Recipe: Baked, vegan and gluten-free. Spiced pumpkin donuts with maple glaze

We are not a recipe website, but we love a good bake from time to time. Also, we are not vegan, just slightly lactose intolerant. However a challenge was set – can a donut be both healthy and delicious? Let us not be fooled: This baked, vegan and gluten-free donut is not the healthiest of healthiest donuts, but it is healthier than most donuts and filled with actual pumpkin (Deutsche Version).

Baked vegan spiced pumpkin donuts with maple glaze…can it really taste good, being healthy and vegan?! So enters the main ingredient of the beautiful autumn season. Pumpkin – bright orange, hearty and in abundance now.

Personally, I find this donut recipe yields more cakey than fluffy donuts due to lack in yeast. However the taste factor makes up for it all, and the kitchen smells like Christmas when the donuts are baking in the oven!

Recipe: Baked Spiced Pumpkin Donuts with Maple Glaze

Makes 6 regular donuts (vegan, gluten and soy-free)

Ingredients for the donuts

1 ½ cups gluten free flour
½ cup cane or brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup mashed pumpkin (steamed then mashed)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup coconut milk

Ingredients for the glaze

½ cup cane or brown sugar
¼ cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon maple extract
pinch of salt
finely chopped pecans if desired

Instructions

1. In a mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients.
2. In a small bowl, combine the wet ingredients and then add them to the dry ingredients. Mix well until you have a thick batter.
3. Spoon the batter into a Ziploc and snip off the corner to make a piping bag to handle the sticky batter.
4. Add the batter to a greased donut pan and bake 12-15 minutes at 180 degrees in the oven.
5. While the donuts are baking, make the glaze.
6. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, coconut, coconut oil, maple and salt for the glaze. Bring to a simmer and cook about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
7. Dip the donuts in the glaze (up to twice) and garnish with pecans if desired.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Number of servings (yield): 6 amazingly delicious donuts (vegan and filled with pumpkin goodness)

(Recipe and Photos: Carrie Meier-Ho)