Vegan/GF Baked Chocolate Donuts

I've been vegan for almost 6 years now & gluten free for 3 of those recent years. I'm not even going to pretend like I don't miss some of the things I ate before because as a natural born foodie, I definitely do!

Sweets have always been a favorite of mine on ANY occasion but as I've been detoxing more on a quarterly basis, I now tend to keep them for special occasions or when the cravings come... which isn't too often so these are definitely a special treat I truly enjoy!

I've made this recipe for catering events & they are ALWAYS a hit. I last made this recipe for my future mother-in-law's birthday back in February because donuts are like the only sweets she reallyyyy likes! Even though these aren't EXACTLY like classic fried donuts & more like a light cake with a slightly crispy outside, they were still a hit for everyone at the celebration!

The donut itself is lightly sweetened & fluffy so when you add that with the vanilla or chocolate glaze on the outside... they are the perfect match & oh so delicious! ANYONE will enjoy these sweet treats, whether they are vegan or not!

Most people shy away from gluten free baked goods because the flour tends to make the baked dishes either really dense or it falls apart... But I can reassure you that ANY of my recipes for baked goods have been tested & are just as good, if not better, than the original versions made with regular flour!

LET'S GET STARTED!

If you don't already, you will need a donut pan to make the perfect rounded donuts! This recipe makes about 12 donuts.

Here are the ingredients!

Donuts

• 2 Tbsp of Ground Flax Seeds
• 6 Tbsp of Water
• 1 1/2 Cups of Gluten-Free Flour Mix (I recommend Bob's Red Mill Baking GF Flour)
• 1/2 Cup of Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 1 Tsp of Baking Powder
• 1/2 Tsp of Baking Soda
• 1/2 Tsp of Salt
• 1/2 Cup of Coconut Sugar
• 1 Cup of Sweetened Almond Milk
• 6 Tbsp of Oil (Coconut or Avocado)
• 2 Tsp of Vanilla Extract

Vanilla Glaze

• 1 Cup of Powdered Sugar
• 2 Tbsp of Sweetened Almond Milk
• 1/4 Tsp of Vanilla Extract

Chocolate Glaze

• 1 Cup of Powdered Sugar
• 2 Tbsp of Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 1/4 Tsp of Vanilla
• 2 Tbsp of Sweetened Almond Milk

Making & Baking!

Donuts:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375°.
2. Lightly grease your donut pans with oil.
3. Combine the Ground Flax Seed with the water, stir, & sit aside to let thicken. This is the egg replacer. (1 tbsp of flax + 3 tbsp of water = 1 egg, you are making & adding 2).
4. Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, & coconut sugar in a large bowl. Make sure there are no clumps.
5. In a separate, smaller bowl, combine the the milk, oil, vanilla extract, & flax eggs together.
6. Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients thoroughly.
7. Take the batter & add to a large ziplock bag. Push all the batter to one corner & cut about 1/2 inch off the corner.
8. Acting as a piping bag, pipe the batter into each circle of the donut pans until filled.
9. Bake for about 10-15 minutes.
10. Remove from the oven & poke with a toothpick to see if it's baked all the way through.
11. If done, let the donuts sit in the pan for just a few minutes & then remove from the pan on a cooling rack or fresh plate.

Vanilla & Chocolate Glazes

1. Add all ingredients in a bowl & mix until it turns into a liquid glaze.
2. If the glaze is too thick, add a tiny bit of milk. If it is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.
3. When the donuts are cooled, you can drizzle the glaze over the top, making a cool design of your choice like I did in the picture OR you can dip the tops of the donuts into the glaze to create a classic glazed donut look.
4. Allow the glaze to firm up on the cooling rack OR on a plate.

ENJOY!!!!