The Essential Vegan Donut Recipes That You Need to Try

Everyone loves donuts. There’s something about the sweet treat that’s delicious and always hits the spot. There’s also another thing about being vegan and still fulfilling the cravings that hit from time to time. What do you do if you can’t find any vegan donuts in your neighborhood? You make them at home! Here are a few of the best vegan donut recipes that vegans and carnivores alike will be sure to love!

Vegan Apple Cider Donuts

This vegan donut recipe is easy to follow and will be a hit at your next weekend brunch.

Yield: 6 donuts
Active time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

For the donuts:
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅓ cup maple syrup
¼ cup apple cider
¼ cup applesauce
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 cup gluten-free flour
1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
1 scoop Vega One All-In-One Protein Powder, Natural Unsweetened

For the toppings:
2 tablespoons apple cider
¾ cup powdered sugar

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat donut pan with coconut oil cooking spray.

For the donuts:
Thoroughly whisk cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, protein powder, and flour in a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, whisk applesauce, maple syrup, apple cider, vanilla, coconut oil. Pour wet ingredients from small bowl into large mixing bowl that contains dry ingredients. Stir well until wet and dry ingredients are combined. Allow the batter to sit for 3½ to 5 minutes until liquid is partially absorbed. After allowing the batter to sit, fill a plastic bag with donut batter and cut the corner off one end of the plastic bag. Pipe the batter into the donut pan until it’s three-quarters full. Tap the donut pan on the counter gently to remove air bubbles. Place the donut pan in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Test with a toothpick. If the donuts are cooked, the toothpick should come out clean.

For the toppings:
Stir powdered sugar and apple cider together. When the donuts have cooled, dip the donuts into the icing then place the freshly dipped donuts on a rack to set.

Vegan and Gluten-Free Chocolate Donuts

Your neighbors will love this vegan donut recipe from The Minimalist Baker.

Yield: 12 donuts
Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

For the donuts:
1 cup and 2 tablespoons gluten-free flour blend
¾ cup and 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (sift if clumpy)
¾ cup almond flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce (can be substituted with hearty fruit puree like beets)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup maple syrup or agave nectar
¼ cup melted coconut oil
⅓ cup organic cane sugar or coconut sugar
½ cup unsweetened plain almond milk (warmed on stovetop or microwave)
¼ cup aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas)

For the glaze:
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Instructions:

For the donuts:
Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease two donut pans. Whisk aquafaba in a small mixing bowl until soft peaks form for 1 to 2 minutes. To prevent coconut oil from hardening, warm almond milk in microwave. In a large mixing bowl, add melted coconut, coconut sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, sea salt then whisk for 45 seconds. Add applesauce and warmed almond milk to large mixing bowl and whisk again. Pour in baking soda, cocoa powder, almond flour, gluten-free flour, and baking powder to large mixing bowl then whisk until all ingredients are well blended.

Add aquafaba and gently stir it into the large mixing bowl with the other ingredients. If the batter appears thin, add 1 tablespoon each of gluten-free flour or almond flour at a time until it thickens. The batter should be scoopable and semi-thick rather than liquid. Pour the batter evenly between the two donut pans. Bake the donuts for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in one of the donuts come out clean.

Allow donuts to cool for 1 to 2 minutes in donut pans. Gently invert pans and place donuts on a cooling rack for 5 minutes to cool down. Gently dip donuts in glaze.

For the glaze:
Add maple syrup, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, salt, and melted coconut oil to a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine.

Vegan Maple Donuts

Family get-togethers will always be better thanks to this vegan donut recipe from Fo’ Reals Life.

Yield: 12 donuts

Ingredients:

For the donuts:
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 ⅓ cup soy milk
2 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup sucanat or organic sugar

For the glaze:
2 teaspoon maple extract
¾ cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions:

For the donuts:
Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Whisk together apple cider vinegar and soy milk then set aside. Add vanilla and applesauce to the apple cider vinegar/soy milk mixture and stir for 30 seconds.

In a large bowl, sift together nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, salt, flour, sugar. Add the soymilk/applesauce mixture and stir to combine all ingredients. Pour/scrape the batter into a piping bag and fill the pan to about three-quarters full. Place pan in oven and bake donuts for 10 to 12 minutes. Test with toothpick. Allow donuts to cool in donut pan for 5 minutes then let them cool on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes.

For the glaze:
In small bowl, sift powdered sugar. Stir in maple extract and maple syrup in small bowl with sifted powdered sugar. If glaze is too thick, add a teaspoon of soy milk then mix well. Dip cooled donuts in glaze.

Vegan Raspberry Donuts

You’ll be sure to be the life of the party thanks to this quick vegan donut recipe from A Virtual Vegan.

Yield: 6 donuts
Active time: 10 minutes
Total time: 27 minutes

Ingredients:

For the donuts:
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup and 2 tablespoons of canned light coconut milk, shaken well
1 ½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup frozen raspberries, defrosted
½ cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour (packed)

For the glaze:
3 to 5 drops raspberry juice
1 cup of natural powdered sugar
5 teaspoons light coconut milk

Instructions:

For the donuts:
Preheat oven to 350 F degrees and prep a donut pan lightly with grease. Put defrosted raspberries in a sieve over a large bowl and push the raspberries through with the back of a spoon until all of the liquid from the berries is in the bowl. Pour 85 mls of the raspberry juice you just strained in a small bowl.

Add salt, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sugar to a mixing bowl. In a separate small mixing bowl, add the apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract, 85 mls of raspberry juice, and light coconut milk. Stir until blended well. Mix all dry ingredients and wet ingredients together but avoid overmixing.

Quickly pipe the donut batter into the donut pan. Place donut pan in oven for 17 minutes or until a toothpick that has been inserted in the center of a donut comes out clean.

Remove donut pan carefully from pan and place onto a cooling rack. Allow donuts to cool for 5 to 10 minutes.

For the glaze:
Mix powdered sugar with light coconut milk until mixture is smooth. Add a few drops of raspberry juice to get a baby pink color.

Dip each donut face-down into the bowl of glaze. Allow recently dipped donuts to sit for a few seconds then dip again in the same order so each donut has a thick glaze. Place glazed donuts on cooling rack so glaze sets properly.