Chocolate Donuts with Chocolate Frosting - Top 8 Allergy-Free (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

I don't really need an excuse to come up with a donut recipe, do I? There's always an occasion for donuts and I needed to make sure that I always had some in my back pocket for the kids...and me. Donut shop visits used to be frequent for me. Hudson has never been able to get something from one, so I would sneak in a visit when I was out doing errands without him. But, ever since my corn allergy evolved a little over a year ago, there is nothing safe at the donut shop for me either, so I've started making them much more frequently at home instead.

I was given a mini donut maker so of course I had to test it out immediately. I didn't have the greatest hopes for it to be honest, but I ended up loving it! Chocolate was the obvious first flavor to try. They were perfectly crispy on the outside with a soft cake inside, almost resembling a fried donut texture.

I also tried these donuts in a mini donut pan, along with a standard donut pan, baked in the oven, and they turned out just as good!

If you can manage not to eat all of them at once, the leftovers freeze great in a zip-top bag!

Here are a few different prep guidelines depending on which method you plan to use to make the donuts:

Mini Donut Maker

Prep: 15 minutes Bake Time: 4-5 minutes Yields: 28 mini donuts

Mini Donut Pan

Prep: 15 minutes Bake Time: 12 -14 minutes Yields: 24 mini donuts

Standard Donut Pan

Prep: 15 minutes Bake Time: 13-15 minutes Yields: 6 standard donuts

INGREDIENTS:

1 ¼ cups gluten-free flour (I use King Arthur gluten-free flour)

½ cup cocoa powder

½ cup sugar

2 tsp baking soda

½ cup canola or avocado oil

3 Tbsp aquafaba

½ cup plant-based milk + 1 Tbsp lemon juice mixed together (let sit for 5-10 minutes)

1 tsp vanilla

¼ cup dairy-free chocolate chips

½ cup dairy-free chocolate chips

2 Tbsp coconut oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray donut pan with canola or avocado oil.

1. Stir dry ingredients together in mixing bowl. Add aquafaba, plant milk with lemon juice, oil, and vanilla. Whisk together until well-combined.

2. Pour batter into zip-top bag or pastry piping bag and fill donut reservoirs ¾ full.

3. Bake for 12-15 minutes. While the donuts bake, melt dairy-free chocolate chips with coconut oil.

4. Once donuts cool, dip top half into melted chocolate mixture. Sprinkle desired toppings onto donut while frosting is still wet. Place donuts into refrigerator to accelerate hardening of chocolate frosting.

Recipe Notes:

1. The chickpea liquid should not be whipped prior to adding to batter.

2. I cook my gluten-free baked goods a couple minutes longer to get a crispier outer shell on the donut so it mimicked a fried donut a little more.

3. I have found that mini donut pans are all a bit different in size, so your yield may vary a bit.

4. The donuts freeze best in a single layer. Once frosting has solidified they can be stacked.