This wonderful chocolate vegan donut recipe features a deliciously sticky rose and sugar glaze that will leave you craving more. They’re easy to make, easy to customize and completely avoid the need for vats of hot oil – you can just bake them in the oven!
Why you’ll love baking vegan donuts (vegan doughnuts)
- Healthier option. Baked donuts are generally lower in fat and calories compared to traditional fried donuts, and they don’t require deep frying.
- Endless flavor varieties. You can get creative with vegan baked donut flavors by adding ingredients like chocolate chips, fruit purees, spices, or different glazes, making them extremely versatile and customizable.
- Easy to make at home. This vegan donut recipe is super easy to whip up at home with simple ingredients, no yeast, and basic kitchen equipment – a refreshing alternative to store-bought donuts, ready in less than 30 minutes.
Ingredients needed
For the donut base
- Pastry flour. Or all-purpose flour. Helps create a tender and delicate texture in the base of the donut.
- Baking soda. The leavening agent that helps the donuts rise and become light and fluffy.
- Cocoa powder. Adds a rich chocolate flavor, making them decadent and delicious.
- Salt. Balances the sweetness of the donut.
- Sugar. Provides sweetness and helps to create a tender crumb.
- Almond milk. A non-dairy milk to help maintain the dough’s moisture and consistency.
- Vanilla extract. Contributes a delightful aroma and flavor that enhances the overall taste.
- Vegetable oil. Or any neutral oil, adds moisture to the batter and contributes to the soft, moist texture of the base.
For the glaze
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- Powdered sugar. Powdered sugar is the primary sweetener in the glaze, also giving it a silky texture.
- Salt. To balance the sweetness of the glaze.
- Vegan butter. Helps provide moisture and adds a rich and creamy texture.
- Water. To control consistency.
- Rose extract (optional). Rose extract provides a floral and fragrant edge to the glaze, my favorite way to serve chocolate donuts. See the flavor variation section to learn how to create other flavors.
How do you make a vegan donut?
Step 1 – Prepare your dry ingredients. Preheat your oven to 175C/350F and lightly grease a 6 cavity regular sized donut tray. In a mixing bowl, sieve the pastry flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, salt and sugar.
Step 2 – Add your wet ingredients. Add the water, vanilla extract and vegetable oil. Whisk until just combined, you should have a thick chocolate batter.
Step 3 – Bake your donuts. Spoon the batter equally into your donut tray. Using a piping bag will make this process faster and easier. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until donuts are springy to the touch and a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave donuts in the tray for 10-15 minutes, then let them cool thoroughly on a wire cooling rack.
Step 4 – Glaze your donuts. Mix the powdered sugar, salt and rose extract in a bowl with melted vegan butter and water. Whisk till smooth. Add a little more water or powdered sugar, if needed, to achieve a sticky, silky consistency. Dip the donuts into the bowl to ice the top half of them. Dip them in a second time to build up the glaze, if desired. Allow to set on a cooling tray and enjoy!
Flavor variations
If rose extract isn’t for you, you can go ahead and flavour your glaze with a myriad of other options, simply by substituting the rose extract with:
- Matcha powder – for a green tea glaze.
- Orange zest – for an orange glaze.
- Mint extract – for a mint glaze.
- Cocoa powder – for a chocolate glaze.
- Vanilla extract – for a classic vanilla glaze.
Tips to make the best recipe
- Grease well. As there will be no parchment paper, grease your donut cavities well so that they don’t stick, even if using a silicone tray.
- Freezer trick. Freeze your donuts for 15 minutes after they cool down so that they pop out from your silicone mould easily and are more firm for glazing.
- Mixing technique. Mix the batter until just combined. Overmixing can lead to dense and tough donuts. Stir until there are no large lumps, but a few small lumps are okay.
- Make the base in advance. You can bake and then freeze the base of these donuts for up to 3 months. After thawing, you can glaze and serve.
Storage instructions
To store: Place your baked donuts in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.
To freeze: Wrap each donut individually in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. They can be frozen for up to 2-3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature when ready to enjoy.
Recommended tools
- Silicone donut pan. Easy to find on Amazon and perfect for baked donut recipes.
More delicious desserts to try
Frequently asked questions
A vegan donut (or doughnut) is made without any animal-derived ingredients. Common and readily available plant-based substitutes are used e.g. almond milk, vegan butter etc.
It’s generally fine to use any plant-based milk of your choice as a substitute, like soy milk, oat milk, coconut milk, or rice milk.
You can indeed replace the flour in this recipe with a gluten-free flour blend, however the texture and the consistency of the donut may change.
Some types of donuts are naturally vegan. Many cake based donuts and some yeast based donuts can be made with plant-based substitutions. The classic cinnamon sugar donut is perhaps one of the easiest styles of donuts to make vegan.
Vegan Donuts
Ingredients
For the donuts
- 1 cup pastry flour or all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup almond milk unsweetend
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
For the rose glaze
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons vegan butter melted
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/2 teaspoon rose extract optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 175C/350F. Lightly spray a 6 cavity regular sized donut tray with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Sieve pastry flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, salt and sugar into a mixing bowl.
- Add almond milk, vanilla extract and vegetable oil. Whisk until combined, you should have a thick chocolate batter.
- Dispense batter equally into your donut tray. You can use a piping bag to make it faster and easier.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until donuts are springy to the touch and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and leave donuts in the tray for 10-15 minutes. Once slightly cooled, tip them out of the donut tray. Let cool thoroughly.
- To prepare the glaze, mix powdered sugar, salt and rose extract in a bowl with melted vegan butter and water. Whisk till smooth. If it is too thick, add a touch more water. If it is too watery, add a little bit more powdered sugar.
- Dip your donuts into the bowl to ice them. You can double dip for a thicker coating of glaze. Allow to set on a cooling tray and enjoy!
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