Coconut Banana Donuts + Pistachio Crumble

“DoNut Stop Believing that Healthy Food Can Taste Delicious!”

My first time making plant based donuts was an incredible success and I couldn’t wait to share the achievement! In fact, these babies turned out so good, it is hard to believe they are a healthy dairy-free, gluten-free version. However, I cannot take complete credit for the recipe (as much as I would love to). This delectable dessert was inspired by Rainbow Nourishments, a blog dedicated to delicious vegan and plant based meals. I highly encourage you to check out the website and Instagram, as Anthea (the creator) is amazingly talented. Although, I did adapt the ingredients of the icing for what I had on hand, the banana bread base by Anthea is really the highlight of the recipe. Nonetheless, I am exceedingly happy with the outcome of the icing, as the rich fuchsia color really does make these donuts especially attractive.

Healthy Food Inspires Creativity

The first reason why this recipe caught my eye was because it required very few ingredients. Because there are fewer ingredients, this just makes life that much easier. Moreover, this recipe allows you to choose what type of flour you most enjoy (more like what you happen to have in your cupboard), as well as how creative you want to get. To be more specific, the translucent nature of the coconut icing allows you to become quite imaginative when choosing what food ingredient to create the color of your affection. I decided to mix in beetroot powder for a pop of pink, however the sky is the limit. I pondered up ideas such as using spirulina for green donuts, bees pollen for yellow, turmeric for orange and even activated charcoal for grey to black donuts.

These baked goodies can be eaten warm out of the oven or as I like, you may place them in the freezer for about 3-5 minutes to allow the icing to really harden. Eating the donuts slightly cold with the hardened icing actually reminds me of the Entemann’s donuts my grandfather used to buy my sister and I when we would come to visit, (we always looked forward to this), but the best part is these donuts are completely guilt-free! I’m totally in love. <3

Coconut Banana Donuts + Pistachio Crumble

Dry Ingredients

1 c. gluten free flour (I used white rice flour)
1/2 c. almond meal
1/2 c. coconut sugar
2 tbs. ground flax
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Wet Ingredients

2 mashed bananas
3/4 c. nut or coconut milk
1/3 c. coconut oil melted
dash of white vinegar

Frosting

6-8 tbs. Nutiva Coconut Manna
6-8 tbs. beet root powder or other colorful food-grade powder
1/2 c. coconut sugar
1/4 – 1/2 c. virgin coconut oil
1/4 c. crushed pistachios or nuts of choice

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F
Add dry ingredients to medium bowl and mix until well combined
Add wet ingredients to a bowl and mix until combines
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well
Spoon banana mixture into a plastic baggy, cut a hole in one corner and pipe the mixture into a non-stick donut try. (Can be purchased at Sur La Table) Bake the donuts in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
Let donuts cool for 15 minutes in pan, then turn them over onto cooling rack
For the icing, place the manna, beet root powder, coconut sugar and coconut oil in a pan and stir until melted, smooth and well combined
Drizzle your icing mixture over your donuts making sure they are well covered
Sprinkle the crushed pistachio or nuts of choice on top. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do! Wishing you and your closest loved ones divine health and happiness!