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Vegan oil-free chocolate donuts that are whole food plant based, gluten-free, baked, easy to make and incredibly soft and moist, just like cake!
About 8 batches later and I am SUPER excited (and relieved) to be introducing you all to these vegan oil-free chocolate donuts!
Yes, really, these took SO many tries to nail but it was totally worth it. This weekend, Ryan asked me to make donuts and because I am a nice wife, I did :). The first batch came out really good but needed a few tweaks. While I was testing out these donuts, I made them for friends and family multiple times so I am pretty sure I could bake these in my sleep if I tried.
These vegan oil-free chocolate baked donuts are:
incredibly delicious
so easy to make
whole food plant based (WFPB)
gluten-free
ultra chocolatey
made in one bowl
so soft and moist
cake like
Ingredients in Vegan Oil-Free Chocolate Donuts
These vegan donuts are made with much healthier ingredients than you would find at a bakery or store and they are made with NO added oil!
Oat Flour- I grind up oats in the blender to make my oat flour. You can also use packaged oat flour. Regardless, just make sure your oat flour is SUPER fine. If blending at home, you want the flour to be super soft and light with no gritty texture. If it feels gritty, keep blending
Blanched Almond Flour
Cocoa Powder- Cocoa or cacao powder will work!
Baking Powder
Pink Himalayan Salt
Flax “Eggs”- Flax eggs are just ground flax seed and water mixed to form a gelly consistency and they help hold these donuts together.
Pure Maple Syrup
Plant-Based Milk– I use oat milk
Natural Almond Butter- Make sure your almond butter is soft and drippy!
Vanilla Extract
Apple Cider Vinegar– This is added to lift the donuts. You can also use lemon juice!
How to Make
Let’s make these vegan oil-free chocolate donuts!
First, add your ground flax seeds and water into a small bowl. Stir and let this sit for 10 minutes.
Next, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease your donut pans (mine are silicone and non-stick, but I grease with a little coconut oil anyway just in case).
Now, grab a medium bowl and add all of your dry ingredients. Whisk well until combined.
Then, add your flax eggs and the rest of the wet ingredients to the medium bowl with the dry ingredients. Whisk well until combined. The batter should resemble brownie batter, thick but easily pourable.
Spoon the batter into the prepared donut pans, filling a TINY bit more than 3/4 of the way full. Bake on the middle rack for about 15-17 minutes, removing from the oven when the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted comes out ALMOST clean (a little residue is fine because you don’t want to over-bake these or they will be dry!)
NOTE: my donut pants yield MINI donuts, about 3 inches. If you are using a standard donut pan, adjust baking time because they will have to bake a little bit longer!
NOTE: if you are using silicone donut pans, place the donut pans on a cookie sheet for baking!
Cool the donuts in the donut pans for about 10-15 minutes, then remove and transfer to a cooling rack. To remove the donuts from silicone donut pans: carefully press up from the bottom and grab the donut with your other hand to pull out. The donuts hold together perfectly and are not fragile so they should just pop right out! But you always want to handle them gently while they are still a little warm to prevent breakage.
Now, make your chocolate frosting! Simply add the milk to a small saucepan over high heat. Watch this VERY closely. As SOON as it starts bubbling, remove from heat and then add the chocolate chips (I always use this brand). Whisk very well until smooth.
Dip each donut in the chocolate frosting, top with sprinkles, and return to the cooling rack. You can either eat these immediately when the frosting is fresh or let them sit at room temperature for a bit until the frosting hardens.
Store these donuts covered on the counter so they stay nice and soft! I hope you enjoy these vegan oil-free chocolate donuts!
More Oil-Free Vegan Recipes
Vegan Peanut Butter Chickpea Blondies [GF, Oil-Free]
Vegan Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies [Oil-Free, GF]
Vegan Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Balls [GF, Oil-Free]
Vegan Date Sweetened Oatmeal Breakfast Bars [Oil-Free, GF]
Vegan No Bake Brownie Truffles [GF, Oil-Free]
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If you make this recipe, I would love a rating and comment below! Don’t forget to take a photo and tag @wholesome.crumbs on Instagram!
Vegan Oil-Free Chocolate Donuts [GF]
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 2 tbsp ground flax seed for flax eggs
- 6 tbsp warm water for flax eggs
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp plant-based milk I use oat milk
- 2 tbsp natural runny almond butter
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Dry Ingredients
- 1 & 1/3 cups oat flour I blend rolled oats. See notes. Use certified GF if needed
- 1/2 cup blanched almond flour
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp cocoa or cacao powder
- 1 & 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt
Vegan Chocolate Frosting
- 1/3 cup plant-based milk
- 1/3 cup dark or semi-sweet vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- First, add your ground flax seeds and water into a small bowl. Stir and let this sit for 10 minutes.
- Next, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease your donut pans (mine are silicone and non-stick, but I grease with a little coconut oil anyway just in case).
- Now, grab a medium bowl and add all of your dry ingredients. Whisk well until combined.Then, add your flax eggs and the rest of the wet ingredients to the medium bowl with the dry ingredients. Whisk well until combined. The batter should resemble brownie batter, thick but easily pourable.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared donut pans, filling a TINY bit more than 3/4 of the way full. Bake on the middle rack for about 15-17 minutes, removing from the oven when the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted comes out ALMOST clean (a little residue is fine because you don't want to over-bake these or they will be dry!) NOTE: my donut pants yield MINI donuts, about 3 inches. If you are using a standard donut pan, adjust baking time because they will have to bake a little bit longer!NOTE: if you are using silicone donut pans, place the donut pans on a cookie sheet for baking!
- Cool the donuts in the donut pans for about 10-15 minutes, then remove and transfer to a cooling rack. To remove the donuts from silicone donut pans: carefully press up from the bottom and grab the donut with your other hand to pull out. The donuts hold together perfectly and are not fragile so they should just pop right out! But you always want to handle them gently while they are still a little warm to prevent breakage.
- Now, make your chocolate frosting! Simply add the milk to a small saucepan over high heat. Watch this VERY closely. As SOON as it starts bubbling, remove from heat and then add the chocolate chips. Whisk very well until smooth.Dip each donut in the chocolate frosting, top with sprinkles, and return to the cooling rack. You can either eat these immediately when the frosting is fresh or let them sit at room temperature for a bit until the frosting hardens.
- Store these donuts covered on the counter so they stay nice and soft!
Notes
- My donut pans yield MINI donuts, about 3 inches. If you are using a standard donut pan, adjust baking time because they will have to bake a little bit longer!
- Oat Flour- I grind up oats in the blender to make my oat flour. You can also use packaged oat flour. Regardless, just make sure your oat flour is SUPER fine. If blending at home, you want the flour to be super soft and light with no gritty texture. If it feels gritty, keep blending.
Recipes requiring only one bowl are the best, and this one is so easy! I used real eggs instead of flax, and the donuts were soft and smooth. They’re good while still slightly warm, but they’re even better the next day. Definitely will be making these again!
Thank you so much! I am so glad you enjoyed the donuts! 🙂
Can flaxseed meal be used instead of flaxseed?
So sorry for my late reply. As long as it’s ground, it should work!