Vegan Glazed Doughnuts

Vegan glazed doughnuts - these egg and dairy free fried ring doughnuts are incredibly light and fluffy. Topped with a vanilla glaze they are so moreish and very similar to a Krispy Kreme.

Vegan glazed doughnuts have been on my to-make list for a while now; the recipe took a bit of testing to get right but I am happy to say that I think I've nailed it!

These doughnuts (or donuts depending on how you like to spell it) are feather light and fluffy, soft and totally delicious!

The amazing texture is due to using the tangzhong method to make the dough. This may sound complicated but it is actually incredibly simple.

All you have to do is combine some flour and non-dairy milk (or you can use water) in a pan and cook while whisking until it forms a thick paste. Allow it to cool then add it to the rest of the dough ingredients.

The tangzhong helps to keep the doughnuts really soft and moist. It is my favourite method of bread making as it makes such wonderfully soft, delicious bread (which is all that doughnuts are really).

I topped them with a simple vanilla glaze - I use vegan butter in mine as I think that it tastes better but you can just use icing sugar, milk and vanilla extract if you prefer.

Alternatively you can roll the doughnuts in cinnamon sugar, or use a chocolate glaze instead.

Bear with me - this is a long post but making doughnuts can be a bit complicated if you haven't done it before so make sure that you read through to get all of my tips, and there are step by step photos to make the process easier to follow.

Or just scroll down to the bottom to get the recipe.

How To Make Vegan Glazed Doughnuts:

(For ingredients and full instructions see the recipe card below)

*For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.*

Ideally you need to make the dough the day before you want to fry the doughnuts and let it rise in the fridge overnight. You can do it all on the same day if you prefer but the slow-rise dough tastes better and is easier to handle when cold from the fridge.

These also must be made on the day they are going to be eaten. As with all home-made doughnuts they go stale fast and are best eaten as fresh as possible.

To make the tangzhong, place some flour in a small pan and gradually whisk in some non-dairy milk, making sure that there are no lumps.

Place over a medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until it has thickened to a wallpaper paste-like consistency. Remove from the heat, scrape into a bowl and cover with clingfilm/baking parchment directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and set aside to cool.

Once the tangzhong has cooled, place plain and white bread flours, sugar, salt and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix to combine. I think that using half plain flour and half white bread flour gives the best texture.

You can use either all plain or all bread flour if you prefer, but I think that that results in too soft or too chewy doughnuts respectively.

Add in softened vegan butter (you need to use the solid block variety, not the spreadable kind; I use Naturli Vegan Block), non-dairy milk (soy is best but any unsweetened variety will work), all of the cooled tangzhong and some cornflour mixed with water - this replaces the egg that is usually added to doughnut dough; it helps to bind the mixture and keep the dough soft.

Mix everything together until it forms a shaggy dough and there are no lumps of butter left then mix on a high speed until the dough is very smooth and stretchy, about 5-10 minutes.

It is quite a soft, sticky dough, resist the urge to add extra flour as this will make your doughnuts tough. You should be able to stretch a section of the dough thin enough to see light through it without it breaking (the windowpane test).

If you don't have a stand mixer then you can knead the dough by hand on an un-floured surface instead but it is very sticky and may take you a while!

Place the kneaded dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Place in the fridge overnight to rise. (You can leave it to rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours, until doubled in size instead but the flavour wont be as good and the chilled dough is easier to roll out.)

The following day, take the dough out of the fridge and punch it down. Knead very briefly to knock out any air bubbles then roll out on a floured surface to about 1cm thick.

They will puff up a lot when you fry them so you don't want the dough to be too thick at this stage.

Use an approx 7cm/2.75 inch round pastry cutter to cut out as many circles of dough as you can, then use a 3.5cm/1.4 inch one to cut a hole out of the centre of each (I used the wide end of a large piping nozzle as I didn't have a cutter small enough. Something like a bottle cap may also work). Dip the cutters in flour first to stop them sticking.

*Note that although this dough makes amazing ring doughnuts, it does not work for ones without a hole in the middle - it is too light to hold the structure together and they will end up hollow, so make sure that you cut the middle hole out!*

Knead together the scraps and re-roll to cut out more doughnuts (you can either save the holes to fry or add them to the scraps to re-roll). Do not re-roll the dough more than once however as you will end up with tough doughnuts.

