I used to wonder: are baked donuts really donuts? Now I think, who cares. These vegan cinnamon sugar donuts are soft and tender inside, with a pleasing crackly coating that ends up on your fingers, your plate and probably your shirt. Warm, sweet, buttery, fun to bite into and very easy to keep eating. Definitely donuts!
They’re perfect for an autumn afternoon with a cup of chai or a maple latte, or for a night watching British Bake Off. If one pan disappears before the episode’s over, the batter is easy enough to mix up another.
And they actually taste fried (gasp!). I don’t say that lightly: brushing the warm donuts with melted vegan butter before rolling them in cinnamon sugar gives them that buttery outside and crackly coating you get from a fried donut.
This recipe for baked vegan donuts comes together in one bowl with a fork or whisk, no mixer and no yeast. The donuts bake while you make the topping. It’s from my cookbook The 29-Minute Vegan, so you can go from “I want donuts” to a plate of warm cinnamon sugar donuts in about half an hour.
Donuts on a TV Dinner Tray
When I had my restaurant, Modern Love, these mini donuts were the dessert on our autumn TV dinner. They fit perfectly in that little top dessert compartment, and everyone devoured them. Sometimes even before the entree! I’m not saying you should make a TV dinner at home but maybe you should. Look how cute!
What You’ll Need for Baked Vegan Donuts
Unsweetened Applesauce. The applesauce gives these a little hint of apple cider donut, which is just perfect for fall. It also keeps the crumb soft and fluffy and helps bind the batter together, so the donuts hold their shape and bake up beautifully.
Olive oil. Olive oil gives these a really buttery flavor, and it’s what I use in most of my baking these days. Just reach for a mild, everyday olive oil, not the fancy bottle you save for drizzling. A super fresh, expensive extra virgin olive oil tends to taste grassy and peppery, and that’s great on a salad but not what you want in a donut.
Soy milk. Soy milk makes for a tender, sturdy crumb, and the apple cider vinegar curdles it a bit, like buttermilk, for extra lift. Unsweetened is best but use what you’ve got. I think the protein in soy milk is best for baking, but if you need to use a different vegan milk, no worries. Oat or almond will work!
Light brown sugar. A little brown sugar in the batter adds caramel-y warmth that tastes great with the cinnamon.
Vegan butter. Just a couple tablespoons, melted and brushed over the warm donuts so the cinnamon sugar sticks. Melted refined coconut oil works too. Go with refined so it doesn’t taste like coconut.
Tips for the Best Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
Pipe the batter. For the most even donuts (not that anyone is measuring), a pastry bag is the way to go. Snip a wide opening, then squeeze the batter in a ring around each cavity until it’s about two-thirds full. A zip-top bag with a corner cut off works just as well.
Or use a spoon, slowly. No bag? A spoon is totally fine. Take your time and add the batter a little at a time, working your way around the ring. It doesn’t have to go in all in one shot, so fill them partway, go back around and finish the circle.
Stir until smooth. Once the dry ingredients go in, stir with a fork or whisk until the batter is relatively smooth and there are no large clumps, a minute or so.
Brush them warm. The melted vegan butter soaks in best while the donuts are still warm from the oven, and that’s what gives you a thick, crackly cinnamon sugar coating.
Vegan Cinnamon Sugar Donuts FAQ
Can I use a different oil? Yup. Any neutral oil works, like canola, avocado or grapeseed.
Can I make these without a donut pan? Yes, bake them in a mini muffin tin and you’ll have little cinnamon sugar donut muffins. Start checking them at around 12 minutes.
Can I make them gluten-free? I haven’t tested these with gluten-free flour, but a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend is where I’d start.
Can I make them ahead? They’re best the day you make them, ideally still a little warm. Leftovers keep in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or two. No one is mad at a room temp donut.
Can I freeze them? Hells yeah. Freeze them before the topping. Thaw, warm them in the oven for a few minutes, then brush and dip.
Can I skip brushing them with butter? It would be a different donut. That quick brush of melted vegan butter is what the cinnamon sugar sticks to, and it’s also what makes these taste like a fried donut instead of a baked one. It’s only a couple tablespoons for the whole batch, so a little goes a long way.
But I don’t want to brush them with butter, can I glaze them instead? OK! It will be a different donut however, a simple powdered sugar glaze with a splash of vegan milk and vanilla is lovely, or dip them in melted chocolate. I would probably add like 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg to the batter in this case, for that donutty flavor.
More Vegan Treats To Bake This Fall
Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
Notes
Ingredients
For the baked donuts:
- 1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the cinnamon sugar topping:
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter or refined coconut oil
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
Make the donuts:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 12-cavity mini donut pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the soy milk, applesauce, brown sugar, oil, vanilla and vinegar. Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir with a fork or whisk until relatively smooth and there are no large clumps, a minute or so.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag or use a spoon to fill the donut pan about two-thirds full. Leave slightly mounded. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for a few minutes, then turn out onto a rack. You want them still warm for the topping.
In the meantime, make the topping:
- Melt the butter for 15 seconds or so in a microwavable bowl, until melted. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow dish. Brush each warm donut with melted vegan butter, then dip into the topping mixture.
These look delicious and that TV dinner is absolutely adorable! I wish I’d had a chance to try Modern Love. (I’m in Michigan.)