Apples and cinnamon sugar — what could you possibly make this pair better? Oh, I know, combine them in doughnut recipe that is both vegan and delicious!

I always thought doughnuts were one of those things I would have to give up if I wanted to maintain a vegan diet. This doughnut recipe makes quite a compelling case as to why my assumption is oh so very false — it contains no butter, eggs, milk, or cream. Meanwhile, these doughnuts are also free of refined white sugar and flour and, get this, oil-free. So, how do they taste so good? They are sweetened with lower-glycemic coconut palm sugar, thickened with coconut milk and applesauce, and flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, and apple cider vinegar. You do the math.

Admittedly, these vegan apple cider doughnuts don’t exactly compare to traditional doughnuts. Sure, they look the part and are so soft and moist that you’ll quickly forget all the doughnuts you enjoyed in the past, but their nutritional breakdown is far more redeeming.

The Benefits

Instead of white flour, this recipe uses spelt flour, an ancient cereal grain in the wheat family. Although spelt flour is not gluten-free, it contains less gluten than whole wheat or white flour. It is also rich in vitamin B2, manganese, niacin, thiamin, and copper. White flour is often so over processed that it loses nearly all of its nutritional integrity.

This recipe also calls for coconut sugar as the sweetening agent. Coconut sugar contains far less fructose than white table sugar. And while it will raise your blood sugar levels, it won’t do as much damage — its glycemic index is half that of white sugar. Coconut sugar is relatively expensive, but it’s worth the buck!

When eggs, milk, and butter aren’t part of a baked recipe, it’s tempting to fill in for their (often obvious) absence with vegetable oils and, popularly, coconut oil. Relying too heavily on a fat, even a plant-based one, can transform any well-intentioned vegan baked good into a just-as-dangerous-as-the-original-version indulgence. In this doughnut recipe, the only significant fat added to the mix is coconut milk. Coconut oil is also sprayed on the doughnut pan to prevent sticking, but that’s it!

What You’ll Need

Once the doughnut batter is all mixed and ready for baking, it’s important to have a doughnut pan on hand, so you can uniformly shape your apple cider doughnuts.

Vegan Apple Cider Doughnut Recipe

Serves 6

Ingredients

For the doughnuts

• 1 cup spelt flour
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup 100% apple juice
• 1/3 cup coconut milk
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

For the sugar topping

• ¼ cup coconut sugar
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 6-cavity doughnut pan with coconut oil.

In a large bowl, mix together the spelt flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients and then pour them into the dry ingredients. Use a spatula to fold the mixture together until just combined.

Fill each doughnut hole in the pan with an equal amount of the batter. Bake the doughnuts for 12 minutes. Allow the doughnuts to cool on a wire rack. While still warm, dip them into a mixture of the sugar topping of coconut sugar and ground cinnamon. Enjoy them warm, when they are most tender and aromatic.

Related on EcoSalon
The Original L.A. ‘Fauxnut’ Doughnuts Recipe
Strawberry and Cream Doughnuts Recipe
Fōnuts are Better Than Donuts

The post Feast on Fall With Vegan Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts appeared first on EcoSalon.

Cupcakes are out, donuts are so in. And this vegan donut recipe is a game-changer.

Donuts are one of those treats many of us think we have to swear off in order to keep our health in check. Well, that assumption is now false. The following homemade vegan apple cider donut recipe holds the sweet comfort offered by regular donuts, only in a vegan and gluten-free package.

Gluten-Free and Vegan Apple Cider Donut Recipe

Makes 6 donuts

Ingredients

For the donut

• 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon allspice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup apple sauce
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil, melted
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract

For the glaze

• 1 cup Medjool dates, pitted
• 2 tablespoons apple cider
• 1 cup coconut milk

For the sugar topping

• ½ cup coconut palm sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a donut pan with coconut oil and set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cream of tartar, cornstarch, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, applesauce, coconut oil, and extracts. Add the wet ingredient to the dry ingredients and stir until well combined.

Pour the batter into the donut pan and pop the pan into the oven for eight to ten minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the glaze. In a food processor or high-speed blender, blend together the coconut milk, dates, and apple cider until thick and creamy in consistency.

In a small bowl, mix together the sugar topping.

Once the donuts have finished cooking and cool at room temperature, dip the tops of each into the glaze and then into the cinnamon sugar. Serve and enjoy!

Related on EcoSalon
The Original L.A. ‘Fauxnut’ Doughnuts
Strawberry and Cream Doughnuts Recipe
Vegan This: Nutella Donut Muffins

The post Gluten-Free Vegan Apple Cider Donut Recipe appeared first on EcoSalon.

