Welcome to our week-long Dairy-Free Recipe Potluck! Each day, two fantastic recipe creators will share a fun and scrumptious dairy-free recipe, one here on Go Dairy Free and one on their own blog. The final potluck will come together to kick off the 21-Day Dairy-Free Challenge.
Today, I invited Sarah of Sarah Bakes Gluten Free Treats to share one of her baked goods specialties. She opted to whip up some fluffy vanilla baked donuts with a brilliant fresh raspberry glaze. This marvelous recipe is not only dairy-free, it’s also gluten-free and vegan!
Sarah Hornacek came onto my radar last year, when she entered a So Delicious Dairy Free recipe contest that we were hosting. We tested and tasted her Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies recipe, and unanimously voted it a Grand prize winner. Our judges weren’t gluten-free, yet those tender swirled goodies beat the pants off the wheat-based recipes we trialed. I knew at that moment that I would be seeing more of Sarah, and have since even had the pleasure of meeting her in person. She’s just as sweet as the recipes she creates!
When asked why she is dairy-free, Sarah shared a glimpse of her story:
“For as long as I can remember, my body has not been too fond of dairy. Cheese, ice cream, yogurt, milk. I would always get horrible stomach aches and never really knew why. I would cut out dairy, but I wasn’t very strict. I finally had a food allergy test done about 4 years ago. Gluten, dairy and eggs were at the top. Not bread and eggs too! After a bit of denial, I realized it was much better to cut out these foods than to be miserable.
The first few months of cutting out my top allergens was brutal. I had to learn to bake all over again. With my husband having celiac disease, it was actually quite nice to be able to bake things that my whole family could enjoy. It was a journey that I’m still on, testing recipes without using wheat flour, dairy or eggs. Not an easy challenge, but I’ve come a long way! Now I don’t really miss eating the foods I once ate every single day. I’ve learned to bake amazing treats that you would never believe are allergen-free.”
And seriously, Sarah doesn’t just talk the talk – everyone LOVES her recipes! And we simply can’t wait to try these vanilla baked donuts – I mean look at that naturally bright pink glaze …
You can enjoy more of Sarah’s dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free recipes at Sarah Bakes Gluten Free Treats (she even throws in some smoothies and no bake delights from time to time). You can also find Sarah on Facebook, Pinterest, and Etsy (we’re all hoping she starts selling her baked goodies there, too!).
Special Diet Notes & Options: Almond-Vanilla Baked Donuts
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan / plant-based, vegetarian, and you may be surprised to learn that it’s easily nut-free, too! Several brands of almond extract or flavor are actually completely nut-free. But if you can’t locate any, simply make these just vanilla baked donuts (using more vanilla in place of the almond, if desired), and use the coconut milk beverage option.
The Dairy-Free Recipe Potluck is sponsored by So Delicious Dairy Free and the 21 Day Dairy-Free Challenge.
- 1½ cups Sarah's gluten free flour blend
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup, plus 2 tablespoons So Delicious Almond Milk or Coconut Milk Beverage
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup cane sugar
- 3 tablespoons sunflower seed or canola oil
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon pure almond extract
- ½ cup fresh or frozen (thawed) raspberries
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon pure almond extract
- To make the baked vanilla donuts, preheat oven to 375ºF and spray two 6-well donut pans with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a mixing bowl, mix together coconut milk beverage or almond milk and vinegar, stirring until curdled. Add sugar, oil, vanilla and almond extract. Stir in flour mixture until just combined.
- Spoon batter into a plastic zippered bag (or piping bag) and cut tip. Pipe the batter into prepared donut pans.
- Bake donuts for 16-18 minutes, until golden brown and baked through. Turn out onto cooling rack.
- To make the raspberry glaze, place raspberries in fine mesh sieve. Press raspberries through sieve, catching all of the juices. Discard the seeds.
- Add powdered sugar to pressed raspberry puree. Whisk until smooth. Add vanilla and almond extract, stirring until combined.
- When donuts are mostly cool, dip tops into glaze to coat and let set for 10-15 minutes. Donuts are best served right away or same day. If not serving donuts right away, wait to glaze until ready to enjoy.
38 Comments
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Could I use grapeseed oil instead of canola or vegetable?
