We have a serious problem here, and that problem is that these Classic Vegan Chocolate Glazed Donuts are a little too easy to make. You just whip up the simple donut batter, fill this fancy little donut pan and bake. Then take one of these fluffy donut perfections, and dip it into the quick chocolate glaze. TOO EASY I tell ya. Because wow wow wow! These things are magic.
Look at them. LOOK AT THEM! ☝️ Sorry, getting a little bossy around here, but seriously. I can't even.
After doing a bunch of research (yes I spend a lot of time researching donuts... #weirdjob), I found there are a few keys that take donuts from fine to fabulous. And of course in true Sam fashion, I reveal them all to you so you can make perfect vegan donuts in your home too.
THE 4 SECRETS TO VEGAN DONUT PERFECTION:
- You know that classic donut taste that you can't quite put your finger on? Well, I put my finger on it. I discovered that taste is nutmeg! Who knew right!? The donut batter is spiced with nutmeg that gives these donuts that classic bakery taste.
- The donuts are baked, not fried, which makes them easy and safe to make at home and a lot healthier to boot. So now you can eat two donuts! (You're welcome). The key I needed to figure out is how to get baked vegan donuts that were fluffy perfection. So I tried my favourite trick of adding an acid (lemon juice or apple cider vinegar) and baking soda. You know those volcanos you made in science class as a kid, same thing happens here. The combo makes for lots of quick rising bubbles making these donuts FLUFFY while still maintaining moisture.
- One of these inexpensive donut pans is key. Without them the donuts won't maintain shape. They will still taste delicious of course, but you won't really get the donut feeling without that classic shape.
- The glaze! I didn't realize I was so picky about donut glaze until I started testing these donuts. My first attempt was delicious, but the glaze stayed gooey, and didn't have that classic donut glaze crackle when bitten. Don't worry friends, I sorted it out. Now you can have your chocolate glaze and have it crackle too.
And there you have it, my secrets to Classic Vegan Chocolate Glazed Donuts. You may now start your ovens!
To make Classic Vegan Chocolate Glazed Donuts: In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.
In a medium bowl mix together all the wet ingredients.
Now add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not over mix, lumps are totally cool.
Scoop the batter into a large ziplock bag and cut the corner off of the bag. Alternatively, use a pastry bag. Pipe the batter into the donut pan, dividing it evenly among the 6 donuts wells.
Bake for 10 to 14 minutes until the donuts have fluffed up and bottoms are lightly browned. Take out of the oven and cool for 5 minutes then flip the donuts over so the bottoms can steam off a bit and don't hold too much moisture.
Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and mix well.
Dip the donuts into the glaze half way up and carefully lift the donut back out again, the frosting will set as it rests. If you have leftover glaze, use it to drizzle over vegan ice cream, or dip fruit into it.
Bon appetegan!
Sam.
Classic Vegan Chocolate Glazed Donuts
My Notes:
Ingredients
For the dry ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the wet ingredients:
- ⅔ cup non-dairy milk (such as soy or almond)
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
For the chocolate glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk (such as soy or almond)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
To make the donuts:
- Preheat your oven to 350F (180C). Lightly grease a donut baking pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.
- In a medium bowl mix together all the wet ingredients. Now add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not over mix, lumps are totally cool.
- Scoop the batter into a large ziplock bag and cut the corner off of the bag. Alternatively, use a pastry bag. Pipe the batter into the donut pan, dividing it evenly among the 6 donuts wells.
- Bake for 10 to 14 minutes until the donuts have fluffed up and bottoms are lightly browned. Take out of the oven and cool for 5 minutes then flip the donuts over so the bottoms can steam off a bit and don't hold too much moisture.
To make the chocolate glaze:
- Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and mix well. If the glaze is a bit too thick at 1 teaspoon non-dairy milk at a time to reach desired consistency.
- Dip the donuts into the glaze half way up and carefully lift the donut back out again. The frosting will set as it rests. If you have leftover glaze, use it to drizzle over vegan ice cream, or dip fruit into it.
Sharan says
I have another recipe for chocolate donuts but these are hands down the best. They are light and the frosting taste perfect! This will be my only go to for donuts.
Ash K says
I just tried these and they looked and smelled amazing but didn’t set even after baking sixteen minutes and cooking in the pan first. Any advice? Thank you!!