Doughnuts are not the kind of thing you imagine could be easily made healthier – to say nothing of the fact that they’re not the most common among home-baked goods. Luckily, you can do both. That is, you can have your doughnut and eat it too, without violating your healthy diet or failing to continuously impress your family and friends with your home-cooked creations. Enjoy this sweet vegan figure-friendly doughnut recipe and say goodbye to (some of) the guilt.

In one glazed Dunkin’ Donut, there are 260 calories, 50 percent of which is fat, 14 grams of fat, 330 milligrams of sodium, 31 grams of carbs, 12 grams of sugar, and only 1 gram of dietary fiber. It contains the allergens eggs, milk, soy and wheat. As far as the ingredients list goes, most of it is hard to pronounce. From sodium stearoyl lactylate to sodium acid pryophosphate to thiamin mononitrate, you can rest assured (alarmingly so), that what you’re ingesting isn’t the most “real” of treats.

The following vegan baked doughnut recipe takes out all the preservatives, artificial flavors and other additives and makes doughnut baking a fun and easy experience. Enjoy!

Vegan Baked Doughnut Recipe

Makes 12-15 doughnuts

Ingredients

Dry ingredients:

• 1/4 cup spelt flour
• 1/4 cup oat flour
• 1/4 cup potato starch
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1  teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon arrowroot powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients:

• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1/8 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup apple sauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping Options:

• Turbinado sugar
• Chocolate glaze

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Sift together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Slowly stir in the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients to form a sticky batter. Fill a pastry bag (or a regular plastic bag with a snipped corner) with the batter and squeeze the batter into the holes of a regular-sized doughnut tin. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until cooked through and slightly browned. Toss while still warm in turbinado sugar before serving.

Related on EcoSalon

Vegan This: Nutella Donut Muffins

Strawberry and Cream Doughnuts Recipe

The Original L.A. ‘Fauxnut’ Doughnuts Recipe

Photo Credit: nfnitloop

The post Vegan Wheat-Free Baked Doughnut Recipe (that Doesn’t Suck) appeared first on EcoSalon.

Tis the season for picknicking-whip up one of our team’s 10 must eat dishes.

With record high temperatures soaring around the world, there’s no better time to keep the cool outdoors—under a tree and on a grassy knoll. And, foodie or not, the principles behind ecopsychology say there’s no better way to reconnect and nurture relationships than out in the fresh air. Breaking bread together with brie (or sticky chocolate cake), makes the whole picnicking affair that much more meaningful.

So, grab a blanket and try one (or  all 10) of our favorite picnic recipes—a compilation of our team’s favorites and enough to make a complete menu.

Snacks & Appetizers:

• Fruits & Nuts
• Brie & Bread
• Picnic-side Guacamole

Main dishes:

• Quinoa Salad
• Smokey Jicama Salad with Kale and Corn
• Cold Soba Noodle Salad

Desserts:

• Sticky Chocolate Cake
• Nutella Donut Muffins
• Strawberry Shortcake

Drink:

• Honey Ginger Sparkling Lemonade with Rosemary

1. Fruits and nuts

For our shelter writer, K. Emily Bond—who sometimes seeks refuge under trees—fruits and nuts are a staple picnic snack. While it may sound sinfully simple, we know that sometimes it’s the simple things that make life so much sweeter. All it takes is 5-minutes in your kitchen, and you have a delicious medley of homemade trail mix. We love this “Not Your College Boyfriend’s Trail Mix” from our archives.

2. Brie & Bread

If you’re anything like Behind the Label columnist Jessica Marati, whose picnic mantra is “take knife, dip in Brie, slather on baguette,” you’ll love this grab & go solution. It’s literally that simple.

Directions:

• Pick up your favorite brie & local, freshly baked bread
• Grab a knife and voila, enjoy!

3. Picnic-side Guacamole

Crowd pleasers like me, (your Vegan This columnist and fashion writer) will agree, there’s nothing like fresh, made-on-site guacamole to get a picnic party started. My boyfriend and I love this dish because it’s so versatile (avocados are your canvas), so fresh (see everyone’s eyes light up as you whip this up before their eyes), healthy (packed full of heart- and skin- healthy fatty acids and vitamins) and easy to tote (just pre-chop your garnishes, grab a few avocados and a to-go container, and you’re out the door).

