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A hand holds a glazed vegan gingerbread donut with cinnamon sprinkled on top, with a wooden bowl of baked goods in the blurred background.
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5 from 3 votes

Vegan Gingerbread Donuts (Baked, Fried, or Air-Fried)


Heavenly spiced Vegan Gingerbread Donuts. Coated in a sweet cinnamon sugar or drizzled with maple glaze, these treats are perfect for sleepy winter mornings next to a wood stove or holiday parties.
Prep Time7 minutes
Cook Time22 minutes
Total Time29 minutes
Course: Dessert, donuts
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 12 donuts
Calories: 396kcal
Author: Adam Sobel
Cost: $7

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients:

If Baking Or Using a Donut Dropper:

Dry Ingredients:

Optional Cinnamon Sugar Coating:

Optional Maple Glaze:

Instructions

Mixing The Donut Batter (or dough if you are following the roll-and-cut method):

  • 
In a large bowl, combine the plant-based milk and apple cider vinegar, yogurt, molasses, oil, brown sugar, and vanilla extract, stirring until smooth. If you are baking the donuts or using a donut dropper, add the additional plant-based milk to this mixture and stir until fully combined.
  • In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, fresh ginger, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, folding gently until a smooth batter forms. For the roll-and-cut method, mix only until a sticky, tacky dough forms.

Cooking Options:

    Roll-and-Cut Donuts (Fried):

    • Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat it to roughly a ¾-inch (about 2 cm) thickness and cut out donut shapes with a donut cutter, re-rolling scraps as needed.
    • Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat (to approximately 350°F/175°C).
    • Carefully lower the donuts into the hot oil, cooking them for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden.
    • Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a cooling rack suspended over a baking pan that’s lined with parchment paper for easy cleanup.

    Roll-and-Cut Donuts (Air Fried):

    • Follow the instructions for rolling and cutting.
    • Preheat your air fryer to 350°F (175°C). Thoroughly oil the air-frying basket.
    • Place donuts in a single layer in the basket and cook for 6-8 minutes, flipping halfway through, until they are golden and cooked through.
    • Transfer to a cooling rack.

    Baked Donuts (Donut Pan):


    • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a donut pan.
    • Spoon or pipe the batter into the pan, filling each cavity about ¾ full.
    • Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a donut comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan.
    • Transfer to a cooling rack suspended over a baking pan that’s lined with parchment paper for easy cleanup.

    Drop Donuts (Using a Donut Dropper):

    • Preheat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat to 350°F (175°C), using a frying thermometer to make sure you have reached that temperature range.
    • Fill the hopper of the donut dropper with batter and drop one or two initial donuts back into the batter bowl to make sure the batter is coming out evenly. (You can put those initial test drops back into the hopper).
    • Carefully drop the batter into the oil in rounds, making sure not to overcrowd the pot.
    • Fry each donut for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a cooling rack suspended over a baking pan that’s lined with parchment paper for easy cleanup.

    Finishing:

    • Cinnamon Sugar Coating: While donuts are still warm, place them into a large bowl with the sugar and cinnamon, and toss until fully coated.
    • Maple Glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, maple syrup, and salt until smooth. Dip the cooled donuts in the glaze, allowing any excess to drip off before returning them to a wire rack to set.

    Notes

    🎩 Batter Up, Old Sport:
    For baking, use a piping bag (or parchment cone) to fill each donut pan neatly. This trick keeps edges clean and prevents sticking.
    🥣 Don’t Overmix:
    Combine wet and dry ingredients just until the dough or batter forms. Overmixing leads to dense donuts or messy fried drops.
    ⏮️ Flip It and Reverse It:
    For fried donuts, flip once the top centers look bubbly and slightly runny. This timing keeps them perfectly formed and evenly cooked.
    📦 Storage Solutions:
    Cool donuts completely before icing and storing in an airtight container. Never refrigerate donuts, unless you want them to suck terribly. In that case, carry on…

    Nutrition

    Calories: 396kcal | Carbohydrates: 82g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 300mg | Potassium: 205mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 64g | Vitamin A: 34IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 2mg