These vegan baked donuts are soft, fluffy, and ready in under 20 minutes, making them perfect when you want a quick homemade treat without deep frying. Made without dairy or eggs, this easy baked donut recipe creates light cake-style donuts that can be finished two delicious ways: coated in cinnamon sugar or topped with a simple vanilla glaze.
Why I Made This Recipe
I’ve always loved the soft texture of donuts, but traditional versions are usually fried and contain eggs and dairy. So I just knew that I needed a fail-safe recipe that would be both simple and reliable. I wanted to create a version that was quick to make, reminded me of bakery donuts from my childhood, and easy enough for everyday baking.
These vegan baked donuts are one of those recipes that we come back to time and time again. In our home, these donuts disappear fast! My youngest often asks for them as a quick dessert, and I’ll sometimes halve the recipe and bake just six donuts in the toaster oven for an easy after-dinner treat.
Why You’ll Love These Donuts
These take less than 20 minutes to make and are the perfect treat to whip up when you need a quick dessert or sweet snack. Because they’re baked instead of fried, these donuts are simple to make and ideal for beginner bakers or kids who want to help in the kitchen.
- No special tools needed.
- No hot oil.
- No fancy ingredients.
And being dairy-free and egg-free, they’re a great option for allergy-friendly baking.
Ingredients and Substitutions
To ensure that this recipe is allergen-friendly, I am using a couple of substitutions in place of egg and butter.
Dry Ingredients
Cake Flour: Many donut recipes use all-purpose flour, but I prefer cake flour for a lighter texture. Cake flour has a lower protein content, which helps create softer, more tender baked goods. If you don’t have cake flour, you can make your own. Measure 240g all-purpose flour, remove 2 tablespoons, and replace them with 2 tablespoons cornflour. Sift twice to combine. For gluten-free baking, a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend such as Bob’s Red Mill usually works well.
Baking Powder and Salt: Baking powder helps the donuts rise and creates that light, fluffy texture. A small amount of salt balances the sweetness and enhances the flavour.
Sugar: This recipe uses white sugar for a classic donut flavour. You can substitute with golden sugar or light brown sugar for a slightly deeper, caramel-like taste. Coconut sugar will also work.
Wet Ingredients
Melted Butter: Plant-based melted butter adds richness and keeps the donuts soft. You can substitute with a neutral oil, such as canola oil if preferred, or regular butter if you’re not dairy-free.
Plant Based Yogurt: Yogurt adds moisture and helps create a soft crumb. Plain yogurt works best, but flavoured yogurt can add a subtle twist. Use dairy yogurt if you’re not vegan.
Buttermilk: Buttermilk is my secret ingredient for fluffy donuts. It adds a slight tang and helps create a tender texture. To make vegan buttermilk, add 1 tbsp of vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup (240ml) plant-based milk and let it sit for 10 minutes to curdle before using. Check out my step-by-step guide to buttermilk if you’ve never made it before.
How to Make Vegan Baked Ring Donuts
Start by preheating your oven and lightly greasing the donut pans. I usually use a baking spray for convenience, or you can grease with butter. Because the batter comes together quickly, it helps to have everything ready before you begin.
Making the Donuts
Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to the mixing bowl and mix to combine.
Add the buttermilk, yogurt and melted butter and mix until just combined. Avoid overmixing, as this can make the donuts dense.
Fill each donut cavity about three-quarters full. A piping bag or Ziploc bag makes this quick and neat. Wipe off any spills with kitchen paper.
Bake at 425°F for about 8 minutes, until the donuts are well risen and lightly golden. Let the donuts cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Decorating the Donuts
These baked donuts are easy to customize depending on what you’re craving. In our family, two prefer cinnamon sugar while the rest prefer a simple glaze (I’m firmly on team glaze).
Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
Mix the cinnamon and sugar in a bowl. Lightly coat the donuts with melted butter, then toss them into the bowl of cinnamon sugar until fully coated.
Glazed Donuts
Whisk together icing sugar and plant-based milk until smooth. Dip each donut into the glaze and allow the excess to drip off. If you notice any air bubbles, pop them with a toothpick. Add food colouring or sprinkles if you want a more fun finish.
Tips for Perfect Baked Donuts
These simple tips will help you get soft, bakery-style donuts every time:
- Don’t overmix the batter – Mix the ingredients until just combined. This creates the light and fluffy texture, instead of dense donuts from overmixing.
- Use a piping bag – Piping the batter keeps the rings neat and evenly filled.
- Fill the pan about 3/4 full – This gives room for the donuts to rise without overflowing.
