I’m excited to share this recipe today, because it’s completely my own—and that wasn’t originally going to be the case. You see, I’d planned to make doughnuts following a recipe I’d cut out of Vegetarian Times a few months ago. However, when I tried their recipe, the results were, ummm, less than stellar. (Understatement!) Sorry VT, but your recipe was a complete failure!
If you’re curious, here’s a photo of my ugly doughnuts.
After that, not willing to give my trust to anyone else, I jotted down my own recipe, keeping in mind the reasons I suspected VT‘s didn’t work (too much fat and too much liquid being my main guesses). I’m happy to say my recipe came out perfectly!
So soft and cake-like… yet they are much healthier than traditional doughnuts!
Cake-Batter Doughnuts
Loosely based off a recipe from Vegetarian Times
- 1 level cup flour (see note below, for what type)
- 2/3 cup milk of choice
- 1/3 cup plus 1Â tbsp evaporated cane juice or sugar (or Sucanat)
- 1/2 tsp apple-cider vinegar
- 1 and 1/2 tsp ener-g egg replacer OR 1 tbsp flaxmeal
- 1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3 tbsp pre-melted butter-type spread (such as Earth Balance)
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Optional: sprinkles! Or cinnamon, raisins, peanuts, chocolate chips… be creative!
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flax or ener-g with all wet ingredients except vinegar. In a separate bowl, combine remaining dry ingredients. Then add the vinegar to the wet, and immediately pour wet onto dry. Mix (but don’t overmix), pour into doughnut pans, and cook for 12 minutes.
Flour Notes: I used white-whole-wheat. You can use all-purpose or Bob’s gluten-free or spelt flour. Whole wheat pastry can be used, but the doughnuts will be a tad more dense.
View Cake Batter Donuts Nutrition Facts
If you don’t have a doughnut pan, the above link also lists ideas for how you can still make these! And it includes some un-edited photos. I thought I’d include them so you can see what the doughnuts look like in a non-photoshoot format.
Tomorrow: Frosting Recipes!
If you can’t wait til then, try my Vanilla-Fudge Frosting.
Or sprinkle on cinnamon-sugar or powdered sugar while the doughnuts are still warm.
I was thinking about making something creative for my mom’s breakfast on Mother’s Day. This is added to the list of options now!!
These look amazing! I love looking at the unedited photos too – you put a lot of work into this clearly and I am glad they turned out great 🙂
Thank you! I felt like I HAD to show off the unedited photos too, because the edited ones just do not convey how light and sponge-y they are! 🙂
They look so doughnut-ty that I almost can´t believe they are healthy:))
Katie these are so adorable! I don’t have a donut pan and I hope they still work out!
AWWWW!!!! They are so cute :)I wish I had a donut pan! Where did the Easter bunny buy it? 😉
Alex, did you click on the link for ways to make these without a doughnut pan? I can’t stress enough: You do NOT need a doughnut pan to make these!!! 🙂
(But the Easter bunny tells me he found it at Tom Tumb, the grocery store.)
Yeah I did, but I have been wanting a donut pan for a while……I think I might have to take the Easter Bunny’s Advice 😉
Mmmm this would be so fun to make the twisty ones too! Not a donut fan, but these look way better–just like cake 🙂
Oh my gosh… I CANNOT wait to make these!! I don’t have a doughnut pan, but I’ll definitely be making some doughnut holes. And cake batter? It’s like you know my weakness. 🙂
Or everyone’s weakness! 😉
these are SO CUTE! the recipe looks so easy, i love it! i think i have a mini muffin pan… otherwise i’ll just use a regular size one 🙂
love the pics!
They look so festive and tasty!! I am buying a donut pan next time I see one. My life is feeling incomplete without it. And I know this recipe doesn’t need one, but c’mon, so cute, right? 🙂
Yes! And now I want to make other things in my doughnut pan!
…savoury donuts.. perhaps?
Ooh, brilliant! My mind thus far in my doughnut pan testing out journey (ie. excuse to eat doughnuts now I have the pan!) has been confined to the sweet realm. I see lunch doughnuts in the near future! Healthy, and full of veggies of course = ).
i can’t wait til then for the frosting recipe, but i will surely make them AGAIN tomorrow!! 🙂