Vegan Baked Donuts

You’re going to flip over this super easy Baked Vegan Donuts recipe! Sweet, tender, and glazed to perfection, these gluten-free dairy-free donuts are tasty enough to win Homer Simpson’s approval. Better yet, they’re also healthy enough to scarf down without a second thought. 🍩

This post is sponsored by Nature's Charm. All text and opinions are my own.

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Made with just 11 simple ingredients and 15 minutes of prep work, they’re the make-ahead breakfast treat you deserve this week. As an added bonus, I’ve included recipes for chocolate and vanilla glaze. YUM!

Recipe Overview

When it comes to breakfast, few things feel as indulgent as a sweet pastry. Feed me a slice of coffee cake, a sticky-sweet cinnamon roll, an indulgent bakery-style muffin, or a deliciously glazed dairy free donut first thing in the morning and you’ll win my affection for the whole day. 

This vegan doughnut recipe is my current obsession. Not only is it the perfect make-ahead breakfast for a sweet tooth like me, but the results are nothing short of stellar! They’re tender, cakey, sweet without being cloying, and perfectly portioned so I don’t even have to get out a plate. Honestly, who could ask for more?

Aside from yielding wildly delicious treats, this vegan baked donuts recipe is also:

• Quick & Easy - As much as I love traditional donuts (remember my fluffy fried donuts recipe?), I don’t always have it in me to deal with yeasted dough or frying oil. These vegan baked donuts are the solution! You only need to spend 15 minutes of active prep work to get them ready for the oven, and you’ll be able to sink your teeth into one in less than an hour!
• Made With Only 11 Ingredients - Chances are, you already have most of what you need on hand.
• Allergen-Friendly - These naturally dairy-free egg-free donuts also happen to be gluten-free, lactose-free, soy-free, and vegan to boot.

Ingredients Needed

Shockingly enough, you don’t need much to make these vegan gluten-free donuts. Here’s your grocery list:

• Gluten-free measure for measure flour - There are tons of brands on the market nowadays, though I’m partial to Bob’s Red Mill. No matter which one you choose, make sure to grab a brand that contains xanthan gum.
• Fine almond flour - Also sometimes found under the label “finely ground almond meal,” this tasty addition adds texture and body to this dairy free donut recipe.
• Fine sea salt - A bit of seasoning helps to awaken all the other flavors. If you’re using a different variety of salt (e.g. kosher), be sure to use this conversion chart for proper measurement. 
• Baking powder - This no yeast donut recipe relies on this leavening agent to rise into puffy, tender rounds of goodness. Make sure not to confuse it with baking soda — they won’t turn out well if you do!
• Ground cinnamon & ground nutmeg - These warming spices add a cozy layer of flavor and manage to make the donuts taste sweeter than they actually are. Feel free to experiment with other warming spices like ginger, cardamom, or pumpkin pie spice.
• Granulated sugar - We use a moderate amount of added sugar here so you get the feeling of eating dessert for breakfast without having the serious sugar crash an hour later. Feel free to use organic cane sugar if you prefer.
• Vegan butter - For rich flavor without any dairy. You can substitute equal amounts of neutral-flavored oil like avocado or peanut oil, or use regular butter if dairy isn’t an issue.
• Vanilla - Universally crowd-pleasing in the dessert world, vanilla extract adds richness and complexity. Feel free to use an equal amount of vanilla paste or vanilla powder, or swap in half as much ground vanilla bean. You can also experiment with other extracts like maple, almond, or coffee extract to change the flavor.
• Evaporated oat milk - You can also substitute equal amounts of unsweetened dairy-free milk, but I suggest reaching for one with a higher fat content (e.g. oat, coconut, soy) since fat makes baked goods more tender.
• Vegan mayonnaise - Vegan mayo is one of my favorite egg replacements in baking. You can substitute equal amounts of vegan yogurt or more evaporated oat milk.

How To Make Vegan Donuts

These dairy free doughnuts come together with almost zero fuss. Here’s how:

Step 1: Combine dry ingredients. Whisk the GF flour, almond flour, salt, baking powder, spices, and granulated sugar until well combined.

Step 2: Reverse cream. Add softened vegan butter and work it into the flour mixture.

Step 3: Add wet ingredients to the butter mix and stir until combined. Cover and let the batter sit for 30 minutes to rest.

Step 4: Prep for baking. While the batter rests, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and grease a donut pan (I love using coconut oil for this).

Step 5: Bake. Add the batter to the prepared pan and bake the donuts for 8-10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the donuts sit in the pan for 5 minutes before taking them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Optional Variations

As much as we love this baked vegan donut recipe just as is, there’s always room for you to put your stamp on any recipe. Here are just a few optional ways to zhuzh up your breakfast pastries even more:

• Nut-free - Feel free to swap in an equal amount of extra GF flour for the almond flour. The texture and flavor won’t be *quite* the same, but it works!
• Vanilla glaze - Make a simple glaze of powdered sugar, evaporated oat milk, and vanilla paste, powder, or extract for a deliciously sweet addition.
• Pink glaze Get your Homer on by adding ½ - 1 teaspoon of beetroot powder or a few drops of red gel food coloring to the vanilla glaze. Feel free to swap in the color of your choice! 
• Chocolate glaze - Swapping out some of the powdered sugar in the vanilla glaze for cocoa powder will give your donuts a delectably chocolatey flavor.
• Add-ins/add-ons - Feel free to add some textural interest to your vegan baked doughnuts by adding any of the following on top of your glaze or mixed into your batter:
  • Sprinkles, jimmies, or nonpareils
  • Chopped nuts
  • Chocolate chips

Serving Suggestions

These gluten-free vegan donuts are perfect for breakfast-on-the-go during the week, or for cozying up at home with a mug of golden milk on a lazy weekend morning. They’re also excellent for sharing with book clubs, selling at bake sales, or making for ladies’ brunch.

Recipe Success Tips

• Grease your donut tin. Even if your pan proclaims that it’s non-stick, you don’t want to skip this step!! I prefer using refined coconut oil for this, but non-stick spray, vegan butter, or neutral oil will all work well. 
• Rest the batter for 30 minutes. One thing I’ve learned about baking gluten-free treats is that GF flour is much “thirstier” than wheat flour. You need to give it time to absorb the liquid before baking or you’ll end up with a weird, grainy texture. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
• Don’t overbake the dairy free donuts. You don’t want to dry them out! 
• Cool completely before glazing. Just like frosting cakes or cupcakes, you need the base to be room temperature (or cooler) so the icing doesn’t melt.

FAQs

More Dairy Free Gluten Free Desserts

• Vegan Magic Bars
• Shiratama Dango
• Apple Pie Bread Pudding
• Coconut Macaroons
• Fudge

I hope you liked this recipe for gluten free dairy free donuts as much as we did! Let me know how it turned out by giving it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️rating and leaving a comment below. You can also feel free to tag me (@aimadeitforyou) on your social media posts so I can cheer you on!!

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