- Let the donuts cool slightly before glazing – If they’re too hot, the glaze will melt and slide off.
Decorating Ideas
This is a great base donut recipe which can be easily customized with different toppings:
- Maple Glaze – add maple syrup to the icing glaze for an even sweeter flavour.
- Rainbow Sprinkles – dip the glazed donut in sprinkles for an instant pop of colour.
- Crushed Cookies – dip in crushed Oreos or Biscoff for extra crunch.
- Icing Sugar – for an old-fashioned look, coat in powdered sugar.
This makes them perfect for holiday baking, birthday treats, themed parties, or fun weekend baking with kids.
Storage Tips
These donuts are best enjoyed immediately after decorating. If you have more willpower than our family and want to keep some donuts for the next day, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They will go slightly sticky over time, but will still taste fabulous.
Freeze undecorated donuts for up to 2 months in an airtight container. Allow them to thaw at room temperature before adding the glaze or cinnamon sugar coating.
Common Donut Questions
This recipe makes 12 large baked ring donuts. You can also make mini donuts with the same recipe – just reduce the baking time by a few minutes.
Yes! I haven’t personally tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, but a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking blend, such as Bob’s Red Mill, should work well as a substitute.
This is caused by overmixing the batter. Mix the ingredients only until combined to keep the donuts light and fluffy.
Absolutely! Simply add 2 tbsp cocoa powder to the dry ingredients.
Craving more donuts?
We love making up a batch of donuts for a quick evening treat. Check out these recipes for more donut goodness:
- Mini Chocolate Donuts – ideal lunchbox treat for kids.
- Red Velvet Donuts – great for Valentine’s Day, special occasions and parties.
- Chocolate Buttercream Donuts – perfect vegan treat for Easter.
- You’ll probably love air fryer churro bites as well – so good with homemade caramel sauce.
Final Thoughts
These vegan baked donuts are one of those recipes that prove homemade treats don’t have to be complicated. With simple ingredients and a few minutes of prep, you can enjoy soft, fluffy donuts without any frying. If you make these donuts, I’d love to hear how they turned out! Leave a comment below or tag me on social media so I can see your creations.
Happy baking!
Easy Vegan Baked Donuts
Equipment
- Donut Pan 2 x 6 cavity pans
- Bowls for dipping
Angela’s Top Tip
Weigh your dry ingredients in grams with a scale for best results!
Ingredients
For the Donut Batter:
- 240 grams Cake Flour (2 US Cups)
- 140 grams White Sugar (Just under 3/4 US Cup)
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 175 ml Vegan Buttermilk (3/4 US Cup)
- 120 grams Plant Based Yogurt (1/2 US Cup)
- 30 grams Plant Based Butter (unsalted) (2 tbsp – melted)
Toppings:
- Additional melted butter for coating
- 50 grams White Sugar (1/4 US Cup)
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 220 grams Icing Sugar (1 3/4 US Cups)
- 90 ml Plant Based Milk (1/3 US Cup)
Instructions
Prep:
- Preheat oven to 425°F and lightly grease donut pans. Make vegan buttermilk if needed.
Making the Donuts:
- Add 240 grams Cake Flour, 140 grams White Sugar, 2 tsp Baking Powder and 1 tsp Salt to the mixing bowl and mix together.
- Add in 175 ml Vegan Buttermilk, 120 grams Plant Based Yogurt and melted 30 grams Plant Based Butter (unsalted) and mix until combined.
- Fill each donut cavity about three-quarters full. You can either pour it in from the mixing bowl or fill a ziploc or piping bag and pipe in the batter. Wipe off any spills with kitchen paper.
- Bake at 425°F for 8 minutes. The donuts should be well risen and slightly golden.
- Allow to cool then turn out on to a cooling rack.
Making the Toppings:
- Add 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon to 220 grams Icing Sugar and toss to combine. Toss 6 donuts in melted butter then in the cinnamon sugar.
- For the glaze, mix together 220 grams Icing Sugar and 90 ml Plant Based Milk in a bowl then dip the donuts in the glaze. If there are any bubbles in the glaze, pop them with a toothpick.
- Best enjoyed immediately!
Video
Notes
- Tield: This recipe makes 12 ring donuts. You can also make mini donuts with the same recipe – just reduce the baking time by a few minutes.
- Gluten-Free Option: Swap in a 1-to-1 gluten-free blend for a safe alternative.
- Storage: Best enjoyed fresh. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Baker’s Tip: The donuts will become slightly sticky over time, but still taste great.
I can’t believe how easy these were to make! Brilliant!!
Love hearing that – thanks so much.