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    Home » Recipes » Vegan Desserts

    Vegan Earl Grey Chocolate Donuts

    Published: Sep 21, 2018 · Modified: Sep 11, 2020 by Kate Hackworthy · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    Jump to Recipe

    You only need 30 minutes for these easy, fluffy, homemade baked chocolate vegan doughnuts. The cake donuts are soft and delicious, plus they have an extra-special Earl Grey drizzle. No yeast or frying.

    Vegan chocolate doughnuts with Earl Grey drizzle on a vintage cooling rack with teacups and teapot in the background

    Recipe commissioned by Trex.

    Traditionally, doughnuts are deep fried, but that's a messy business and very unhealthy. Do people even have deep fryers in their kitchens anymore? I'm sure in the 80s it was a 'thing' to deep fry at home, but these days healthier methods are the norm.

    These, on the other hand, are baked cake donuts. They only take 30 minutes to make and are yeast-free - so much easier!

    The egg-free and dairy-free vegan doughnuts have a springy texture and rich chocolate flavour. They're then topped with a simple Earl Grey tea infused glaze for an extra burst of flavour.

    It's funny, but whenever I think of doughnuts it reminds me of my late Granny, who called them gravy rings. That's the Northern Irish term for ring doughnuts, apparently named so because gravy is a term for hot oil. It always makes me chuckle to picture her sat in her chair, giggling.

    A tray of baked chocolate vegan donuts next to a vintage cooling rack.

    Baked doughnuts

    You'll need a doughnut pan to make these tasty treats, but they're inexpensive. I bought mine from Amazon for under a tenner. I've used it to make lemon spinach doughnuts, pumpkin doughnuts and even watercress and grapefruit doughnuts!

    Baked doughnuts are quick and easy. You just need to mix up a cake batter, pour it into the moulds and bake. I like to use a piping bag to pipe it into the moulds for a cleaner result, but a spoon will do!

    Have you been watching the latest series of Great British Bake Off? I love the drama, the laughter, the flying flour and challenge panic. It's amazing to see all the bakers work their magic. It's great that they're going to have a vegan week this year.

    If I was on it (no way!) I'd perhaps whip up these doughnuts in the tent - though I'd probably have to turn them into a showstopping croquembouche with sugar swirls and sugarpaste teapots...

    Baked chocolate vegan doughnuts with earl grey glaze on a vintage rack with a bowl of drizzle, teapot and vintage teacups.

    Baked Vegan Chocolate Doughnuts with Earl Grey Glaze

    These doughnuts have a rich chocolate flavour and fluffy springy texture. They're light but not overly delicate. My secret ingredient is Trex solid vegetable oil baking product rather than butter. But more on that later...

    To make them really special, I've added a simple Earl Grey glaze. You just need to steep the tea in a little dairy-free milk, then stir in some powdered icing sugar. The result is a flavourful glaze with those unmistakable bergamot and citrus notes. It works beautifully with the chocolate.

    Within 30 minutes, you can be sitting down with a cup of tea (Earl Grey of course!) and enjoying these easy vegan baked donuts. Forget tea and biscuits - this year I'm all about tea and donuts.

    Vegan chocolate donut on a side table next to vintage books and teacup

    How to make baked vegan doughnuts

    You will need:
    Dairy free alternative to butter - I used Trex, the UK's no 1 alternative for baking
    Dairy free milk (oat, almond, soy etc...)
    Vinegar or lemon juice
    Flour
    Sugar
    Vanilla
    Cocoa Powder
    Baking powder
    Bicarb of soda (baking soda)
    Earl Grey tea bags
    Powdered icing sugar
    Doughnut pan 

     

    How to make baked chocolate vegan donuts: Step 1 - beat the dairy free butter and sugar; step 2: add the dry ingredients

    Step 1: Beat the fat and sugar together until light and fluffy
    Step 2: Sift in the dry ingredients, along with the milk that has been soured with the lemon juice or vinegar

    How to make chocolate vegan doughnuts - Step 3: mix well. Step 4: pipe into donut pan and bake

    Step 4: Mix all ingredients together
    Step 5: Spoon into a piping bag and pipe into the doughnut pan (or spoon it into the pan), then bake

    Trex

    For the dairy free butter alternative in this recipe, I've used Trex. It's a super-versatile vegan solid vegetable oil that's perfect for baking. I love how light and fluffy it makes bakes! Plus it's really easy to use and is lower in saturated fat than butter and whips up lightly really quickly - even straight from the fridge.

    It's great that it has no hydrogenated vegetable oil, e-numbers, colours or preservatives.  I like that it's pure white, so it's great for making white coloured frostings for cakes. Other dairy free butters tend to make frosting a bit yellow coloured, but not Trex.

