Vegan donuts are something I make a few times a year, especially when I'm craving something sweet without eggs or milk and want to whip them up quickly. The recipe is classic, using margarine and water, and doesn’t require complicated ingredients. If you have some patience for rising, it’s not difficult at all. I like them with powdered sugar and rose jam, but they can be served with anything else you like.
Quick Info
Total time: approx. 1 hour 30 minutes
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Rising time: 1 hour (in total, including two rises)
Frying time: 10-15 minutes
Servings: 18-20 donuts, depending on how large you cut them
Difficulty: medium
Recipe type: vegan dessert, quick donuts
Ingredients
1 pack of Unirea margarine (250 g)
200 ml warm water
1 packet of yeast (25 g, fresh or 7 g dry)
1 pinch of salt
1 teaspoon sugar (to activate the yeast)
about 600-650 g white flour
the grated zest of one lemon
1 vanilla essence (or extract)
2 packets of vanilla sugar
50 g granulated sugar
oil for frying (about 750 ml)
150 g powdered sugar (for decoration)
rose jam (or other jam, optional)
Preparation method
1. Dissolve the yeast with the salt and one teaspoon of sugar in a small bowl. Mix a bit until it becomes fluid. Add 3-4 tablespoons of warm water, then add a few teaspoons of flour (not too much, just enough to form a thick starter). Let it rise for about 10 minutes until it starts to bubble.
2. In a large bowl, put the flour (start with 600 g, use the rest if needed for kneading). Make a well in the middle. Pour the risen starter, melted margarine, grated lemon zest, vanilla essence, granulated sugar, and vanilla sugar into it.
3. Start mixing with your hand or a spoon, gradually pouring in the rest of the warm water. Knead until you have an elastic, non-sticky dough, but still slightly soft. If you feel it needs more flour, sprinkle a little, but don’t make the dough too hard.
4. Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place, away from drafts, until it doubles in size. This usually takes 40-50 minutes, sometimes longer if it’s cold in the kitchen.
5. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Roll it out to a thickness of about 1-1.5 cm. Cut out the donuts with a glass or a special cutter, depending on what you have on hand. The leftover dough can be gathered and rolled out again.
6. Place the cut donuts on a clean towel. Lightly cover them and let them rise for another 10 minutes, not too much.
7. Heat the oil in a deep pot. You don’t need to measure the temperature exactly, but it should be well heated; otherwise, the donuts will absorb oil. Put a few donuts in at a time, don’t overcrowd the pot.
8. Fry them on both sides until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes on each side, depending on thickness. Don’t leave them unattended, they can burn quickly at the end.
9. Remove them directly onto paper towels to absorb excess oil.
10. When they have cooled slightly, roll them in powdered sugar. Serve with rose jam or let each person add their own to taste.
Why I make this recipe often
I prepare them because they don’t require expensive or hard-to-find ingredients, they are suitable for fasting or if I have guests who don’t consume eggs/milk, and they keep well for a few hours after making. You can make them larger or smaller, as you wish.
Tips and variations
Tips
1. Use warm water, not hot, for the yeast.
2. Be careful not to knead the dough with too much flour, the donuts will become dense.
3. The oil must be well heated, but not smoking.
Substitutions
- You can use any type of margarine if you don’t have Unirea, as long as it’s suitable for vegan diets.
- If you don’t have vanilla sugar, add a little extra vanilla extract.
- Rose jam is not mandatory; any kind of jam or even just sugar works.
Variations
- You can add a little cinnamon to the dough or directly over the powdered sugar.
- If you want thinner and crunchier donuts, roll the dough out thinner.
- If you want them airier, let them rise a bit longer after cutting.
Serving ideas
- The simplest way is with powdered sugar and jam, but they also go well with melted chocolate, jam, or even plain alongside coffee.
Frequently asked questions
How much do they rise when frying?
The donuts rise considerably when frying, especially if they have been left to rise sufficiently. From a thickness of 1-1.5 cm, they become fluffy, usually doubling in volume.
Can I make the dough the night before?
I do not recommend it, as the yeast dough loses elasticity and quick rising gives better results for these donuts.
What type of flour works best?
White flour type 000 or regular flour for sweet bread are the most suitable. Lower protein flour gives fluffier donuts.
What happens if the oil isn’t hot enough?
The donuts absorb too much oil and remain greasy. Test with a small piece of dough; it should sizzle immediately but not burn.
Can I use another sweetener instead of sugar?
Not for the starter; the yeast needs sugar to activate. For granulated and powdered sugar, you can try other options, but the result won’t be identical.
Nutritional values
Estimate per serving (for 18 donuts):
Calories: approx. 220 kcal
Protein: 3 g
Carbohydrates: 30 g
Fats: 10 g
Values are approximate and may vary depending on how much oil they absorb while frying and how much sugar/jam you use when serving.
