Bite into these amazing baked vegan chocolate donuts. They are dipped in chocolate ganache and topped with crushed pistachios for the perfect sweet and salty pastry. Made in under 30 minutes!
These vegan chocolate donuts are a personal favorite. We served a similar pastry at a bakery where I once worked. They always looked so good, but I never try them since they weren’t vegan.
Until now...
Not only did I update a classic favorite but I also made it a bit healthier by baking them instead of deep-frying them. Plus, baking these means this vegan donut recipe is easier than you think. You just need very basic ingredients and equipment and the result is a batch of perfect baked goods that make a decadent breakfast or snack any time.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Making baked donuts is incredibly easy and satisfying. Who doesn’t love a soft and warm sweet pastry filled with spices and dipped in the glaze? And better yet, they are so simple to master.
Here is everything you need.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
Ingredients Notes
- All-Purpose Flour - I have also made these cookies with 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour Baking Blend with great success. You may need to reduce the amount of the liquid in the recipe. Start but cutting back on the oil by 50%.
- Granulated sugar - You can use sugar substitutes if you prefer. Check out my guide to vegan sugars and healthy sugar alternatives.
- Applesauce - Use a plain, no-sugar added variety. Note: this is the binder of the recipe. You could replace it with ⅓ cup mashed banana or a variety of other egg replacers.
- Non-dairy milk - I use soy milk for this recipe but you can use other non-dairy milk if you prefer. I recommend anything this is rich, creamy, and neutral flavored.
- Oil – This recipe calls for coconut oil because it compliments the flavors of this donut. You can also use avocado, olive, or canola oil. If you want to eliminate the oil altogether, swap it out for the same amount of applesauce.
- Shelled Pistachios - If you are allergic to pistachios, you can use any other nut. You could also omit the nuts altogether.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Before getting started, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Also apply a generous layer of cooking spray to your donut pan (<<affiliate link).
Step One - Prep and Mix the Batter
Mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk the applesauce, non-dairy milk, coconut oil, and vanilla extract.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to mix the ingredients until a smooth batter forms.
Step Two - Pipe and Bake
The easiest way to fill a donut pan is to pipe the batter in. To do this, fill a piping bag or a sealable bag with the batter.
To fill a piping bag, place it in a tall cup and open the bag so it covers the top the glass. Spoon or pour the batter into the bag. Once it is filled, push the batter toward the tip and use scissors to create a hole in the corner.
Once the bag is prepped, pipe the batter into the donut pan’s grooves. Avoid overfilling the grooves. A single layer should be enough.
Place the donut pan in the oven and set a timer for 15 minutes.
Step Three - Prepare the Topping
When the donuts are in the oven, make the chocolate ganache. To do this, place the chocolate chips in a small bowl. Heat the non-dairy cream or milk to a scald. The milk will form a thin layer of skin when the milk is ready to use.
Pour the chocolate chips into the prepared milk. Cover for 5 minutes and then stir the chips and milk together until the ganache is well combined.
Remove the donuts from the oven and allow them to cool for a few minutes in the pan before transferring them to your cooling rack. Once the donuts have cooled, dip one side of each donut in the ganache and then immediately dip in the crushed pistachios.
Return the finished donut to the cooling rack and allow the ganache to set or become harder before serving.
Serve with coffee, tea, or your other favorite breakfast treats.
Serving and Storing
Serving – Serve your vegan donuts immediately as a morning pastry or afternoon snack. Serve with a homemade Chai Tea or Matcha Latte
Storing – Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. To do so, allow the donuts and ganache to cool and set completely. Place them in a sealable container and close the lid securely. They can also be frozen for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, pull them out of the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature for 2-3 hours.
Tips and Tricks
- Generously spray the donut pan before piping in the batter to ensure the donuts do not stick to the pan.
- The most accurate way to measure flour is to spoon it into your measuring cup, leveling it off with the back of a knife.
- Take care not to overmix the batter. Overmixed batter becomes tough and gummy.
- Don’t skip the piping bag - You may be tempted to try to spoon the donut batter into the donut pan, but this will create more of a headache for you. You’ll likely end up with uneven donuts, a mess, or both. It is so much easier to take the time to fill the piping bag and then pipe the donut into the grooved donut pan.
