Vegan Cashew Banana Bread Donuts

Entirely vegan and guilt-free, these skinny banana bread donuts are topped with a delicious roasted cashew frosting. It’s heaven at first bite!

To all donuts and banana breads lovers out there, I’ve got the perfect recipe for you, whether you are vegan or not. By the way, I do not believe that vegan food should be exclusively for vegan people. Everyone should try it once in a while as it’s a great way to increase your plant-based products intake, which often results in a better consumption of fiber and vitamins as well. Last but not least, eating vegan is fun! Be open-minded and you will soon discover many new creative and delicious recipes.

So today, I’ve made you a vegan donut, or to be more exact a vegan banana bread donut. Many of you are coming back on the blog everyday to bake my buttermilk banana bread so I assume you all love banana bread, right? I love it too, so I’m with you! Here, my banana bread is made vegan and in a more cakey – yet moist enough – cakey texture that suits a donut recipe. The donut is baked, not fried, and I didn’t use any dairy or egg product.

At first, it can seem quite challenging to get the right texture without eggs or milk, but this recipe makes it simple. I didn’t want you to sit in front of an endless list of ingredients to add to the recipe, so I kept it simple here: mashed bananas, flour, sugar, a little bit of vegetable oil, baking soda and spices. Add a little bit of water to moisten the texture and you’re done.

Note that I used very little sugar in the recipe. I divided sugars between caster sugar and coconut sugar, the rest of sugar being naturally brought by mashed ripe bananas. I also replaced the eggs that you would find in a classic banana bread recipe with just a few tablespoons of coconut oil, which makes the recipe cholesterol free. Baking soda plays an important role in terms of texture and really turn the banana bread into a donut.

In the end, you get a much healthier donut than a regular one, and a much healthier banana bread than a regular one. To sum up, you’ve got the very best of two of your favorite recipes without the guilty feeling that often comes with them. What else can you ask for?

Ok, now as you probably noticed my donuts are also glazed with a wonderful smooth cashew frosting, slightly spiced with cinnamon and cardamom that brings this little touch of chai (chai spices are my favorite spice of all spices). Oh, you wouldn’t want the banana bread donuts without this fantastic final touch, believe me! It brings all the moistness, with a slightly addictive nutty texture. While they are rather high in calories, cashews are however naturally cholesterol-free and contain good amounts of heart-healthy fats, fiber, and protein. So don’t worry, it’s all good for you, or almost, with just a little bit of maple syrup.

Now let’s talk about cheating a little bit. The cashew frosting is beyond amazing but it can become a little bit challenging if you don’t own a food processor and still want to make the recipe. In this case, I recommend you simply use a jar of cashew butter. You will just need to add the maple syrup, spices and milk and your frosting will be done even before you say it. Now enjoy, and share the recipe around!

Vegan Cashew Banana Bread Donuts

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• Author: Delphine Fortin
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 8 mins
• Total Time: 38 mins
• Yield: 8 donuts 1x
• Category: Desserts
• Cuisine: Vegan

Entirely vegan and guilt-free, these skinny banana bread donuts are topped with a delicious roasted cashew frosting. It’s heaven at first bite!

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Ingredients

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For the banana bread donuts:

• 1 1/2 cups (170g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/4 cup (50g) sugar
• 1/4 cup (50g) coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
• 3 Tablespoons melted coconut
• 3 Tablespoons (45ml) water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the cashew frosting:

• 2 cups (75g) raw cashews*
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 Tablespoon (30 ml) maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) almond milk

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Instructions

For the banana bread donuts:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C), and grease a donut pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
3. In a shallow dish, mash the banana with a fork. Add both sugars, oil, water, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg to the banana and mix well.
4. Pour the banana mixture into the flour mixture and stir until it’s just combined (do not overmix).
5. Transfer the dough into a piping bag and fill each donut cavity about ¾ full.
6. Bake for about 8-9 minutes. Allow the donuts to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

For the cashew frosting:

1. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. Display the cashews on the baking sheet, and sprinkle sea salt over. Place in the oven and toast them until they are slightly golden, stirring often.
3. Transfer the cashews to a high-speed blender, and blend with coconut oil on low speed for 8-10 minutes or until creamy, scraping down the sides with a spatula as necessary.
4. Pour in maple syrup, add in the spices, and blend for another minute.
5. Pour in the almond milk and stir carefully with a rubber spatula until combined.
6. Transfer the frosting into a piping bag and top each cooled banana bread donut with the cashew frosting. Decorate with crushed nuts (cashews, almonds) and enjoy!

Notes

* For a quicker version, you can use cashew butter directly.

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Did you make this recipe?

Lastly, if you make this Vegan Cashew Banana Bread Donuts, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!