Baking vegan donuts at home is always a treat, especially these delectable double chocolate baked donuts. These are so good topped with a simple sugar glaze, powdered sugar dusting, or even a thick vegan buttercream chocolate icing, like the one included in the recipe. Use colored sprinkles with the glaze or the icing to color coordinate your donuts with any holiday or special occasion. With the thick chocolate icing, you can even top the donuts with crushed nuts of your choice.
I made this icing recipe specifically for nine donuts, but this yummy chocolate icing can be used for cookies and cakes, too. Just double or triple the recipe to make more and pop it into the fridge for up to 24 hours before using. If you want a fluffier icing, use your electric mixer to whip it for a few minutes.
I almost always sift powdered sugar and cocoa powder when using, due to the likeliness of clumps. I have skipped sifting powdered sugar before and hated seeing white spots in my sugar glaze, so it matters! It only takes a minute, so it’s totally worth it. If you are using an old-fashioned hand sifter with a squeeze handle, just add a little bit more of the ingredient you are sifting, to make up for any caught and left in the sifter.
In this recipe, I threw some cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne pepper into the donut batter. I don’t know if you’ve ever had a version of Mexican hot cocoa with cinnamon and cayenne, but the combination of the two spices with chocolate creates its own unique flavor that is so delicious! I tried to recreate that in these donuts. You might not notice the flavor if you haven’t made the donuts without the two spices first, but it mostly just deepens the chocolate flavor. You can omit both, if desired.
The same is true for adding the dissolved instant espresso to the recipe. You won’t taste the coffee, but the chocolate flavor will be deepened. If you choose to omit the espresso and water, just use 3/4 cup of plant based milk instead of 1/2 cup.
If you haven’t used a piping bag or a plastic zip storage bag for piping anything before, don’t worry! It’s so easy. Just use a measuring cup or large spoon to put the icing into the plastic bag, being careful to keep it away from the sides. If you get some on the sides of the bag, just squeeze it down as you fill the doughnut pans.
Once you have the bag full of icing, zip the top of the it, leaving about an inch or two unzipped so air can help push the icing through. Holding the bag so that the corner you are going to snip is pointing upward, use scissors to cut a 1/4-inch hole across the corner. Then point the bag into the donut molds and start to fill them by gently squeezing the bag. Once the bag gets nearly empty, run your fingers down the sides to get out the last of the batter.
If you have a reusable piping bag, even better, since you can wash and reuse it.
I’ve found when I fill my donut pans 1/2 full, I get nine donuts from this recipe. If you fill them 3/4 full, you can make six larger (thicker) donuts. The size of your donut baking pans may vary from mine.
You might also like to try these other vegan donut recipes:
Pumpkin Donuts with Spiced Glaze
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 12 minutes |
| Servings |
donuts
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- 1/4 cup boiling water
- 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
- 1 cup all purpose flour sifted if needed
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder sifted to remove clumps
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/2 cup plant-based milk or 3/4 cup if not using the water and instant espresso, I use unsweetened almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup vegan butter softened or melted
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup powdered or confectioners' sugar sifted to remove any clumps
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup vegan butter softened or melted
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon plant-based milk or as needed, I use unsweetened almond milk
Ingredients
For the donuts:
For the icing:
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- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Oil two doughnut baking mold pans by either rubbing oil into the mold or using oil spray.
- In a glass measuring cup, microwave 1/4 cup of water for 45 seconds. To the water, add the instant espresso powder and stir until dissolved. Set aside.
- To a large mixing bowl, add all the dry ingredients: flour, sifted cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon (optional) and cayenne pepper (optional). Blend well with a whisk.
- In a smaller mixing bowl, add the plant based milk, water and espresso mix, vanilla, soft or melted butter, and vinegar. Combine well.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until it forms batter.
- Spoon the chocolate batter into a pastry bag or into one corner of a large zipper type plastic bag. If using the plastic bag, cut about a 1/4-inch opening across the corner of the bag to squeeze the batter through.
- Squeeze the batter into the doughnut molds, filling them 1/2 to 3/4 full. Once the batter has all been squeezed into the pans, swirl a butter knife or skewer on the tops of the batter to make it even and somewhat smooth.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the thickest part of a donut comes out clean.
- Remove the baked donuts from the oven and place the pans on cooling racks for 10 minutes. Then remove the donuts from the pans and transfer them to the cooling racks.
- Donuts may be eaten plain, dusted with powdered sugar or glazed with a simple sugar glaze once cool. Or use the chocolate icing recipe below.
- Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder into a small mixing bowl.
- Add the softened or melted butter and the vanilla. Blend until a good icing consistency is reached.
- Add the cocoa powder and blend the cocoa in completely. The icing may be whipped with an electric mixer to make it fluffier, if desired.
- Spread the icing onto cooled chocolate donuts. For special occasions, add sprinkles.
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