     

    Made this recipe banner

    Get the recipe for Vegan Chocolate Doughnuts with Earl Grey Glaze

     

    Overhead photo of a vegan chocolate donut with Earl Grey drizzle on a white plate with a bite taken out.

    Baked Vegan Chocolate Doughnuts with Earl Grey Glaze

    Kate Hackworthy | Veggie Desserts
    It only takes 30 minutes for these easy, fluffy baked vegan chocolate doughnuts topped with an Earl Grey glaze. 
    5 from 21 votes
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    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 12 mins
    Total Time 27 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American, International
    Servings 8
    Calories 243 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • 150 ml (⅔ cup) dairy-free milk soy, almond etc...
    • 1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar
    • 75 g (⅓ cup) TREX vegetable baking fat (dairy free spread)
    • 100 g (½ cup) caster sugar
    • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 150 g 1 ⅓ cups) plain (all purpose) flour
    • 3 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

    For the Earl Grey Drizzle

    • 2 tablespoon dairy-free milk
    • 2 Earl Grey teabags
    • 125 g (1 cup) powdered icing sugar (confectioner's sugar)

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 170C/325F. Lightly grease a donut pan.
    • Stir the lemon juice or vinegar into the milk and set aside to thicken slightly into ‘buttermilk’.
    • Add the Trex and sugar to a large bowl and beat together with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add the milk mixture and vanilla, then sift in the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and soda, then mix until combined.
    • Fill the doughnut moulds with the batter until ¾ full and bake for 12 minutes, or until springy.
    • Leave to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

    For the Earl Grey icing

    • Heat the milk and tea bags in a small pan until hot. 
    • Remove from the heat and allow to cool and steep for 10 minutes. Gently squeeze the bags into the milk to extract more Earl Grey flavour, taking care not to tear the bags.
    • Allow to cool completely, then beat the infused milk with the icing sugar until smooth. If necessary, add a little more milk or icing sugar to get a thick drizzling consistency.
    • Drizzle the icing over the cooled cupcakes.

    Notes

    Best enjoyed on the same day or stored covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 243kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 2gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 461mgPotassium: 145mgFiber: 1gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 360IUCalcium: 73mgIron: 1.2mg

    The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @kateveggiedesserts or tag #veggiedesserts! I love seeing your recreations.

     

     

    Thanks for checking out my recipe! I love hearing from my readers. You all allow me to do what I love and write this UK food blog, sharing vegetarian and vegan recipes, vegetable cake recipes and also easy vegan desserts.
    Kate x

    Disclosure: This recipe for vegan donuts was commissioned by Trex. All opinions are my own. 

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Charli

      September 27, 2018 at 2:14 pm

      Baked donuts are the best! I use to make them for my old boss who was vegan - they were the only thing we could all do for her birthday treats!
      Cx

      Reply
    2. Iryna

      September 27, 2018 at 3:24 am

      5 stars
      I love the addition of Earl Grey drizzle. Something new to try! I wouldn't mind having one of these doughnuts with my cup of coffee tomorrow.

      Reply
      • Kate Hackworthy

        September 27, 2018 at 10:46 am

        Or cup of Earl Grey! Ha ha. I hope you get the chance to make it. 🙂

        Reply
    3. Tisha

      September 27, 2018 at 3:05 am

      5 stars
      Love this recipe! That earl grey glaze looks perfect!!

      Reply
    4. Danielle

      September 27, 2018 at 2:44 am

      5 stars
      These look incredible! I've never tried to make doughnuts myself, I love the really unique earl grey flavor of these ones!

      Reply
      • Kate Hackworthy

        September 27, 2018 at 10:47 am

        They're really easy! I hope you get the chance to try them!

        Reply
    5. Caty

      September 27, 2018 at 2:00 am

      5 stars
      My friends are vegan and we had a Weds coffee morning yesterday so I made the doughnuts and everyone ate them up. I had that doughnut mould thing for ages and only used it once (two years ago, for a birthday party) so I was glad to use it again. I put the glaze all over and added chocolate sprinkles and they were really yum.

      Reply
    6. Pam

      September 26, 2018 at 11:54 pm

      5 stars
      These sound amazing and the Earl Grey glaze is a genius idea for topping them!

      Reply
    7. Sonal

      September 26, 2018 at 11:43 pm

      5 stars
      Oh I am loving the entire post actually. That photo of yours with sofa setting is 👌.. That glaze is 👌👌... nothing like baked donuts and I am so stealing your chai glaze idea 😍

      Reply
    8. Amanda

      September 26, 2018 at 11:42 pm

      Absolutely love donuts! Love that this is a healthier recipe too. I’m not much of a baker, but may have to try this!

