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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!
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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!
Ingredients you need
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
Please scroll down to the recipe card for exact ingredient measurements and instructions.
For the donuts
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).
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).
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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!
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
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.
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!
More vegan donut recipes
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the star rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment with your feedback. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!
Strawberry Glazed Vegan Chocolate Donuts with Oat Flour
Recommended Equipment
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
Nutrition
Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.
LouAnn
Could date sugar be subbed for the coconut sugar?? Or better yet, sub with date paste??
Jenn Sebestyen
I have never worked with either one of those, so I can’t say for sure. I would think that any other granulated sugar would work just fine though. I can’t say for sure about the date paste, but if you give it a try, let me know how it turns out!
Christine
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!
Jenn Sebestyen
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.)
Emma
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.
Jenn Sebestyen
Thank you, Emma! I’m so glad you love them!
Christine
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?
Jenn Sebestyen
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.
Christine Gloeckner
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!!
Dhale
Is it OK to use this recipe with regular flour??
Jenn Sebestyen
Yes, that will work, they just won’t be quite as light and soft.
Diane
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
Jenn Sebestyen
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!
Barbora
Hello, can I substitute Powdered Sugar with Monk Fruit please? Thank you
Jenn Sebestyen
I have never used monk fruit sweetener so I can’t say for sure. Sorry, I can’t be more help.
Bryan Martinez
Chocolate is my weakness haha I’ll definitely be making this recipe, thank you!
Jenn Sebestyen
Hope you love it!
Melissa Carroll
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!
Jenn Sebestyen
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.