Vegan Vanilla Donuts with Sprinkles
Vegan Vanilla Donuts with Sprinkles
They always say that everything is better with sprinkles and these Vegan Vanilla Donuts with Sprinkles aren't an exception. These donuts are super fluffy, soft, moist, and completely dairy-free + vegan. They are the perfect sweet treat for adults and kids alike, especially for fun Birthday celebrations, family gatherings, or just because! Gluten-free option.
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Growing up, I always LOVED rainbow sprinkles. I mean really really loved them! I couldn't eat any form of ice cream (especially my favorite vanilla flavor) without sprinkles. They add the best texture----major crunch factor and, of course, an extra surgery hit that no kid can turn down. That's why I had to make these Vegan Vanilla Donuts with Sprinkles because they are just the perfect dessert or sweet addition to brunch.
If you constantly find yourself going to Dunkin Donuts, Krispy Kreme, or your local donut shop daily for freshly baked donuts, then these vegan donuts will come in handy for a nice homemade treat. You can make these donuts in their standard size or as mini donuts using a smaller donut pan for a fun spin! Plus, these Baked Vegan Apple Cider Donuts are just a classic flavor that can't be ignored. Of course, these Healthy Vegan Blueberry Donuts are truly a staple in my house besides this recipe, you'd love them too!
With this recipe, I love the fact that they are so easy to make, completed in a quick turnaround time, is all dairy-free, vegan and with a gluten-free option, as well as the fact that they are perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert. Truly a win in my opinion. The entire family will enjoy them.
What Are Vegan Donuts Made of?
These vegan donuts with sprinkles are truly made from a handful of staple ingredients which include flour, cane sugar, baking powder, baking soda, a bit of salt, Almond milk, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract, and oil. Of course, you can even switch things up with the frosting by making it a different flavor like: strawberry, blueberry, citrus, chocolate, etc. It's totally up to you!
If you have little helpers at home, this homemade donut recipe is the perfect opportunity to get them in the kitchen. This recipe is perfect for kids to practice their measuring and mixing skills. Not to mention decorating!
Donut vs Doughnut
Donut vs doughnut - It's the spelling dilemma that has perplexed people for ages. Some say "donut" is easier to spell and faster to say, while others argue "doughnut" is the more proper and sophisticated way to spell it.
At the end of the day, no matter how you spell it, a fresh, warm donut/doughnut is always a welcome treat. So let's just enjoy the deliciousness and leave the spelling debates behind!
How to Make Vegan Vanilla Donuts with Sprinkles
While homemade donuts might sound like a project recipe, they actually come together quite easily. To make these sweet treats, you'll combine the dry ingredients in one bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Then combine the two and pipe the batter into a donut pan. Bake them up until golden and fully set. Finally, let the donuts cool before glazing them with your quick vanilla frosting and showering them in rainbow sprinkles. That's it!
Ingredients for Donuts
Here's what you need to make easy dairy-free + vegan vanilla donuts:
- All-purpose flour. Choose organic to ensure it's vegan. I like to use Bob's Red Mill brand. Plus, you can mix in pastry flour. It creates a lighter, airy texture when mixed with all-purpose flour.
- Baking powder and baking soda. These lift and lighten your donut so they come out fluffy and airy, not dense or chewy.
- Cane sugar. Again, choose organic for vegan! You could also use coconut sugar.
- Oil. You'll need to use vegetable oil, but melted coconut oil works too. However, you can always sub with melted vegan butter, olive oil, or organic canola oil, if preferred. Plant-based butter is usually made with coconut oil, so either one works well in this recipe. The butter might add a slightly more buttery flavor, but it's not very noticeable.
- Vanilla. This adds a nice vanilla flavor. Always use pure vanilla and not the imitation flavor for the best results! You can also add ½ teaspoon almond extract for an incredible flavor combo!
