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Soft, fluffy donuts with all the flavors of fall! Gluten free and oil free! These baked Vegan Pumpkin Donuts are perfect on their own or top them off with sweet vanilla icing for an indulgent treat.
My son is obsessed with the frosted pumpkin donuts at the local farm down the road. He starts getting excited for them in August even though they don’t start selling them until October. I can’t blame him…they’re soft, fluffy, perfectly spiced, and dunked in glorious vanilla icing. I decided it was time to make my own version and I’m happy to say these were just as big of a hit!
It’s time to celebrate fall in all it’s glory with these amazing Vegan Pumpkin Donuts!
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
Flour ~ I love oat flour for baking donuts. It bakes up soft, tender, and fluffy. And, it’s gluten free!
Just be sure to choose certified gluten free oat flour if you are allergic or sensitive to gluten as most oats are processed in facilities that also processes wheat.
Sugar ~ Coconut sugar is a great choice for it’s caramel-like flavor. Brown sugar may be used instead.
Please note: not all sugar is vegan due to the way it is processed. Choose one labeled vegan or choose organic sugar as it is always vegan.
Pumpkin ~ You want to use 100% pumpkin purée, NOT pumpkin pie filling.
Spices ~ I take the easy route and use pumpkin pie spice. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can use a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
How to make the recipe
Whisk together the wet ingredients in one bowl and the dry ingredients in another.
Stir the dry into the wet until just combined.
Fill a piping bag with the batter and pipe into the donut pan, filling each cavity nearly to the top, but not over.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the donuts are set and pulling away from the sides of the pan.
Vanilla Icing notes
Typically donut glaze is made from powdered sugar and some type of milk. We are sticking with the basics here and doing just that.
A splash of pure vanilla extract mixed with organic powdered sugar, a tiny pinch of salt to balance the sweetness, and a drizzle of dairy free milk and you’ve got vanilla icing!
My personal preference of milk for this icing is lite coconut milk. It’s nice and thick, but doesn’t lend a coconut flavor like the full fat version would. Almond milk or cashew milk would work well, too.
Icing alternatives
These soft vegan pumpkin donuts are perfectly yummy all on their own, even without the vanilla icing.
If you want to try other topping ideas for your batch of donuts, you could use the dairy free Maple Frosting that I use on my Soft Baked Vegan Pumpkin Cookies. You’ll need to spread it on with a knife or an offset spatula. Serious fall indulgence!
Or give the donuts a simple sprinkle of cinnamon sugar like I do on my Baked Apple Cider Donuts!
You could even melt some chocolate chips with a splash of dairy free milk and dunk the donuts to coat for a glistening chocolate glaze.
Storage/Freezing
Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
You can also freeze these vegan pumpkin donuts. Put them on a parchment-lined large plate or baking sheet in an even layer and place it in the freezer for an hour or two. Once the donuts are frozen, transfer them to a freezer safe bag or container. They should keep for up to 3 months.
Thaw on the counter and reheat in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds.
Pro tips for success
~ Look for certified gluten free oat flour if you are allergic or sensitive to gluten.
~ Whisk the batter just until combined. No white flour should be visible, but a few lumps are okay. Do not over mix.
~ Use a piping bag to easily pipe the batter into the donut pan.
~ If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use a plastic zip-top bag. Press the batter into one bottom corner of the bag and snip a small piece off the end of the bag. Pipe the batter through this snipped hole in the bag into the donut pan.
~ Let cool for a few minutes in the pan before removing the donuts from the pan.
~ If you are icing the donuts, let them cool completely before dunking in the glaze.
FAQs
Webster’s Dictionary tells us the correct spelling is “doughnut,” but either spelling is acceptable.
Traditional donuts are made with eggs and milk, but you can definitely make them vegan! And with these vegan pumpkin donuts, you can also make them gluten free and oil free!
Let’s face it, donuts are a treat…even vegan ones.
Baked donuts tend to be healthier than yeast donuts that are fried in oil.
Homemade donuts are likely to be healthier than bakery or store-bought since you can control the ingredients.
No, actually you don’t! They can be made in a muffin tin. They won’t have the signature hold in the middle, but they’re still be delicious!
