Baked Strawberry Donuts | Vegan & Gluten-Free

These Baked Strawberry Donuts are the perfect refreshing summer dessert! Fluffy vegan & gluten-free donuts loaded with fresh strawberries and topped with a juicy, bright red glaze. 

These Baked Strawberry Donuts taste like a mouthwatering bite of summertime! Wholesome and refreshing, these donuts make the perfect sweet treat for the sunny strawberry season. What’s not to love about fluffy, fruit-filled (and gluten-free) donuts dunked in a juicy berry glaze? 😊

INGREDIENTS + INSPIRATION

These Baked Strawberry Donuts are packed with flavor – with fresh strawberries in the donut AND freeze-dried strawberries blitzed into the prettiest bright red glaze, these fruit-filled donuts are the most refreshing dessert. And the glaze doesn’t just have strawberries in it…think strawberry lemonade with a juicy glaze made from freshly squeezed lemons and sweet red berries! Pair one of these donuts with an ice-cold glass of strawberry lemonade and you have THE ULTIMATE summertime combo.

You can find freeze-dried strawberries at some grocery stores (I got mine at Trader Joe’s), or buy them online! The rest of the ingredients should be easily available at any local grocer 🙂

HOW TO MAKE BAKED STRAWBERRY DONUTS

Whipping up a batch of homemade donuts can be intimidating if you’ve never made them before. But put all of your worries to rest – I promise, you will be pleasantly surprised with how easy these are to make. This Baked Strawberry Donuts recipe was designed to be fuss-free and fun to make! Simply combine your dry ingredients with your wet, fold in your juicy strawberries, and bake while you make the super easy (and super delicious) red berry glaze 😊

1. Whisk together oat flour, baking powder, and salt then set aside.
2. Combine sugar, almond butter, applesauce, vanilla, and vegan milk and mix until the sugar has dissolved. Add the dry ingredients and mix until there are no clumps, then fold in the diced strawberries and lemon juice.
3. Transfer the batter into greased donut moulds and bake. Let cool before glazing.
4. Pulse freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder and sift into a bowl. Add the powdered sugar and lemon juice and whisk into a thick glaze.
5. Dip, drizzle, or pipe on the glaze and enjoy!

Who said donuts had to be reserved only for dessert? I love to indulge in one of these fluffy, fruity treats as a midday snack or alongside a light, refreshing lunch. These donuts would also make incredible party treats for backyard get-togethers or summer pool days with friends and family. If you’d like to take the fancy to the next level, you can even add a fresh or freeze-dried strawberry on top as garnish! Store your leftover donuts at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days, if you can make them last that long 😉

COOKING TIPS + FAQ:

• Use silicone donut moulds: I’ve had this set for years and it’s still working great! I recommend using silicone moulds over metal donut tins as it’s much easier to “pop” the donuts out of them after baking. Pro-tip: place your silicone moulds on a standard baking sheet for an easier transfer in and out of the oven!
• What if I can’t find freeze-dried strawberries? That’s ok, you can leave them out and opt for a simple lemon glaze, or used freeze-dried raspberries for another fruity twist.
• Can I make this recipe nut-free? Yes! Simply swap the almond butter for tahini or melted coconut butter, and use a nut-free milk like oat milk or soy milk.

If you’re like me and LOVE anything strawberry, you have to try these Strawberry Sugar Cookies, this Vegan Strawberry Upside Down Cake, or this Strawberry Rhubarb Pie. And don’t forget breakfast with this delicious Strawberries and Cream Oatmeal!

Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂

Baked Strawberry Donuts | Vegan & Gluten-Free

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

These Baked Strawberry Donuts are the perfect refreshing summer dessert! Fluffy vegan & gluten-free donuts loaded with fresh strawberries and topped with a juicy, bright red glaze.

• Author: Caitlin Shoemaker

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Donuts:

• 1 1/2 cups (147 g) quick-cooking or rolled oats, blended to make oat flour*
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup (110 g) cane sugar
• 1/2 cup (120 g) almond butter
• 1/3 cup (83 g) unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) + 2 tablespoons dairy-free milk (I used soy)
• 1/2 cup (70 g) finely chopped fresh strawberries
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

For the Strawberry Glaze: 

• 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup (11 g) freeze-dried strawberries (optional; see notes) 
• 1–3 teaspoons water, as needed 
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F and grease or spray your donut moulds with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Dry Ingredients: whisk the oat flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Wet Ingredients: in a separate bowl, combine the sugar, almond butter, applesauce, vanilla, and non-dairy milk. Mix until the sugar is dissolved, then add to the dry ingredients and mix well, until no clumps of flour are left. Mix the chopped strawberries with the lemon juice (this keeps them from turning purple in the oven). Then, fold the strawberries into the batter.
4. Bake: Use a spoon or cookie scoop to transfer the batter into a donut pan, dividing it evenly between 12 “donuts”. Bake in the middle rack for 20 to 22 minutes, then remove from the oven and let sit for 5-7 minutes to cool before removing the donuts and placing them on a wire rack. Let cool completely before glazing.
5. Make the Glaze: Pulse the freeze-dried strawberries in either a spice grinder or a food processor until a fine powder forms, then sift this powder into a small bowl. Add the powdered sugar and lemon juice to the bowl and whisk to form a thick glaze. If necessary, add additional water in 1 teaspoon increments until it has thinned to your liking – I used 1 additional teaspoon.
6. Drizzle & Serve: dunk the top of each donut into the glaze, or use a spoon to drizzle the glaze over each donut. Serve & enjoy; leftovers will keep at room temperature for up to 2 days with glaze, or can be frozen for up to 2 months. 

Notes

• Freeze-Dried Strawberries: I found my freeze-dried strawberries at Trader Joes, but if you can’t find any, simply leave them out and make a lemon glaze instead. I would recommend using only 1 tablespoon of lemon juice + 1 tablespoon of water if you are not adding the berries.
• Other Substitutions: almond butter can be swapped for any other drippy nut or seed butter. Cane sugar can be swapped with coconut sugar or brown sugar. I used soy milk for this recipe, but any other plant based milk will work too. I have not tested this recipe with any other flours.