- Let the donuts rest in the pan for 10 minutes before flipping them onto a wire cooling rack. Let donuts cool completely before dipping them in the glaze to prevent the glaze from melting.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you don’t have piping bags because you don’t bake frequently, no problem! You can use a large, sealable bag instead. To do this, fill the bag by placing it in a tall glass or cup. Drape the opening of the bag over the sides of the cup and spoon in the batter.
When the batter is in the bag, remove the bag from the glass and cinch the bag shut. Use a scissors to cut about a ½ to 1 inch large triangle out of the one corner of the bag. Push the batter towards the opening and then gently squeeze the batter into the circle shaped grooves on the donut pan.
Yes! You can still make the donuts. Use a flat cookie sheet and pipe the donut batter as you would into the donut pan. You could try using a small, round bowl or cup as a guide. While you may not get perfect donut shapes, they will mostly hold their form and still taste great.
If you are allergic to pistachios, you can use just about any nut that you are not allergic to instead. If you can’t eat any nuts, I would use vegan chocolate chips as an alternative topping choice.
You can certainly try these with a gluten-free batter. However, I have not tried it that way myself. You may need to slightly adjust the amount of liquid or flour and the consistency may not be exactly the same.
Sure. If you would like to make any of these recipes oil-free, simply swap out the oil for additional applesauce at a 1:1 ratio.
Yes! You can make this batter up to 1 day in advance. Store the batter in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, pipe the batter into the donut pan and bake in a preheated oven. If the batter is chilled, the donuts may need a minute or two extra in the oven.
More Vegan Donut Recipes
- Orange Pistachio Donuts
- Maple "Bacon" Donuts
- Vegan Pumpkin Donuts with Spiced Glaze
- Baked Vegan Apple Cider Donuts
Check out all my morning pastry recipe for more inspiration.
Double Chocolate Pistachio Doughnuts
Equipment
Ingredients
Chocolate Donut
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ cup applesauce
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon non-dairy milk
- 3 tbsp. coconut oil, melted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Donut Toppings
- 2 tablespoon non-dairy milk
- 2 ounces vegan chocolate chips
- ¼ cup shelled pistachios, crushed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously spray a donut pan and set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl whisk together the applesauce, non-dairy milk, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until you have a uniform batter.
- Pipe the batter into your donut pan, filling the donut molds to the top. Bake for 12 -15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let sit for a couple of minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to let them cool completely.
- While the donuts are baking, make the chocolate ganache. To make the chocolate ganache place chocolate chips in a small bowl. Heat non-dairy to a scald. A thin layer of skin will form on the top of the milk when ready. Pour over the chocolate chips. Cover for 5 minutes then stir together until chocolate has completely melted and ganache is well combined.
- Dip the top of each donut into the chocolate ganache. Then dip the donuts in crushed pistachios. Let the ganache set up completely before serving.
Notes
- Generously spray the donut pan before piping in the batter to ensure the donuts do not stick to the pan.
- The most accurate way to measure flour is to spoon it into your measuring cup, leveling it off with the back of a knife.
- Don’t skip the piping bag - You may be tempted to try to spoon the donut batter into the donut pan, but this will create more of a headache for you. You’ll likely end up with uneven donuts, a mess, or both. It is so much easier to take the time to fill the piping bag and then pipe the donut into the grooved donut pan.
- Let the donuts rest in the pan for 10 minutes before flipping them onto a wire cooling rack. Let donuts cool completely before dipping them in the glaze to prevent the glaze from melting.
- What can I use if I don't have a piping bag? If you don’t have piping bags because you don’t bake frequently, no problem! You can use a large, sealable bag instead. To do this, fill the bag by placing it in a tall glass or cup. Drape the opening of the bag over the sides of the cup and spoon in the batter. When the batter is in the bag, remove the bag from the glass and cinch the bag shut. Use scissors to cut about a ½ to 1 inch large triangle out of the one corner of the bag. Push the batter towards the opening and then gently squeeze the batter into the circle shaped grooves on the donut pan.
