Easy Homestyle Dairy-Free Donuts, No Deep Fryer Required!

The photo above was one of my first times making homemade donuts, in 2016! The first time I ever ate a donut was when I made them myself at the age of 26. I always thought they would be so intimidating to make, but they’re actually very simple. I became obsessed with making my own donuts in all different flavors, and I tweaked and perfected my regular wheat flour doughs and spelt flour doughs over the years.

Check out my recipe for Spelt Flour Mini Donuts with Cinnamon Sugar.

The donut above was made in 2021. My donuts have come such a long way since 2016! Now I can make them without breaking a sweat. My husband and I love to snack on them late at night while watching movies. You’ll notice that the texture and colour is far better than my original batch, though the original batch was pretty good too.

One of the best batches of donuts I have ever made were my Sunflower Chocolate Bacon Donuts. They’re indulgent and ridiculous and pretty freaking amazing.

Some basic tips for safe stovetop frying at home:

• Use a kitchen thermometer to test the temperature of your oil. If oil overheats it can burn the food and start a fire. If it’s not hot enough, then you’ll end up with donuts that look like pale rocks. Keeping the oil temperature consistent is key.

• Use an oil with a high smoke point, like avocado oil. An oil with a low smoke point, like olive oil, can burn and turn rancid smelling at high temperatures.

• Dust off excess flour before adding the dough to the oil, as excess flour will burn faster than the dough will cook, resulting in dark build up in the bottom of the pot.

• Never drop dough into hot oil from height. Gently put the dough into the oil in a motion away from your body. Avoid splashing.

• Use a spider (designed for frying) or a pair of metal tongs to move the dough around.

• Never allow your hair, sleeves, or other things on your person to dangle over hot oil. When frying, I keep my hair up in a towel. This also prevents my hair from absorbing the oil smell.

• Have a pot lid and baking soda handy in the rare event of the oil igniting. Remember that water will not put out a grease fire.

• Never walk away from a pot full of hot oil when it is on the heat.

Using your intuition and basic safety procedures will ensure that you can safely fry donuts on the stovetop at home. There is nothing to be intimidated about when it comes to making donuts, and in this recipe I call for a shallow pot of oil (1 inch depth) which makes it even simpler to manage.

Is your frying oil too hot or too cold?

• Use an oil that has a high smoke point, such as avocado oil

• Heat it on medium heat. You will notice the oil becomes thinner in appearance as it heats up. It should not be boiling or sputtering.

• Use a small piece of dough as a test piece. If the dough sinks to the bottom, then your oil is not hot enough. If the oil starts to sputter and overreact, then the oil is too hot.

• The test piece of dough should cause the oil to bubble around its edges, and perhaps cause it to travel around the pot a little.

• If the dough burns too quickly, then the oil is too hot and should be turned down.

This dough recipe is a mashup between traditional homemade donuts and fried pizza dough, which may seem like an odd combination, but it just works. Trust me.

I went for 26 years without having a single donut. For anyone without food allergy, that might seem absolutely absurd. But with dairy, soy, peanut, and nut allergies, it was impossible to find a donut shop that I could eat at, or a packaged brand of donuts that were safe for me. I never thought much about donuts until one day it occurred to me that I should try making them myself. Experimenting with yeasted doughs is one of my favorite kitchen activities. What I like about this recipe is that it uses high protein flour instead of sifted pastry flour, contributing to a different taste than typical donuts. But they’re still remarkably light, as the dough goes through two rise periods and becomes very fluffy.

I like to fry the donuts in avocado oil because it has a high burning point and a very mild flavor. The beauty of this recipe is that it can so easily be done in your kitchen, without a huge pot of oil or a deep fryer. I use a stainless steel pan with about an inch of oil - it’s as easy as that.

Ingredients for Homestyle Dairy Free Donuts

• 2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar

• 1 1/2 tsp dry yeast

• 1 cup warm water

• 2 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil

• several cups of avocado oil

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar (topping)

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon (topping)

• 1 tsp coconut oil or allergy-safe vegan butter (topping)

• 3/4 allergy-safe chocolate chips, such as Enjoy Life or MadeGood (topping)

How to make Dairy Free Donuts with Cinnamon Sugar

1. Add the flour, salt, and 1/4 cup powdered sugar to a mixing bowl and mix until well combined. Make a well in the center and pour in the yeast and the warm water. Let it sit for 10 minutes to bloom.

2. Add 2 tbsp. of avocado or olive oil to the liquid, then begin mixing the liquid portion together with a spoon. Gradually bring in flour from the sides until it starts to form a dough. Then switch to kneading with your hands. Knead for one minute. You will notice that by the end of a minute, the dough is smoother, shinier, and more elastic.

3. Lightly grease a large mixing bowl with avocado or olive oil. Place the ball of dough in the bowl and cover with either a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rest in a warm place for about an hour and a half - 2 hours, or until doubled in size. The amount of time will depend on the temperature and humidity of your environment. In colder places, it has taken up to 3 hours for my dough to rise. Don’t panic!

4. Once the dough has risen, punch it down with your fist. Turn it out onto a floured surface and stretch it to an 8 x 16 inch rectangle. Let it rest for 30 minutes, before cutting into rounds.

5. Fill a medium sized pot with one inch of avocado oil. I do not have the measurements listed here because the volume of oil will depend on the size of your pot. Of importance is the depth of an inch in order to allow the donuts to float on the surface. Turn to medium heat, and watch it closely. See notes above for heating your oil correctly.

6. While the oil is heating, cut the donuts into rounds using a shot glass or a round cookie cutter. Gather the scraps together, roll them out, and cut into rounds. Repeat until you have gone through all the dough. Now it’s time to fry.

7. Dust off excess flour before adding the dough to the oil. Fry the donuts 2 or 3 at a time. They will take about 2 minutes per side. Flip them over using a spider or a pair of metal tongs. Have a plate lined with paper towels at the ready to collect the hot donuts. Keep a steady flow of donuts going into and coming out of the oil to maintain your temperature.

For cinnamon sugar - mix the cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl. Dip both sides of the donuts in to ensure all sides are coated in the sugar, while still warm.

For chocolate glazed - melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil/vegan butter in a double boiler or the microwave until smooth and silky. Dip the donut tops in the chocolate, then lay them out on a cooling rack to set until ready to serve.

Makes approximately 20 medium sized donuts, or 40 mini donuts