Vegan Chocolate Donuts (Gluten-free & Oil-free)

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

• Vegan Baked Chocolate Chip Donuts
• Vegan Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

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

*This post contains affiliate links. See my full disclosure policy here.

If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!

5 from 7 votes

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Vegan Chocolate Donuts (Gluten-free and Oil-free)

These are the BEST Vegan Chocolate Donuts EVER! Baked, moist, fluffy, nobody will know they are gluten-free & oil-free! Only 8 ingredients!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Gluten-free, Vegan

Keyword gluten free vegan chocolate donuts, oil free chocolate donuts, vegan baked chocolate donuts, vegan chocolate donuts, vegan chocolate glazed donuts, vegan gluten free chocolate donuts

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes

Total Time 23 minutes

Servings 6 donuts

Calories 281 kcal

Author Brandi Doming

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

1. 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.

2. To a large bowl, add the oat flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and whisk very well. Make sure to break up any lumps so you will have a smooth batter.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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!

9. 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.

Recipe 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!

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Chocolate Donuts (Gluten-free and Oil-free)

Amount Per Serving (1 donut)

Calories 281 Calories from Fat 103

% Daily Value*

Fat 11.4g18%

Saturated Fat 4.4g28%

Sodium 300mg13%

Potassium 132mg4%

Carbohydrates 46.6g16%

Fiber 6.3g26%

Sugar 22.8g25%

Protein 4.6g9%

Calcium 46mg5%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.