Vegan Mochi Donuts

Incredibly soft and chewy vegan mochi donuts with a crispy exterior. These mochi donuts are much lighter than regular vegan donuts, less calories, and more deliciousness!

You might’ve heard of the latest sweet craze that’s taking over America – mochinuts. Also known as mochi donuts, these treats are the tastier and softer cousin of regular donuts.

After creating the non-vegan Mochinut Copycat recipe, I wanted to try my hand at making them even more delicious. Introducing the vegan mochi donuts, which are even softer and chewier than the regular version!

These vegan mochi donuts have a unique texture, as they are super soft, airy yet chewy on the inside. The exterior is perfectly crispy and makes for a delicious crunch. Glazed with chocolate, strawberry, matcha or a plain churro coating, these vegan donuts are my favourite thing ever!

What are vegan mochi donuts made of?

What makes mochi donuts unique in texture is the ingredients used to make them. Unlike regular donuts which use wheat flour, mochi donuts are made with tapioca starch or glutinous rice flour. This makes them incredibly fluffy and light, so it almost feels like eating a delicious cloud.

This vegan mochi donut version I’ve developed is even softer than the regular Mochi Donuts recipe. The secret is silken tofu, which makes the donut dough very tender. Silken tofu is the softest kind of tofu and has a silky, smooth texture.

Why this recipe is amazing

• 100% vegan: and absolutely delicious!
• Soft and chewy donuts: The combination of silken tofu and tapioca starch makes one of the softest donuts you’ll ever eat
• Can be made gluten-free: By replacing all-purpose flour with more tapioca starch, this recipe can be made entirely gluten-free.  
• Just as delicious as its non-vegan counterpart: This recipe is designed to taste just as good as the regular Mochinut copycat.  
• Less calories: vegan mochi donuts have less calories than regular vegan donuts.
• Playful and tasty: these vegan mochi donuts can be customised and glazed in tens of different flavour options!

Tools & Equipment

• Hand mixer or stand mixer – used to knead the dough for the perfect chewy texture  
• Thermometer – used to bring the oil to the perfect temperature. I recommend using a kitchen thermometer like this one.
• Parchment paper – you will need 12 squares of parchment paper when shaping and frying the donuts. Each square will be around 4 x 4 inches.  
• Large pan – for frying the donuts. Ideally go for a pan with a deeper bottom.  
• Skimmer spoon or mesh strainer – best for handling the donuts while frying.  
• Pastry card or scraper – my go-to tool for transferring dough from the mixing bowl into a proofing bowl.  
• Metal or silicone tongs – essential for flipping the mochi donuts around without making a mess.
• Silicone mat – optional, but it makes your life much easier. This vegan mochi dough is very sticky and soft and will stick immediately to any surface. A silicone mat will prevent the dough from sticking as much.

Ingredient round-up

• Silken tofu – used to give the dough a very soft and smooth texture. Silken tofu has a very soft texture and is almost like a thick pudding in texture. You can find silken tofu at most Japanese supermarkets, as it’s primarily used in Japanese dishes. Silken tofu cannot be replaced with firm tofu in this recipe.
• Tapioca starch – the flour that gives vegan mochi donuts their fluffy and chewy consistency. Also known as tapioca flour, it can be substituted with glutinous rice flour.
• All-purpose flour – is used in combination with tapioca starch to create the perfect texture. You cannot use self-rising or bread flour as a substitute. For a gluten-free diet, replace it with tapioca starch or glutinous rice flour.
• Yeast – the leavening agent in this recipe. I prefer using instant dry yeast because it’s much quicker to rise.]
• Sugar – you can use either granulated sugar or brown sugar.
• Vanilla extract – adds a subtle, sweet flavour to the dough. Can be left out or replaced with vanilla bean paste or other types of extracts (almond, lemon etc).
• Plant-based milk – I prefer using unsweetened almond milk, but any other plant-based milk will work. However, go for an unsweetened variety. Alternatively, you can also use water instead.

Vegan glazing and flavours

The best part about these vegan mochi donuts is that they can be glazed with any flavours! Let’s look at some of my favourite:

• Churro – mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Simply dip the hot donut in this mixture and enjoy!
• Strawberry – a combination of powdered sugar, plant milk (or water) and freeze-dried strawberry powder. This glaze is entirely natural in flavour and tastes incredible!
• Matcha – for an authentic Japanese glaze. Mix matcha powder, icing sugar and water (or plant milk) to create a finger-licking good glaze.
• Chocolate – a good old classic that never goes wrong. Combine vegan cocoa powder, icing sugar and plant milk (or water) for a silky and shiny glaze.

How to make vegan mochi donuts

The process is identical to the regular Mochi donuts (Mochinut copycat) recipe. For ease, I will be breaking the steps down into four parts:

Prepare the dough

1. In a large bowl, combine all the wet ingredients.
2. Add in half of the flour, then mix well to combine into a paste.
3. Pour in the remaining flour, then mix once again to knead until smooth.
4. Transfer the dough into a greased bowl, then let proof until it doubles/triples in size.

Shape the mochi donuts

1. Place the proofed dough onto a well-floured surface. Shape it into a log.
2. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces.
3. Work with one piece at a time, covering the remaining with plastic wrap. Divide one piece into 6 smaller pieces. Flour them well.
4. Roll each small piece between your hands to shape into a ball.
5. Place the small balls of dough on a 4 x 4 inches parchment paper in the shape of a circle.
6. Repeat process to make 11 more vegan donuts.

Fry the donuts

1. Pre-heat the oil to 350°F (170°C). Lower two mochi donuts with parchment paper into the hot oil, pressing them down with the spatula.
2. Remove the parchment paper after 10-20 seconds. Cook each donut for 60-90 seconds or until it’s golden-brown in colour.
3. Turn the donuts around, then fry on the other side for 45 seconds.
4. Remove and let drain on a tray lined with paper towels.

Glaze the donuts

1. Combine all the ingredients of the glazing into a smooth paste.
2. Dip the top half of each vegan mochi donut into the glaze. Drip off any excess, then place on a wire rack to set.

Success Tips & Tricks

• Go light on the flour – adding more flour than indicated can make the dough very dense. Only add extra flour when shaping the dough or if the batter seems extremely thin.
• Use a mixer to knead the dough – Since the dough is extremely sticky, it’s virtually impossible to knead by hand. Using a hand or stand mixer will be your best bet. Make sure you knead the dough for at least 2-3 minutes or until it becomes springy.
• Optimal frying temperature – will yield the best texture and flavour vegan mochi donuts. Use a kitchen thermometer to bring the oil to 350°F (168-175°C). If too cold, the donuts will absorb too much oil and become greasy. If too hot, the donut will not cook evenly or become burnt.
• Paper towels are your best friends – draining off excess oil is really important. Place the donuts on paper towels after frying to remove it.
• Get help from a friend – shaping the vegan donuts will be much easier and quicker if two people are doing it at the same time.

How to store

Vegan mochi donuts are best served fresh, on the day they’re made. This ensures you get to eat them when they’re at their best in terms of flavour and texture. Store in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoy within 24 hours.

Alternatively, you can also freeze the vegan donuts for longer storage. Place the cooled donuts in an airtight container and freeze for up to 1-2 months.

If you enjoyed this recipe, you will love these too:

If you’ve tried this recipe out, please don’t forget to rate and comment on this post. I love hearing from you, so feel free to reach out to me on social media as well and tag me in your posts!

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Pinterest
• YouTube
• TikTok
• Mail

Recipe

Pin this recipe for later!