If you have lots of scraps after the second roll you can save them and use to make bread rolls if you like. You should end up with about 22 doughnuts and holes.

Spin each doughnut around your finger to widen the hole a little then place each one on it's own square of baking parchment well spaced apart on a baking sheet.

For the doughnut holes you can place 3 or 4 on the same square of parchment provided they are spaced apart. Cover loosely with oiled clingfilm or baking parchment and set aside to rise for about 30-45 minutes until puffy.

Meanwhile, make the glaze. Melt the vegan butter in a pan over a low heat. Place the sifted icing sugar in a wide, microwave safe bowl and stir in the melted butter and vanilla extract.

Gradually whisk in enough warm milk to form a thick but runny glaze. Set aside. If the glaze sets before you are ready to use it, simply heat it up for a few seconds in the microwave until it becomes runny again.

Heat a deep fat fryer or large pan of oil to 180C/350F. Use a fish slice/spatula to lift a doughnut on it's square of parchment into the hot oil then use a pair of tongs to lift the parchment out. This is the best way to transfer the doughnuts to the oil without them becoming misshapen or deflated.

Fry up to three doughnuts at a time for about a minute per side until golden. If you want to be certain that they are cooked through then you can use a probe thermometer to check - they should measure about 100C/212F inside.

Use a slotted spoon to lift the doughnuts out onto a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain.

If you are frying the doughnut holes too then they will take about 30 seconds per side. Only fry a couple at a time as they can be tricky to flip over and you may have to hold it with tongs to ensure that they cook on both sides.

Dip the doughnuts into the glaze while they are still warm then place them on a wire rack set over a roasting tin/baking tray to catch any drips. The doughnut holes can be dipped in the glaze too or they can be rolled in cinnamon sugar instead.

Can I Make These Vegan Glazed Doughnuts In Advance?:

No. As with all homemade doughnuts, these vegan glazed doughnuts go stale very quickly and are best eaten as fresh as possible.

If you do have any leftovers they can be stored in an airtight container and rewarmed in the microwave for 10 seconds to soften them up before eating the following day. By the third day it is likely that the only thing they will be good for is bread pudding.

Can I Freeze Them?:

Yes. Make sure that you freeze them as soon as possible once they are cooked and cooled. To freeze them spread them out in a single layer on a tray until frozen then transfer to a freezer bag.

Store for up to a couple of months. Allow to defrost at room temperature and refresh in the microwave for 10 seconds before eating.

If you want a recipe for filled doughnuts rather than ring ones then I have a recipe for deliciously light and soft vegan jam doughnuts (though you can fill them with anything you like!).

If you tried this recipe let me know how it went! Rate it, leave a comment or tag @domestic_gothess on Instagram and hashtag it #domesticgothess

*All images and content on Domestic Gothess are copyright protected. If you want to share this recipe then please do so by using the share buttons provided. Do not screenshot or post the recipe or content in full.*

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5 from 1 vote

Vegan Glazed Doughnuts

Vegan glazed doughnuts - these egg and dairy free fried ring doughnuts are incredibly light and fluffy. Topped with a vanilla glaze they are so moreish and very similar to a Krispy Kreme.

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American, vegan

Keyword doughnuts

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

resting time 10 hours hours

Total Time 10 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Servings 22 doughnuts

Author Domestic Gothess

Ingredients

Tangzhong:

• 20 g (2 Tbsp + 2 tsp) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 120 ml (½ cup) unsweetened non-dairy milk (soy is best but any other will work)

Dough:

• 150 g (1 ¼ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 150 g (1 ¼ cups) white bread flour
• 50 g (¼ cup) caster sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 7 g (2 tsp) fast action/instant yeast
• 50 g (1.75 oz) vegan block butter/margarine (ideally not the spreadable kind. I use Naturli Vegan Block) softened
• 100 ml (⅓ cup + 1 Tbsp) unsweetened non-dairy milk (soy is best but any other will work)
• 2 Tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) mixed with 3 Tbsp water
• all of the tangzhong
• vegetable oil for frying

Glaze:

• 60 g (¼ cup) vegan butter/margarine
• 250 g (2 cups) icing (powdered) sugar sifted
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2-4 Tbsp warm non-dairy milk

Instructions

• Start the day before you want to fry the doughnuts. To make the tangzhong, place the flour in a small pan and gradually whisk in the milk, making sure that there are no lumps.
• Place over a medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until it has thickened to a wallpaper paste-like consistency. Remove from the heat, scrape into a bowl and cover with clingfilm directly on the surface, set aside to cool.
• Once the tangzhong has cooled, place the plain and bread flours, sugar, salt and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix to combine.
  