Ingredients:

• Ripe avocados (as many as you need depending on the number of people you’re serving—to be safe, plan on 1 avocado per person)
• 1/2 onion
• 1 handful cilantro leaves
• 1/2 red or yellow bell pepper
• 1/2 lime
• 1 teaspoon, or so, salt
• 1 bag organic tortilla chips or crackers of your choice

Other:

• To-go container
• Serrated knife

Note: Adjust the lime, salt and garnish amounts according to taste and the number of people you’re serving

Directions:

Pre-chop the onion, cilantro leaves and bell pepper. Put in a to-go container large enough to hold the finished guacamole (this will also serve as your mixing bowl). Squeeze the lime and sprinkle the salt over the veggies and mix together. When you arrive at your picnic spot, simply cut your avocados open, remove the seeds and scoop out the fruit. Add to your veggie, lime and salt mix and mash together until you’ve reached the desired consistency. Grab some chips or crackers and enjoy!

4. Quinoa Salad

Life, according to Foodie Underground columnist Anna Brones, is all the better when quinoa is involved. “Quinoa salads are my go to summer meals. They’re easy to make and easy to pack, which means that if you make a big batch one day you have leftovers for a few more. They’re also the perfect picnic item, light enough that they feel like summer food, dense enough that you’re full after eating them. As a base I tend to do a mixture of red and white quinoa, greens and some type of vinaigrette. Then you simply add in whatever you have laying around the kitchen. Nuts, vegetables, fruit… whatever you’re in the mood for. But the Summer Carrot and Date Quinoa Salad is one that I can’t live without, so if you’re in need of a recipe, start there.”

5. Smokey Jicama Salad with Kale and Corn 

One of our resident raw foodies and trendy fashion columnists, Johanna Björk, packs her picnics with a healthy punch.
“This cold salad is super easy to make, which makes it perfect for an impromptu summer picnic. It also doesn’t get soggy easily, which means it can keep for a while in that picnic basket, even if you didn’t bring a cooler. The jicama is fresh, somewhat sweet and crunchy, the kale is hearty and nutritious, the fresh herbs are so summery delicious, and the chipotle gives it a bit of a kick. It also just happens to go really well with a cold beer.”

Ingredients:

• 1/2-1 jicama (depending on how large it is), thinly sliced or grated
• 6 leaves kale, thinly sliced
• 1-2 cups corn (leave out if you want it to be 100% raw)
• 1 large handful mint leaves
, olive oil, 
hemp seeds
, chipotle chili powder
, sea salt

Directions:

Mix the jicama, kale, corn and mint leaves together. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and chipotle chili powder and mix well. Finish with a sprinkle of hemp seeds.

6. Cold Soba Noodle Salad

Fashion and food really go hand-in-hand, and Rowena Ritchie, our west coast fashion editor, proves it with this dish from none other than Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop.

“Goop’s cold soba noodle salad is my go-to pot luck recipe because it’s so easy to make. I generally have soba noodles, mirin, soy, and sesame oil in my cupboards, so I just have to grab some scallions and cilantro. My meat-eating friends seem to love it as a side, and if it’s the only vegan dish at the party, it makes for a full and nutritious meal for me! If you can get hold of Eden Shake’s Furikake, I highly recommend using it—it’s full of protein, vitamins A, B & C and calcium and it tastes great. And, I’ve always found the recipes on goop to be top knotch. Gwyneth Paltrow is known for both loving food and for being health conscious.”

7. Sticky Chocolate Cake

There’s nothing like a fika-style picnic to elevate the mood. Just take it from our Swedish chef and artist extraordinaire Johanna Kindvall. And, if you tend to picnic with a core group of friends, this sweet delight will never get old—change it up with a splash of rum, a dash of mint or even some licorice or cardamom.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs (or one large duck egg)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 4-6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Valrhona)
• 1 teaspoon salt (less if using salted butter)
• 1 cup freshly milled almonds (or almond flour)
• 4 oz butter
• mint leaves (optional)
• powdered sugar (optional)

Directions:

Whisk eggs and brown sugar together in a bowl. Stir in the milled almonds, cocoa powder and salt. Add the butter and stir until smooth. Pour the mixture into a greased 9” spring form.

Bake the cake in the oven at 350 F for about 15 minutes. The cake should just be set on top and sticky inside. Let the cake cool down. Decorate with some fresh mint leaves and/or powdered sugar. Serve it plain or with whipped heavy cream.

Note: if you want to spice up the cake I suggest the following flavors: rum, cognac, mint, licorice or cardamom. Just add the flavor to the batter before baking.

8. Nutella Donut Muffins

If you’re picnicking with sensitive foodies like me (think vegan, gluten-free, soy-free and more), then this delicious, easy to pack recipe is the perfect picnic companion. All you need is a re-usable container to carry these in, and you’re sweet-tooth ready.

