Orange Pistachio Donuts

Enjoy these springtime vegan Orange Pistachio Donuts. They are topped with orange glaze and chopped pistachios for a delicious morning pastry or midday snack. Made in under 25 minutes!

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About every other week I have the thought, “Is it too soon to make another donut recipe for the blog?”.

While part of me thinks that is the craziest question ever. It’s NEVER too soon to do another vegan donut recipe, I try and keep things balanced and so 90% of the time, I come to the conclusion, “yes, it’s too soon.”

But this week I couldn’t say no any longer. With spring in full force (thank goodness!) it was time to take another look at these Orange Pistachio Donuts.

This recipe was published nearly 5 years ago. What a lifetime ago, that was! They are the perfect springtime pastry; a flavor celebration of orange, coconut, and pistachio.

And I think you’re gonna love them!

Ingredients & Substitutions

Making baked donuts is incredibly easy and satisfying. Who doesn’t love a soft and warm sweet pastry filled with spices and dipped in the glaze? And better yet, they are so simple to master.

Here is everything you need.

• All-Purpose Flour – For a gluten-free option, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Applesauce – This is the binder of the recipe. You could replace it with 1/3 cup mashed banana or a variety of other egg replacers.
• Oil – This recipe calls for coconut oil because it compliments the flavors of this donut. You can also use avocado, olive, or canola oil. If you want to eliminate the oil altogether, swap it out for the same amount of applesauce.
• Orange Juice & Zest
• Light Coconut Milk – This recipe calls for canned coconut milk rather than coconut beverage. However, if you don’t want coconut flavor, you can substitute it for vegan buttermilk (1/2 cup soy milk + 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar).
• Granulate & Powdered Sugar – Check out my guide to vegan sugars and alternative sugar replacements. For a healthier sugar alternative, I recommend coconut sugar.
• Pistachios – To save time, I recommend using shelled pistachios. I also recommend using slightly salted pistachios for a sweet and salty pastry. (<<affiliate link)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step One – Make the Batter

First, mix your dry ingredients together. Add the wet to the dry and mix until just combined. You don’t want to over mix or your donuts will become tough rather than tender.

Step Two – Bake the Donuts

The batter will be soft, so the best technique is to pipe the batter into the pan. If you don’t have a piping bag, you can make one by pouring your batter into a large ziplock bag and cutting off the tip.

Bake for just about 15-18 minutes. When done the dough should spring back when gently pressed. You can also check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the donut. When it comes out clean, your donuts are done.

Step Three – Make the Glaze

Make the orange glaze by stirring together powdered sugar and orange juice with a whisk until desired consistency. It should be thick, but not clumpy.

Once the donuts are ready, pull them out of the oven. Let the donuts cool completely before dipping them into your glaze and sprinkling them with pistachios.

Pro Tip: This cooling time is necessary otherwise the donuts might crumble and the glaze will melt off.

Serving And Storing

Serving – Serve your vegan donuts immediately as a morning pastry or afternoon snack. Serve with a homemade Matcha Latte

Storing – Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. They can also be frozen for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, pull them out of the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature for 2-3 hours.

Make in Advance – You can make this batter up to 1 day in advance. Store the batter in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, pipe the batter into the donut pan and bake in a preheated oven. If the batter is chilled, the donuts may need a minute or two extra in the oven.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Vegan Donut Recipes

• Vegan Maple Bacon Donuts
• Double Chocolate Pistachio Donuts
• Vegan Pumpkin Donuts

Coconut Orange Donuts

Enjoy these springtime vegan Orange Pistachio Donuts. They are topped with orange glaze and chopped pistachios for a delicious morning pastry or midday snack. Made in under 25 minutes!

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes

Total Time: 22 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 doughnuts

Calories: 218kcal

Author: Sarah McMinn

Ingredients

Coconut Orange Doughnuts

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/2 cup light coconut milk
• 1 tbsp orange zest
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup pistachios, ground
• 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Orange Glaze

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2-3 tbsp orange juice
• chopped pistachios

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly spray a donut pan and set aside.
• In a small bowl whisk together sugar, applesauce, oil, orange juice, coconut milk, and orange zest. In a larger bowl combine flour, pistachios, baking powder, and salt. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined.
• With a piping bag fill doughnut cavities ⅔ full. Bake 12-13 minutes, until lightly golden and doughnut springs back when gently touched.
• Allow the donuts to cool ten minutes before removing from the pan. Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the orange glaze by stirring together powdered sugar and orange juice with a whisk until desired consistency; it should be thick, but not clumpy.
• Dip the top half of each donut in the orange glaze and top with crushed pistachios. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Notes

Serving and Storing – Serve donuts immediately as a morning pastry or afternoon snack. Store leftover donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. They can also be frozen for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, pull them out of the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature for 2-3 hours

Make in Advance – You can make this batter up to 1 day in advance. Store the batter in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, pipe the batter into the donut pan and bake in a preheated oven. If the batter is chilled, the donuts may need a minute or two extra in the oven.

Recipe Tips

1. Generously spray the donut pan before piping in the batter to ensure the donuts do not stick to the pan.
2. The most accurate way to measure flour is to spoon it into your measuring cup, leveling it off with the back of a knife.
3. Let the donuts rest in the pan for 10 minutes before flipping them onto a wire cooling rack. Let donuts cool completely before dipping them in the glaze to prevent the glaze from melting.

Variations – Make this recipe into muffins! I prefer using a mini-muffin pan for these as they do tend to be a bit sweeter than ordinary muffins.

Nutrition

Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 130mg | Potassium: 170mg | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Vitamin C: 5.8mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1mg