Tiffany says
Delicious and so easy to make! I definitely the nutmeg was one of the winning ingredients that pulled the flavors together. Thanks again for writing great recipes that are easy to follow, work reliably, and that I can do along with my little one. It makes getting through this tough time a little easier. (Now if only I could get my eldest to stop eating so many of his favorite carrot muffins (your recipe)...
Anenid says
Perfect donuts! I waited until they were completely cooled down before putting the glaze and it did not solidify but they were delicious. Thank you for the recipe!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed!
Elona says
If you add a little melted vegan butter to the glaze it will set better! I doubled the recipe and added about a tablespoon. Agree, they turned out so yummy.
stephanie batista says
hi there! love your recipes! do these donuts freeze well? I'm thinking prior to glazing them of course? thanks!!
Sam Turnbull says
I've never tried freezing them, but yes, I think they should freeze fine without the icing. Enjoy!
Melisa says
I didn't make the donuts, but the glaze. Wow, its is so good, and so easy. I doubled the recipe and added about 2-3 more tablespoons of milk to get it to a dipable consistencey. I used it to dip vegan cupcakes in. Also, I used chocolate soy milk. I think I'll have to start putting this on everything, lol.
Sam Turnbull says
Happy you enjoyed!
MoonRiver says
Hello, this recipe looks amazing. I was wondering if I could make the glaze with chocolate instead of powdered cacao? How would you go about it?
Thanks!
Neon says
probably just melting chocolate with some coconut oil could work? idk though
Veerle says
Made those a while ago and they were great. I hadn't really had donuts prior to going vegan so I don't know what normal ones taste like, but my boyfriend from the US really approves!
Dominique says
Made these as pumpkin spice donuts by subbing the nutmeg with pumpkin spice and they were perfect for October they're still delish with nutmeg as well ☺️
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed!
Elizabeth says
Light and good tasting. Not sugary.
Sam Turnbull says
Glad you enjoyed!
Michelle Mather says
Delicious, as usual Sam! Your recipes are always a hit at my house!!!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww, so happy to hear that, Michelle 🙂
Cristal says
I loved these so much! They were so good, not too sweet, not too dry, and the nutmeg definitely adds that classic donut flavor and the chocolate icing was perfect!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!!! So happy you loved them 🙂
Michelle A Hortenberry says
My daughter asked me to make vegan donuts for the kids at the school she works who have food allergies. They are having a donut party and she wants them to be included. They are doing regular glazed donuts, though, not chocolate. Any tips on a regular glaze that 'crackles'?? Every time I make glazed dounts it just stays gooey.
Sam Turnbull says
I believe if you make the glaze here but just omit the cocoa powder, it should work. You will probably need slightly less non-dairy milk, so just add to reach desired consistency. Enjoy!
Kels says
My husband wanted beignets but I wasn't quite up to the task of converting a recipe to vegan for that. So I offered him these instead. They were a hit. Used powdered sugar instead of chocolate frosting (because, beignets!) and he loved them. You are my go-to when I am looking for a good, quick, vegan recipe. Thanks again, Sam!
Sam Turnbull says
Oooh yum that sounds delicious!! So happy you enjoyed them!
Alicia Cromwell says
Wonderful. So nice to have an allergy friendly donut! We all loved them. 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Yayyyy!!
Tammy says
These were Amazing!
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome!! So happy you enjoyed them!
Michelle says
Girl! You hit it out of the park with this one!! I've tried a handful of your recipes and loved them all. I also recently got your cookbook. Your recipes are easy and SO delicious (loving your pillowy pancakes and tofu taco crumbles!!) The icing set up JUST like you said. We'll be making these many many more times <3
Sam Turnbull says
Woohoo!!! So happy you love the donuts and all my other recipes so much!! Thanks, Michelle 🙂
Jennifer says
Can't wait to try this recipe!! I have found that the "can't quite pure your finger on it" flavor in donuts is actually mace, which is the fiberous lining inside the nutmeg. Gives that hint of flavor without being overpowering. Love your recipe for the glaze!!!
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome I hope you enjoy it, Jennifer 🙂
Anna says
Hello
I've got a question about glaze.
We only mix the ingredients and it will set or should we heat it up a little?
Sahar says
Would this batter work in a 6" donut shaped cake pan? I'd like to surprise my vegan friend for her birthday!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Sahar, the bake times and possibly oven temperatures may vary a bit since the pan size is so different. Without experimenting myself, I'm afraid I can't promise results. Sorry I can't be more help!
