Tag: make at home

Vegan Doughnut

written 4/8/2024, updated 4/8/2024

What

Vegan yeast doughnuts with optional glaze and/or filling

Main Ingredients

Method 1

2 Cups All-purpose Flour

½ Cup Granulated Sugar

1½ – 2 tsp Active Dry Yeast

½ Cup Plant-based Milk or Water

Pinch of Salt

1-2 tsp of Sugar for Yeast

2 Tbsp Canola Oil

Oil for Frying

Method 2

Egg Replacer: ½ Cup Aquafaba + 3 Tbsp Cornstarch

1½ – 2 tsp Active Dry Yeast

½ Cup Water (warm)

4 Cups All-Purpose Flour

⅓ Cup Granulated Sugar

1 tsp Salt

⅔ Cup Plant-Based Milk

4 Tbsp Vegan Butter (room temp)

Frying Oil

Optional Ingredients

Apple Cider Vinegar, Applesauce (both as egg replacer substitutions), Vanilla Extract

Toppings

  • Original Glaze: 2 Cup Powdered Sugar + 1 Tbsp Vegan Butter (melted) + 2 Tbsp Plant Milk/Water
  • Add any desired extracts or juices to glaze (e.g. lemon, orange)
  • Chocolate: 1 Cup melted dark or milk chocolate + optional 1 tsp Refined Coconut Oil
  • Cinnamon Sugar: 3 Tbsp Granulated Sugar + 1 tsp Cinnamon + optional 2 Tbsp Plant Milk
  • Dairy-free frosting
  • Sprinkles, Chocolate Chips, Candy Pieces, Cookie Pieces
  • Fresh Fruit

Filling

  • Fruit Jam or Preserves
  • Custard:

⅓ Cup Cornstarch

1½ Cup Plant Milk

1¾ Cup Full Fat Coconut Milk

½ Cup Golden Caster Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

¼ tsp turmeric

4 Tbsp Vegan Butter

  1. Coconut and Plant Milk to saucepan
  2. Whisk in Cornstarch + Milk (small amount) slurry
  3. Add sugar, vanilla extract and turmeric
  4. Medium to high heat
  5. Stirring while it thickens significantly
  6. Whisk in vegan butter
  • Pastry Cream:

1 Cup Plant Milk

¼ Cup All-purpose Flour/Cornstarch

¼ Cup Granulated Sugar

2 Tbsp Canola Oil or 4Tbsp Vegan Butter

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 tsp Vanilla Extract or 1 Vanilla Pod

  1. If using Vanilla Pod, remove seeds from pod and add both pod and seeds to pan, then add milk and simmer low-medium heat for 5-10 min to infuse, then discard vanilla and bring to boil.
  2. Whisk all ingredients in saucepan
  3. Medium-high heat
  4. Stir while thickening
  5. Lower to medium-low temperature
  6. Continue stirring until pudding-like
  7. Remove from heat (can store in fridge for 3 days)
  • Fruit Creams: 1 Cup Pastry Cream + ½ Cup Fruit Puree and ¼ tsp Fruit Extract
  • Chocolate Cream: 1 Cup Pastry Cream + ½ Cup Chocolate
  • Cream Cheese: 1 Cup Pastry Cream + ½ Cup Plant-Based Cream Cheese

Equipment

Roller

Flat Surface

Fryer

Plastic Wrap

Oil Thermometer

Tongs/Spider

Cooking Spray

Bowls

Clean Cloth

Chopstick

Pastry Piping Bag

Round Cutters/Cup/Whatever

Cooling Rack

Paper Towels

Sifter

Stand Mixer

Instructions

Method 1 – No Egg Replacer

Yeast: Warm Milk/Water (½ Cup) to about 105F to 115F and dissolve Sugar (1 tsp), then add Active Dry Yeast (1½ – 2 tsp). Let rest until it blooms

Dough: In a bowl (or stand mixer bowl if using) combine Flour (2 Cups), Sugar (½ Cup), and Oil (2 Tbsp). Then add Yeast

Knead: Knead either by hand (10 minutes) or in the stand mixer with dough hook (5 minutes on level 2) until a dough forms

First Proof: Cover with plastic wrap or a clean cloth and let rise until doubled, about 1-2 hours

Shaping: Roll out onto lightly floured surface (don’t over flour the surface) and roll until about ½” thick

