Need an easy, healthy fall dessert that isn’t smothered in pumpkin? These vegan baked butternut squash donuts are a delicious fall-friendly alternative.
I don’t think butternut squash gets the love it deserves this time of year. We all go on and on about pumpkin but somehow forget the many other types of squash available to us.
So this year I promised myself to branch out into the rest of the squash family. And true to my word, my most recent trip to the market resulted in me leaving with way more squash than I could eat in a month.
At first, I wasn’t sure what to do with it all. But eventually, I ended up freezing most of it, roasting some for meals this week and steaming and pureeing the rest to use in baked goods. Like these vegan baked butternut squash donuts.
The last time I baked with butternut squash, I made this maple coconut butternut squash bread that legit changed my life. And by that, I mean it kickstarted my obsession with making hidden veggie quick breads and muffins.
Needless to say, butternut squash will forever have a place in my heart. And my baked goods.
I actually can’t believe it’s taken me almost two years to bake with it again. But I gotta say, these butternut squash donuts are so worth the wait.
Vegan Baked Butternut Squash Donuts
I find butternut squash puree to be a lot less liquidy than pumpkin puree. So, while my pumpkin donuts were on the moist side, these butternut squash donuts are much more airy and cake-like.
Regardless, they’re still tasty AF. They’re perfectly spiced, soft, cakey, refined sugar free and made with spelt flour. And they come together in under 30 minutes.
So if you’re already sick of pumpkin or just want to enjoy a non-pumpkin dessert this fall, these butternut squash donuts are for you.
What about you?
What’s your favourite non-pumpkiny fall dessert? Any suggestions for what I should do with all that squash?
p.s. If you make these donuts, I’d love to hear what you think. Leave a comment and rate the recipe or take a pic and tag it @ExSloth on Instagram!
More vegan donut recipes:
- 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water
- ¼ cup almond milk + ½ tbsp ACV
- 1 cup spelt flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
- ½ tbsp pumpkin spice
- ¼ tsp nuteg
- ⅓ cup butternut squash puree*
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp spelt flour
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tsp pumpkin spice
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 - 2 tbsp coconut oil, softened but not melted
- Optional: 1 tbsp quick cooking oats, 1 tbsp chopped pecans
- Whisk together ground flax and warm water in a small bowl. In another bowl combine milk and apple cider vinegar. Let them stand for about 5 minutes
- Preheat oven to 400F and grease a donut pan and set aside
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin spice and nutmeg
- In another bowl, add the butternut squash puree, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla, flax egg and milk and mix well
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Do not over mix the dough
- Pour dough into a ziplock bag and snip the edge off of one corner. You can also use a pastry bag if you have one
- Pipe the dough into the donut pan. You should fill 6 cavities
- Combine the ingredients for the streusel topping, except the oil, in a small bowl and mix well
- Cut in the oil with a fork or your fingertips until crumbly
- Sprinkle the topping onto each donut, pressing firmly to ensure it sticks when baking
- Bake for 12 - 13 minutes. Let cool in pan for a couple minutes then turn over onto a wire rack
- Best when served warm but store any extras in an airtight container in the fridge
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Want more butternut squash recipes? Try this one:
It’s apple and pear everything for me, I could always take or leave pumpkin 😛
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine recently posted…Friday Finisher 10/7/16
I haven’t jumped on the apple train yet but I’ve been buying so many pears. So good!👌
OOH I love butternut squash; we just had butternut squash soup; I would love to try it in a baked good. Your bread and doughnuts both sound good.
Emily Swanson recently posted…Apple White Chocolate Caramel Bars + A Giveaway Announcement!
I haven’t made soup yet but Canadian thanksgiving is on Monday so that’ll be happening real soon 😍😍👌
Pumpkin desserts are my favourite in the fall – I’m actually making 3 different pumpkin desserts this weekend lol. But I’ve never tried baking with other types of squash. These look delicious, especially the streusel topping!
Chelsea’s Healthy Kitchen recently posted…Small Batch Stovetop Baked Beans
I highly recommend baking with butternut squash! Surprisingly, I haven’t done any baking with pumpkin yet this season even though I’ve already gone through an entire can. Savoury pumpkin recipes ftw this year apparently lol
What a lovely recipe, great flavours and I like that they are vegan.
I recently got a doughnut baking tray but still haven’t used it, now I know which flavour am I going to try first! Yum!
Oh man! Welcome to the world of homemade baked donuts 😀 Let me know what you think if you give these a try, Diana 🙂
Your baked donuts look very tasty! I love the fact that they contain squash and are baked. Will try.
These Butternut Squash Donuts look incredible, I bet they taste like Fall!
Jillian recently posted…Beef Bolognese Sloppy Joes
Definitely taste like all the best parts of fall 😀