- Dairy-free Buttermilk. This is the secret to achieving the rich, moist tang of buttermilk without any dairy. Almond milk is naturally neutral (when using unsweetened) and perfect for vegan baking. And apple cider vinegar adds a punch of acid to bring the other flavors to life. It's also necessary to activate the baking powder. Feel free to use a different plant-based milk if you like. I recommend making easy homemade almond milk (my recipe doesn’t require soaking!)
- Rainbow sprinkles. Ensure that these are vegan-friendly. The best brand----sweetapolita.
Cake Flour vs. All-Purpose Flour.
When it comes to the main ingredient of this entire vegan donut recipe—-the flour, I enjoy using Bob’s Red Mill Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour, which is ideal for all kinds of baking, including this one.
However, I do occasionally use Super-Fine Cake Flour which adds a nice airiness and fluffiness to your cakes or other baked goods as well.
How to Make Your Own Homemade Cake Flour
If you're in a pinch and you don't have any cake flour on hand and you only have all-purpose flour---no worries! You can still achieve that extra fluffiness that cake flour would by simply adding 1 teaspoon of arrowroot or starch to your flour before whisking.
Baked vs Fried Doughnuts?
In case you are new to making your own doughnuts or you just didn't really understand the full difference between the two---I wanted to break down the real distinction between a baked doughnut or donut and a fried one. Granted, both types taste absolutely amazing; however, once you've tried both, you'll notice the difference while eating.
Baked Doughnuts: These types of fluffy doughnuts are generally whipped together in a bowl (generally without yeast) and are lighter in texture. They can also be "cakey" depending on the ingredients used.
Fried Doughnuts: These types of fluffy doughnuts are generally denser in texture and have a bit of a crunchiness (on the outside) from being deep-fried. They typically have a sweeter flavor and richer texture.
How to Know If Your Baking Powder + Baking Soda are Fresh
Baking is such a science, but more importantly because certain ingredients like your leaveners (aka baking powder + baking soda) are completely fresh so that your donuts (and other baked goods) fully rise and bake through nicely.
Incase you weren't aware, there's an easy to double check both the baking powder and baking soda. Here's what you need:
BAKING SODA HACK:
-Add 1 teaspoon baking soda with ¼ cup vinegar or lemon juice in a bowl and if it's fresh, the mixture should "bubble/fizz". If no bubble/fizz is present, then your baking soda needs to be replaced.
BAKING POWDER:
-Add 1 teaspoon baking powder with ¼ cup Hot tap water in a bowl and if it's fresh, the mixture should "bubble/fizz". If no bubble/fizz is present, then your baking powder needs to be replaced.
Equipment Needed for Vegan Donuts
The only unique piece of equipment you need to make homemade donuts is a donut pan. If you're a donut fan, I highly recommend adding one to your kitchen toolbox. You'll never have to go out for donuts again, and you can always customize the ingredients, flavors, and decorations of your breakfast pastries!
The easiest way to fill a donut pan without a major mess is to pipe the batter into the rings. You don't need a special pastry bag, however. A simple gallon-sized Ziplock bag will do the trick. Simply fill the bag with your batter (work in batches to avoid over-filling the bag), then snip off one corner. Aim for a ¾-inch hole to pipe the batter cleanly into the donut rings in the pan.
The last piece of equipment you'll need is a wire cooling rack. Ensure your donuts are fully cooled before glazing them. Waiting for these treats to cool is the hardest part of the whole recipe! Then you can use stay fresh containers to store them in for a longer fresh time.
Simple Vanilla Glaze
A quick vanilla glaze adds shine, flavor, and extra sweetness to these vegan vanilla donuts. Plus, it helps the sprinkles stick better. To make a simple glaze while the donuts cool, you'll need:
- 2 cups of powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons unsweetened Almond milk or other plant-based milk
Simply mix all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, or more powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time, to reach your desired thickness. The glaze should be drizzle-able but not so runny that it runs off of the donuts.
This easy dairy-free vanilla glaze recipe is good to keep in your back pocket. It works just as well on donuts as it does on cupcakes and cookies. It's the perfect vegan icing for people who aren't fond of frosting.
