Vegan Baked Donuts Frosted Three Ways
By Joann MacDonald of Woman in Real Life
It’s National Donut Day, and I think it’s only fitting to mark the occasion with a donut (or two!). Bakery-made vegan donuts are more plentiful these days, but those of us who don’t live in big cities might still find them hard to come by. No worries, it’s easy to make your own delicious vegan donuts at home.
You don’t need to use yeast or oil to make homemade donuts. I find it a hassle to use and dispose of large amounts of oil. Baked donuts are an easier, healthier option. This vegan donut recipe is so simple and fast to prepare. Start by stirring together the dry ingredients - basics like flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add some cinnamon and nutmeg for increased deliciousness.
Then whisk together the wet ingredients - almond milk (or another non-dairy milk alternative you prefer), maple syrup, vanilla, mashed banana and vegan margarine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined. Your batter is ready to go! Don’t be alarmed if it’s quite thick. You’re doing it right.
Pipe the batter into oiled donut pans using a frosting bag or a plastic bag with the corner snipped off. If your donuts don’t quite meet up at the seams, use a small spoon to smooth the batter evenly around the center holes of the donut pan.
After the donuts have baked and cooled, get ready for the fun part - the toppings! I have included three “frostings” here to suit different preferences. In our family, my daughter and I like the cinnamon sugar topping most because it coordinates nicely with the cinnamon in the donut itself. My husband likes the chocolate glaze best. My son prefers the vanilla glaze. To be safe, make all three toppings! (Cut the glaze recipes in half if you make two or three of them.)
These baked vegan donuts have a lovely, dense, cake-like texture. They are slightly sweet, with notes of cinnamon, banana and nutmeg. Bake them in just 10 minutes. In under half an hour, you can have homemade donuts cooling on the counter. Then you just have to wait (impatiently) until they cool and top with your chosen glaze. For added fun, top the chocolate or vanilla glazed donuts with sprinkles, coconut or chopped peanuts.
Grab yourself a cup of your favorite hot beverage and settle down to celebrate National Donut Day in style.
Vegan Baked Donuts Frosted Three Ways
(10 to 12 donuts)
Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¾ cup unsweetened original almond milk or other non-dairy milk
⅓ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons mashed banana
¼ cup vegan margarine (melted)
For the toppings
Chocolate glaze:
½ cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons almond milk or other non-dairy milk
½ cup organic powdered confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon vegan margarine
Cinnamon sugar:
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons vegan margarine (melted)
Vanilla glaze:
1 cup organic powdered confectioners’ sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons almond milk or other non-dairy milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Sprinkles, coconut
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease two donut pans.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
In another large bowl, whisk together almond milk, maple syrup, vanilla, mashed banana and melted margarine. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Transfer donut batter into a piping bag or plastic bag with a corner cut off. Pipe batter into the prepared donut pans.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until golden on top. Let cool for 5 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely.
For the chocolate glaze
Add chocolate chips and almond milk to a double boiler or microwave safe bowl. Heat until melted and then whisk in powdered sugar and margarine until smooth. Dip donut tops into glaze. Sprinkle on desired toppings.
For the cinnamon sugar
Mix together sugar and cinnamon in a low, wide bowl. Dip donuts into melted margarine and then cinnamon/sugar mixture.
For the vanilla glaze
In a small bowl, stir the ingredients together. Add more liquid if the mixture is too thick, or add more confectioners’ sugar if it’s too thin. Dip donut tops into glaze. Sprinkle on desired toppings.