For the donut muffins:

• 1 ¾ cup flour – follow the following gluten-free flour blend:
  • ¾ cup sorghum flour
  • ¼ cup sweet rice flour
  • 3/8 cup white rice flour
  • ¼ tapioca flour
  • 1/8 cup almond flour
• ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup oil (I used cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil)
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 egg substituted (I blended 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds with 3 tablespoons water)
•  ¾ cup non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Nutella (I made this homemade, vegan version)

For the coating:

• 3-4 tablespoons vegan butter (I used Earth Balance coconut spread)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F, and grease a muffin tray with vegan butter or coconut oil.

In a medium bowl, whisk together your gluten-free flour blend, and add in the baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, egg-substitute and non-dairy milk. Add the dry ingredients and stir only until fully combined.

Follow these instructions to whip up your Nutella hazelnut spread.

Place 2 tablespoons of the muffin donut batter into your prepared muffin tins. Add 1 teaspoon of Nutella and cover with approximately 2 more tablespoons of batter until the muffin tins are ¾ full.
Bake for 18-22 minutes. (Mine were perfectly done after exactly 18 minutes).

Prepare your coating by melting your vegan butter in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together your cinnamon and sugar.

While the muffins are still warm, shake them out of the pan on to a cooling rack.
Dip your muffin donuts into your melted vegan butter and then into your cinnamon sugar mixture.
Allow to cool for approximately 10 minutes. These are perfect when warm and still wonderful when cool (up to 3 days—especially if making these gluten free). Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator if storing longer.

Note: These would also be delicious filled with your favorite homemade jam, in lieu of the Nutella, or simply plain, filling-free.

9. Strawberry Shortcake

For an authentic taste of summer, strawberry shortcake embodies it all. Earlier this summer, I packed all the parts of this dish (biscuits, strawberries and cream) and assembled it on-site at a friends-of-EcoSalon picnic. I love this version, adapted from Martha Stewart, for its freshness and simplicity. Vegan, gluten-free or not, you’ll fall fast for this fresh delight.

Ingredients:

• 1 ¾ pounds (6 cups) strawberries—rinsed, hulled and quartered (For the fullest flavor, I recommend using local and fresh strawberries.)
• 1 ¼ cups + 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 cups gluten free flour blend
  • 1 cup sorghum flour
  • 1 cup white rice flour
  • 1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour
  • 1/2 cup potato starch flour, minus 2 tablespoons
  • 2 tablespoons almond flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons cold (1 ½ sticks) unsalted vegan butter, cut into small pieces (I used Earth Balance coconut butter)
• 2 cups coconut cream (I used So Delicious coconut creamer, blended with approximately 3 tablespoons of dissolved agar-agar to thicken)
• 2 egg substitutes (I blended 2 tablespoon ground flax seeds with 6 tablespoons warm water)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, toss the prepared strawberries with ¾ cup sugar. (I suggest starting with ½ cup and tasting to see if more sweetness is needed.) Let sit to bring out the juices.

In a food processor, pulse together your gluten free flour blend. Add the baking powder, ½ cup sugar and the salt, and pulse until combined. Add the cold butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles course meal with some pea size bits of butter remaining (pulse approximately 10-12 times).

In a medium bowl, whisk together ½ cream (before the agar agar has been added to thicken) and the egg substitute. Pour over the flour mixture, and pulse until some large clumps begin to form (pulse approximately 20-30 times).

Using a half-cup measuring cup, gently pack dough into the cup, invert and tap out on to a lightly buttered or parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat to form 6-8 biscuits.
Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool for at least 15 minutes.
Beat the remaining 1 ½ cups cream, with the prepared agar-agar mixture, 2 tablespoons sugar and vanilla until smooth and creamy (Note, this will not form peaks like a traditional heavy whipping cream, however, I assure you the taste and texture will not leave you craving cream.)

Slice the biscuits horizontally with a serrated knife. Spoon the strawberries and their liquid over the bottom of each biscuit just before serving. Spoon your whipped cream over the strawberries, and top with the other biscuit half.

10. Honey Ginger Sparkling Lemonade with Rosemary

Amy DuFault, EcoSalon’s Editor-in-Chief says, “I am always the last one to leave the party because I won’t stop talking. This lemonade from our lovely Foodie Underground columnist Anna Brones is a sure cure for talker’s mouth. You can spend an entire picnic having good conversations and the ginger and honey make it so that your voice never breaks. Oh, and that you are of course refreshed. That’s important.”

