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Soft and tender vegan no bake cinnamon donut holes that are gluten-free, oil-free, naturally sweetened and made with 7 ingredients!
Grab your ingredients and your food processor. You are going to want to make these ASAP!
I genuinely enjoy baking. I love mixing ingredients, the mouthwatering smells that takes over the kitchen and the anticipation of the first bite like when I make these vegan and gluten-free lemon blueberry donuts. Although, sometimes no bake treats just do it for me!
These vegan no bake cinnamon donut holes are amazing. I was a little nervous when I first set out to make a no bake donut because I really didn’t want an energy ball recipe just to call them donut holes. This texture, though, is unreal. Just look at it!
Soft, tender, moist, light but also hearty– SO similar to a cake donut. I was so happy when the texture came out perfectly! Don’t get me wrong, it’s obviously not identical to eating an actual baked or fried donut hole but for no bake, being made in a food processor, naturally sweetened, and 30 minutes from start to finish, these are so close and i’m in all day!
Oh, and these aren’t just a little treat. These donut holes make the perfect accompaniment to a cup of hot morning coffee (with oat milk…my favorite!) for an enjoyable breakfast. Donuts and coffee are always a winning combination.
What’s in Them?
Deglet Noor Dates- my love for dates has no limits. The dates add the sweetness to these donut holes while also contributing to the soft and moist texture.
Raw Walnuts- adding protein, omegas and healthy fats to this treat! Also, pulsed walnuts are soft and tender and add a lovely component to the texture.
Almond Flour- this is what makes the donut holes soft and cake-like.
I also add vanilla extract, mineral salt, cinnamon and nutmeg for those classic donut flavors.
How to Make Donut Holes
Grab your ingredients and a food processor (you will definitely need a food processor to make these). You will also need parchment paper.
Start by adding your dates to a 1 cup measuring cup. You want this to be a packed cup, so add them in tightly, press down on the dates when the measuring cup is about halfway full, then continue to add dates tightly until they reach the top. This yields about 23 deglet noor dates for me.
Add your dates, walnuts and vanilla extract to the food processor. Pulse for about 2 minutes until the walnuts and dates are pulsed into very small pieces.
Next, add almond flour, mineral salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pulse for about 2 minutes. You want the texture to look like the photo below: soft and pillowy. The texture will be very different than a typical bliss ball or a ball made with dates but this is what you want so it resembles “cake” when rolled into a ball.
Once your texture is where you need it, line a plate with parchment paper. Use about 2 tbsp per donut hole. The mixture will feel loose and crumbly so you will need to squeeze it in your hands gently at first so it sticks together. Then, roll into a ball. You should have 12 donut holes.
Next, sprinkle cinnamon on top. I do not recommend overdoing the cinnamon as it can be too overwhelming so I just like to do a light sprinkle.
Freeze for 15 minutes and then enjoy! You can also eat these immediately but I like the texture even more after they have been in the freezer for a bit.
Store the leftovers in the refrigerator. I actually like them better the next day as the flavors intensify.
Note: these are also delectable with a yummy glaze! You can do a simple powdered sugar and milk glaze (I recommend organic powdered sugar). Cover the donut holes in glaze and set in the fridge until ready to eat.
If you make this recipe, don’t forget to take a photo and tag @wholesome.crumbs on Instagram!
Vegan No Bake Cinnamon Donut Holes [GF, Oil-Free]
Equipment
- You Will Need: a food processor and parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted deglet noor dates, tightly packed
- 3/4 cup raw walnuts
- 1 & 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp mineral salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 – 1/4 tsp nutmeg start on the lower end and adjust to taste
Instructions
- Add dates, walnuts and vanilla extract to a food processor. Pulse for about 2 minutes, until the dates and walnuts are pulsed into very small pieces.
- Next, add almond flour, mineral salt, cinnamon and nutmeg (start with 1/8 tsp nutmeg then add more to taste) to the food processor and pulse for about 2 minutes. The mixture should look soft and crumbly.
- Line a plate with parchment paper and start rolling your donut holes. Use 2 tbsp per donut. The mixture will be crumbly so just gently squeeze it together with your hands and then roll into balls.
- Place donut holes on the plate and then lightly sprinkle cinnamon on top.
- Freeze donut holes for about 15 minutes and then enjoy!
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator. They taste even better the next day!
Notes
- Store leftover in the refrigerator, covered.
Haven’t made this yet, but want to. Could coconut flour be substituted for the almond flour? Also do you include nutrition info with your recipes? Thanks, Anna
Hi, Anna!
I think you could do that! You might just need to play around with the amount of coconut flour until the consistency look right 🙂 Also, at this time I do not include nutritional information for my recipes. Feel free to reach out with any other questions!!
This was really good but felt a little dry.
Oh no! I am so sorry to hear that. Did you make any modifications to the recipe at all? It really comes down to the dates and how moist they are. If they seem on the dry side, you can soak them in hot water for a bit or even add a little water to the mixture if it seems dry- that will help! 🙂
I’ve been making this regularly for a few years now. I make it as a healthy treat for my children. They absolutely love this recipe!
I was recently given 10 lbs of blanched almonds by a friend and I tried making my own almond flour for this recipe. My food processor didn’t grind the almonds very fine, but the donut holes were still great.
Love this, thank you for letting me know!