Name: Vegan Carrot Cake Baked Donuts
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 160 g Self raising flour; 80 g Wholemeal flour; 1/4 tsp Salt; 1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of soda; 1/4 tsp Baking powder; 100 g Light brown sugar; 2 tsp Cinnamon; 1/2 tsp Ground nutmeg; 1/2 tsp Mixed spice; 1/4 tsp Ground ginger; 100 g Carrots (grated (one medium carrot)); 200 ml Almond milk (or other dairy free milk); 30 ml Vegetable oil; 1 tsp Vanilla extract; 2 tsp Cider vinegar; Dairy free spread (for greasing the tin); 200 g Icing sugar; 3 tbsp Almond milk (or other dairy free milk); 30 g Pecans (chopped)

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I didn't used to like carrot cake when I was younger as I never ate carrots, but now I absolutely love the stuff! Carrots are actually quite a sweet vegetable and they lend a wonderful moistness to cakes. Then there's all the tasty autumnal spices, brown sugar and creamy frosting - irresistible! I've made non-vegan baked donuts several times, and I really wanted to try a vegan version, so I knew Carrot Cake Baked Donuts would be delicious.

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Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information

Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature before you start baking.
You can use a different type of oil besides vegetable oil. I'd recommend one that doesn't have a strong flavour, canola and sunflower oil would both work well.
You can use any dairy free milk for this recipe.
You will need a 12 hole donut pan (or two 6 hole donut pans) to make this recipe. Check the recommend equipment section for a link to the one I use.
Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to make Vegan Carrot Cake Baked Donuts

To start, place all of the dry ingredients (the flour, spices, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda) into a bowl and stir them together. In another bowl, whisk together the oil, almond milk, vanilla and cider vinegar.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, mix together, then stir in the carrots. Put the batter into a piping bag and pipe it into donut pans greased with dairy free butter. (This recipe make 12 donuts so you will need two 6 hole tins).

Bake the donuts for 15 minutes until they are risen and golden. Using a butter knife, gently loosened them around the edges, then tip them out onto a cooling rack. For the glaze, mix together the icing sugar with the milk and dip the donuts in. Sprinkle the pecans on while the glaze is still wet.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

What are baked donuts?

Baked donuts are little ring shaped cakes that are baked in the oven in a donut tin. They are super moist and have a wonderful texture. I've spiced these Carrot Cake Baked Donuts with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg and dunked them in a sweet glaze. They are truly yummy and will delight vegans and non-vegans alike.

Do you need a donut pan to make this recipe?

The simple answer is yes! I highly recommend investing in a donut pan* (you will need two 6 ring tins, or one 12 ring tin, for this recipe), they are not expensive and they’re easy to obtain from Amazon, plus there are so many yummy baked donut recipes on my blog that you’ll be able to make with them!

Can the donuts be made gluten free?

Yes! Just swap out the flour for a gluten free flour blend.

Can the donuts be made nut free?

These carrot cake baked donuts are dairy and egg free, and they could be nut free too if you use soya milk rather than almond milk and don't add the chopped pecans on top.

More tips for making the Vegan Carrot Cake Baked Donuts:

The easiest way to get the batter into the donut tin is using a piping bag, you could also use a jug or carefully spoon it in.
You can easily make the donuts nut free by omitting the pecans, and using soy milk instead of almond milk.
I used a blend of self raising flour and plain wholemeal flour to make the donuts. If you want to use all self raising, you can do this just omit the baking powder.

Troubleshooting

My number one tip for getting the best results is to read through this whole page of tips and recommendations before starting, and follow the recipe exactly. If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!

Recommended equipment & ingredients

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