Ingredients:

• 1 cup honey
• 1 cup water
• Juice of 7 Meyer lemons
• 1/2 cup minced ginger
• 6-10 full rosemary stalks
• 1.25 liter bottle of sparkling water
• Ice cubes
• Optional:
• Your liquor of choice. We recommend bourbon or vodka.

Directions:

To make simple syrup, place honey, water and two rosemary stalks in a saucepan and warm over medium heat while constantly stirring until honey is completely dissolved. Add in ginger. Leave on heat for a 2-3 more minutes, regularly stirring, to increase rosemary flavor. Let sit for 30-60 minutes to cool down. Note: for a stronger rosemary flavor, muddle the rosemary first and let the simple syrup sit for longer.

Strain simple syrup into a pitcher and add in lemon juice, top off with ice cubes and sparkling water.

Garnish with rosemary and serve in mason jars.

Images: Paul and Christa, Rich Anderson, Pink Mochi, Jennifer Barckley, Anna Brones, Johanna Bjork, Goop, Jennifer Barckley, Amy DuFault

The post EcoSalon Team Picks: 10 Picnic Foods to Impress Your Friends appeared first on EcoSalon.

When Nutella, donuts and muffins meet, it’s easy to feed your cravings and forget it’s even vegan.  

Since my kitchen is void of donut molds, and since our fearless Foodie Underground columnist Anna, sent me a Nutella Donut Muffin recipe with a Vegan This dare, I made these donuts muffin-style, with no regrets. And as it turns out, they are best described as a true textural and taste blend of a donut and a muffin – fluffed to perfection with a finely tuned blend of gluten-free flours and filled with homemade Nutella—an EcoSalon favorite.

Normally, donuts, muffins and Nutella make the perfect food coma pairing. Not being one for comatose Sunday brunches, I softened the blow with less processed ingredients like coconut oil instead of butter, homemade almond milk in place of dairy and Nutella with real hazelnuts in lieu of artificial flavorings. For vegans like me who, beyond pure choice, are allergic to foods like milk and eggs, hazelnuts are actually the perfect ingredient. Full of phytochemical flavonoids (antioxidants) like quercetin, these little nuts may help to reduce allergic reactions. And, with healthy doses of vitamins E and B to boot—for healthy skin and a healthy metabolism, respectively – I’ll take a spoonful of hazelnuts with my sugar any day.

Denser than a donut, but still light, sugary and perfectly sweet, these quick and easy treats will give your cravings a real farewell. For now, at least.

The Original – Nutella Donut Muffins
from US Masala

Ingredients

For the donut muffins
• 1 ¾ cup all purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup oil
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Nutella (as needed)

For the coating
• 3-4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

The Vegan & Gluten-Free Nutella Donut Muffins
Makes approximately 9 donut muffins

Ingredients

For the donut muffins
• 1 ¾ cup flour – follow the following gluten-free flour blend:
• (¾ cup sorghum flour)
• (¼ cup sweet rice flour)
• (3/8 cup white rice flour)
• (¼ tapioca flour)
• (1/8 cup almond flour)
• (½ teaspoon xanthan gum)
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup oil (I used cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil)
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 egg substituted (I blended 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds with 3 tablespoons water)
• ¾ cup non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Nutella (I made this homemade, vegan version)

For the coating
• 3-4 tablespoons vegan butter (I used Earth Balance coconut spread)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F, and grease a muffin tray with vegan butter or coconut oil.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together your gluten-free flour blend, and add in the baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, egg-substitute and non-dairy milk. Add the dry ingredients and stir only until fully combined.
4. Follow these instructions to whip up your Nutella hazelnut spread.
5. Place 2 tablespoons of the muffin donut batter into your prepared muffin tins. Add 1 teaspoon of Nutella and cover with approximately 2 more tablespoons of batter until the muffin tins are ¾ full.
6. Bake for 18-22 minutes. (Mine were perfectly done after exactly 18 minutes).
7. Prepare your coating by melting your vegan butter in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together your cinnamon and sugar.
8. While the muffins are still warm, shake them out of the pan on to a cooling rack.
9. Dip your muffin donuts into your melted vegan butter and then into your cinnamon sugar mixture.
10. Allow to cool for approximately 10 minutes. These are perfect when warm and still wonderful when cool (up to 3 days—especially if making these gluten free). Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator if storing longer.

Note: These would also be delicious filled with your favorite homemade jam, in lieu of the Nutella, or simply plain, filling-free.

Enjoy!

The post Vegan This: Nutella Donut Muffins appeared first on EcoSalon.