Brenda Wiley says
Chocolate and sugar are wonder drugs!! These are SOOOOOO good!! And you are completely accurate on the 20 minutes start to finish!!! Very quick and easy to throw together!! (The pouring the batter into a ziplock bag and snipping a corner off is INSPIRED ... no muss, no fuss!!)
Hubby is gluten free, and I made a batch for him using King Arthur Flour's 'Measure-For-Measure' GF flour, and they came out perfectly!! I just used 1 cup of that, and kept everything else the same. The only difference is that it made 5 donuts instead of 6 (typical with GF flours).
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy you loved them so much, Brenda 🙂
Tera says
I just made these with gluten free flour and they turned out delicious. My son has many food allergies and I’ve been trying to find something that was similar to a donut, not just something baked into the shape of a donut. These were perfect! And, the frosting, is a key component. You definitely nailed the frosting! Thank you!!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!! So happy you enjoyed them and that your son could have this special treat 🙂
Eve says
I made these last night and they are awesome!! I've never made donuts before, but these were so easy and taste delicious!! I will definitely be making them again!!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!! So thrilled that you loved them so much, Eve 🙂
Sadie N. says
Hi! I really enjoyed this recipe, but I didn't have a donut pan so I used a (6) mini pie pan instead. They turned out kind of whoopie pie shaped... still awesome! I can't wait to share with my friends.
Sam Turnbull says
Glad you enjoyed it, Sadie!
Olivia says
I'm so confused, I've made these donuts twice now, and both times the batter has been turned out really thin. I tried baking them for 30 minutes, and they came out uncooked in the middle. I followed the recipe exactly, I checked the measurements about 3 times before I added any ingredients. Everyone is talking about how good theirs turned out and they look amazing in the photo, so I'm absolutely puzzled because mine just didn't work at all Do you have any idea what might have happened? Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear that, Olivia. It's hard to know without being in the kitchen with you, but maybe try 1/3 cup of non-dairy milk and add more if needed until you reach a thick batter. Hope that helps!
Naomi says
Yum, so so delicious, thanks so much for sharing!
Do you know how many days they stay ok covered in the fridge?
Nice evening,
Naomi
Sam Turnbull says
I would actually keep them at room temperature, like in a donut shop. Pastries tend to dry out in the fridge. I would say they would last about 3 days at room temperature. 🙂
Andrea says
Can I replace the vegan butter for coconut oil? Thanks
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Andrea, it should work fine but the donuts may lose a bit of that buttery taste. Enjoy!
Rachel says
These donuts are awesome! They were gobbled up by me and my family within minutes of being done. These are just as good as a classic deep fried yeast doughnut in my opinion. As usual, you have mastered another great recipe! Thank you Sam, for providing for my donut needs!
Sam Turnbull says
Woohoo!! Thrilled you loved them so much, Rachel 😀
El says
Hi Sam, I absolutely loved these donuts...thank you so much for the recipe. I love your cookbook, I’ve tried so many recipes from there already!!
Sam Turnbull says
Oh yay!! Thrilled you love these donuts and the book too, El 🙂
Eve says
We loved them. So yummy and soft. Icing great too but had to add 100s & 1000s (sprinkles). I had to laugh about storing them as my daughter is devouring them. We are not fans of nutmeg do you recommend subbing with cinnamon?
Sam Turnbull says
Glad you enjoyed them, Eve! Yes, you could substitute cinnamon.
Laurie says
I don't have a donut pan....think these would work in a muffin pan, or even mini muffin tin for timbits?! (yeah, I'm Canadian...)
Sam Turnbull says
I'm Canadian too 🙂 Yes they would, of course, they wouldn't have the donut shape, but if you are ok with that, go for it. Cooking times may vary though, so keep an eye on them. Enjoy!
Christine says
Any idea if this would work with almond or coconut flour? I'm not eating any grains as part of my cancer treatment but my 11 year old wants to find a donut recipe that I can have as an occasional treat. This one looks good if I can figure out the flour. Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Coconut flour is very absorbent so I wouldn't recommend that, but almond flour might work ok. Almond flour is heavier so I imagine the donuts will be denser. Here's a guide that may help you.
Kaleigh says
Hey! I'd love to make these for my partner, his fav are vanilla frosted donuts. Do you have any suggestions as to how I could make the frosting vanilla instead of chocolate?
Sam Turnbull says
Skip the cocoa and start with less liquid until you reach desired consistency 🙂
Aunt Laurel finucane says
What is vegan butter; put particular half before the recipe & probably should of gone after!!!
