Chocolate Vegan Donuts with Chocolate Frosting (Dairy Free)

These tasty Chocolate Vegan Donuts are made with simple ingredients and contain no dairy or hard-to-find vegan ingredients. Baked and not fried, each bite of the chocolate frosting-covered treat is rich, decadent, and luscious.

Easy vegan chocolate donuts

One of my proudest baking moments was the day I came up with these rich and decadent Chocolate Vegan Donuts with Chocolate Frosting. They are so soft and moist, it’s like eating my favorite chocolate cake! Made with simple vegan ingredients, it’s a dessert you need to try ASAP.

Yes, this recipe is vegan-friendly but no, it doesn’t require any complicated or hard-to-find ingredients. Simply whip the batter up in 1 bowl and bake in a donut pan. Finished them off with the soft and luscious chocolate frosting for a heavenly tasting dessert or snack.

I promise that investing in a donut pan is well worth the small expense. Some of my best donut creations have come out of these pans, like my Peanut Butter Donuts, Carrot Cake Donuts, and Chocolate Chip Donuts. 

Vegan donuts vs. regular donuts

These chocolate donuts are made solely with vegan-friendly ingredients. I’m talking vegan butter, plant-based milk, and cocoa powder. Luckily, all of these can be found at most large grocery stores, meaning they aren’t any more difficult to make than “regular” baked donuts.

Pro tip: Not all white sugar is vegan-friendly. Some companies still use bone char in their refining, filtering, and coloring process. Even though the sugar doesn’t directly contain animal products, most vegans still would not feel comfortable eating it.

The good news? Not all brands use bone char! You can make the donuts using a bone char-free brand or you use another kind of sugar.

How to make baked vegan chocolate donuts

I love baked donuts because they’re soft, rich, and aren’t messy. Frying means you need to use lots of oil and more pots and pans. To make this recipe, all you need to do is mix up the batter in one bowl and then bake! 

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

Stir in the wet ingredients until a smooth batter is formed. 

Evenly pour the batter into the greased donut pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Let donuts cool completely before removing them from the pan and adding the frosting. 

How to make vegan chocolate frosting for donuts

The best part of a donut is the frosting! This simple chocolate frosting takes these dairy-free donuts to the next level:

1. Cream the powdered sugar and butter together in a bowl until well combined.  Btw, my favorite vegan butter is Earth Balance, we use it for everything.
2. Add the almond milk, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Continue to mix until a creamy chocolate frosting forms. 
3. To glaze, dip the cooled chocolate donuts in the frosting on one side and leave them to set before enjoying.

Can I make these without a donut pan?

Baking donuts in a donut pan helps them form the signature shape. If you don’t have one, use a muffin pan instead. This recipe should make 6-8 vegan chocolate muffins. 

Make sure you only fill the muffin tin 2/3rds of the way to prevent the muffins from spilling over the top. Bake at 350°F for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before removing them from the pan and frosting the tops with chocolate frosting. 

Can these be made gluten free?

If you’re looking to make these vegan donuts also gluten free, that’s no problem! All you’ll need to do is swap out the all purpose flour for a gluten free 1:1 flour blend. Make sure your blend already contains xanthan gum so you don’t have to add it yourself. 

Storing and freezing chocolate donuts

If eating immediately: Simply leave the donuts out on the cooling rack or on a serving dish at room temperature. To leave them out for more than a few hours, cover the donuts with plastic wrap or place them on a cake serving dish with a lid. Make sure they are stored in a single layer to keep the frosting from sticking to the donuts. 

To store: Place the chocolate donuts in a single layer in an airtight container. They should stay fresh for 2 to 3 days in the fridge. When it’s time to eat, let the donuts sit at room temperature for about 10 or 15 minutes so they aren’t too firm or cold.

To freeze: You can freeze the chocolate donuts without frosting by first placing them on a sheet pan in a single layer. Once they are fully frozen, add them to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Let them thaw on the counter before serving and adding frosting.

More chocolate desserts to try

• Chocolate Vegan Fudge
• Vegan Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pudding
• 100 Calorie Chocolate Brownie
• Fudgy Black Bean Brownies
• Chocolate Milkshake

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4.8 from 5 votes

Chocolate Vegan Donuts with Chocolate Frosting (Dairy Free)

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These tasty Chocolate Vegan Donuts are made with simple ingredients and contain no dairy or hard-to-find vegan ingredients. Baked and not fried, each bite of the chocolate frosting-covered treat is rich, decadent, and luscious.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Total Time 22 minutes

serves 6

Ingredients

For the donuts

• ▢ 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• ▢ 1/2 cup white sugar
• ▢ 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

For the frosting

• ▢ 1 cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons dairy free butter (I use Earth Balance) melted
• ▢ 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
• ▢ 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

For the donuts

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a donut pan with nonstick spray.
• Stir together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add oil, vanilla and milk and continue to stir until smooth.
• Pour batter into donut pan (this recipe makes 6 donuts) and bake for 12 minutes. Insert toothpick and if it comes out clean, donuts are done. If toothpick is not clean, bake for 2-3 more minutes or until clean.
• Let donuts cool for 15 minutes before removing from pan.

For the frosting

• In a bowl using a hand mixer, mix together powdered sugar and butter until creamed well.
• Add milk, cocoa powder and vanilla and continue to mix until creamy and well combined.
• Once donuts are cool, dip them into the frosting to cover the tops. Enjoy!

Course:Dessert

Cuisine:American

Keyword:vegan chocolate donuts

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