Glazed Vegan Donuts
Glazed Vegan Donuts! This recipe is so fun and customizable. Make vanilla or chocolate baked donuts then top with a simple sugar glaze or chocolate glaze.
My kids love donuts. I can’t remember when they were first introduced to them, but ever since it’s become one of their most requested sweet treats when out shopping or at the market.
Well, that and croissants but that’s a story for another day.
Therefore, I knew that I wanted to have a killer homemade donut recipe — and here it is!
Vegan donuts that can be made as either vanilla or chocolate cake donuts, then covered in a homemade glaze. Whether you call them donuts or doughnuts, you are going to love these baked cake vegan donuts!
Ingredient and Substitution Notes for Vegan Donuts
You need a handful of ingredients to make these baked donuts. They are also incredibly customizable, to be either vanilla or chocolate flavored.
I use regular, all-purpose flour for these and haven’t tested them using an alternative or gluten-free flour. I tried them once with wheat pastry flour and found the donuts too dry and heavy; therefore, I recommend the all-purpose flour.
Cardamom is a warm, aromatic spice that adds a unique and delicious flavor to your homemade donuts. It has a slightly citrusy, floral, and spicy taste that complements the sweetness of the donut dough and glaze. If you don’t have cardamom, then use a pinch of cinnamon instead.
The applesauce helps to add moisture to these glazed vegan donuts. I know a tablespoon is annoying (use the rest in my applesauce muffins!) so I usually use a small 1/2 cup serving cup of applesauce that I pack in my kids lunch. Yogurt (regular or dairy-free) can be used in place of the applesauce.
If you want to make chocolate vegan donuts, then add in 1/4 cup cocoa powder and 1/4 cup more non-dairy milk.
This recipe makes 8 regular donuts, but you can make this recipe into mini donuts using a mini donut pan and halving the cooking time.
How to Make These Vegan Donuts
Whisk together the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cardamom (or cinnamon.)
Mix the wet ingredients
Stir together milk, applesauce, melted butter and vanilla extract together in a small bowl, then pour into the dry ingredients. The batter will be thick like a pancake batter.
Pipe into a donut pan.
Place into a piping bag or ziploc bag, then cut off the corner if using a ziploc bag. Pipe into a lightly greased donut pan, filling about 3/4 of the way full. Alternatively, you can spoon into the prepared donut pan.
Bake donuts
Place the donuts in a 350 degree oven and bake for 9-10 minutes, until the donuts spring back lightly to the touch. Remove and let cool slightly.
Make the Glaze
Whisk together the powdered sugar, non-dairy milk of choice, vanilla, and dairy-free melted butter together until smooth and creamy. See below for flavor variations. Dip the donut into the glaze, then top with sprinkles.
Vegan Donut Glaze Variations
Whisk together the powdered sugar, non-dairy milk of choice, vanilla, and dairy-free melted butter together until smooth and creamy.
Depending on your preference of flavors, you can do this using either a vanilla glaze or a chocolate glaze. If you go with the vanilla glaze, you can add a few drops of food coloring to tint the glaze to any color you’d like. I use plant-based food coloring, along with natural color sprinkles.
Because I’ve opted not to deep-fry these donuts, I find that they need some type of glaze on top to complete the sweetness associated with donuts and for optimal texture. Don’t skip it!
For a chocolate glaze: Make the frosting, along with 1/2 cup of melted chocolate chips and a tablespoon of more non-dairy milk to help thin.
To make a lemon glaze: Swap in fresh lemon juice for the non-dairy milk in the glaze recipe
For a coconut glaze: Swap in coconut milk for the non-dairy milk, then sprinkle on toasted coconut on top of the donuts after frosting.
Once the donuts are cool, dip into the glaze then place on a cooling rack (affiliate) and sprinkle with toppings while the frosting is still wet. I typically dip, let sit for a minute, then dip again.
This vegan donut recipe is such a fun dessert to make, especially if you have kids! Have them help you pipe the donut batter into the pan and dip the finished donuts into the frosting.
More Vegan Dessert Recipes
- The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Vegan Pudding
- Apple Pie Bars
- Vegan Pecan Pie Cheesecake Bars
- Salted Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you try these vegan glazed donuts, let me know! Make sure to come back to leave a rating and a comment. Seeing you make my recipes makes my day and your feedback helps other readers.
Glazed Vegan Donuts
Equipment
Ingredients
For the donuts:Â
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsweetened milk, I used oatmilk
- 1 tablespoon applesauce
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glazed Frosting
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon melted non-dairy butter
- Sprinkles, as desired for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a donut pan with cooking spray and set aside.Â
- In a medium size bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cardamon/cinnamon.Â
- Add in the milk, applesauce, melted butter and vanilla. Mix with a spoon until combined; the batter will thick like a pancake batter.
- Transfer batter to a piping bag or ziploc. If using a ziploc bag, cut bottom of bag and pipe into prepared donut pans, filling about 3/4 of the way full. Less is best so not to cover the hole when baking.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes. When done, donuts should spring a bit to the touch. If using larger donut pans, cook time could be longer and if using a mini donut pan then the cook time will be closer to 5-6 minutes.Â
- Allow the donuts to cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool before glazing.Â
- To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, non dairy milk, vanilla, and melted vegan butter. If the glaze is too thick, add a splash of milk and whisk until thinned as desired. Dip the donuts, return to the wire rack, then dip again and top with desired toppings, like sprinkles!Â