Name: Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Vegan Donuts
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1.25 cups (160g) spelt flour; 2 tablespoons (16g) cornstarch; 2.5 teaspoons (7g) pumpkin pie spice blend; 1.5 teaspoon (9g) baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon (3g) fine salt; 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (180g) pure maple syrup; 1/2 cup (120g) pumpkin puree; 1/4 cup (60g) vanilla dairy-free yogurt, room temperature (OR 1 teaspoon vanilla extract); 6 tablespoons (90g) dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips

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These delicious Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Donuts were created by Brandi with The Vegan 8. Filled with pumpkin spice and chocolate chips, they are chocolatey, fluffy, and absolutely amazing!

vegan pumpkin chocolate chip donuts stacked in baking pan — Photo Credit: The Vegan 8.

Recipe creator Brandi Doming says, “Just because you crave a donut doesn’t mean you need to resort to a greasy, fried one. Sure, those taste good but they are not the healthiest choice. These pumpkin spice donuts are fluffy, moist, and super soft.”

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.

Table Of Contents

Donut ingredients
How to make baked vegan donuts
Substitutions & Tips
About the Chef
Want more vegan sweets?

Donut ingredients

One thing to remember here is that vegan doesn’t always mean “healthy,” and most donuts that are vegan are likely loaded with vegan butter, oil, refined sugar, and who knows what else. They sure aren’t low in fat either.

However, these baked donuts are a different story and loaded with wholesome ingredients.

Flour- Whole grain flours such as spelt and oat flour are perfect for this recipe.
Cornstarch- Acts as a binder and thickener
Pumpkin spice– Pumpkin pie spice blend can be purchased or homemade.
Baking powder- is used as a rising agent.
Salt- For taste and to help the recipe rise.
Maple syrup- Naturally sweetens these donuts.
Pumpkin puree- Keeps this recipe moist and sweet.
Vegan yogurt- This one is optional but helps with keeping the donuts nice and moist. Try making your own with this recipe for Instant Pot Vegan Yogurt.
Chocolate chips- These need to be dairy free. My personal favorites are by Enjoy Life.

The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.

For more oil-free vegan desserts, check out our Desserts Page.

How to make baked vegan donuts

This recipe really is so easy to make. It might be a great time to get the kids in the kitchen to help with this one.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Use a non-stick silicone donut mold pan to prevent sticking. Most of these pans hold 6 donuts which is perfect. Brandi uses a regular muffin pan and a little cooking spray to keep them from sticking.

You can also make these in a muffin pan which will yield 8 muffins.

Add the flour, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk together well.

stainless bowl with whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon

To the same bowl, add the syrup, pumpkin puree, yogurt, and chocolate chips. Stir the ingredients well until a smooth batter is formed. The batter will be on the thick side. Be careful not to overmix.

Spoon the batter evenly into the pan. Using the back of a spoon, smooth and flatten out the tops of each donut. If you don’t do this, they will bake up really lumpy and ugly. If you’re making muffins, using a trigger ice cream scoop gives a nice rounded top.

Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes or until the donuts have risen beautifully, are fluffy, have a golden-brown top, and lightly spring back when touched.

Muffins take closer to 20 minutes. Look for a clean toothpick when it’s inserted in the center.

Let the donuts cool in the pan for about 5 minutes and then carefully flip them over onto a cooling rack. Let them cool completely.

Once cooled, store any extras in a large, sealed container or ziplock bag so they don’t dry out.

vegan donuts on dark baking sheet — Photo Credit: The Vegan 8.

Recipe and photos from The Vegan 8 Cookbook, and it’s called Baked Pumpkin Spice-Chocolate Chip Donuts. Published with permission.

Substitutions & Tips

Flour- Be sure to use regular spelt flour, not sprouted.
Gluten-Free- To make these gluten-free, sub the spelt flour with superfine gluten-free oat flour (160g). Making your own oat flour is super simple too. Please keep in mind that oat flour does make these more dense but the flavor is just as good. Baking time is basically the same.
Yogurt- Brandi uses soy yogurt for this recipe, but if you can’t find it or choose not to use it, simply add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the recipe. If you would like to make your own, try this Instant Pot Yogurt.
Muffins- This recipe makes 8 muffins if you want to make them instead of donuts.
Storage- Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container or storage bag to prevent them from drying out.

About the Chef

Brandi with Vegan 8 in kitchen holding plate of food

I’m Brandi, creator of The Vegan 8 blog and cookbook author of The Vegan 8 Cookbook. The majority of my recipes focus on 8 ingredients or less, not counting salt, pepper, or water. I love to create health-focused recipes, using whole foods to improve fitness and muscle-building, with the occasional comfort meal thrown in there! I’m an expert on oil-free cooking and baking!

Follow Brandi:

Want more vegan sweets?

For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.

If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Vegan Donuts

Yield: 6 donuts

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

These delicious Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Donuts were created by Brandi with The Vegan 8. Filled with pumpkin spice and chocolate chips, they are chocolatey, fluffy, and absolutely amazing!

Ingredients

1.25 cups (160g) spelt flour
2 tablespoons (16g) cornstarch
2.5 teaspoons (7g) pumpkin pie spice blend
1.5 teaspoon (9g) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (3g) fine salt
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (180g) pure maple syrup
1/2 cup (120g) pumpkin puree
1/4 cup (60g) vanilla dairy-free yogurt, room temperature (OR 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
6 tablespoons (90g) dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Use a non-stick silicone donut mold pan to prevent sticking. Most of these pans hold 6 donuts which is perfect. Brandi uses a regular muffin pan and a little cooking spray to keep them from sticking.
You can also make these in a muffin pan which will yield 8 muffins.
Add the flour, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk together well.
To the same bowl, add the syrup, pumpkin puree, yogurt, and chocolate chips. Stir the ingredients well until a smooth batter is formed. The batter will be on the thick side. Be careful not to overmix.
Spoon the batter evenly into the pan. Using the back of a spoon, smooth and flatten out the tops of each donut. If you don’t do this, they will bake up really lumpy and ugly. If you’re making muffins, using a trigger ice cream scoop gives a nice rounded top.
Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes or until the donuts have risen beautifully, are fluffy, have a golden-brown top, and lightly spring back when touched.
Muffins take closer to 20 minutes. Look for a clean toothpick when it’s inserted in the center.
Let the donuts cool in the pan for about 5 minutes and then carefully flip them over onto a cooling rack. Let them cool completely.
Once cooled, store any extras in a large, sealed container or ziplock bag so they don’t dry out.

Notes

Solutions & Tips

Flour- Be sure to use regular spelt flour, not sprouted.
Gluten-Free- To make these gluten-free, sub the spelt flour with superfine gluten-free oat flour (160g). Please keep in mind that oat flour does make these denser but the flavor is just as good. Baking time is basically the same.
Yogurt- Brandi uses soy yogurt for this recipe, but if you can't find it or choose not to use it, simply add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the recipe. If you would like to make your own, try this Instant Pot Yogurt.
Muffins- This recipe makes 8 muffins if you want to make them instead of donuts.
Storage- Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container or storage bag to prevent them from drying out.

About the Chef:

Hi, I'm Brandi, creator of The Vegan 8 blog and cookbook author of The Vegan 8 Cookbook. The majority of my recipes focus on 8 ingredients or less, not counting salt, pepper, or water. I love to create health-focused recipes, using whole foods to improve fitness and muscle-building, with the occasional comfort meal thrown in there! I'm an expert on oil-free cooking and baking!

Recipe and photos from The Vegan 8 Cookbook, and it’s called Baked Pumpkin Spice-Chocolate Chip Donuts. Published with permission.