How to Decorate Vegan Vanilla Donuts with Sprinkles
To avoid these tender donuts from breaking apart, I like to add them to a wire rack lined one by one and then spoon on the glaze and sprinkle on the rainbow sprinkles for an easy topping.
However, another way to glaze and decorate your donuts is by dipping. Invert one donut at a time into the bowl of glaze, then place it back on the cooling rack. Immediately out of the glaze, while it's still wet and shiny, hit the donut with a handful of rainbow sprinkles. Yes, it can get messy, but that's part of the fun! For easier cleanup, place a piece of parchment paper under the wire rack.
Can I Use Another Plant-Based Milk?
Yes, you can use any dairy-free milk you like to make this homemade vegan donut recipe. Here are some easy recipes to make your own dairy-free milk that’s cheaper and so easy!
- Almond Milk Without Soaking
- Quinoa Milk
- Creamy Vanilla Sesame Milk
- Coconut Milk
- Easy Homemade Creamy Cashew Milk
- How to Make Potato Milk
- Ultra Creamy Homemade Oat Milk
- Cauliflower Milk
Common Q + A's for these Vegan Donuts
Not at all! You can easily mix together the ingredients in a bowl with a spatula or wooden spoon. So easy!
When it comes to the main ingredient of this entire recipe—-the flour, I enjoy using Bob’s Red Mill Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour, which is ideal for all kinds of baking, including this one. However, I do occasionally use Pastry Flour which adds a nice airiness, "light" feel, and fluffiness to your donuts/doughnuts as well.
If you're in a pinch and you don't have any cake flour on hand and you only have all-purpose flour---no worries! You can still achieve that extra fluffiness that cake flour would by simply adding 1 teaspoon of arrowroot or starch to your flour before whisking.
You can always bake these vegan donuts the night or day before and let them cool, tightly wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use. When ready to serve, let donuts sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour, make your glaze and spoon, add the sprinkles, and serve! To store frozen (frosted or unfrosted), simply tightly wrap and cover the donuts and freeze for up to 2-3 months. To serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bring to room temperature.
Absolutely! To make these donuts GF, I recommend using a GF Flour Blend (Bob’s Red Mills has a great version!). NOTE: If the batter is too ‘thin + runny’, simply add additional GF flour, ¼ cup at a time.
Serving + Storage Suggestions
Who doesn't like to start their day with a homemade donut? These are a perfect weekend breakfast treat, especially for special occasions like a birthday. Serve them with this easy Iced Chai Tea Latte or Ultimate Fall Spice Latte in the cooler months, or with refreshing Starbucks Copycat Iced Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso in warmer months, or this Vegan Gingerbread Latte in the winter!
These are also a great treat for Easter morning. The colorful sprinkles always remind me of springtime.
The donuts are best enjoyed the day they're made. If you have leftovers, however, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days. For longer storage, freeze the donuts in an airtight container for up to three months. To serve, defrost the donuts on the counter for several hours. You can also freeze the baked, undecorated donuts and add the glaze and sprinkles just before serving.
More Fun Recipes with Sprinkles to Try!
For more popular rainbow sprinkle filled recipes, check out these:
- Vegan Funfetti Cake + Vanilla Buttercream
- Vanilla Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting
- Vegan Fudge Zucchini Brownies with Sprinkles
- Vegan Funfetti Pancakes
- Starbucks Copycat Iced Sugar Cookie Latte
- Edible Vegan Funfetti Cookie Dough
- Funfetti Cheesecake Bars
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Vegan Vanilla Donuts with Sprinkles
Ingredients
DONUTS:
- 1 ½ cups organic all-purpose flour (You can also sub with pastry flour; See Notes!)
- ½ cup organic cane sugar
- 2 tsps baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 ¼ cups Almond milk, unsweetened (You can use your fave plant-based milk!)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (You can also sub with lemon juice)
- 3 Tbsps vegetable oil (See Notes!)
