Last week I’ve been fighting a terrible flu which emptied me of my nutrients and energy, and kept me lying in bed for a few very long days. I haven’t caught a cold or flu since I changed my diet several years ago, and this one simply caught me by surprise.

I couldn’t read or write, nor take photos, but I had enough time to think. It’s incredible how much illness changes your perspective, and the way other struggles turn out to be so unimportant when your health is the only thing that you actually need. I started to feel better on a very sunny day, when suddenly everything seemed to fall into place. I know the warming light, the singing birds, and the green leaves will soon appear everywhere. The spring that I longed for so much is finally coming.

I love the early spring celebrations, and although I’m not at all into their commercial approach, they remind me of the simple things that really matter. The last half of February, we have a beautiful rural feast called Drabogete, which I’ve already told you about in my  Blueberry Raw Cheesecake post — a feast which is all about the awakening of the senses.

The use of different tones of red during this time is also a sign that winter is gone, and this is why I decided to use red to make these delicious baked donuts — to celebrate the bright side of life and the things that makes us happy.

Baking donuts turned out to be a delightful way to spend a sunny afternoon in my warm kitchen, listening to music while the outside temperature didn’t go above five degrees Celsius. I had so much fun playing with the berry icing, and like everything made with pleasure, these donuts turned out so good. I rarely bake desserts, but I tried to keep these on the guilt-free side, making them vegan and using as little sugar as I could.

The texture was dense and moist, and the chocolate taste is such a good pairing with the berry icing. The secret of this recipe are the cooked chickpeas, which keeps them together without adding any preservatives, and also adding fiber, protein and softness to them. Because we really wanted to indulge, I added a vegan chocolate sauce drizzle which made them even prettier!

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ALSO YUMMY:  Pumpkin, Pecans and Chocolate Fudge

5 from 1 vote

Vegan Chocolate Doughnuts with Pink Berry Icing

Dense and moist, with a refreshing berry icing and a delicious chocolate drizzle, these donuts are the best treat for a romantic evening.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Vegan

Servings: 10

Author: The Awesome Green

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened nut milk I used almond milk
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas drained
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup vegan chocolate melted over simmering water
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• A pinch sea salt
• Coconut oil to grease the pan
• Crushed almonds to garnish
• For the Berry Glaze
• 1/2 cup frozen raspberries
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp agave syrup
• 2 tsp arrowroot powder
• For the Chocolate Drizzle
• 1/2 cup vegan chocolate
• 2 tbsp vegan milk
• 2 tsp coconut oil

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 176°C/350°F.
• Add the cooked chickpeas into the food processor and pulse to obtain a puree.
• Add the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, vinegar, salt and nut milk, and process to obtain a dense batter.
• Add the melted chocolate and pulse to incorporate.
• Grease the doughnuts pan with coconut oil, then distribute evenly the batter.
• Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
• In a small sauce pan add the raspberries and lemon juice, and bring to boil over low heat, then let simmer for five minutes.
• Strain the mixture to remove the seeds and peel, then transfer the resulted juice back into the sauce pan. Add the arrowroot, mix to incorporate then bring to boil and simmer for a few minutes stirring continuously until it starts to thicken.
• Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
• In a small sauce pan add the vegan chocolate, vegan milk and coconut oil and place over a pan with simmering water.
• Mix continuously until the chocolate is melted and you obtain a dense sauce, then set aside to cool.
• Spread the raspberry glaze on top of each doughnut, then drizzle with the chocolate sauce, top with crushed almonds and serve.

Notes