Recipe from Maati Kheprimeni Angaza
Adapted by Nicole Taylor
- Total Time
- 1 hour, plus rising dough and cooling
- Rating
- 4(333)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Maati Kheprimeni Angaza, a professional dancer and home baker in Brooklyn, N.Y., brings her youthful energy to her Kwanzaa feast. Instead of making the time-honored offerings of bread pudding, sweet potato pie, nut-filled pound cake, and citrus-forward fruit salad, she fries festive vegan doughnuts. These airy and delicate colorful glazed desserts bridge the gap between welcoming new Kwanzaa food traditions and honoring the past. —Nicole Taylor
Featured in: Five Kwanzaa Celebrations Around the Country
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Ingredients
Yield:12 doughnuts and holes
- 1packet active dry yeast (2¼ teaspoons)
- ¼cup/50 grams plus ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ¼cup/60 milliliters lukewarm water
- ¾cup/180 milliliters almond milk or other nondairy alternative
- 5tablespoons/70 grams vegan butter, melted and cooled
- 1teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼cup/65 grams unsweetened applesauce
- 3cups/385 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and rolling
- Vegetable oil, for greasing the bowl and for frying
- 3cups/370 grams confectioners’ sugar
- 2teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ to ½cup/60 to 120 milliliters almond milk or other nondairy alternative
- ¼cup/25 grams unsweetened cocoa powder (optional)
- Natural green, red or black food coloring (optional)
- Chopped walnuts (optional)
For the Doughnuts
For the Glaze
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
453 calories; 22 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 62 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 35 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 116 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Preparation
Step
1
Make the doughnuts: Stir the yeast and ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar into the lukewarm water in a small bowl. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the almond milk, vegan butter, vanilla, salt and remaining ¼ cup/50 grams granulated sugar in a large mixer bowl and stir well. Add the applesauce and yeast mixture. Beat with a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until well blended.
Step
2
With the mixer running on low speed, add the flour ¼ cup/30 grams at a time, waiting until no floury streaks remain before adding the next. Continue beating until all traces of flour disappear. With floured hands, turn the dough onto a generously floured surface and knead lightly, flouring the dough and surface as needed, to form into a ball that’s tacky and elastic but not sticky. Place the ball in a large oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, 1½ hours.
Step
3
Transfer the risen dough to a generously floured work surface and lightly sprinkle the dough with flour. With a floured rolling pin, gently roll into a 13-by-10-inch rectangle. The dough should be a scant inch thick. Using a floured 3-inch doughnut or round cutter, cut out rounds as close together as possible. If needed, using a floured 1-inch cutter, cut rounds out of the centers. Gather scraps, reroll and cut. Place each doughnut with its hole, spacing an inch apart, on a small square of parchment or wax paper. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise until puffed, 45 minutes.
Step
4
Fill a large heavy pot with oil to a depth of 2 inches and heat over medium-high to 360 degrees. Line two wire racks with paper towels. Carefully flip a doughnut and hole off the parchment into the hot oil. Repeat until the pot is almost full and not crowded. Fry, turning once and adjusting the heat to maintain the oil temperature, until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes for doughnuts and 1 to 2 minutes for holes. Drain on the paper towels. Repeat with the remaining dough, letting the oil come back to temperature between batches. Cool the doughnuts and holes to room temperature.
Step
5
Make the glaze: Whisk the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and ¼ cup/60 milliliters almond milk in a medium bowl until smooth. If you prefer a chocolate glaze, stir in the cocoa powder. If you prefer a green, red or black glaze, tint with food coloring. Stir in more almond milk as needed, a tablespoon at a time, for a thinner glaze.
Step
6
Discard the paper towels under the doughnuts and set the racks over rimmed baking sheets. Dip the tops of the doughnuts and holes in the glaze and return to the rack. If making chocolate-glazed doughnuts, sprinkle walnuts on top if you’d like. Let doughnuts stand until glaze sets. Serve on the same day.
Ratings
4
out of 5
333
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Cooking Notes
Rachel
I've tried making similar recipes gluten free in the past (by subbing in gluten free flour). In my experience anything that requires a rise just doesn't come out as well without the stretchiness provided by the gluten. Edible, even yummy? Sure. As good as with gluten? Sadly, no.A cake donut would be a better option.
joan
Can these be made in the air fryer?
Victoria
Good dough, very easy to make and work with. I tested to see how it would react to being place in the fridge before it’s second rise and it worked quite well. After shaping I placed doughnuts in my fridge overnight and took them out the next morning for their second rise. Took a little while to bring them back to room temp and complete the final rise; about 2hours. Still fried beautifully.
Maati K.
Today was actually my first day trying it with an air fryer and they still came out delicious! Go for it.
Sheryl
These are so yummy. I made them for my Vegan daughter on Christmas Eve for Christmas breakfast. They were fine the next day too.
Ken
I've made these by subbing in vegan cow milk and butter and they were fantastic! Our local farmers around here have their dairy heard keep super strict diets so we in turn don't have to watch what we eat so much, it's wonderful. Both cows and communities are happy campers!
SweetIrish
These look great!
Julie Buckley
Sorry, but these just weren’t that good. I tried to like them, but there are so many better recipes out there that taste much better and don’t require frying.
Beth
This is a great recipe. My first time making fried doughnuts and they were delicious. So fun to see the doughnuts turning a lovely brown color in the pan. I omitted the glaze as we have a number of glaze haters in my family. Instead I coated a few with sugar and left the rest plain for my husband dabbed them in apricot jam.
Victoria
Good dough, very easy to make and work with. I tested to see how it would react to being place in the fridge before it’s second rise and it worked quite well. After shaping I placed doughnuts in my fridge overnight and took them out the next morning for their second rise. Took a little while to bring them back to room temp and complete the final rise; about 2hours. Still fried beautifully.
Maati K.
Awesome! This is my recipe and I'm happy it turned out well for you.
Sheryl
These are so yummy. I made them for my Vegan daughter on Christmas Eve for Christmas breakfast. They were fine the next day too.
Maati K.
Glad you enjoyed! The Holidays are the perfect time to make doughnuts!
joan
Can these be made in the air fryer?
Maati K.
Today was actually my first day trying it with an air fryer and they still came out delicious! Go for it.
michelle L
These look delicious! Can this be made gluten free?
Rachel
I've tried making similar recipes gluten free in the past (by subbing in gluten free flour). In my experience anything that requires a rise just doesn't come out as well without the stretchiness provided by the gluten. Edible, even yummy? Sure. As good as with gluten? Sadly, no.A cake donut would be a better option.
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