Banana Donut Holes
This plant-based recipe for banana donut holes will blow your mind! With only 4 ingredients and a delicious cinnamon sugar coating, they’ll be gone in seconds.
I spent years convinced that making vegan donuts is either impossible or really difficult. And now I proved myself wrong! These vegan banana donut holes are not just easy, they are affordable too, with only 4 ingredients to make the dough.
My mission is to help you eat more plants (and fiber). So far, I published two vegan cookbooks that show you how easy it can be to thrive on a plant-based diet and avoid food waste at the same time!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Aside from the cinnamon sugar, you only need four ingredients, and I am willing to bet you already have at least two!
- You don’t have to be a master chef to make these. This recipe for vegan banana donut holes is super beginner-friendly!
- Which leads me to my next point – if you have kids, this can be a fun activity to do with your children.
- These banana donut holes will likely cost you less than a trip to the nearest coffee shop.
Key Ingredients
- Bananas are basically all of your “usual” wet ingredients in one. No need for eggs, dairy, or oil.
- All-purpose flour binds everything together.
- Baking powder creates extra volume and makes these banana donut holes “puff up” in the air fryer.
- Cinnamon sugar is a two-ingredient coating that adds extra flavor to the finished donut holes.
Hack It!
- No air fryer? Make these in an oven (with a fanned setting if you have one).
- If you’re not a fan of cinnamon, you can dip these banana donut holes in chocolate, shredded coconut, or vegan glaze.
- Make it fancy by serving your donut holes on skewers, like cake pops.
- Gluten-free flour mix or oat flour would make these work. However, they may come out more dense that wheat donut holes.
How to Make Banana Donut Holes
Step 1: Preheat the oven or air fryer to 350F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment.
In a bowl, mash the bananas until completely smooth. Stir in the vanilla.
Step 2: Add the flour and baking powder and softly stir until a batter is formed.
Step 3: Now, oil your hands, and transfer the dough to a cutting board. Softly knead (the dough will be slightly sticky) until you are able to achieve a slightly firm dough ball.
Step 4: Then, cut or use your hands to separate into 9-12 equal chunks.
Step 5: Roll up the dough into golf-sized balls, as round as possible. Spray with oil and transfer to the lined baking sheet.
Step 6: Bake for 6-8 minutes until your donut holes increase in size and turn golden on the outside.
Step 7: In the meantime, stir together the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl until combined. If you’re using an alternative coating (like chocolate or glaze), use this time to prepare it.
Step 8: Take out the donut holes, and toss them in the cinnamon sugar. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you manage to not eat all the donut holes in one go, you can store them in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also reheat them in the air fryer to crisp them back up.
Technically, you can make the dough and refrigerate it before cooking. However, the cooking time may differ from this recipe as a result.
More Plant-Based Desserts
- Deviled Strawberries
- Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Puff Pastry Apple Donuts
- Vegan Peach Cobbler
- Air Fryer Sweet Rice Paper Dumplings
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The Recipe: Banana Donut Holes
Ingredients
- 2 bananas, medium, mashed
- 1½ cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the coating
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tbsp cinnamon
Equipment
- Air Fryer or oven
- cooking spray
- Mixing bowls for the dough and cinnamon sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven or air fryer to 350F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment.
- In a bowl, mash the bananas until completely smooth. Stir in the vanilla.
- Add the flour and baking powder and softly stir until a batter is formed. Now, oil your hands, and transfer the dough to a cutting board. Softly knead (the dough will be slightly sticky) until you are able to achieve a slightly firm dough ball.
- Then, with your hands, separate into 9 to 12 golf sized balls, rolling to be as round as possible. Spray with oil.
- Place on the baking sheet and bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until browned on the outside and puffed up. In the meantime, stir together the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl until combined.
- Take the donut holes, and toss them in the cinnamon and sugar until coated. Enjoy immediately, or store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
- No air fryer? Make these in an oven (with a fanned setting if you have one).
- If you’re not a fan of cinnamon, you can dip these banana donut holes in chocolate, shredded coconut, or vegan glaze.
- Make it fancy by serving your donut holes on skewers, like cake pops.
- Gluten-free flour mix or oat flour would make these work. However, they may come out more dense that wheat donut holes.
- This recipe yields 9-12 servings.