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    Home » Recipes » Desserts & Sweet Treats

    Vegan Chocolate Donuts

    Published: Apr 8, 2021 by Jenn Sebestyen

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    Stack of three vegan chocolate donuts with pink strawberry glaze.
    Close up of drippy strawberry glaze on a chocolate donut.
    Stack of three vegan chocolate donuts with pink strawberry glaze.
    Stack of three vegan chocolate donuts with pink strawberry glaze.
    Adult hand holding one strawberry glazed donut.
    recipe image for Pinterest

    These easy vegan chocolate donuts are soft and rich and dipped in a sweet pink glaze made with fresh strawberries. They’re gluten free and oil free and take less than 30 minutes to make!

    Close up of drippy strawberry glaze on a chocolate donut.

    I’m not lying when I tell you we ate SIX batches of these donuts in one week!

    Please don’t do the math on how many donuts that was per person….especially since my husband didn’t have any. 

    They are so rich and chocolatey, just like my Chocolate Crinkle Cookies!

    Needless to say, we love them! And I know you will love them, too!

    Go make up a batch of these amazingly delicious Vegan Chocolate Donuts with Fresh Strawberry Glaze and see how many you eat in one sitting! 

    Table of Contents hide
    1 Ingredients you need
    2 How to make the recipe
    3 Storage and freezing
    4 Pro tips and tricks
    5 FAQs
    6 More vegan donut recipes
    7 Strawberry Glazed Vegan Chocolate Donuts

    Ingredients you need

    Recipe ingredients arrayed in individual bowls.
    Vegan Chocolate Donuts ingredients: oat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, coconut sugar, maple syrup, oat milk, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract, cornstarch, water, and chocolate chips

    Ingredient notes and substitutions

    Flour ~ I love oat flour for these vegan chocolate donuts. It’s light and soft and has a mild nutty flavor that complements the rich chocolate.

    Oats are gluten free by nature, but are often processed in a facility that also processes wheat. For this reason, be sure to choose certified gluten free oat flour if you have a gluten allergy or intolerance.

    I tested them with a gluten free flour blend as well, and while they worked, they weren’t as good as the oat flour version, so I don’t suggest subbing.

    Sugar ~ Coconut sugar is my favorite. It’s minimally processed and has a slightly caramel-like taste. Brown sugar may be used instead.

    I also use a bit of pure maple syrup. Be sure to use pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup. Agave may be used as a substitute if you prefer.

    Cocoa powder ~ Use unsweetened cocoa powder.

    Vinegar ~ Vinegar helps vegan baked goods rise. I typically use apple cider vinegar, but distilled white vinegar works just a well.

    Cornstarch slurry ~ A cornstarch slurry is just a mix of cornstarch and water. It helps to keep these donuts soft and fluffy and also provides some binding properties.

    Chocolate chips ~ Because extra chocolate is never a bad idea. I suggest using mini chips. Bigger chips will take up too much space in the batter and may cause the donuts to fall apart.

    Chocolate chips are optional.

    How to make the recipe

    For exact ingredient measurements and step-by-step instructions, scroll down to the recipe card.

    For the donuts

    4 photo collage of whisking the dry and wet ingredients.

    Add the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl (1) and whisk to combine (2). Add the wet ingredients to another mixing bowl (3) and whisk until smooth (4).

    3 photo collage of making the donut batter and adding chocolate chips.

    Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and whisk (5) until smooth. Add the chocolate chips, if using, (6) and stir to distribute evenly throughout (7).

    2 photo collage of the batter in a pastry bag and how to hold it.

    I like to use a pastry bag to fill the donut pan (a plastic zip-lock bag works just as well).

    Place the bag into a tall glass or cup and fold over the top to the outside of the glass (8). This helps keeps the batter on the inside of the bag even if you get sloppy!

    Slowly pour the batter into the bag. Gently press or squeeze the batter into one corner of the bag. Twist the top of the bag above the batter…this is where you’ll hold it (9).

    Using scissors, cut the tip of the bottom corner off. You want to cut it just big enough to let the chocolate chips through, but not any bigger or it will pour out too fast. 

    Donut batter being piped into a donut bag from a pastry bag.

    Gently squeeze out the batter to fill each donut cavity to the top. 

    You can also just spoon the batter into the donut pan if you prefer.

    Finished donuts in a donut pan on a cooling rack.

    Bake until the vegan chocolate donuts are set and start to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let them cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes or so to firm up before turning them out onto the cooling rack to finish cooling completely.

    For the icing

    4 photo collage of making the strawberry purée.

    This easy donut icing is made using fresh strawberries and powdered sugar (1).

