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Vegan Pumpkin Donuts with Cinnamon Sugar

These Vegan Pumpkin Donuts are the perfect way to welcome fall! They're warm-spiced, pumpkiny, and frosted with a cinnamon-sugar coating. The ingredient list is simple and they'll be ready in a flash! 
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Vegan
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 12 people
Calories 248kcal

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

  • ½ cup soy milk (or any plant-based milk - *see note)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar (sub white vinegar or lemon juice)
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • cup brown sugar , light
  • cup grapeseed oil or any neutral-flavored oil (avocado, sunflower, etc.)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour , sifted
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 ½ teaspoons pumpkin spice
  • ¾ teaspoon salt

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 °F (177 °C) and lightly grease the slots of two donut pans.
  • In a Medium Mixing Bowl, add the soy milk and apple cider vinegar. Combine and let it sit for 10 minutes to create vegan buttermilk. It will thicken and curdle slightly. Set aside.
  • To a Large Mixing Bowl, add the Flour, Corn Starch, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Pumpkin Spice, and Salt. Whisk to combine well. Set aside.
  • To the Medium Bowl with the Buttermilk, add the Granulated Sugar, Brown Sugar, Oil, Pumpkin, and Vanilla. Whisk to combine well.
  • Now add the wet ingredients into the large bowl of dry ingredients. Fold batter gently with a spatula until just combined. The batter should be thick. Don't overwork the batter or it can cause dense and chewy donut.
  • Using a spoon add your batter to a large Ziploc or decorating bag. Twist top closed and snip off one corner leaving a ½ " hole (*hold the bag upwards when cutting so the batter doesn't leak out). Pipe the batter into your greased donut pans. Fill about ¾ of the way full. 
  • Place in the oven on the middle rack for 12-15 minutes. To check for doneness, lightly press the surface. If it springs back, they are ready.
  • Remove the pans from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes before touching (but don't leave them longer than that). Now gently remove the donuts and let them completely cool on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes before coating. 

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

  • In a small bowl, whisk to combine the sugar and cinnamon. 
  • Lightly brush the top of each donut with melted butter and dip into the cinnamon sugar. Gently twist to coat. Enjoy!

Notes

I prefer soy milk because it thickens and curdles really well with the vinegar, making it closest to dairy buttermilk. However, you can use any plant-based milk of your choosing. 
Donuts are freshest the same day, but they will store in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Place a paper towel underneath and on top of the donuts to absorb moisture. 
FREEZING: You can freeze them in an airtight container or Ziploc for 2-3 months. To thaw, leave them out at room temp for 20-30 minutes. You can also wrap them in a moist paper towel and microwave them for 20-30 seconds. 
MEASURING FLOUR: For accurate results, don’t scoop the flour with a measuring cup directly from the flour container. Instead, scoop the flour out of your container with a spoon and then into a measuring cup. Don’t pack or tap the cup. After filling, lightly sweep a butter knife across the top to remove the excess flour. * Example photo below the recipe card.
Make sure your baking soda and baking powder is not expired. Fresh baking agents are important for a successful baking experience
Nutritional Info: I calculated the info using all of the butter and sugar for the coating. However, you may not use all of it, so the calculations will be different. The sugar, calories and fat content will be lower.

Nutrition

Serving: 1donut | Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 264mg | Potassium: 137mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 3311IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1mg