Blueberry Donuts

These blueberry donuts are tender, fluffy, and bursting with juicy berries! Topped with a simple lemon glaze, they make a delicious dessert or a sweet breakfast option to pair with your morning coffee!

💙 Why you’ll love this recipe

• Allergy-friendly: Already dairy-free, nut-free, and vegan, these blueberry donuts can be made gluten-free as well.
• Great to make ahead: One batch makes 6 donuts and can easily be doubled to enjoy throughout the week.
• Baked instead of fried: Unlike many store-bought cake donuts that are fried, this version is baked in the oven for a healthier treat.
• Loved by kids and adults alike: Who can say no to a good donut? Especially when they’re full of blueberries in every bite! Everyone will look forward to devouring this recipe.

If you like blueberry cake donuts, then you’ll love our peach cobbler with cake mix, vegan churros, tempura ice cream, banana almond flour muffins, and chocolate chip mug cake.

🫐 What are blueberry cake donuts?

As a popular American breakfast option, cake donuts are made with cake batter that is chemically leavened and fried. To create blueberry donuts, frozen berries are mixed into the batter before cooking.

When developing this recipe, our goal was to emulate the same tender texture and sweet berry taste as traditional blueberry donuts, but with better-for-you ingredients and cooking methods. That means less sugar and a baked batter!

The results are incredible cake-like donuts that are completely plant-based and just as delicious as the original. We topped ours off with a lemon glaze, but they also taste delicious plain!

🍩 Cake donuts vs yeast donuts

Identifiable by their appearance, cake donuts are thicker and denser than their light and airy yeast donut counterparts. However, the main difference between the two is in the leavening agents.

Cake donuts, like these blueberry donuts, are typically leavened with a combination of baking soda and baking powder.

Meanwhile, yeast donuts are leavened with yeast. It eats the simple sugars in the dough to produce carbon dioxide, causing the donuts to rise.

📜 History

A true American invention, recipes for cake donuts began appearing in U.S. cookbooks as early as 1803. As baking soda and baking powder became widely available in 1829, their popularity exploded.

However, cake donuts became an integral part of American culture during WWI. The Salvation Army set up camps where women fed cake donuts and coffee to soldiers in France in an effort to boost morale and give them a taste of home.

This trend persisted throughout WWII as well, and when American veterans returned home, some of the first real donut shops were established.

Today, cake donuts exist in a wide variety of flavors from blueberry to chocolate, strawberry, glazed, and everything in between!

🌱 Are blueberry donuts vegan?

The original recipes for blueberry cake donuts contain non-vegan ingredients like eggs, butter, and buttermilk.

However, these items can easily be replaced with plant-based options such as flax eggs, vegan butter, and vegan buttermilk.

For our blueberry donut recipe, we did just that! They taste so similar to traditional donuts, you’d never guess they’re plant-based!

🛒 Ingredients & substitutions

• Flax egg: Used to replace the egg. Combine ground flaxseed and water, then let it sit for about 5 minutes until a viscous texture is formed. You can also use a chia seed egg or 1/4 cup applesauce for every flax egg.
• Flour: We used regular all-purpose flour, but a 1:1 gluten-free blend can be used in its place if needed.
• Cornstarch: To create a soft, fluffy interior and crisp, golden exterior.
• Baking soda: Forms carbon dioxide when combined with an acid, and helps create air pockets for extra fluffy donuts.
• Baking powder: Used to leaven the dough.
• Sugar: We opted for cane sugar, but coconut sugar would taste great, too!
• Salt: To enhance the flavor of the rest of the ingredients.
• Vegan buttermilk: Reacts with baking soda. Vegan buttermilk is extremely easy to make, and it helps break down strands of gluten in the dough for a tender texture without the need for animal-based products.
• Vanilla extract: Crucial to creating bold flavors in any baked good. Use pure vanilla extract whenever possible!
• Frozen blueberries: Fresh blueberries also work if you have them on hand. Or, feel free to swap them out with raspberries or blackberries instead!
• Lemon glaze: Made with lemon juice, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Make sure the powdered sugar is organic for a vegan option, or blend your own with cane sugar and cornstarch.