More sweet vegan pumpkin recipes
- Vegan Pumpkin Bread
- Vegan Pumpkin Cookies
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
- Pumpkin Fudge Brownies
- Pumpkin Layer Cake
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.
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Easy Baked Vegan Pumpkin Donuts
Ingredients
For the Vegan Pumpkin Donuts
- 1 cup oat flour*
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons water
- ⅓ cup 100% pure pumpkin purée
- ½ cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
- ¼ cup non-dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
For the Vanilla Icing
- 1 cup organic powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons lite coconut milk or non-dairy milk of choice
Instructions
For the Vegan Pumpkin Donuts
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Gently spritz a 6-cavity donut pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water. Set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, coconut sugar, milk, vanilla extract, apple cider vinegar, and cornstarch slurry.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
- Fill the donut cavities using either a piping bag** or a spoon.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until set.
- Let cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. Turn the donuts out onto the cooling rack and let them completely cool.
For the Vanilla Icing
- Whisk the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla in a bowl.
- Add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition, until the desired consistency is reached.
- Dunk the top of each donut into the icing and place back on the cooling rack to set up. ***
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.
Diann Cupples says
This is the mother load of vegan, pumpkin donut recipes. They are delicious and so easy to make! I followed the recipe and instructions exactly and turned out six delightful donuts, with a hearty, fluffy texture that hold their shape beautifully. I also tried icing them with maple butter – mmmm! Thank you so much!
Jenn Sebestyen says
I love this comment! Thank you, Diann! So happy you love them. And maple butter for icing sounds like a fabulous idea…I am trying that next time!
Seven says
These donuts changed. my. life. Seriously! I cannot believe how fast + easy they were to whip up, and the finished product? Perfection. I have a pretty severe sugar intolerance so I replaced the powdered sugar and coconut sugar with their erythritol + monk fruit alternatives and the result was a mere 70 calorie circle of heaven. Highly recommend to anyone and everyone, can’t wait to try out the other donut variations from this site!
Jenn Sebestyen says
I LOVE this! Thank you, Seven! So happy you love them. Great to hear the sugar subs worked out, too. I hope you enjoy the other donut recipes I have here, too. Thanks for your feedback!
Tiffany says
Hi Jenn!
If I don’t have cornstarch or arrowroot flour on hand can I still make these without any problem? Are there any other substitutes?
Jenn Sebestyen says
The cornstarch makes them tender and helps everything hold together. You could try a tablespoon of flour mixed with the water, but the texture may not be quite the same.
diane says
Can these be frozen, I have so much pumpkin puree left over from Halloween haha
Jenn Sebestyen says
I honestly don’t know as I haven’t tried, but I don’t see why not! Donuts, in general, can be frozen, so I’d say give it a try!
ann says
I didn’t make donuts, but made the mixture into muffins. They were delicious; I didn’t have oat flour, so I ground up oats that I use for oatmeal. I also substituted arrowroot for cornstarch & used brown sugar for coconut sugar. They are moist & soft. Delicious! Thanks so much.
Jenn Sebestyen says
So glad you loved them, Ann! Those subs are perfect! Thank you for your comment!
Diane says
Hi Jenn, I would love to make these donuts but my body reacts to oats as if they were gluten. Would any other flour be acceptable in this recipe?
Jenn Sebestyen says
Hi, Diane. You can try subbing an equal amount of gluten free flour blend. Make sure to use a gluten free flour blend that is made to be a 1:1 replacement for wheat flour…like Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour. Let me know how they turn out!
Frances says
Is it possible to replace the Coconut sugar with Maple Syrup as we don’t eat coconut? And if so, would I need to adjust the oat flour since there is additional liquid?
Jenn Sebestyen says
You can use regular sugar or brown sugar without any other adjustments.
Frances says
5 Stars – The donuts were delicious! I replaced the sugar with Maple Syrup and they turned out fabulous. All the flavours came out. I didn’t use a frosting as I enjoyed them on their own. The donuts were not as firm as the typical donut but that may have been due to the maple syrup.
Jenn Sebestyen says
Thank you, Frances. So glad you love them! And I’m happy to hear that maple syrup works just as well!