donuts in the tray for at least 15 minutes to cool before trying to remove onto cooling rack or other surface.

10) When donuts have cooled sufficiently gently remove from the donut tray and place on a cooling rack allowing them to fully cool.

For the Icing:

1) Drain soaked cashews and add them to a high speed blender or food processor.

2) Add the remaining ingredients to the blender or food processor.

3) Blend all ingredients really well so the texture is smooth and the cashews are completely blended.

4) Once blended pour the icing into a dish and place in the fridge for approximately 45 minutes. While the donuts are baking and cooling this should be enough time for you to make your icing and allow it to thicken up in the fridge.

Once the donuts have cooled and the icing has thickened slightly in the fridge it’s time to dip the donuts. Take the top or lumpy side of the donut and place it face down into the icing about halfway. Carefully remove from the icing and place back onto the cooling rack or plate. Continue until all of the donuts are iced. If you want to add additional toppings or decorations I recommend doing it when the donuts are freshly iced since the icing is nice and tacky.

Always allow the donuts to fully cool to room temperature before icing them.

Store donuts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Enjoy!