Vegan Baked Lemon & Thyme Doughnuts! Bursting with tangy lemon and savory thyme. You're going to love this combination of flavors.
If you love lemon, and doughnuts, and baking, then you’re going to LOVE these scrumptious baked vegan doughnuts. If I said that I was slightly obsessed with the mouth-puckering flavor of these confectionary breakfast treats, I’d be lying, because I’m over the moon obsessed with them.
There is so much bright and tangy lemon in these vegan baked doughnuts that you won’t believe that there isn’t a drop of lemon extract in them. True. There’s no need to add any, because I cracked the secret code for how much lemon juice to add to make these beauties all kinds of tart and wonderful. Then, to make them even more summery and fun, I added a few tablespoons of fresh thyme. This delicate little herb balances the citrus in the lemon and creates the most amazing tasting doughnuts that you’ll ever eat. This is not an exaggeration!
The inspiration for the unique flavor combination came from doughnuts that Alex tried when she was in Berlin, Germany last month. She had lemon & thyme doughnuts and strawberry & basil doughnuts at a vegan shop. She raved about them both, but she and her fiancée really loved the lemon & thyme combination, so I decided that I’d attempt to make them first. The others will be coming up next month.
I absolutely love the idea of adding herbs to things that you don’t usually see herbs in, like doughnuts. They’re usually saved for savory dishes, but they work so well with sweet dishes too, and add so much depth and interest to the flavor profile of sweet recipes. If you’re feeling a bit skeptical about putting fresh thyme in doughnuts, toss that thought away, because this vegan doughnut recipe will win you over and convince you to add herbs to things you’d never thought you could.
HOW TO MAKE PERFECT BAKED VEGAN DOUGHNUTS
The secret to chewy, not dry, and tender baked doughnuts is using aquafaba (the liquid in a can of chickpeas) for the egg replacer. It’s truly a magical ingredient that will transform your vegan baking. I’ve used other egg replacers, such as flax eggs, applesauce, chia seeds, and bananas to make vegan doughnuts, and they work fine, but aquafaba yields a better result.
Another key ingredient for getting the perfect bite in a baked doughnut is cake flour. For whatever reason, cake flour always makes a better doughnut than all-purpose flour. Since I’m not a scientist, I can’t tell you why, all I can say is that it works.
Finally, you'll want to make sure not to overwork the batter. Don’t use your mixer to blend the flour and thyme into the wet ingredients. Use a wooden spoon and gently stir the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. If you overdo it you’ll end up with tough doughnuts.
Stick to these three tips and you’ll make the most delicious baked lemon & thyme vegan doughnuts ever.
Make these and let me know what you think. I hope you’ll love them as much as I did.
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Yields 1 dozen
Delicious vegan baked lemon & thyme doughnuts. Easy to make and easier to eat!
15 minPrep Time
15 minCook Time
30 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 2 ½ cups cake flour
- 2 tsp baking powder, aluminum free
- ½ tsp finely ground sea salt
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup aquafaba (liquid from chickpeas)
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp lemon zest, divided
- 3 tbsp minced thyme
- FOR THE GLAZE
- 1/3 cup confectioners sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° and lightly grease your doughnut pan if it’s not a non-stick pan.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt until completely combined.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugars, olive oil, aquafaba, lemon juice, 2 tbsp lemon zest, and vanilla until the sugar is mostly dissolved. Add the flour mixture and thyme to the sugar mixture and stir until just combined. Spoon the batter into the doughnut pans, approximately ¾ of the way full. Bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the doughnuts. Let cool for 5 minutes and then invert onto a wire cooling rack until completely cool. Dip the tops of the cooled doughnuts in the glaze and add lemon zest and a sprig of thyme.
- FOR THE GLAZE
- Mix the confectioners sugar and lemon juice until it’s smooth and creamy.
- Enjoy!
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