Eggless Donut Recipe (Cinnamon & Chocolate)

Donut recipe with whole wheat flour are a healthier baked version of the classic bakery treat you know and love. Here you’ll find step-by-step instructions with photos to make the best eggless donut recipe. Plus, I share my favorite simple recipes for a delicious chocolate glaze to make chocolate donut and cinnamon + sugar sprinkle to make cinnamon sugared donut!

About Donut Recipe

Doughnuts, or donuts, are a classic sweet goodie that have long been enjoyed in some version in nearly all corners of the world.

Thick, rich, sweet dough is formed into a circle – with or without a hole – and either baked or fried to fluffy, tender perfection.

They are very simple and similar in concept no matter where you are, but the different varieties of donuts are nearly endless.

Speaking of: Be sure to give this Gulgule (Indian Fried Doughnut) recipe a try, too!

My readers have requested recipes for donuts over the years, including baked and fried methods, and yeast vs. no yeast recipes. After many trials and tests, this is by far my favorite way to make donuts from scratch.

This eggless donut recipe is made with whole wheat flour (atta) and instant yeast for a lovely rise with no eggs needed. The donuts are baked in the oven and have just the right density and cake-y texture.

Also, I have used less sugar than most common donut recipes, but these treats still taste perfectly sweet. So each bite is flavorful, satisfying, and fairly healthy.

I’ve also included quick and easy recipes to prepare a decadent chocolate glaze and cinnamon sugar sprinkle. Top your donuts however you like and enjoy as a fun and delicious breakfast or dessert!

How to make Donuts

Make Flour, Milk and Yeast Mixture

1. First warm ½ cup milk and add it to a mixing bowl or pan. Do note that the milk should be lukewarm and not hot.

For instant yeast (rapid rise yeast), you can use cold milk or at room temperature. But if you use dry active yeast or fresh yeast, then to activate them, you will need to use lukewarm milk.

2. Then add ¼ cup sugar.

3. Next add ½ teaspoon instant yeast (rapid rise yeast). Mix very well.

Yeast types and conversions

• If adding dry active yeast, add ¾ teaspoon of it.
• For fresh yeast, add 1.5 teaspoons.

4. Next add 1 cup whole wheat flour (atta).

Atta is the Indian variety of stone ground wheat flour that is finely ground.

You can also use the roller milled wheat flour that is available in US and Europe, but do sift the flour 2 to 3 times before you add to the warm milk.

5. Mix very well with a spoon. If the mixture looks very thick, then you can add some more warm milk or milk which is at room temperature.

Cover the pan with a lid or kitchen towel and allow to leaven for 20 to 30 minutes.

6. After leavening, you will see that the dough mixture has become stringy and has air pockets in it.

Make Dough

7. Then add the remaining 1 cup of whole wheat flour, 3 tablespoons softened butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and a pinch of grated nutmeg.

8. Mix first and then begin to knead the dough. Add ¼ cup more of the milk (milk can be warm or at room temperature). Add milk as required while kneading.

9. Knead to a smooth, soft and supple dough. The dough should be softer than a roti dough. If dough feels hard then add more milk.

When you add more milk, it looks like the dough has become sticky and is covered with milk, but continue to knead and the dough will absorb the remaining milk.

Do note that the dough has to be soft and supple. If the dough is not soft, then the donuts will also not have a soft texture.

Overall I used ¾ cup milk. Depending on the quality of flour, you can add ¾ to 1 cup milk or more if required.

Leaven Dough

10. Cover the bowl and allow the dough to leaven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The dough will double up.

Warmer temperatures are more conducive for leavening and fermentation. While donut dough is getting leavened, we can prepare the toppings.

If using dry active yeast or fresh yeast, then let it to rise for 1:30 minutes to 3 hours. Timing will vary depending on the temperature conditions.

While the dough rests, you can put together the chocolate glaze and sugar cinnamon sprinkle.

Make Chocolate Glaze

1. Add 3 tablespoons powdered sugar (confectioners sugar) or icing sugar in a bowl.

2. Add 2 tablespoons cocoa powder.

3. Next add ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract.

4. Add 4 tablespoons milk.

5. Mix very well and keep aside. If the glaze looks very thick, then you can add 1 tablespoon milk. Both the chocolate glaze and the cinnamon sprinkle recipes are for the entire batch of donuts.

