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Home » Recipes » Breakfast

Baked Vegan Donuts

By Erin · October 31, 2020 · Updated September 27, 2021 · 1 Comment

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Dairy FreeVeganVegetarian
donuts with text
donuts on parchment paper
donuts with text overlay

Easy Baked Vegan Donuts that the whole family will love! They're healthier than fried donuts, and you can easily customize them to your liking by making chocolate icing, maple glaze or sprinkle donuts!

donuts on parchment paper

It's about time I create a vegan donut recipe! I mean gosh, I have vegan cake, brownies, cinnamon rolls, and bread, but no donuts! Talk about a crime.

I asked via an Instagram poll if people preferred maple or sprinkle donuts, and though maple won, it was very close. So, I decided to provide both options, along with chocolate icing so there's something for everyone!

Recipe features

  • Light, fluffy baked donuts -- the perfect texture
  • Can easily be customized to your liking to create chocolate, maple or sprinkle donuts
  • The entire recipe comes together in 20 minutes, and can easily be doubled if you want a full dozen donuts rather than a half dozen
ingredients with text overlay

Ingredient notes:

I'm simply providing further clarification on a few of the ingredients; the full ingredient list is below in the recipe card.

Flour - I only tested this recipe with all purpose, but I'm guessing gluten free all purpose flour will work too

Coconut oil - can sub vegan butter

Milk - ANY kind -- I used almond milk

Step-by-step method

Step 1: Melt coconut oil. The first step is to melt the coconut oil, then let it cool to room temperature.

Step 2: Whisk wet ingredients. Next, whisk the room temperature coconut oil with the applesauce, milk and vanilla.

Step 3: Fold dry ingredients. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt to the bowl with the wet ingredients, then use a spatula to gently fold everything together until just combined.

donut batter in a bowl

Step 4: Bake the donuts. Pipe or scoop the batter into your greased donut pan, then bake the donuts for 10-12 minutes until slightly golden around the edges.

donuts in a donut pan

FAQs and tips

  • It's ok if the batter is a little lumpy -- we want to avoid over-mixing the batter or else the donuts will be too dry.
  • If you want these donuts to be picture-perfect, you'll want to pipe the batter into your donut pan. I didn't do this because, well, I'm lazy, but it's an option.
  • If you don't want to pipe, you'll use a spoon and your fingers to press the batter into your pan.
  • To ice the donuts: make whichever icing you want, then dip each donut into the icing and place it back onto the cooling rack for a few minutes, which will allow the icing to solidify.
How should I store these?

Truthfully, donuts taste best fresh -- preferably the same day you made them. If you're not going to eat them that day, then follow the steps below on how to freeze them.

Can donuts be frozen?

Yes! If you want to prep the donuts ahead of time, wait for them to come to room temperature, then individually wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze them. Wait to glaze the donuts until you're ready to eat/serve them. To reheat donuts, simply microwave them until warm.

a stack of donuts beside a glass of milk

More delicious vegan recipes

  • Easy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
  • Chewy Coconut Cookies
  • Almond Butter Baked Oatmeal Cups

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!

donuts on parchment paper

Baked Vegan Donuts

Easy Baked Vegan Donuts that the whole family will love! They're healthier than fried donuts, and you can easily customize them to your liking by making chocolate icing, maple glaze or sprinkle donuts!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 9 minutes
Cook Time: 11 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6 donuts
Author: Erin

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon coconut oil melted and at room temperature
  • â…“ cup applesauce
  • ¼ cup dairy free milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • â…“ cup cane sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

icing options:

    sprinkles

    • ¾ cup powdered sugar
    • 1 tablespoon dairy free milk or more
    • ¼ cup sprinkles

    chocolate

    • â…“ cup vegan chocolate chips melted
    • ½ cup powdered sugar
    • 1 tablespoon dairy free milk or more

    maple

    • 1 teaspoon dairy free butter melted
    • â…“ cup maple syrup
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 cup powdered sugar or more

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350°.
    • In a large bowl, whisk coconut oil, applesauce, milk, and vanilla together -- make sure the oil is at room temperature or else it'll solidify!
    • To that same bowl, fold in the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt until just combined -- don't over-mix!
    • Spray your donut pan with nonstick spray, then scoop the batter into the pan. You can pipe it in if you prefer, or you can use a spoon and your fingers to press it in.
    • Bake donuts for 10-12 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, then wait 5 minutes before carefully inverting them onto a cooling rack. Wait until donuts are cool before icing them.

    for the icing:

    • Choose your icing option, then whisk all of the ingredients together. Dip each donut into the icing, then place it back onto the cooling rack and wait a few minutes for the icing to solidify.

    Video

    Notes

    *Calories are for 1 donut and are an estimation 
    *For less mess, you can pipe the donut batter into your donut pan; if you don't want to go that route (I didn't), use a spoon and your fingers to press the batter into the pan
    *Storage: these donuts are best when eaten fresh/the day you make them. If you want to freeze them, don't ice them and wait for them to come to room temperature before individually wrapping them in plastic wrap and storing in a freezer-safe bag. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 171kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 184mg | Potassium: 46mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 39IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you Make this Recipe? Tag me Today!Leave a comment below and tag @thealmondeater on Instagram!
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    About Erin

    Erin is the recipe developer, writer and photographer behind the healthy food blog, The Almond Eater. She's been blogging since 2014 and loves to create food for many different diets, including vegan, gluten free and/or Whole30 recipes.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Luciana says

      January 08, 2021 at 8:24 pm

      I loved the donuts!

      Reply

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