Learn how to make the absolute Best Vegan Chocolate Donuts ever! These are so incredible and moist and rich, nobody would believe they are gluten-free and oil-free! Only 8 ingredients!
VEGAN GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE DONUTS
These are the only Vegan Chocolate Donuts you will ever need again! These are not only incredibly rich and chocolatey, as a chocolate donut should be, but they are so moist, fluffy and nobody would have a clue that they are vegan, gluten-free and oil-free!
So many vegan donuts are dry or have an off dense texture that nobody wants in a baked good. I love for my baked goods to deliver in looks, texture and taste. It has to hit all 3 notes! These vegan chocolate baked donuts do exactly that!
After posting these Vegan Cinnamon Sugar Donuts, I’ve received numerous requests for a chocolate version. After several trials, I have the perfected these vegan baked chocolate donuts. I can’t even to put into words how rich, decadent and delicious they are. And the dark chocolate glaze, OH MY GOODNESS.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
- Superfine oat flour: I always use a store-bought oat flour by Bob’s Red Mill because it is super fine and not grainy, therefore, creating a fluffy and smooth baked good. Often, grinding your own oat flour results in a rough texture, which will make dense donuts. Also, the measurements will be off if you use cup measurements of store-bought versus homemade oat flour. So, for the best results, I always recommend using store-bought oat flour and always weighing so you get the exact results I have here.
- Blanched almond flour: Since these donuts are oil-free, the fat in the almond flour replaces oil and makes for moist donuts, as well as soft donuts. Again, superfine is important for soft and fluffy donuts. We don’t want gritty donuts! If you are allergic to almonds, weigh the same gram amount given for almond flour (42g) and use raw, unsalted sunflower kernels. Grind the sunflower kernels up into a fine flour, as fine as you can get it without it turning into a paste. This will be a decent sub here since we aren’t making a cake, where the superfine texture would normally be more crucial, since donuts are smaller and only rise a bit in comparison to a cake. Keep in mind that the ground up sunflower kernels will never be as fine as store-bought almond flour and will make the donuts a bit more gritty and dense, but should still be delicious.
- Tapioca starch: I’ve tested all 3 starches…tapioca, cornstarch and potato starch and ALL 3 performed differently. Tapioca was the clear winner! They helped to keep these donuts the most moist, which was rather important here since they are oil-free. Tapioca lends more moisture than other starches. Cornstarch was nice and fluffy, but they were a tad more dry. Potato starch was DRY and crumbly. Do not use potato starch at all!
- Unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- Baking soda
- Pure maple syrup
- Unsweetened applesauce: This also helps give moisture since these vegan chocolate donuts are oil-free.
- Vanilla extract
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN CHOCOLATE DONUTS
Step 1: To a large bowl, add the dry ingredients and whisk very well, breaking up any lumps.
Step 2: To a separate bowl, add the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth. Pour over the dry ingredients and whisk gently until completely smooth. The batter will be on the runny side.
Step 3: Carefully spoon the batter divided evenly into a 6 large donut pan. The batter will fill up almost to the very top. Do not worry, this is how you will end up with fluffy donuts.
Step 4: Bake for 13 minutes until fluffy, well risen and a toothpick basically comes out clean. Mine were perfect at 13 minutes, but yours make take another minute, depending on your oven. Just be very careful about overbaking these, as they can turn dry. I mean, look how gorgeous, fluffy and perfect they turn out!
Step 5: Make the vegan chocolate glaze. Simply melt the chocolate chips with the milk. Add the syrup and vanilla. Dip each donut in the glaze and rotate it and lift up. Set on a tray for the glaze to dry and harden, which happens in about 15 minutes or so.
WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE A DONUT PAN?
I created this recipe specifically to be donuts only. This is because donuts are smaller and shorter than cakes, muffins, cupcakes, etc. Because of this, these do not transfer as well into muffins. Also, I created the donut in mind with a chocolate glaze on top. If you do not own a donut pan, do not just simply make these as muffins. There is no point in that because I already have several vegan chocolate muffin recipes on the blog that are tested as muffins, so just make any of these instead if you don’t have a donut pan.
- Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Vegan Gluten-free Double Chocolate Muffins
- Whole Wheat Chocolate Muffins
- Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
- Vegan Gluten-free Chocolate Cupcakes
MORE VEGAN DONUT RECIPES
MORE VEGAN CHOCOLATE DESSERTS
- Best Vegan Fudgy Brownies
- Vegan Chocolate Cream Pie
- Vegan Gluten-free Double Chocolate Muffins
- Grain-free Chocolate Coconut Cookies
- Vegan Gluten-free Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Vegan Zucchini Fudgy Brownies
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Vegan Chocolate Donuts (Gluten-free and Oil-free)
Ingredients
DONUTS
- 3/4 cup (96g) superfine oat flour
- 6 tablespoons (42g) superfine blanched almond flour (SEE NOTES for nut-free)
- 3 tablespoons (24g) tapioca starch (SEE NOTES below)
- 4 1/2 tablespoons (27g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
- 7 1/2 tablespoons (150g) pure maple syrup
- 6 tablespoons (90g) unsweetened applesauce
- 6 tablespoons (90g) room temperature water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (8g) vanilla extract
CHOCOLATE GLAZE
- 1/2 cup (85g) 69-70% bittersweet dairy-free chocolate chips (This will yield a darker chocolate ganache. I found it to be PERFECT. But use half SEMI-SWEET and half bittersweet for a standard sweet glaze if you like it sweeter. Especially for kids.)
