Healthy Vegan Fluffy Glazed Donuts [Baked]

These donuts are super fluffy and light but more nutrient-dense than the traditional kind! They're healthy, vegan, and less oily since they're baked instead of fried.

Donut pans are cool and all, but if you want baked donuts that actually taste like donuts and not muffins, this is the way to do it.

I'm not saying there's anything with donut pans (I do love these Healthy Peppermint Hot Cocoa Donuts), but it just doesn't have the same texture or feel as regular donuts.

These use the traditional method (with healthier ingredients) up until the frying point. From there we bake them in the oven, coat them in glaze, and enjoy your soft, chewy, fluffy donuts.

So why should you be looking for a more nutrient-dense donut recipe?

Honestly, if you're craving a regular ol' donut, go buy a regular ol' donut. Nothing wrong with that!

However, most of the times I want something that's a little less oily and more filling, because regular donuts kinda fill you up like air. It'll also leave you with less of a sugar crash 🙂

If you want to learn how to make healthy and vegan donuts that make you feel good, keep on reading! And if you don't want to lose this recipe, click here to save it on Pinterest so you can always come back to it!📌

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Ingredients in Healthy Vegan Baked Donuts

The ingredients are pretty simple and you probably have most of them on you now!

• All-Purpose Flour: the all purpose flour is what makes these donuts super fluffy instead of dense. If you use any other kind of flour substitute, the texture will not turn out well.
• White Whole Wheat Flour: the all purpose flour is only about half. The other half is white whole wheat flour to add more fiber and to prevent the feeling like you're just eating air.😅 Make sure to use white whole wheat flour instead of regular whole wheat, because it has a much lighter taste and texture.
• Flaxseed Meal: this is completely optional but another great way to add fiber to these donuts, as well as protein and healthy fats. It won't change the texture or taste dramatically so it's your choice to add it or not 🙂
• Cane Sugar: you can use another granulated sweetener like coconut sugar or white sugar, but I like cane sugar for the size of the granules.
• Instant yeast: donuts need yeast for their signature taste and texture! I recommend instant yeast because it requires less rest time. If you only have active dry, you can still use it but you will need to wait longer.
• Oat milk: instead of regular milk to make these vegan. Feel free to use your favorite non-dairy milk instead!
• Light-tasting oil: I love both avocado oil and light-tasting olive oil (not extra virgin) for this.
• Unsweetened applesauce: just adds a bit more moisture without making them too oily.

how to make fluffy glazed donuts

Rising is really the only thing that takes time. Making donuts is actually pretty simple!

1.In a medium or large bowl, mix together the cane sugar, 1 cup of the all purpose flour, instant yeast, oat milk, oil (I used avocado oil), applesauce, and vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel and rest for about 20 minutes.

2. Add in the salt, flaxseed meal if using, the rest of the all purpose flour, and white whole wheat flour. Knead the dough with your hands for about 5 minutes and add extra flour as needed. Be very careful not to add too much or they will turn out dry.

3. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel and let it sit for an hour to 2 hours. It should double in size.

4. Lightly flour your surface and roll out the dough to be ¼ or ⅓ inch thick. Cut out using a donut cutter. If you don't have one, you can try using cups or cookie cutters. You can also use bottlecaps for the holes. Try to cut as much as you can before re-rolling, because you it will get dryer each time.

5. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil or parchment paper and lightly spread oil. Place the donuts on the tray, then cover and rise for about 20 minutes. Brush on more oil, then bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 7 minutes (depending on size and oven).

6. To make the glaze, pour powdered sugar in a shallow bowl, then add very small drips of oat milk. A little goes a long way! Keep mixing and adding milk until the icing is runny but not too thin. If it gets too thin, or you run out, you can always add more powdered sugar. Do not skip the glaze! It adds a lot of the flavor.

7. Once the donuts finish cooking, dip them in the glaze so they're coated on all sides. Let them drain on a cooling rack and harden. Enjoy!

*Do not skip on the glaze! Plain donuts don't have much taste on their own (and this goes for all donuts). The glaze adds a lot of the flavor so you definitely don't want to forget it.

frequently asked questions

can I use gluten free flour in donuts?

Unfortunately with these type of donuts, gluten is essential for the texture. Click here for a gluten free donut recipe.

can I make these oil free?

Without oil, any baked good will turn dry, so there is no substitute. However, there is much less oil in this recipe since they are baked instead of fried.

what is the best type of yeast to use in donuts?

I used instant yeast for this recipe, but active dry works as well. They both do the same thing, but instant yeast, or rapid rise, will rise much faster!

why doesn't my glaze harden?

This glaze only uses 2 ingredients: powdered sugar and oat milk. Powdered sugar naturally makes a glaze or icing harden when it sits, but it can end up soft if you add too much liquid.

can I use whole wheat flour in place of all purpose?

Using too much whole wheat flour in any recipe ends up in a dry, dense, and/or rough texture. In most recipes, you want to use a mix of all purpose flour and white whole wheat flour. You're welcome to try this substitution, but I can't guarantee good results.

On the flip side, you can of course substitute all purpose flour for whole wheat flour.

📌Click here to save the recipe on Pinterest so you can always come back to it!

I really hope you like this recipe! If you decide to make it, be sure to post a picture/story and tag me @nutritiousdelights on Instagram–I’d love to see!💕

Also, don’t forget to leave a comment if you make this so everyone knows how it goes 🙂 You can also feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions about the recipe!🥰

More recipes you might love:

Healthy Vegan Soft Pretzels

The Best Healthy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

Healthy Vegan Lemon Loaf