My husband and kids love chocolate donuts. Ironically, I got a Baby Cakes Donut Maker for Christmas. A subtle hint? Even though I typically don't bake, I decided to try making oil-free mini chocolate donuts. These bite-sized mini chocolate donuts are easy to make and even easier to pop in your mouth.
Despite the array of donut shops in our area, all the vegan donuts are oily and fried. Baked donuts, on the other hand, don't have any oil or sugar. In fact, I veganized a recipe in the Baby Cakes Donut cookbook, and to my surprise, they turned out perfectly.
Because my family loved them, I hope your family will enjoy them as well.
What ingredients are in mini chocolate donuts?
- All-purpose flour
- Cocoa
- Maple syrup
- Baking powder
- Oat Milk
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Apple sauce
- Vanilla Extract
Don't have a donut maker? No worries...Other ways to make mini chocolate donuts
Obviously, everyone doesn't have a Baby Cakes Donut Maker, but simple ways to make these mini chocolate donuts without a donut maker.
First, any mini-muffin pan works great! In fact, using this method gives you bit-sized donut holes.
Another suggestion is to use a large donut pan for larger full-sized donuts. I prefer the silicone donut pans because they are naturally non-stick and don't require any oils or sprays.
Similar to a mini muffin pan, donut hole pans make perfectly round donut holes as well.
Regardless of what method you choose, these baked oil-free donuts are delicious.
Although the donuts are delicious without any glaze or chocolate, a little dip into some vegan chocolate makes them extra yummy.
What can I find vegan chocolate chips?
Luckily, vegan chocolate chips are readily available in the grocery stores where I live. But, not everyone can find vegan chocolate so easily. So, here are a few of my favorites, available in a variety of places.
Believe it or not, all you need is a ¼ cup of vegan chocolate chips, melted for an entire batch of mini chocolate donuts.
- Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (mini chips, regular chips, and chunks)
- Gefen Vegan Semi-Sweet Real Chocolate Chips
- Haddar Vegan Semi-Sweet Real Chocolate Chips
- Lily's Sweets Stevia Sweetened Dark Chocolate Chips
- Paschas Bittersweet Dark Chocolate Chips
An alternative to using vegan chocolate chips is a combination of raw cashews, unsweetened cocoa powder, and maple syrup.
Of course, I prefer the cashew option, but you can melt vegan chocolate chips, or enjoy them plain if you have a nut allergy.
Since my family loves coconut, I dipped some of my mini chocolate donuts in flaked coconut. Available in sweetened or unsweetened, coconut gives the donuts an additional nutty flavor my family enjoyed.
Everyone at my house likes coffee, except for me of course. I'm more of a green tea and donut girl.
If you like something a little sweet from time to time, try these healthy desserts
- Pomegranate Chocolates
- Chocolate Vegan Pudding
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
- Simple Vegan Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- Vegan Vanilla Pudding
- Orange Cranberry Bread
- Cranberry Bars
📖 Recipe
Mini Chocolate Donuts
Ingredients
Mini Chocolate Donut Batter
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ¾ cup oat milk or plant milk of choice + 2 ¼ teaspoons apple cider vinegar vegan buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Glaze
- ¼ cup vegan chocolate chips
Alternative chocolate glaze
- ¼ cup raw cashews soaked overnight
- 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
Coconut Option
- ½ cup sweetened or unsweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
Donut Batter
- In a small measuring cup, combine plant-milk and apple cider vinegar. Stir and allow to sit while preparing the other ingredients. Add the apple cider vinegar first, and then add the milk (both combined should be ¾ cup total)
- Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir together.
- In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients and whisk together.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, blend until smooth.
- Do not over mix.
Melted Vegan Chocolate
- In a shallow bowl, melt ¼ cup vegan chocolate chips in a microwave using the chocolate melting setting, stirring when indicated. Or cook on power 5 for 5 minutes, stirring every 2.5 minutes.
- Stir the melted chocolate chips until the cholate is smooth.
- Hold each donut, dip one side, or half the donut, depending on what you want them to look like.
Alternative Cashew Chocolate Glaze
- Drain the cashews
- Place cashews and the other ingredients into a cup-sized high-speed blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Pour into a shallow dish.
- Hold each donut, dip one side, or half the donut, depending on what you want them to look like.
Add Shredded Coconut
- In a separate bowl, put ½ cup shredded coconut in the base.
- Dip the donut in chocolate first, then into the shredded coconut
- Place on a plate or a baking rack to allow the chocolate (and coconut if using) to dry.
Donut Maker (Baby Cakes or Similar mini-donut machine)
- Fill each donut reservoir with 2 Tablespoons of donut batter.
- Bake for 4-5 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the donut comes out clean.
- Glaze, sprinkle with powdered sugar or eat plain.
Oven Directions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Using a mini muffin or donut hole pan, fill each cup with batter
- Bake for 4-5 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the donut comes out clean.
- Glaze, sprinkle with powdered sugar or eat plain.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Alocasia
These sound great. I have everything to make them but the all-purpose flour. Is there a substitute flour, maybe wheat, spelt, cassava? I have tons of every other flour. 🙂
Kathy Carmichael
Alocasia, when baking it is suggested that you blend whole wheat flour with all-purpose flour, but I don't know if whole wheat flour will make the donuts drier? Since donuts are dense, I don't know if the other flours will work. I know this probably isn't helpful, but I would hate for you to waste your flour or other ingredients. If you try it, please let me know 🙂