      Reply
    9. Kaz | Ickle Pickles Life and Travels

      September 26, 2018 at 11:28 am

      5 stars
      These look so delicious - I love that they are vegan. Kaz

      Reply
    10. Angela Milnes

      September 26, 2018 at 8:59 am

      These look so super tasty and it's something I'm going to have to bookmark and try to bake myself!

      Reply
    11. bex allum

      September 25, 2018 at 8:08 pm

      5 stars
      This looks amazing.. not sure about the earl grey topping though.

      Reply
    12. Sarah

      September 25, 2018 at 8:02 pm

      Oh these look amazing! Anything chocolate or doughnut and i'm completely sold. I so need to make these! (Also, people do still use deep fat fryers, my husband tried to make me buy one but I refused!!)

      Reply
    13. Mellissa Williams

      September 25, 2018 at 7:56 pm

      5 stars
      These baked doughnuts look amazing. Love the look of the glaze and baking them really cuts the calories too

      Reply
    14. Alex Gladwin

      September 25, 2018 at 2:00 pm

      5 stars
      These look incredible. They've made me hungry!! Thank you for sharing. x

      Reply
    15. Sammy

      September 25, 2018 at 9:48 am

      Oo these look amazing and I like the idea of earl grey flavours with the chocolate doughnuts 🙂 I've ordered a donut tray so I can't wait to try lots of baked donuts.

      Reply
    16. Lauretta

      September 24, 2018 at 1:24 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my goodness! These are so yummy. I will have to try making these with my teens.

      Reply
    17. Lynne Harper

      September 23, 2018 at 5:10 pm

      5 stars
      These look absolutely gorgeous. Another great option as someone mentioned above for kids with allergies. My dude has an egg allergy so these are perfect plus all the family would enjoy as well x

      Reply
    18. Kirsty

      September 23, 2018 at 1:27 pm

      I love the sound of these doughnuts that are healthier but a nice treat for when you want something a little bit sweet. The earl grey combination is making me intrigued.

      Reply
    19. Kara

      September 23, 2018 at 12:51 pm

      Oh my, these look so tasty - I need one now with a cuppa

      Reply
    20. Hannah

      September 23, 2018 at 4:03 am

      These look nice. Didn't know you could get vegan chocolate donuts

      Reply
    21. Anosa

      September 23, 2018 at 2:57 am

      5 stars
      Never had vegan doughnuts before but these look absolutely yummy, love the glazing too. I am literally salivating right now

      Reply
    22. Louise

      September 22, 2018 at 12:21 pm

      5 stars
      Gravy Rings! Hahahaha. That's such a cute name. These look super delcious and healthy too - I'll definitely be attempting to make these x

      Reply
    23. Jenny

      September 21, 2018 at 9:35 pm

      I've never heard of a baked doughnut before. I love doughnuts and would be happy to try these!

      Reply
    24. Rebecca Hubbell

      September 21, 2018 at 1:59 pm

      5 stars
      I'm an absolute sucker for all things Earl Grey and I love the way the glaze paired with these delicious chocolate donuts!

      Reply
    25. Renee Goerger

      September 21, 2018 at 1:40 pm

      5 stars
      I'm excited to make these for my mom. She's the tea drinker of the family and she'll appreciate that these are vegan. Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
    26. Lisa | Garlic & Zest

      September 21, 2018 at 1:09 pm

      5 stars
      I've never made my own doughnuts before but I could eat a whole plate of these. What a great flavor combo, too -- how did you come up with an Earl Grey glaze?

      Reply
    27. kim

      September 21, 2018 at 12:24 pm

      5 stars
      I'm such a donut fan and these look so good! I'm sure my kids will love them too. Will be trying soon!

      Reply
    28. David @ Cooking Chat

      September 21, 2018 at 12:11 pm

      5 stars
      No deep fryer here! These look great! Would actually work with our son's food allergies, definitely pinning this one to try.

      Reply
    29. Danielle Wolter

      September 21, 2018 at 11:47 am

      5 stars
      These look amazing!! Your photos are just gorgeous. I love the idea of baked donuts 🙂

      Reply
    30. Prajakta Sukhatme

      September 21, 2018 at 9:40 am

      5 stars
      Oh My ! I am drooling looking at these pictures ! Never thought of making homemade donuts. This recipe is so detail . Baked and Vegan . Absolutely love it

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Kate, a journalist, author and multi-award-winning food blogger. I hope you enjoy my vegetarian and vegan recipes. About Me

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    Popular recipes

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    • Easy Naan Bread Recipe (yeast-free)
    • Mini Baked Potatoes
    • Easy Lentil Soup

    Easter Recipes

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    Check out my Veggie Desserts Cookbook, full of tasty desserts with vegetables!

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