- 1 tablespoon almond milk or another milk of choice that is runny (not too thick)
- 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
NOTE
- I always recommend to use a scale for accuracy when baking, following MY gram weights listed, since we all measure differently. This greatly improves your chance for success and lessons room for error. You never need cups or to compare them to the weights, just use the scale and bowl and make sure to zero out in between each ingredient. My recipes are 100% tested specifically using my exact weights and your results will turn out as mine are pictured this way.
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and spray a 6 large donut nonstick pan with nonstick spray and gently wipe off any excess oil. Be careful not to wipe off too much or the donuts will stick! You absolutely cannot skip spray for using a donut pan. They stick terribly, otherwise! This is the donut pan I use.
- To a large bowl, add the oat flour, almond flour, tapioca, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and whisk very well. Make sure to break up any lumps so you will have a smooth batter.
- To a separate bowl, combine the syrup, applesauce, water and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Pour over the dry ingredients and whisk gently until the batter is completely smooth and mixed.
- Carefully spoon the batter divided evenly into the donut pan. The batter will fill up almost to the very top. Do not worry, this is how you will end up with fluffy donuts.
- Bake for 13 minutes until fluffy, well risen and a toothpick basically comes out clean from the center of one donut. Mine were perfect at 13 minutes, but yours may take another minute, depending on your oven. Just be very careful about overbaking these, as they can turn dry.
- Cool the donuts 15 minutes in the pan and then use the toothpick to help you gently lift the donuts out and place onto a cooling rack. Once the donuts are completely cooled, make the chocolate glaze.
- To make the glaze, add the chocolate chips and milk to a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 30-45 seconds until almost melted. Whisk until completely smooth and add the syrup and vanilla and whisk once more.
- Take each donut and carefully press into the bowl of melted chocolate and slightly rotate it and then lift the donut out and set back onto the cooling rack. Repeat for each donut. Allow the glaze to firm up, around 15 minutes or so. Enjoy!
- Add leftovers donuts into a sealed container and store at room temperature. They are still good and moist by the 2nd day but will start to dry out after that.
Notes
- OAT FLOUR: I always use a store-bought oat flour by Bob's Red Mill because it is super fine and not grainy, therefore, creating a fluffy and smooth baked good. Often, grinding your own oat flour results in a rough texture, which will make dense donuts. Also, the measurements will be off if you use cup measurements of store-bought versus homemade oat flour. So, for the best results, I always recommend using store-bought oat flour and always weighing so you get the exact results I have here.
- ALMOND FLOUR SUB: Since these donuts are oil-free, the fat in the almond flour replaces oil and makes for moist donuts, as well as soft donuts. Again, superfine is important for soft and fluffy donuts. We don't want gritty donuts! If you are allergic to almonds, weigh the same gram amount given for almond flour with raw, unsalted sunflower kernels. Then grind the sunflower kernels up into a fine flour, as fine as you can get it without it turning into a paste. This will be a decent sub here since we aren't making a cake, where the superfine texture would normally be more crucial, since donuts are smaller and only rise a bit in comparison to a cake. Keep in mind that the ground up sunflower kernels will never be as fine as store-bought almond flour and will make the donuts a bit more gritty and dense, but should still be very delicious.
- TAPIOCA STARCH: I've tested all 3 starches...tapioca, cornstarch and potato starch and ALL 3 performed differently. Tapioca was the clear winner! They helped to keep these donuts the most moist by far, which was rather important here since they are oil-free. Tapioca lends more moisture than other starches. Cornstarch was nice and fluffy, but they were a tad more dry. Too dry for my liking. Potato starch was VERY DRY and crumbly. Do not use potato starch at all!
- NO DONUT PAN? I have addressed this within the post if you do not have a donut pan, so please read my suggestions there!
I have made this recipe multiple times and loved it each time! I wouldn’t go back to a non-vegan version even if I could! I was just wondering if I could make these with standard flour instead of oat flour if I don’t need gluten free? (And if I’m out of oat flour ha ha!). I’m craving these donuts so much!
Aww that is fantastic to hear Heather!! Yes, spelt is the closest flour that resembles the texture of oat flour. Use the same gram weight amount!
Hi Brandi! Do you think these would work in a silicone donut pan? I have never used non-stick spray and wonder if this could be a way to go without? Thank you! Can’t wait to try them, bookmarked your recipe.
Yes, it should work! Just make sure they are cooked through!
Hey! Is there another alternative for the almond flour instead of sunflower? The person I’d like to make these with has these allergies: sunflower, peanut, tree nut, sesame, egg & is lactose intolerant. Thank you!