    Purée the strawberries in a high speed blender until smooth (2). Add a tablespoon of water, if necessary, to get them moving. If you are using frozen strawberries, making sure they are completely thawed before puréeing.

    If you notice some strawberry seeds in the purée, pour it through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl (3) and use the smooth purée after the seeds are strained out (4).

    If your purée is super smooth right out of the blender, you don’t have to strain it.

    4 photo collage of coloring and whisking the pink icing.

    Drop a few tablespoons of this bright red purée into the powdered sugar (5) and whisk (6) until smooth (7). Add more purée as needed until you reach the desired consistency. The vegan chocolate donuts are very delicate, so you want the icing to be thin enough so the donuts don’t fall apart when dunking them, but thick enough to coat the tops.

    Dunk the smooth side of the donuts into the icing (8) and place back on the cooling rack, icing side up, to set. Pro tip: Place the cooling rack on a baking sheet to catch any drips that fall through.

    Pink icing being drizzled onto a chocolate donut from a small blue spatula.

    You can also drizzle the strawberry glaze over the top of the donuts.

    Love Strawberries? Be sure to check out these other tasty dairy free strawberry recipes!

    • Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes
    • Strawberry Rhubarb Coconut Milk Popsicles
    • Strawberry Beet Smoothie
    • Strawberry Lemonade Ice Cream Cake
    • Vegan Strawberry Dessert Tamales
    Adult hand holding one strawberry glazed donut.

    Storage and freezing

    Counter: To store, I recommended placing the completely cooled glazed donuts in an airtight container on the counter for 2 days. 

    Fridge: If you still have some left after that, you can store them in the fridge for a few more days, not longer than a week after baking.

    However, I find the consistency much better at room temperature, so you should just try to finish them all before having to resort to the fridge for storage. I don’t think you’ll have a problem doing that…I believe in you! 🙂

    Freezer: You can also freeze these vegan chocolate donuts….glazed or not. Place them on a large plate or baking sheet in an even layer and lay it flat in the freezer for 3 to 4 hours until frozen. Once the donuts are frozen, transfer them to a freezer safe container or plastic bag. They will keep for up to 3 months.

    Pro tips and tricks

    ~ Be sure to use certified gluten free oat flour to ensure the donuts are gluten free.

    ~ While I don’t suggest substituting any ingredients, if you don’t need these donuts to be gluten free, all-purpose flour would probably work, though I personally haven’t tried it. I did try an all-purpose gluten free flour blend and I didn’t like the texture as much as the oat flour, but they will work in a pinch…just know the texture won’t be the same.

    ~ If you don’t have a pastry bag, you can use a plastic zip-lock bag. Don’t use the stand and fill type of zip top bags…the bottoms corners are made differently on those and they don’t work well. You can also just spoon the batter into the donut pan.

    ~ Strain the strawberry purée through a fine mesh strainer if there are many strawberry seeds in it.

    ~ You’ll probably have more strawberry purée than you need, but it’s very hard to blend with less strawberries. Use leftover purée in oatmeal, smoothies, pancake batter, drizzle it over ice cream, etc.

    ~ Make sure the donuts are completely cool before icing them.

    ~ These vegan chocolate donuts are delicate. You want to make the icing thin enough so that the donuts don’t fall apart when dunking, but thick enough to coat the tops. If your icing is too thick, add more strawberry purée. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar.

    ~ If you’re having a hard time dunking the donuts into the icing without them breaking, drizzle the icing over the tops with a spoon instead.

    ~ Place the cooling rack on a baking sheet to catch any drips from the iced donuts.

    ~ To achieve a more vibrant pink color, let the first glaze of icing set on the donuts and then dunk them again.

    FAQs

    How long do baked donuts last?

    Leftover baked donuts will keep in an airtight container on the counter for 2 days. Make sure the donuts are completely cooled before transferring to a container.
    If you still have some left after that, you can store them in the fridge for a few more days, not longer than a week after baking.

    What is donut icing made of?

    Typical donut icing is made from powdered sugar and liquid, usually milk, and food dye (if it’s colored icing).
    For these vegan chocolate donuts I’m using fresh strawberry purée for the liquid instead of milk! And because the purée is a beautiful bright shade of red, no food dyes are needed! 

    Are vegan donuts healthier?

    These vegan chocolate donuts are likely healthier than your average donut shop variety. 
    These donuts don’t contain any oil and are baked, not fried which means they’re probably lower in fat than your average donut. They’re also free from dairy and eggs making them cholesterol free.
    That being said, donuts are definitely not a health food. They are a treat to be enjoyed once in awhile.

    Stack of three vegan chocolate donuts with pink strawberry glaze.