If you plan to do both, then halve the recipe ingredients. If there is any leftover, then use it. A few examples below.

• Like leftover melted butter can be used in various recipes.
• Leftover cinnamon sugar can be added to tea or coffee.
• Leftover chocolate sauce can be spread on toasts or paratha.

Make Sugar & Cinnamon Sprinkle

1. Add 2 tablespoons fine or super fine sugar or powdered sugar or icing sugar in a bowl or plate. Then add ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder.

2. Mix very well and keep aside.

Shape & Bake

1. Line a tray with parchment paper or butter paper. Alternatively you can grease the tray very well with oil or softened butter.

2. Gently and lightly knead the dough once more. Then sprinkle some flour and roll the entire dough to a circle having ½ to ¾ inch width. I kept ½ inch width thickness in the rolled dough.

3. Keep and press the donut cutter on the dough. Do this on all the rolled dough.

4. If you do not have a donut cutter, then take a lid and press it on the dough.

5. Then take a small lid and keep in the centre of the cut round dough. Remove the small centre piece and you get the donut shape.

6. Remove gently and keep the donuts on the lined tray. Also keep the small centre pieces.

Collect the dough scraps, knead lightly and again roll to ½ inch thickness. Shape the donuts again using the donut cutter or lids. Do this until all the dough gets used up to make the donuts.

7. Cover and allow for the second rise for 15 to 20 minutes or until they double.

With dry active or fresh yeast, keep for 30 minutes to 45 minutes or more until they double in size.

8. Before baking donuts, preheat the oven with both top and bottom heating elements on at 180 degrees celsius for 15 minutes. Keep the baking tray in the centre.

Bake donuts for 15 to 25 minutes. Timing will vary depending on the oven size, make and actual temperature in the oven. Bake donuts till the tops are golden. Also do not over bake them or else the texture becomes dry.

9. Remove the donuts and keep on wired rack. If some donuts have got baked and some are still not, then remove the ones which are baked and keep on a wired rack.

This what I did for some of the donuts which had got baked faster. Let the donuts cool a bit or become warm.

Make Cinnamon Sugared Eggless Donut

1. To top with the cinnamon and sugar sprinkle: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a steel bowl or a steel plate by keeping it on a low flame on the stove top. Do not touch the plate or bowl as it will be hot.

2. Place the doughnut upside down in the melted butter.

3. Then place the buttered side in the cinnamon and sugar mixture and gently move the donut on the sugar mixture so that the sugar and cinnamon sticks to the butter. Remove and keep donuts on the wired rack with the sprinkled side facing upwards.

Make Chocolate Donut

4. For the chocolate donut, place the donuts upside down in the glaze.

5. Coat evenly with the chocolate glaze. Remove and keep the chocolate donut on the wired rack with the chocolate glazed side upward.

Remember to keep a tray below the rack to collect the chocolate drippings or the sprinkles.

6. I also sprinkled some desiccated coconut on a few chocolate donuts. Optional step.

7. Serve these chocolate donut and cinnamon sugared donut warm or at room temperature.

Ingredient Swaps

• Flour: Whole wheat flour tends to give a faint dense texture in the donuts. If you prefer a very soft texture use all-purpose flour. You could also opt to add an equal mix of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. If using all-purpose add less quantities of milk while kneading.
• Milk: Adapt this recipe to a lighter version by kneading the dough with water instead of milk. You can also use nut milks like almond milk or cashew milk.
• Butter: For a vegan donut recipe, use vegan butter or a neutral tasting oil. Do not use a nut butter as the taste and flavor will change.
• Cocoa powder: To make the chocolate glaze, cocoa powder is an easily available ingredient that mostly everyone has in their kitchens. But in a pinch you can use hot chocolate mix or hot cocoa mix. Simply mix desired quantity of hot or warm water to the hot cocoa mix to get a thick to medium consistency glaze.

FAQs

Donut recipe from the blog archives was first published on December 2016.