These baked carrot cake donuts are moist, fluffy and perfectly spiced. Ready in under 30 minutes, they’re a simple and fun treat for the spring!
The Ingredients
- Almond flour. Almond flour adds a light texture to the donuts.
- Oat flour. Use gluten free oat flour if needed.
- Potato starch. Potato starch gives the donuts a slightly crisp outside while keeping the inside fluffy.
- Organic cane sugar. Any light granulated sugar will work. For this recipe I use a very small amount of sugar (2 tablespoons) in the donut batter. This way the donuts are not too sweet when the icing is added.
- Club soda. Adding a bit of club soda to baked goods (especially vegan gluten free ones) really helps to make the batter lighter. All of the tiny air bubbles act similar to yeast giving it more rise.
- Vegetable oil. Sunflower oil, avocado oil and olive oil all work well in this recipe. I don’t recommend coconut oil because I find that once the donuts cool, the coconut oil makes the donuts quite dense.
- Almond milk. Any plant milk can be used.
- Carrots. One finely shredded carrot is all that you need. I sliced another carrot into mini carrots and added rosemary for a cute garnish.
- Warming spices. Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves give the donuts that classic carrot cake flavor.
How To Make The Donuts
This donut batter could not be any easier! They can be whipped up and baked in 30 minutes. Below are the basic steps with the detailed version in the recipe card.
- Mix the dry ingredients.
- Finely shred one carrot and squeeze to drain excess water.
- Mix the wet ingredients.
- Fold the wet ingredients into the dry.
- Fold in the shredded carrots.
- Pipe or spoon the batter into a donut pan.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Once cooled, mix the icing and dip the donuts.
- Sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon and top with a cute cutout carrot and fresh rosemary.
Why You Will Love These Donuts
✓ Easy to make
✓ Moist and fluffy
✓ Classic carrot cake
✓ Customizable
✓ Fun Spring/Easter treat
✓ Vegan & gluten free
Looking For More Donut Recipes?
- Blueberry Lemon Donuts
- Chai Spiced Donuts
- Baked Vegan Pumpkin Donuts
- Mini Matcha Donuts
- Chocolate Donuts With Candied Orange And Ginger
- Coffee Ganache Donuts
Or More Easter Recipes?
- Lemon Coconut Donuts With Mini Easter Eggs
- Coconut Bird Nest Cookies
- Lemon Ginger Easter Egg Cookies
- Cardamom Easter Egg Floral Cookies
If you love carrot cake you will love these donuts! They’re incredibly easy to customize – you can fold in chopped walnuts or raisins, or even a bit of shredded coconut for a extra texture. And for the icing you’ve got options depending on your mood. Add a bit of cream cheese for that classic carrot cake finish or dust them with a bit of cinnamon sugar for something lighter.
Despite being vegan and gluten free, they don’t feel like a compromise. They’re soft, flavorful, and satisfying enough for anyone at the table! I hope that you get to try this recipe this Spring, you just might find yourself making them again and again!
Carrot Cake Donuts (Vegan, Gluten Free)
Ingredients
Donuts
Dry
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup oat flour
- 1/4 cup tapioca
- 2 tablespoons cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Wet
- 1/4 cup club soda
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (not coconut)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup finely shredded carrots, about 1 medium carrot
Icing
- 2 cups icing sugar
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter, melted
- 2-3 tablespoons almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- sprinkle cinnamon, for garnish
- 1 small carrot, sliced into triangles for garnish
- fresh rosemary, for garnish
Instructions
Donuts
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. Generously grease a 6 hole donut pan with vegetable oil.
- In a medium sized bowl mix the dry ingredients – almond flour, oat flour, potato starch, cane sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and sea salt. Stir until there are no clumps.
- Finely shred a carrot. Use you hands to squeeze out the excess water. Set aside.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup mix the wet ingredients – almond milk, club soda, oil and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just mixed. The batter should be quite moist and slightly lumpy. Add the shredded carrots and fold in until just mixed. Be careful not to over mix.
- Spoon or pipe the batter into the donut pan. Smooth out the top of the batter.
- Bake for 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Flip the donut mold upside down and tap to release the donuts. They usually fall out on their own but if they're being stubborn gently use a butter knife to loosen the donuts from the pan. Place them on a cooling rack.
Icing
- Add the icing sugar into a small bowl that is wide enough to dip a donut. Whisk in the melted butter and vanilla extract. Add the almond milk a bit at a time and whisk until smooth. I like the icing to be quite thick so I use just under 3 tablespoons of milk. If you want a thinner glaze add more milk.
- Dip the cooled donuts into the icing and place back onto the cooling rack. Sprinkle the donuts with cinnamon. Peel and slice a small carrot into small triangles for the garnish. Place on top with a bit of rosemary to make the mini carrots. The donuts are best eaten the same day. The texture of the donuts becomes softer and more crumbly the next day. Enjoy!
Nutrition
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
Your feedback is always appreciated! Please leave a comment and star rating below. If you have a question please ask me in the comment section and I will get back to you ASAP. Thank you so much for stopping by and happy eating always!
They turned out great! Simple recipe too. Very moist and light for a gluten free donut. Looking forward to making more of your recipes.
Thank you so much for your feedback, so happy to hear that you enjoyed them! 🙂