This Vegan Banana Bread Cake Donut recipe combines two of our favorite treats in one: donuts and banana bread! We made a healthier donut recipe by baking instead of frying, but rest assured...the yummy taste is all still there. You’ll be hooked!
This decadent-looking Chocolate Banana Cake Donut recipe isn’t nearly as indulgent as it looks! We sweetened them with bananas and real maple syrup instead of sugar, and they’re made with whole wheat flour. We baked instead of frying and made them vegan as well! Don’t you love a treat that leaves you feeling great?! We promise you won’t miss any of the less-healthy ingredients...you’ll just be amazed at how good a nutritious treat can be!
What to Do with Ripe Bananas
We used ripe bananas in this recipe, which are an ingredient that comes in handy all the time! They get sweeter as they ripen (more brown = sweeter banana!), making them the perfect natural addition to a dessert recipe like this one. Here are a few more things to use your brown bananas for:
- Easy Vegan Banana Bread
- Peel them, pop them in the freezer, and blend them into Nice Cream for these Gluten-Free Chocolate Dipped Nice Cream Sandwiches
- Mix them into Cashew & Banana Overnight Oats
- Freeze them for our Nourish Your Body Smoothie (or blend it right in without waiting!)
- Caramelize them and add them to this Quinoa Breakfast Bowl With Caramelized Bananas
- Make these decadent Easy Banana Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Mix then into this breakfast of Vegan Peanut Butter & Banana Baked Oatmeal
- Make them into waffles Blueberry Banana Matcha Waffles
- Make these cute mini muffins Peanut Butter & Banana Mini Muffins
How to Make Homemade Donuts Without Frying
It is possible! We use a donut pan and spoon the batter in, then bake them in the oven. Once they’re cooled we dip them in the glaze, which is made from coconut oil, cocoa powder, a spoonful of confectioner’s sugar, and some vanilla. This gives them that shiny donut look and a perfect sweet bite!
Storing Homemade Donuts
These donuts are best eaten the day you make them, but you can store them in a sealed container for 2-3 days. We recommend waiting to glaze them until right before enjoying. You can also freeze unglazed donuts for up to 2 months.
More Chocolate Recipes
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Bark with Pistachios and Tahini
- Chocolate Truffles Vegan
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Tart
- Chocolate Truffles Guilt-Free
- Chocolate Cupcakes Vegan
- Chocolate Chia Pudding Date Sweetened
- Chocolate Covered Hazelnuts Salted and Roasted
- Chocolate Tart with Raspberries Vegan
- Tahini Stuffed Dates Dipped in Chocolate
- Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
Did you like these vegan banana bread donuts?
If you enjoyed this recipe, it would help us tremendously if you left us a star rating in the comments below or on the recipe card. Do you have any questions about the recipe? Do you need a swap for any of the ingredients? We are here to help, just leave us a question in the comments below.
Banana Bread Cake Donut Recipe
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 9
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This vegan banana bread cake donut recipe combines two of our favorite treats in one, donuts and banana bread! Baked not fried.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsweetened plant milk
- 1 tablespoon ground flax
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (you can also use regular all-purpose flour)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 large bananas, mashed ( about ⅔ cup)
- 3 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
- 3 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
- For the glaze:
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted and cooled
- 2 heaping tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (you can add more if you like it darker)
- 2 tbsp confectioner's sugar (you can add more or less, depending on how sweet you like it)
- 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Coat a donut pan with non-stick spray
- Whisk together the plant milk and ground flax in a small bowl. Set aside
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt
- In a large bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla and flax mixture. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined (do not overmix)
- Spoon batter into the donut pan and bake for 15 minutes
- In the meantime, prepare the glaze. Melt the coconut oil in a medium bowl. Add cocoa powder, sugar and vanilla and mix well using a whisk. Once the donuts have cooled completely, dip them into the glaze (you can place them in the freezer for a minute or two if you want the glaze to harden quickly!)
Notes
- If you have leftover chocolate glaze, you can use it on top of ice cream or to dip your favorite fruit!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: dessert
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 donut with chocolate glaze
- Calories: 274
- Sugar: 11
- Sodium: 266
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 14
- Unsaturated Fat: 2
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 29
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 4
- Cholesterol: 0
This post was originally published on September 15, 2016, and has been updated with more detailed information.
Lee Cohen
I actually was lucky enough to be able to try these. I have been off of sugar for 4 months. These were the best, healthiest donuts I have ever tasted. I hope you make more soon 🙂
Vicky & Ruth
We are so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Eva @ Eva Bakes
Wow - these look incredible! I love that you included banana in these. I could easily eat the entire batch in one sitting!
Vicky & Ruth
So could we 🙂 Thank you Eva!
Angie@Angie's Recipes
Banana bread in donut form...how cool! They look so very inviting!
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you Angie!
Kelly
These donuts look fantastic! Love the chocolate and banana combo! Haha and yes, totally hear ya on the those early morning workout sessions 🙂
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you Kelly! 🙂
Marcelle/A Little Fish in the Kitchen
These look super delicious and with such healthy ingredients! What's not to love?! Nice recipe!
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you Marcelle. Definitely the moistest donuts we have ever made, and healthy too!
Cindy
My mouth was watering when I read the name of the recipe I had to go to the recipe. The picture was amazing and I had over ripe bananas so the timing was perfect!! Easy to follow the recipe and they were delicious!!!
Vicky & Ruth
empresa de pintura
wow, one more delicious recipe than the other!
in this quarantine I must have put on some 8 kilos and entering these recipe sites I think I will put on another 5 kilos
eileen
My family is not a chocolate fan. We love banana bread so I plan to make these for the grandkids.
Any suggestions for making them without the chocolate icing? Any vanilla icing or just cinnamon
Thank You for any help
HAPPY & HEALTHY HOLIDAY TO YOU
Vicky and Ruth
Hi Eileen, you can make them with a cinnamon icing, it goes really well with the banana bread flavors.