Easy Baked Donuts (Vegan, Plant-based)
Today I will show you have to make a super easy, festive treat for special occasions such as Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Anybody’s Day, Birthdays, and “just-because-I-need-a-donut” Day. When we were growing up, dad would try every new donut shop that popped up in our area (not that there were that many, but he loved a good donut). He had high standards for his donuts. A donut was supposed to be moist, flavorful, and pretty. We had to make a vegan donut that would replace the old favorite. This is our baked version of this classic treat, and we are sending it out just in time for Valentine’s Day.
No matter how you slice it, you cannot classify donuts as part of a healthy diet, so this is a Special Occasion’s treat. This week we are making Valentine’s Day donuts, just in case you need something pretty and delicious to serve the special people in your life.
What makes our donuts healthier than store-bought donuts?
These vegan donuts are baked rather than deep-fried; they are completely plant-based. Most donuts contain milk, eggs, butter and are usually deep-fried. So what kind of channel would we have if I did not give you a plant-based “healthier” alternative to this classic favorite. I definitely have a week spot for these moist and delicious donuts.
Let’s talk special equipment for Making Baked Donuts:
The only special equipment needed for these donuts is a donut pan. You can find these in your local Walmart or on Amazon. My donut pans only make 6 donuts, so I use two pans for this recipe. We like our donuts a little plump, so this recipe makes about 10 donuts. The batter is quite loose, so it would be hard to make these donuts without a donut pan.
Special Baked Donut Ingredients:
These simple and easy donuts require ingredients that most of you probably have in your pantry already. We use plant-based milk, either soy or almond milk, add a little apple sauce for moisture and some vanilla for flavor. These donuts are not overly sweet; they have been designed with the idea of toppings in mind, such as a coating of cinnamon sugar or icing.
I hope you enjoy these vegan donuts as much as we do. It is a happy day in our house when we make donuts. Have a wonderfully Special Day, whatever the occasion may be.
Click Here to Watch Me Make this Recipe on YouTube!
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Easy Baked Donuts (Vegan, Plant-based)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 10 Donuts 1x
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup natural cane sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Wet Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons plant-based milk (almond or soy)
- 1 tablespoon apple sauce
- 1 tablespoon melted vegan margarine (or coconut oil)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Grease the donut pans.
- In a medium-size bowl, add all dry ingredients. Stir to combine.
- In a separate bowl or jar, add plant-based milk, apple sauce, and vanilla bean paste or extract. Stir to combine.
- Melt the vegan margarine (or coconut oil), set it aside.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and add the melted vegan margarine (or coconut oil). Stir to combine. It should form a nice batter.
- Add batter to a piping bag or use a plastic ziplock bag. Cut the corner and pipe the batter into the donut pan.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes.
- Let cool for a couple of minutes and then remove from the pan.
- For an easy decoration option, roll donuts in sugar and cinnamon, or for a fancier option, dip in a glaze and decorate with sprinkles or edible rose petals.
Glaze:
- Powdered sugar (1 cup)
- Water (or lemon juice for a brighter flavor) (2-3 teaspoons)
- Mix. It should be thick enough that it will stay on the donut. (Ask me how I know that one:))
Looks beautiful and yummy!!!
Aww… Thank you so much, Kitty!
it is so beautiful and delicious 😋 thank you 🙏
Thank you so much, Hadassah! I am so happy you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for the 5-star review.
This recipe is amazing!
I appreciate the low number of ingredients and was pleased to find out that it’s forgiving of substitutions. I didn’t have applesauce, and since it’s an egg substitute I used 1Tbs of flax egg instead. I forgot to follow the instructions and ended up mixing the melted vegan butter along with the rest of the liquids. I had to scoop the batter with a spoon instead of piping it (I have a silicon donuts mold).
The donuts still turned out great! Not too sweet, and way fluffier than the vegan donuts I get at my local bakery (theirs have amazing fillings and glazes, though).
Love it! Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you so much for your kind comment, Sarah! I am so happy you enjoyed my donut recipe. I would love to visit your local bakery sometime. Sounds like they have delicious fillings and glazes. Thank you for trying my recipe and for your 5-star review. It really means a lot.