• Add the softened vegan butter, milk, cornflour and water mixture and all of the cooled tangzhong; mix until it forms a shaggy dough and there are no lumps of butter.
  
• Mix on a high speed until the dough is very smooth and stretchy, about 5-10 minutes. It is quite a soft, sticky dough, resist the urge to add extra flour. You should be able to stretch a section of the dough thin enough to see light through it without it breaking (the windowpane test).
  
• If you don't have a stand mixer then you can knead the dough by hand on an un-floured surface but it is very sticky and may take a while!
  
• Place the kneaded dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Place in the fridge overnight to rise. (You can leave it to rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours, until doubled in size instead but the flavour wont be as good and the chilled dough is easier to roll out.)
  
• The following day, take the dough out of the fridge and punch it down. Knead very briefly to knock out any air bubbles then roll out on a floured surface to about 1cm thick. They will puff up a lot when you fry them so you don't want the dough to be too thick at this stage.
  
• Use an approx 7cm/2.75 inch round pastry cutter to cut out as many circles of dough as you can, then use a 3.5cm/1.4 inch one to cut a hole out of the centre of each (I used the wide end of a large piping nozzle as I didn't have a cutter small enough. Something like a bottle cap may also work). Dip the cutters in flour first to stop them sticking.
  
• Knead together the scraps and re-roll to cut out more doughnuts (you can either save the holes to fry or add them to the scraps to re-roll). Do not re-roll more than once however as you will end up with tough doughnuts. If you have lots of scraps after the second roll you can save them and use to make bread rolls if you like. You should end up with about 22 doughnuts and holes.
  
• Spin each doughnut around your finger to widen the hole a little then place each one on it's own square of baking parchment well spaced apart on a baking sheet. For the doughnut holes you can place 3 or 4 on the same square of parchment provided they are spaced apart. Cover loosely with oiled clingfilm or baking parchment and set aside to rise for about 30-45 minutes until puffy.
• Meanwhile, make the glaze. Melt the vegan butter in a pan over a low heat. Place the sifted icing sugar in a wide, microwave safe bowl and stir in the melted butter and vanilla extract. Gradually whisk in enough warm milk to form a thick but runny glaze. Set aside. If the glaze sets before you are ready to use it, simply heat it up for a few seconds in the microwave until it becomes runny again.
  
• Heat a deep fat fryer or large pan of oil to 180C/350F. Use a fish slice/spatula to lift a doughnut on it's square of parchment into the hot oil then use a pair of tongs to lift the parchment out. This is the best way to transfer the doughnuts to the oil without them becoming misshapen or deflated.
  
• Fry up to three doughnuts at a time for about a minute per side until golden. If you want to be certain that they are cooked through then you can use a probe thermometer to check - they should measure about 100C/212F inside.
  
• Use a slotted spoon to lift the doughnuts out onto a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain.
  
• If you are frying the doughnut holes too then they will take about 30 seconds per side. Only fry a couple at a time as they can be tricky to flip over and you may have to hold it with tongs to ensure that they cook on both sides.
  
• Dip the doughnuts into the glaze while they are still warm then place them on a wire rack set over a roasting tin/baking tray to catch any drips. The doughnut holes can be dipped in the glaze too or can be rolled in cinnamon sugar instead.
  
• Allow the glaze to set then eat straight away. They really must be eaten on the day they are made for the best experience, though if you do have any leftovers they can be stored in an airtight container and rewarmed in the microwave for 10 seconds to soften them up before eating the following day. By the third day the only thing they will be good for is bread pudding.
  

Notes

• This dough will only work for ring doughnuts. Do not try to make doughnuts without a hole with it as the dough is too light and they will end up hollow.
• For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.