My baked vegan gingerbread doughnuts are the ultimate fall treat! Super soft, spiced, kissed with molasses, and finished with a tangy apple cider glaze. Perfect for holiday brunches, cozy weekends, or anytime you’re craving something sweet.
What’s your favorite way to enjoy the flavors of gingerbread? I love vegan gingerbread cookies, vegan gingerbread cake, and even gingerbread muffins. But gingerbread doughnuts? Those don’t show up nearly often enough, and I think that needs to change! Ginger, spices, and molasses are absolutely perfect in a doughnut.
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These baked gingerbread doughnuts are one of my favorite treats to enjoy from the start of fall straight through the holidays. They’re easy to make since they’re baked rather than fried, and really no more work than muffins or quick bread. The batter comes together in one bowl with no mixer required, and the apple cider glaze needs only two ingredients.
But despite being so simple, they bake up to moist, spiced doughnut perfection. Give them a try, and I think you'll be baking them all season long!
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Flour. The recipe calls for all-purpose wheat flour. Other varieties like whole wheat pastry flour and spelt flour should also work, but I can't guarantee results with anything else.
- Sugar. Use organic sugar. Conventional sugar is often processed using animal bone char, so it's not always vegan.
- Baking powder.
- Salt.
- Spices. You'll need ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Non-dairy milk. Make sure this is unflavored and unsweetened. Aside from that, just about any variety will work. Read my guide to dairy-free milks if you need help deciding on one.
- Oil. Whatever baking oil you normally use is fine, such as canola oil, melted coconut oil, or corn oil.
- Molasses. We're using basic unsulfured molasses, which is the most common type you'll find in the baking aisle. I don't recommend using blackstrap molasses, which can mess with the texture and flavor of your doughnuts.
- Vanilla extract.
- Powdered sugar. This also needs to be organic.
- Apple cider. This might be called "cloudy apple juice" in some areas. Don't use apple cider vinegar, which will make your glaze too sour. Apple juice can be substituted, and even water will work in a pinch, although you won't get that appley flavor.
How They're Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Get ready. Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly oil your doughnut pan.
Combine dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices together.
Combine wet ingredients. Stir the non-dairy milk, oil, molasses, and vanilla together in a small container.
Mix the batter. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, then stir them together just until the batter is mixed.
Pour and bake. Divide the batter among the cavities of your doughnut pan(s), then pop them into the oven to bake.
Cool. Let the doughnuts cool completely in the pans on wire racks.
Glaze. Stir your powdered sugar together with a few tablespoons of apple cider to make the glaze. Once the doughnuts are cool, dip the top of each one into the glaze. Let the doughnuts sit until the glaze has set.
Serve. Your gingerbread doughnuts are ready! These are perfect with a cup of coffee, tea, or hot apple cider. They're also great for holiday breakfast or as an edible gift.
Variations
- Stir-ins. Add some chopped nuts, dried fruit, or mini vegan chocolate chips to the batter.
- Glaze alternatives. Instead of glaze, coat your doughnuts in powdered sugar, or brush them with melted vegan butter and then roll them in cinnamon sugar.
- Toppings. Sprinkle your glazed doughnuts with shredded coconut, finely chopped nuts, sprinkles, or cinnamon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Probably, but I haven't tested a gluten-free version. If you'd like to give it a try, use an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend.
Your gingerbread doughnuts will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about three days, in the fridge for about a week, or in the freezer for about three months.
Yep! Bake the batter in a muffin pan or mini muffin pan instead. The bake time will be a few minutes longer for a standard muffin pan, and probably a few minutes less for a mini muffin pan. Keep an eye on them.
More Vegan Baked Doughnut Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Gingerbread Doughnuts with Apple Cider Glaze
Ingredients
For the Gingerbread Doughnuts
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- â…” cup organic granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ cup unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup unsulfured molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Glaze
- 1 ½ cups organic powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons apple cider (Note 1)
Instructions
Make the Gingerbread Doughnuts
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Lightly oil a 12 cavity doughnut pan, or a couple of 6 cavity pans.
- In large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Stir the milk, oil, molasses, and vanilla together in a separate small bowl or cup.
- Add the milk mixture to the bowl with the flour mixture and stir just until the ingredients are fully combined.
- Divide the mixture among the doughnut cavities, either piping it in with a pastry bag, or spooning it in.
- Bake the doughnuts for about 12 minutes, or until the top of one springs back when lightly pressed with a finger.
- Place the pans on a cooling rack. Let the doughnuts cool completely before removing them from the pan.
Make the Apple Cider Glaze
- Stir the powdered sugar and cider together in a small bowl, adding more powdered sugar if the mixture seems too thin, or more cider if it seems too thick.
Glaze the Doughnuts
- Dip the top half of each doughnut into the glaze, then place the doughnuts on parchment paper or a wire rack. Allow the glaze to set before serving.
Notes
- Not to be confused with apple cider vinegar, which will give you a very tart glaze. Apple cider is a beverage. It may be sold as "cloudy apple juice" in some regions.
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These are happening!!!! As soon as the semester is over and I am reaquainted with my donut moulds....
Excellent! Enjoy!
I asked previously but do not now see my question....could these be baked in a muffin tin and what would be the cooking time?? They look wonderful but I will not be buying a special pan.
Sorry about that! I had a little technical glitch and a few of my comments got zapped! I think a muffin tin would work, but can't be 100% sure without trying. If anything, I think the bake time would be a bit longer. I'd start checking at twelve minutes - just press the top of one lightly with your finger. When it feels springy, it's done. I've also made doughnut holes with similar recipes by just dolloping the batter on a parchment lined baking sheets. The bake time would probably be the same, but again I'd say check every couple of minutes.
Thank you so much for the quick reply...will definitely be trying this!
Those Doughtnuts looks so so good I can't wait to try them out! Is it possible to use spelt flour as well?
Thank you! I think these would work with spelt. I haven't tried spelt in this particular recipe, but I often swap out it and whole wheat pastry in similar recipes when I've got one or the other on hand and I've never had a problem. :)
Wow! These look insanely delicious! I have a donut pan on my holiday wish list! I might have to buy it for myself sooner!! :)