Yes, you can use your favorite baking oil!
Great donut recipe. Just made for my daughters birthday.
So glad you enjoyed it Laryssa!
I followed recipe as written. The donuts were very bland and heavy. The icing is what saved them.
Bummer. Did you use Sarah’s flour blend or a store-bought one? If you found the flavor too bland, then you can increase the salt and vanilla. My baked donut recipe is similar to this one, but uses quite a bit more salt (for this amount, I would use 1/2 teaspoon, or even a touch more) and 1 to 1/2 teaspoons vanilla. I’m glad the glaze was a keeper!
These look amazing! I’m making them now – should the dough be lumpy or smooth?
“just until combined” – so relatively smooth but some small lumps are okay. Enjoy!
Would the bake time change for making mini donuts (instead of regular size)…???
Yes, but I can’t tell you by how much without testing! I would start checking at 8 minutes or so, depending on the size.
Any thoughts on using “regular” flour instead of making gluten free? Can I make a direct amount sub and then add an egg? Just aiming for dairy free and wondering if this recipe can adapt to that or if I need a different recipe altogether. Thanks.
Hi Jennifer, in theory you should just be able to use all-purpose flour in place of the gluten-free flour. You don’t need to add an egg. If you do opt to add an egg, you may need to adjust the liquid. If you would prefer a recipe that is all ready to go, my shortcake donut recipe is a baked one, and I have tested it with wheat and with eggs: http://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/strawberry-shortcake-donuts-baked
Thank you so much for your thoughts and suggestion of your other recipe to take a look at. That one looks terrific, too. Looks like we will be doing some experimenting around here. 🙂 Also, as a separate note from one of the other comments about muffin pans, I baked another donut recipe recently (cinnamon sugar topping and not dairy free…) and as I don’t (yet!) own a donut pan just used a mini muffin pan to make “donut holes”. I baked for the same amount of time and they came out great! Thanks again.
Fabulous – thanks for sharing that suggestion on a mini muffin pan for donut holes!
I used regular flour, our allergies are eggs, nuts, soy and dairy. So coconut milk and wheat flour, these were amazing. We have made variations as well, chocolate chips in the batter, cocoa powder to have chocolate ones. Sprinkles in the batter, i dont even frost them typically and even my non-allergy kiddos love them.
Fantastic! Thank you for sharing your adaptions Mindi.
Any suggestions if you don’t have a donut pan? Would an upside down muffin tin work?
I’ve never had luck with upside down muffin tins for anything, and the batter will probably be too soft. I would make them as muffins!
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Can I sub gluten free flour for all purpose?
Hi Stephanie,
Yes, but note that Sarah’s baking blend includes a binder (xanthan gum) – you will want to make sure your baking blend has a binder or you may need to add some.
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Wow! These a just stunning. Sarah has really outdone herself with these! No one would ever notice (or care) these were dairy free, gluten free, soy free, and Vegan. Pinned and shared.
I’m making these delicious donuts, but unfortunately I’m a little confused. The ingredient list only mentions baking powder, but step 2 in the directions mentions putting in baking soda. Should I just stick with one ingredient? what should I do?
Oh, good question! I’m thinking just the baking powder, but the recipe does use an acid. I’m going to ask Sarah to correct us on this!
I’m so sorrry, yes, there is baking soda in the recipe! It’s a tiny amount at 1/4 teaspoon. Thanks for pointing it out to me!
Thanks Sarah! I’ve made that change to the recipe.
What can be sub for almond extract is it okay to leave out?
I actually mention that in the Special diet notes above the recipe! You can omit or simply substitute more vanilla extract.
These are absolutely gorgeous! Some of my very favorite donuts in the world are from a little Vegan bakery here in San Francisco. If you’re in the area you must check out Pepples Donuts!
Ooh, indeed – thanks for the tip!
These are just so beautiful! I can’t wait to try making them. The color is totally divine.
Theres nothing missing from these delicious donuts! Fantastic photos!
Thanks Dorothy! Yes, that icing is “shockingly” pink, yet pure raspberry 🙂
I like this recipe, I would like to make them as soon as possible! Thanks for recipe
These look so good! I have friends who are GF so I like to have recipes that they can eat. Thanks for sharing.
SO Happy to find these recipes!!