These Baked Vanilla Donuts are light and fluffy, and bake in just 8-10 minutes in a donut pan. My simple recipe is naturally egg free, dairy free, and nut free – no special substitutes required! Top these egg free and vegan baked donuts with vanilla glaze, chocolate glaze, or a simple cinnamon-sugar blend.
Love cinnamon donuts? Check out my eggless Apple Cider Donuts or Pumpkin Donuts!
If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you probably know that I recently got a donut pan. Well, I’ve been enjoying it way more than I expected! I’m typically not one to buy single-use kitchen items. However, I’ve definitely rediscovered my love for donuts since getting my pans – I’m officially on the donut pan train.
It’s been fun making fresh baked (and egg free) donuts for my little ones!
My son is allergic to eggs and nuts, which makes traditional bakery donuts a no-go, due to cross-contact risks. Making our own donuts at home has been such a fun alternative, though! At 3 1/2, my son LOVES helping out in the kitchen. He’ll gather all the bowls, measuring cups, and gadgets, and happily help me pour ingredients and stir. These allergy friendly and vegan baked donuts are his favorite, especially topped with a simple glaze and some sprinkles.
We’ve made fried egg/dairy free donuts in the past using Pillsbury Grands biscuits – you simply cut out the center and fry them in oil. These are also a fantastic substitute for bakery donuts, although the oil makes the process pretty messy.
How to Make These Egg Free, Dairy Free, & Nut Free Donuts:
- Stir together sugar, butter (or oil), applesauce, water, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, and stir to combine.
- Distribute batter evenly between six donut molds (one 6-count donut pan), and bake for about 9 minutes.
- Top these egg free donuts with your favorite glaze (recipes below!), and enjoy.
That’s it!
These baked donuts are allergy friendly for many common allergies. No substitutions required – this recipe is naturally:
- Egg Free
- Dairy Free
- Peanut Free
- Tree Nut Free
- Soy Free (if using canola oil)
- Easily made Dairy Free and Vegan using DF milk and butter
Baked Vanilla Donuts (Egg, Dairy, & Nut Free)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tbsp melted butter OR neutral flavored oil (such as vegetable or canola oil)*
- 3 Tbsp water
- 2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce, level
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour, lightly spooned into measuring cup, and leveled across top (to ensure proper measuring, never pack flour or tap cup to settle)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F and lightly grease 6-cavity donut pan (3 1/4" diameter each) with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, stir together sugar, oil (or butter), applesauce, water, and vanilla extract.
- In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add dry ingredients to wet, and stir just until combined. You'll want to work fast from here, because the batter will start to thicken quickly.
- Distribute batter evenly between six (3 1/4" diameter) donut molds. Run a butter knife, spatula, or the back of a spoon over the top of each donut to flatten/smooth out the batter.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool for a few minutes, then gently remove donuts from pan (I invert my pan over the rack) onto wire cooling rack. Allow to cool before icing.
- See notes below for vanilla and chocolate glaze options! We love to top ours with icing and sprinkles.
Notes
- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
- ~2 tsp milk
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt (optional)
- 6 Tbsp confectioners sugar
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
- ~3 teaspoons milk
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
- Pinch of salt (optional)
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I see you made some changes, I actually liked them the other way! My kiddos still eat them with the new additions! Thank you for providing us with a great donut recipe!
Thank you – I appreciate the feedback! After hearing from a few recipe-readers, I plan on changing this recipe back to the original, and will create a separate page with the “new” recipe in the future. I don’t want to cause any confusion or disappointment for those looking for the original. 🙂 I’m glad to hear your kiddos have enjoyed both, though!