- 2 tsps vanilla extract
VANILLA GLAZE:
- 2 cups organic powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 Tbsps Almond milk, unsweetened (You can use your fave plant-based milk!)
TOPPING:
- Rainbow sprinkles, vegan-friendly (See Notes!)
Instructions
TO CREATE THE "BUTTERMILK":
- In a bowl or measuring cup, add the milk + apple cider vinegar, whisking together well and letting it sit aside for 5-6 minutes until "activated" and the milk thickens a bit. This creates the "buttermilk".
TO MAKE THE DONUTS:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and spray your donut baking pans that has 6-wells.
- In a bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and sea salt. Finally, stir in the 'buttermilk', vanilla, and oil, until combined and batter is thick and smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
- Spoon the batter into a piping bag and pipe batter it into prepared donut pan wells, filling them about ¾ of the way.
- Bake for 10-13 minutes or until toothpick inserted into donuts comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before releasing the donuts from their pan and unto a cooling rack to cool completely.
TO MAKE THE VANILLA GLAZE:
- Whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and Almond milk (1 Tbsp) until smooth and consistency is met. NOTE: For a thicker glaze, add additional powdered sugar (1 tablespoon at a time) until consistency is met. For a desired thinner glaze, add additional milk (1 tablespoon at a time) until consistency is met.
- Once fully cooled while still on the cooling rack or a wire rack, spoon the glaze atop each donut and add rainbow sprinkles and allow the glaze to harden a bit and "set".
- Bon Appetit!
Tips & Tricks
- STORAGE: Leftovers can be stored in a tightly sealed container and best if placed in the refrigerator for up to 3 days for ultimate freshness.
- FREEZE (LONGER STORAGE): For longer storage, freeze the donuts (uncoated) in an airtight container for up to three months. To serve, defrost the donuts on the counter for several hours. Add the vanilla glaze and sprinkles just before serving.
- GLUTEN-FREE VERSION: To make these donuts GF, I recommend using a GF Flour Blend (Bob’s Red Mills has a great version!). NOTE: If the batter is too ‘thin + runny’, simply add additional GF flour, ¼ cup at a time.
- FLOUR: If you want your donuts to be more of a ‘cakey’ texture, substitute 1 cup of All-purpose flour with Super-Fine Cake Flour (aka Pastry Flour)
- OIL: Instead of vegetable oil, you can substitute with melted coconut oil or melted vegan butter, if preferred.
Nutrition
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Hello, do you know how long I should cook them if I use a mini doughnut pan?
Thank you very much ^_^
Hi Brooklyn! They should be around the same time or 5-6 minutes early. I usually use a small toothpick to test the centers! 🙂
I want to try these for my first donut attempt! Do you think these would turn out ok if I swap the AP flour for a gluten-free version?
Hi Rebecca! That's so awesome! Yes, they definitely can be made GF! To make these donuts GF, I recommend using a GF Flour Blend (Bob’s Red Mills has a great version!). **NOTE: When using this GF flour, be sure to reduce the liquid to 1/3 cup and add 1 Tbsp at a time of milk until consistency is met.** I hope that you enjoy them! 🙂
What is the best way to store them and for how long? Thanks xxx
Hi Cat! These are best stored in the Refrigerator because of the Chocolate glaze. They usually last up to a week if tightly sealed. I hope that you enjoy!
This look so yummy and beautiful! Great recipe! Will have to try this!
Thanks so much Sarah! I do hope that you enjoy them once you do give them a try!
My 6 year loves donuts. She even says she's going to own a donut shop when she's older.
Haha! Your 6 year old is super smart! A donut shop would be awesome! Free donuts daily!
These donuts look amazing! I've to try this recipe 😀
Thanks so much Cristina! I do hope that you enjoy once it give it a try!
Ooooh! We're dairy-free over here so this recipe is perfect for us. We'll have to try this on our next baking day. Looks so yummy!
Thanks so much Kim! Yes, this is great for us too since I try minimize dairy in our diet as well. I do hope that you enjoy!