Vegan Apple Donuts Snack with Healthy Cookie Dough Topping

When Hail Merry asked me to create some grain-free and dairy-free recipes using their Cookie Dough Bites, I headed to the kitchen without hesitation. These amazingly soft coconut snacks (they even stay tender when frozen!) lend themselves to so many delicious ideas that my only problem was narrowing them down. But I eventually landed on this healthy snack recipe for vegan cookie dough apple “donuts.”

This fast, easy, and delicious sweet recipe includes a healthy, homemade, vanilla cashew butter that sets up like magic shell when briefly refrigerated. This helps to hold those yummy cookie dough bits in place!

I’m I submitted this healthy vegan apple donut snack with cookie dough topping to Gluten-Free Wednesdays.

Special Diet Notes: Vegan Apple Donuts Snack

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, vegetarian, and raw.

Healthy Vegan Apple Donuts Snack

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

This delicious snack has a vanilla cashew butter "magic shell" to hold the toppings in place and act like a healthy, sugar-free icing. You can use another nut, like almonds, if preferred.

Author: Alisa Fleming

Recipe type: Snack

Cuisine: American

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

• ½ cup raw cashews
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
• ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Pinch salt
• 8 raw macaroons (see Cookie Options below)
• 2 medium organic apples

Instructions

1. Place the cashews in a spice grinder or food processor*, and process until finely ground and beginning to clump. Add the coconut oil, vanilla, and salt, and process again until smooth and creamy.
2. Finely dice the macaroons (they are easy to cut when chilled).
3. Core the apples and slice horizontally into ¼- to ½-inch thick rounds.**
4. Spread the cashew butter onto one side of each apple round. Top with cookie dough macaroon bits (be generous!), gently pressing into the cashew butter (they should settle in nicely).
5. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. The coconut oil will help the cashew butter set up for a rich glaze that holds tight to those cookie dough bits. Devour.

Notes

Cookie Options: I used Hail Merry Cookie Dough Bites. Other tasty store-bought options are Emmy's Macaroons or Enjoy Life Soft-Baked Cookies. For healthy homemade options, try my Raw Cookie Dough Bites or Oatmeal Cookie Dough Balls. Both are vegan-friendly and gluten-free.

*If using a medium to large food processor, you may want to double the batch of cashew butter. This would be 1 cup cashews, 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and a dash of salt.

**If you are concerned about browning, you can toss the apple rounds with citrus juice (lemon, pineapple, orange).

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