Sam Turnbull says
You can buy many brands of vegan butter substitutes, my go-to is Earth Balance brand.
Emelia H says
I made these today. I'm a pastry chef for a living and went vegan about 2 months ago. Wanted a special treat and these didn't disappoint!
I used oat milk for the donuts and glaze. I didn't have vegan butter so I used coconut oil. Delicious, very easy, thank you!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy you loved them, Emelia, and congrats on your new veganism! Let me know if you ever have any questions or need any support 🙂
Sean Clarke says
Sam, I love the recipe and will be trying it out soon, but I was confused when I read the nutrition information and saw that this recipe has cholesterol! Surely this recipe is vegan, going through the ingredients, so is this just a typo? Thanks in advance 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Oh thanks for pointing that out, Sean! I use a little nutrition tool that calculates all the info for me. Sometimes it will interpret things incorrectly. My guess here is that it calculated with cows milk instead of non-dairy milk! I re-entered the info into the program and it all seems to work now. 🙂
Kim says
I followed your glaze to a T and they still have not set!! Very gooey....
Sam Turnbull says
Is it very humid where you are? That could be a problem. It should set fairly quickly as the wet ingredients just evaporate. It will always be a little tender. Hope that helps.
Alyssa says
LOVE these donuts. They were amazing! How do you recommend storing them? Should they be refrigerated or left out? Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy you loved them, Alyssa 🙂 I found they stayed softest when left out and lightly covered with a clean dish towel, but they will keep longer in the fridge in an air-tight container. 🙂
Christina says
I've made these twice so far in the last two weeks. The first batch was actually too moist for my preference. I made them a second time and let them bake until a smidge darker. The glaze was perfect on these. I think when I make them again I will do a cinnamon sugar combo. But these are definitely a keeper and I will make them many more times. Thank you for creating this!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy you like them, Christina 🙂
DairyFreeAndy says
I've never made dairy free (/vegan) doughnuts before - I was always too scared to try! Thanks for the recipe; you've made it all look so easy. I only have a tin for mini doughnuts so mine will probably turn out hilariously tiny compared to yours though, haha! Can't wait to try.
Sam Turnbull says
Haha, I hope you love your mini donuts, Andy!
Chef Sous Chef says
These donuts look sooo good! Can't wait to try them!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!! Hope you love them 😀
Kristi says
Just pulled these out of the oven. They smell amazing! I thought we had powdered sugar, but we don't. I'm going to have to frost with my emergency accidentally vegan Duncan Hines chocolate frosting. Emergency, because you never know when the need for cake comes up. LOL My kids are delighted and can't wait. Neither can I. The batter was certainly delicious! 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Haha, I love that you have emergency frosting on hand! I hope you and your kids loved them 🙂
Shawn Mackenzie says
Good morning
As I am writing this my four children are circling the oven expectantly awaiting yet another Sam Turnbull delight!!! May I substitute coconut milk for the soy or almond? Otherwise I would use "silk for coffee" instead of almond or soy milk--sound reasonable? Fingers crossed.
Many thanks
Shawn Mackenzie
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! Love it!! The coconut milk that is in the carton should work fine, but canned coconut milk or "silk for coffee" would be too heavy for this recipe. I hope you and the kids love them!
Delia Fey says
Your recipe came at a great time! Unfortunately, our little guy discovered donuts at Dunkin Donuts recently and loved them. Boohoo! I was hoping he would be spared that 'treat' but that would be hard to do when I am not with him all the time. Now we can make healthier donuts at home that also don't have animal products in them. Thank you! I look forward to making them - I will be trying it with some gluten free flour. I love that the recipe is so simple and baked too!
I love your site keep up the good work. I am looking forward to seeing your book.
Delia
Sam Turnbull says
Oh that's great! Thank you so much, Delia! I hope your son loves them so much he never wants to lay his eyes on another Dunkin Donut again! 😉
Steffen says
Ich hab schon viele Rezepte von verschiedenen Veganen Webseiten gemacht.Manche waren gut,manche nicht so gut.
Aber alles was ich bis jetzt von deiner Webseite gekocht oder gebacken habe war immer (!) Lecker!
Danke für die vielen tollen Rezepte!
Sam Turnbull says
I had to translate that one, haha. You're most welcome! So happy you are loving all my recipes 🙂 Danke!!
Aimee B. says
Yes, nutmeg is definitely a key ingredient in donuts. I never make them without it. Yours look amazing. Can't wait to give them a try! 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much, Aimee!! I hope you love them 🙂