  • Cover any pieces not using
  • Using cutters or a cup or bottle caps or whatever, shape and cut your doughnuts.
  • If filling, just roll into little balls and flatten them

Optional Second Proof: Cover with plastic (add some cooking spray to prevent sticking) and allow to rise for another 30 minutes to an hour

Frying: Heat oil to 360F – 375F

  • Make sure there’s enough for the doughnuts to float
  • Fry for about 30 – 45 seconds until golden brown per side
  • Place on cooling rack with paper towels underneath

Method 2 – Egg Replacer

Egg Replacer: Mix Aquafaba (½ Cup) and Cornstarch (3 Tbsp)

Yeast: Combine Yeast (1½ – 2 tsp) with warm Water (½ Cup) and Sugar (1 tsp). Let rest until it blooms

Dough: In a large bowl, combine Flour (4 Cups), Sugar (⅓ Cup), and Salt (1 tsp), making a well in the center

  • Add Egg Replacer, Milk (⅔ Cup), and Yeast
  • Mix together until the ingredients JUST combine (overdoing it can make the doughnut dense)
  • Optionally, let sit for 30 minutes

Knead: Either 10 minutes by hand or 5 minutes in stand mixer with dough hook set on level 2

  • Add Butter (softened/room temp, 4 Tbsp)
  • Knead again for about 2 minutes until you can pull it thin without it tearing

First Proof: Cover with plastic or a clean cloth until it doubles in size about 1-2 hours

  • Optionally, punch it down then refrigerate overnight. Many bakers recommend this to infuse the yeast flavor into the dough, but not necessary
  • Prepare a working surface lightly with flour (don’t overdo it) and turn out dough.
  • Divide into pieces and cover any pieces not being used
  • Roll into pieces about ½” thick and cut to desired size and shape (you can use cookie cutters, drinking glass, bottle caps, whatever)
  • Re-roll any leftover scraps and let sit for about 30 minutes before repeating (it is recommended to re-roll only one time)

Second Proof: Place cut doughnuts on a tray or parchment lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap (may want to use cooking spray to prevent sticking)

  • Allow to rise for 30 minutes to an hour
  • Test by poking with finger: if indentation pops back out, need to rise more. If it stays, then ready for frying
  • Remove plastic wrap

Frying: Heat oil to about 360F to 375F

  • Don’t leave! Each doughnut should take about 30 – 45 seconds per side
  • Fry until golden brown
  • Place on towel-lined cooling rack

Pictures

Glazing and Filling

Allow doughnuts to be cool yet warm before adding glaze or filling

Glaze

Original Glaze: 2 Cup Powdered Sugar + 1 Tbsp Vegan Butter (melted) + 2 Tbsp Plant Milk/Water

Sift powdered Sugar 1 Tbsp at a time into the melted Butter (1Tbsp) and Milk (2 Tbsp) mixture

Stir to combine

Drizzle over doughnuts or dunk top of doughnut into bowl of glaze

  • Add any desired extracts or juices to glaze (e.g. lemon, orange)
  • Add food coloring if desired
  • Top with cookies, candy, cereal, etc
  • Reduce Milk for thicker glaze

*See Toppings section above for more ideas

Filling

Use a chopstick to poke a hole into the side of the doughnut

Wiggle it around to create opening for the fillings

Using pastry piping equipment, pipe in your fillings

Make sure fillings are not super hot

*See Fillings section above for more ideas

Notes

  • I didn’t have any pastry piping, so I tried to use a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off. Ended up having to use the chopstick to force the filling into the depths of the doughnut… Now, mind you, I tried to fill a ring doughnut, but a hole-less doughnut or longer cylindrical like an eclair would be much easier to fill without dedicated piping equipment.
  • I overworked my dough, so it ended up being very dense and not fluffy
  • I already altered the sugar ingredient amount because mine were so bland
  • Glaze needs to be thicker. Mine was so liquidy and didn’t work well
  • Use an oil thermometer!
  • Most notes say to eat doughnuts the same day for best results
  • I ate my jam-filled ring doughnut the next day and I daresay it was better than the day before!
  • Reheated my 5in jelly-filled ring doughnut the next day in the microwave with a wet paper towel on top for about 15 seconds
  • Aquafaba is just the liquid from a can of beans