Storage and reheating
They keep well for a few hours at room temperature, covered with a towel. After a day, they become harder. I do not recommend storing them in the fridge, they dry out. If you want to reheat them, a few seconds in the microwave are enough, but the texture won’t be as good as fresh. Vegan donuts are best consumed on the day they are made.
Quick Info
Total time: approx. 1 hour 30 minutes
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Rising time: 1 hour (in total, including two rises)
Frying time: 10-15 minutes
Servings: 18-20 donuts, depending on how large you cut them
Difficulty: medium
Recipe type: vegan dessert, quick donuts
Ingredients
1 pack of Unirea margarine (250 g)
200 ml warm water
1 packet of yeast (25 g, fresh or 7 g dry)
1 pinch of salt
1 teaspoon sugar (to activate the yeast)
about 600-650 g white flour
the grated zest of one lemon
1 vanilla essence (or extract)
2 packets of vanilla sugar
50 g granulated sugar
oil for frying (about 750 ml)
150 g powdered sugar (for decoration)
rose jam (or other jam, optional)
Preparation method
1. Dissolve the yeast with the salt and one teaspoon of sugar in a small bowl. Mix a bit until it becomes fluid. Add 3-4 tablespoons of warm water, then add a few teaspoons of flour (not too much, just enough to form a thick starter). Let it rise for about 10 minutes until it starts to bubble.
2. In a large bowl, put the flour (start with 600 g, use the rest if needed for kneading). Make a well in the middle. Pour the risen starter, melted margarine, grated lemon zest, vanilla essence, granulated sugar, and vanilla sugar into it.
3. Start mixing with your hand or a spoon, gradually pouring in the rest of the warm water. Knead until you have an elastic, non-sticky dough, but still slightly soft. If you feel it needs more flour, sprinkle a little, but don’t make the dough too hard.
4. Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place, away from drafts, until it doubles in size. This usually takes 40-50 minutes, sometimes longer if it’s cold in the kitchen.
5. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Roll it out to a thickness of about 1-1.5 cm. Cut out the donuts with a glass or a special cutter, depending on what you have on hand. The leftover dough can be gathered and rolled out again.
6. Place the cut donuts on a clean towel. Lightly cover them and let them rise for another 10 minutes, not too much.
7. Heat the oil in a deep pot. You don’t need to measure the temperature exactly, but it should be well heated; otherwise, the donuts will absorb oil. Put a few donuts in at a time, don’t overcrowd the pot.
8. Fry them on both sides until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes on each side, depending on thickness. Don’t leave them unattended, they can burn quickly at the end.
9. Remove them directly onto paper towels to absorb excess oil.
10. When they have cooled slightly, roll them in powdered sugar. Serve with rose jam or let each person add their own to taste.
Why I make this recipe often
I prepare them because they don’t require expensive or hard-to-find ingredients, they are suitable for fasting or if I have guests who don’t consume eggs/milk, and they keep well for a few hours after making. You can make them larger or smaller, as you wish.
Tips and variations
Tips
1. Use warm water, not hot, for the yeast.
2. Be careful not to knead the dough with too much flour, the donuts will become dense.
3. The oil must be well heated, but not smoking.
Substitutions
- You can use any type of margarine if you don’t have Unirea, as long as it’s suitable for vegan diets.
- If you don’t have vanilla sugar, add a little extra vanilla extract.
- Rose jam is not mandatory; any kind of jam or even just sugar works.
Variations
- You can add a little cinnamon to the dough or directly over the powdered sugar.
- If you want thinner and crunchier donuts, roll the dough out thinner.
- If you want them airier, let them rise a bit longer after cutting.
Serving ideas
- The simplest way is with powdered sugar and jam, but they also go well with melted chocolate, jam, or even plain alongside coffee.
Frequently asked questions
How much do they rise when frying?
The donuts rise considerably when frying, especially if they have been left to rise sufficiently. From a thickness of 1-1.5 cm, they become fluffy, usually doubling in volume.
Can I make the dough the night before?
I do not recommend it, as the yeast dough loses elasticity and quick rising gives better results for these donuts.
What type of flour works best?
White flour type 000 or regular flour for sweet bread are the most suitable. Lower protein flour gives fluffier donuts.
What happens if the oil isn’t hot enough?
The donuts absorb too much oil and remain greasy. Test with a small piece of dough; it should sizzle immediately but not burn.
Can I use another sweetener instead of sugar?
Not for the starter; the yeast needs sugar to activate. For granulated and powdered sugar, you can try other options, but the result won’t be identical.
Nutritional values
Estimate per serving (for 18 donuts):
Calories: approx. 220 kcal
Protein: 3 g
Carbohydrates: 30 g
Fats: 10 g
Values are approximate and may vary depending on how much oil they absorb while frying and how much sugar/jam you use when serving.
Storage and reheating
They keep well for a few hours at room temperature, covered with a towel. After a day, they become harder. I do not recommend storing them in the fridge, they dry out. If you want to reheat them, a few seconds in the microwave are enough, but the texture won’t be as good as fresh. Vegan donuts are best consumed on the day they are made.