Hi Kim, the only alternative that might work is tiger nut flour. Despite the name it is nut-free. Not sure if your friend can have tigernuts. It should technically work texture-wise, but it’s much sweeter than regular almond flour, so it might change the flavor. Although, since this is dark chocolate, hopefully the chocolate flavor will mask it!
Would these work with more oat flour or I saw someone tried chickpea four to substitute for almond flour? My daughter is anaphylactic with ALL nuts and most seeds – so sunflower seeds are a big NO in our house as well.
Hi Donna! No, unfortunately, these will not work without the almond flour. The almond flour is high in fat and is what makes these moist since there is no oil. Using more oat flour would make them extremely dense and chewy, as would chickpea flour. I would make these instead, as there are no nuts. Just make sure to use a soy yogurt or one without nuts. https://thevegan8.com/vegan-baked-chocolate-chip-donuts/#recipe
Love this recipe and the fact that it’s oil free. Made these a couple of times now but just had one question on texture. I followed the recipe exactly as written and found that the donuts were lovely and moist but also gummy. Could it be because of the oat flour? Or am I doing something wrong? Could you please suggest a solution for this?
Hi! Hmmm, they shouldn’t be gummy at all. A couple of things, make sure to weigh the ingredients using my gram weights listed (no cups needed), as this ensures accurate results. Also, with oat flour, make sure it is super fine, as homemade tends to not give as best fluffy results. Be careful not to overmix the batter, as oat-based batters can turn gummy if overmixed. Lastly, ovens vary so it’s possible it needed longer baking, look for a clean toothpick. Let cool completely before eating.
Thank you so much! I was probably over-mixing the batter because the other two tips I follow – using a scale and using Bob’s Red Mill oat flour. Will try again and let you know how it goes!
Best, Megh
Made your chocolate donuts again and the Belgian vanilla cake waffles for a brunch today for friends. They were over the moon. Couldn’t believe I made the donuts and raved about the waffles. You are my #1 go-to. 👏🏻
Woohoo! That’s awesome!
These are the most moist and chocolaty donuts EVER! And I just can’t believe they come out so beautifully without oil, refined sugar, or processed white flour. Thank you, Brandi! I love your recipes. You make eating vegan so very yummy. You are awesome.
Awww I’m so happy to read this, Jeannie, thank you so much!!
I WILL FOREVER FOLLOW YOU AND YOUR RECIPES! Yes I shouted that as I typed it! I am vegan, gluten free and oil free and finding recipes can be difficult. I am pretty good at the science for creating some new recipes but I could not do donuts. I just couldn’t. Finally did a search and found your recipe. They are moist, fluffy, cakey, perfectly sweet and rich. I only had a mini donut pan but cut bake time to 9.5 minutes and they were perfect. My hubby is an omni sweets addict and loved these as well. You are a genius and I am super grateful.
Awww Kim, this made my day!! SO happy you loved these so much! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Girl!!!!! These are delicious. My four year old grandson cannot have wheat. His mommy can’t have wheat or dairy. He has his first T-ball game tomorrow. I am so happy to give the family these donuts to enjoy as a special treat after his first game. Thanks again for your amazing recipes.
Yay, thank you so much Melva!
My four year old grandson thinks these are amazing. I didn’t make the glaze, trying to limit his sugar intake. He has a wheat allergy so it was great knowing I could make a special treat for him. Thanks so much!
Made these today but subbed chickpea flour for the almond flour. Weighed everything as suggested. They are delicious and so easy!
Made these donuts and they were amazing!!! Rather than using real maple syrup, I used a sugar free one and also sugar free chocolate chips. My donut pan makes 12 and I was able to get 11 out of it. Will be tripling the recipe next time as they went really quickly lol
Haha I love hearing that Jess!
If I make the ganache a day before baking the donut, will I be able to reheat it a little (or add hot water) to thin it out again to glaze the donuts the next day?
No, don’t add water! Adding water to chocolate will cause it to seize up immediately. Reheating chocolate is very finicky, sometimes it works and sometimes it clumps up and is ruined so I personally wouldn’t make it the day before, as it only takes a minute to make anyways.
These babies are decadent!!
These are so good!!!!! Even my non-vegan, gluten-eating husband loved them. The family devoured these as soon as they were ready to eat. And, they are also super easy to make. Thank you!
We went through 3 other vegan donuts, that all used flour, and they turned out not so good.
We came to your site, remembering we had the cookbook and your website had a donut recipe, and these turned out phenomenal!
We actually made 18 of them over 48 hours. They’re amazing!
They easily pass off as 5 dollar each vegan and gluten free donuts from a shop. Overall, we love these and will be making them all the time! Thank you
Wow, that is so amazing Michael! So glad my recipe was the winner, you are so king, thanks for the amazing feedback!
Oh my gosh, these doughnuts are indeed the best! So fluffy, soft, and absolutely delicious.
Woohoo lovely to hear it!
Can tapioca flour be used in place of tapioca starch? Are they the same thing?
Same thing!