    More vegan donut recipes

    • Baked Apple Cider Donuts
    • Peaches and Cream Donuts
    • Vegan Pumpkin Donuts

    I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment below with your feedback.

    Be sure to sign up for my FREE Newsletter to be the first to get my NEW recipes! You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.


    For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!

    Stack of three vegan chocolate donuts with pink strawberry glaze.

    Strawberry Glazed Vegan Chocolate Donuts

    These easy gluten free, vegan donuts are soft and chocolatey and dipped in a sweet pink glaze made with fresh strawberries. 
    4.56 from 9 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast and Brunch, Desserts & Sweet Treats
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 12 minutes
    Cooling time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 37 minutes
    Servings: 6 Donuts
    Calories: 343kcal
    Author: Jenn Sebestyen

    Recommended Equipment

    • Mixing bowls
    • Pastry bag
    • Donut pan

    Ingredients

    For the Chocolate Vegan Donuts

    • 1 cup oat flour
    • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    • 3 tablespoons water
    • ¼ cup coconut sugar
    • ¼ cup pure maple syrup
    • ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons oat milk (or milk of choice)
    • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • ¼ cup dairy free mini chocolate chips optional

    For the Fresh Strawberry Glaze

    • ¾ cup chopped fresh strawberries
    • 1 teaspoon water or more, as needed
    • 1 ½ cups organic powdered sugar

    Instructions

    For the Vegan Chocolate Donuts

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 6-cavity donut pan with cooking spray and set aside.
    • In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 3 tablespoons water to make a slurry and set aside.
    • Sift together the oat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
    • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar, maple syrup, oat milk, apple cider vinegar, vanilla, and cornstarch slurry.
    • Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and whisk until smooth.
    • Stir in the chocolate chips, if using.
    • Pour the batter into a pastry bag and snip off the tip. Fill each donut cavity to the top. You can use a plastic zip top bag if you don't have a pastry bag or you could even just spoon the batter into the pan.
    • Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until set.
    • Cool the donuts in the pan on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes before turning them out onto a cooling rack.

    For the Fresh Strawberry Glaze

    • Place the chopped strawberries into the blender and purée. Add a teaspoon of water to get them started if needed. Only add more water if absolutely necessary – you don’t want to dilute the color or flavor of the strawberries.
    • Place the powdered sugar into a bowl and add 2 tablespoons of the strawberry purée to start. Whisk until smooth, adding another 1 tablespoon of strawberry purée, if needed, to get the correct consistency. You want it thick enough to coat the top of the donut, but thin enough to drip down the sides a bit.

    To Glaze the Donuts

    • Place the wire cooling rack onto a rimmed baking sheet to catch the drips from the glaze as they dry.
    • Place the perfectly rounded bottom half of a donut into the glaze and place back onto the wire rack glaze side up to dry.
    • Repeat with remaining donuts.
    • To get an even brighter pink color, let the icing on the donuts set and then dip each donut into the glaze once more, again placing back onto the wire rack, glaze side up, to dry.
    • The glaze will get brighter as it dries.

    Notes

    ~ Be sure to use certified gluten free oat flour to ensure the donuts are gluten free.
    ~ While I don’t suggest substituting any ingredients, if you don’t need these donuts to be gluten free, all-purpose flour would probably work, though I personally haven’t tried it. I did try an all-purpose gluten free flour blend and I didn’t like the texture as much as the oat flour, but they will work in a pinch…just know the texture won’t be the same.
    ~ If you don’t have a pastry bag, you can use a plastic zip-lock bag. Don’t use the stand and fill type of zip top bags…the bottoms corners are made differently on those and they don’t work well. You can also just spoon the batter into the donut pan.
    ~ Strain the strawberry purée through a fine mesh strainer if there are many strawberry seeds in it.
    ~ You’ll probably have more strawberry purée than you need, but it’s very hard to blend with less strawberries. Use leftover purée in oatmeal, smoothies, pancake batter, drizzle it over ice cream, etc.
    ~ Make sure the donuts are completely cool before icing them.
    ~ These vegan chocolate donuts are delicate. You want to make the icing thin enough so that the donuts don’t fall apart when dunking, but thick enough to coat the tops. If your icing is too thick, add more strawberry purée. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar.
    ~ If you’re having a hard time dunking the donuts into the icing without them breaking, drizzle the icing over the tops with a spoon instead.
    ~ Place the cooling rack on a baking sheet to catch any drips from the iced donuts.
    ~ To achieve a more vibrant pink color, let the first glaze of icing set on the donuts and then dunk them again.