For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.

📝 Instructions

Step 1: Prepare

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, and grease a donut pan with cooking spray.

Step 2: Make the flax egg

In a small bowl, whisk together the flaxseed meal and water. Set it aside for 5 minutes, or until it has thickened.

Step 3: Combine the dry ingredients

In a large bowl, sift the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and baking powder together. Then, whisk in the cane sugar and salt until everything is well combined.

Step 4: Whisk the wet ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk the vegan buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of dry ingredients along with the flax egg. Stir everything together until the batter is just mixed, then gently fold in the blueberries.

Step 5: Fill the donut pan

Transfer the prepared batter to a freezer bag with a corner cut off. Pipe the blueberry donut batter into each donut mold, filling them roughly 3/4 of the way.

Step 6: Bake the donuts

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the donuts are light gold in color and spongy to the touch. Remove them from the oven, and let your blueberry donuts cool for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire wrack with parchment underneath.

Step 7: Make the glaze

If using a glaze, combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract in a shallow bowl, whisking until they are smooth.

Step 8: Glaze the donuts

Then, once the donuts have cooled, dip, dunk, or drizzle the glaze on top before transferring them back to the wire rack. Happy eating!

If you have questions about this blueberry cake donut recipe, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!

☕️ What to serve with blueberry donuts

When it comes to blueberry donuts, we’re all for eating them as a snack or dessert on their own. However, they’re also incredible when paired with coffee and tea for an afternoon pick-me-up. Try serving them with options like these:

• Hokkaido milk tea: Rich, creamy, and plant-based milk tea with pearls.
• Taro milk tea: A unique way to enjoy the flavors of this root vegetable.
• Oolong milk tea: Smoky, bold, and robust tea drink with boba.
• Jasmine milk tea: Sweet, floral, and delicately flavored tea.
• Dirty chai latte: Espresso and masala chai paired togther.

🌡️ Storage & reheating

We highly recommend making a double batch of these blueberry donuts to have on hand throughout the week. Follow these storage tips to keep them fresh:

• Room temperature: Given that this recipe is completely egg and dairy-free, leftovers keep well in an airtight container at room temperature (no warmer than 73 degrees F) for up to 3 days.
• Fridge: Keep your donuts chilled in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
• Freezer: For a longer-lasting option, wrap each donut in wax paper, and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Reheating: When you’re ready to eat, thaw your blueberry donuts in the fridge overnight. Then, enjoy them cool. Or, warm them in the microwave in intervals of 15 seconds until they’re heated through.

♻️ Variations

• Chocolate: Add cocoa or cacao powder to the batter to satisfy your chocolate cravings.
• Powdered sugar: Skip the glaze and dust each donut in powdered sugar for an extra sweet taste.
• Toasted coconut: Sprinkle shredded toasted coconut flakes on top of the glaze for a little crunch.
• Chopped nuts: Top your blueberry donuts with walnuts or pecans for a rich flavor, extra fiber, and healthy fats!
• Glaze: Swap out the lemon for lime or orange to flavor the glaze.

🧑‍🍳 Top tips

• Don’t overmix: You want the batter to be just combined. Continuing to mix will cause the gluten to develop further, creating tough donuts.
• Spoon the dough: If you don’t have a Ziploc bag on hand, simply use a spoon to scoop the batter into the donut pan.
• Let the batter sit: For even fluffier donuts, let the batter sit for 10 minutes before piping it into the pan.
• Keep an eye on your donuts: Every oven bakes differently, so be sure to keep an eye on your blueberry donuts. You’ll know they’re done when the edges have just turned a light golden brown.

💬 FAQ

🍴 More sweet recipes

If you enjoyed this blueberry cake donut recipe, be sure to check out some more sweet treats like the following:

• Mini pancakes: Sweet, fluffy, and tender vegan silver dollar pancakes.
• High-protein overnight oats: The perfect make-ahead breakfast.
• Pumpkin banana muffins: A combination of banana bread and pumpkin muffins.
• Edible brownie batter: Rich, decadent, and full of intense chocolate flavor.