- Can I make this recipe into muffins? Yes! When making muffins, I prefer using a mini-muffin pan for these as they do tend to be a bit sweeter than muffins.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Ashley says
Awesome! I cooked it for my husband! He has a sweet tooth and asks to cook them again and again.
suzi says
will almond milk work in place of the soy milk? perhaps cashew milk might be better?
suzi says
Almond or cashew milk in place of soy milk/ As for the ganache. sorry I didnt specify!! Thank you!!
Voula Kanavas says
I just made your apple cider donuts and they are amaaaaze! Searched to find a chocolate one and came across this- my daughters are egg and nut allergic but not dairy ; will regular whole milk work for the batter and the ganache ? Any other suggestions for a salty topper that isn’t a nut.. hmm ?
Sarah says
Whole milk would work fine. Can your daughter do peanuts? That would be an option. Or you could add some lightly salted and toasted coconut flakes.
Voula says
No peanuts either - but salted coconut sounds awesome - thx !
Britt says
Hi! Love your site and I’ve made several of your recipes. I’m going to try these doughnuts for my son’s birthday breakfast surprise. Wondering if I can sub coconut oil for the canola oil? I usually do in baking recipes, but I’ve never made doughnuts before so I wasn’t sure. Thanks!
Sarah says
That should be fine!
Ainsley says
Hi, what other vegan alternatives are there for the applesauce in the recipe? it’s not available where I live, and hoping for something that isn’t a vegan processed product either! Cheers
Sarah says
You could try chickpea flour or any other fruit puree that doesn't have a strong taste. Check out my guide here for some ideas.
Anna says
Lovely recipe, but very cake-ish; I think my husband said he'd prefer a more donut-like density. Any adjustments we could make to achieve this? Thanks so much for the recipes!
Thisguy says
So from your experience, are cake donuts just normal cake in donut pans?
tammie says
Hi,
I made them today, but they turned out a bit dense and not spongy. I stirred the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined as indicated, but perhaps I should mix them more throughly? Thanks.
Sarah says
They are supposed to be cake-like in texture. If yours were too dense, you could try and add a little less liquid. You don't want to mix them more than you have to because that makes the finished product tough.
Giselle says
Hi!
One doesnt get applesauce where i live. What can i use instead of it? Eggs? I am just dairy free, not vegan!
Sarah says
eggs should work fine.
Libby says
I just made these yesterday, but I substituted Betty Crocker's Gluten Free All Purpose flour. I had read that if you let GF batter rest at room temperature the grainy/gritty/chalky texture will go away. It worked! I also used almond milk instead of soy milk. I also used a mini bundt pan filled halfway in each section since I didn't have a donut pan (I made four). The end result was phenomenal. They are light and moist a day later.
I made these for my boss who is gluten free, dairy free, and egg free for a huge meeting with our CEO and her boss. The CEO and her boss were really impressed with how gorgeous and tasty they looked (they looked just as good as the fancy donuts I bought the rest of the group) and my boss really enjoyed eating one.
Sarah says
Awesome Libby! thanks for taking the time to share with me, I love when my recipes are enjoyed by many! And thanks for sharing your GF tips too, I know many of my readers will appreciate that.
Jacq says
I've noticed the following spellings:
Donuts in the U.S
Doughnuts in the U.K
P.S - Wonderful photos on your site!
Sarah says
Thanks, Jacq!
LizW says
Bookmarked this when you first posted it. Finally made them today. Whoa!!! Thanks for the yummy recipe 🙂
rika@veganmiam.com says
I'm a huge fan of these salty pistachios, but I've never had them on these chocolate glazed donuts! I'm so in! And beautiful shots!
Sarah says
Thanks Rika! They sweet and salty combo is the best!
vegeTARAian says
Holy moly, they look incredible! Love the crunchy pistachios on top
suzi says
where does one find a donut pan? i have whoopie pans will that work? would love to do these for halloween party!!
Sarah says
You can get one on Amazon:
Also most kitchen stores and department stores would carry them.
I'm not sure what a whoopie pan looks like, but I suppose it would make domes that you could cut holes out of the middle of. I personally think a donut pan is an EXCELLENT things to put 10 dollars towards.