    Storage/Freezing
    Store completely cooled glazed donuts in an airtight container on the counter for 2 days. 
    You can also freeze these donuts….glazed or not. Place them on a large plate or baking sheet in an even layer and lay it flat in the freezer for 3 to 4 hours until frozen. Once the donuts are frozen, transfer them to a freezer safe container or plastic bag. They will keep for up to 3 months.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 | Calories: 343kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 249mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 58g

    Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.

    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @Veggie_Inspired or tag #VeggieInspired!
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    Comments

    1. Christine says

      April 06, 2021 at 6:58 am

      These turned out amazing! I made the mistake of measuring my oats and then grinding into flour and it wasn’t enough. If you are going to grind your own measure after. I shared these with non vegan friends and I was told they were the best donuts ever!5 stars

      Reply
      • Jenn Sebestyen says

        April 06, 2021 at 8:45 am

        Best Donuts Ever! Yes…love that review! Thank you, Christine. So happy you all love them! (I will add a note about grinding your own oats in case others want to do that, too.)

        Reply
    2. Emma says

      April 04, 2021 at 10:53 am

      These donuts were so fudgy and delicous!! I loved the texture and they were super easy to make. I’m definitely going to come back to this recipe and try out different glaze and frosting options!! Any chocolate lovers need to try these.5 stars

      Reply
      • Jenn Sebestyen says

        April 04, 2021 at 8:35 pm

        Thank you, Emma! I’m so glad you love them!

        Reply
    3. Christine says

      January 17, 2021 at 9:31 am

      How runny should the batter be? I found that I had to add more oat flour to thicken it up. Could it be that I measured the whole oats before grinding it into flour?

      Reply
      • Jenn Sebestyen says

        January 17, 2021 at 10:46 am

        The batter is very similar in texture to cake batter, pourable, but not runny. Did you measure out 1 cup of oats and then grind it into flour? If so, that was likely the problem. One cup of oats will result in about 3/4 cup of oat flour.

        Reply
        • Christine Gloeckner says

          January 17, 2021 at 3:06 pm

          Yes, that’s what I did. That makes sense, thank you! I also forgot to add in the chocolate chips so I melted them down and drizzled on top and they turned out delicious! I shared them with a group of non-vegans then they were devoured and I was told I win the award for BEST DONUTS EVER!!

    4. Dhale says

      April 25, 2020 at 1:38 pm

      Is it OK to use this recipe with regular flour??

      Reply
      • Jenn Sebestyen says

        April 26, 2020 at 12:29 pm

        Yes, that will work, they just won’t be quite as light and soft.

        Reply
    5. Diane says

      November 17, 2019 at 1:07 pm

      Oh lord these are so good, thank goodness they only made 6 or I would eaten them all! Honestly the best donuts I have made so far!!
      I did use all purpose flour, and tapioca starch in place of the corn starch. The texture and taste were devine.
      I glazed mine with a chocolate glaze …. mmmmmmmm
      Wish I didnt have to share them haha

      Reply
      • Jenn Sebestyen says

        November 17, 2019 at 9:44 pm

        HaHa! Love this! And believe me, I wouldn’t judge if you did eat them all! Thank you for your comment, Diane! So happy you love them!

        Reply
    6. Barbora says

      July 24, 2019 at 4:25 pm

      Hello, can I substitute Powdered Sugar with Monk Fruit please? Thank you

      Reply
      • Jenn Sebestyen says

        July 24, 2019 at 10:51 pm

        I have never used monk fruit sweetener so I can’t say for sure. Sorry, I can’t be more help.

        Reply
    7. Bryan Martinez says

      July 11, 2019 at 9:10 pm

      Chocolate is my weakness haha I’ll definitely be making this recipe, thank you!

      Reply
      • Jenn Sebestyen says

        July 11, 2019 at 9:40 pm

        Hope you love it!

        Reply
    8. Melissa Carroll says

      July 09, 2019 at 11:47 am

      Thank you for sharing the recipe. Do you think the cocoa powder could be replaced with Enjoy Life Chocolate Morsels? I also need a replacement for the oat flour and cornstarch. What other flours did you try? The donuts look delicious and I would love to make them!

      Reply
      • Jenn Sebestyen says

        July 09, 2019 at 2:53 pm

        Why are you trying to sub so many things? Allergies or you just don’t have the ingredients? Chocolate chips will not work as a replacement for the cocoa powder…there are already chocolate chips in the recipe. You could try all-purpose flour instead of oat flour, but I haven’t personally tried it. And you could use arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch. Hope that helps.

        Reply

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    Jenn Sebestyen of Veggie Inspired

    Hi, I'm Jenn! This is where I share delicious plant based recipes for the whole family. I love to cook; I can read cookbooks like novels; and I enjoy experimenting in the kitchen by making standard American favorites healthier.

    More about me →

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