Donuts are nice and all, but my heart beats for Donut Holes. Small, puffy bits of crispy deliciousness – that’s where it’s at. If you’re anything like me, you’ll love these Vegan Donut Holes with Chocolate Coating and sprinkled with chopped pistachios.

You can play around with different glazes and toppings, but for these vegan donut holes I wanted to keep it simple and used a chocolate glaze and chopped pistachios. Absolutely delicious!
These Donut Holes are:
- vegan and therefore made without eggs and dairy
- soft and fluffy on the inside, crisp on the outside
- fried (I don’t always make donuts, but when I do, I prefer them fried)
- actually really easy to make when you have the time to let the yeasty dough rise (1-2 hours depending on the room temperature).
And of course, if you’re more into regular-sized donuts, you can use the dough to make them as well. You can use a regular glass for the larger circle and a bottle opening for the smaller circle. I mean, who has a donut cutter at home?! Not me!

Left: The dough for the donuts after rising; Right: Cutting out the donut holes with a shot glass

Vegan Donut Holes with Chocolate and Pistachios
Ingredients
Donut Holes
- 1/2 cup plant-based milk (I used unsweetened coconut rice milk)
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons white sugar (make sure it's vegan!)
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- frying oil
Glaze & Toppings
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips or baking chocolate
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1/4 cup pistachios (raw, unsalted, shelled) - chopped
Instructions
Donut Holes
- Heat the plant-based milk and coconut oil in a small pot until the coconut oil melted, then let it cool down to body temperature (it shouldn't feel too warm). If the mixture is too hot, you'll kill the yeast and the dough will not rise.
- Combine flour, sugar, and instant yeast in a large mixing bowl, then add the cooled down oil and milk mixture. Combine and knead (or let the kitchen machine knead it) until a smooth dough forms. If it's sticky, add more flour. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise for about 1-2 hours until the dough doubles in size.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/2-inch thickness. Use a shot glass to cut out the donut holes.
- Heat your frying oil: You can use a deep-fryer if you have one or simply use a pot and fill it with just enough oil so that the donut holes can swim in it. Make sure not to add too much oil in the pot because the oil will rise and you don't want an accident to happen. Fry the donut holes on each side until golden brown.
- Transfer them on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Let them cool off before applying the chocolate coating.
Coating and Toppings
- In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and coconut oil. Stir to combine.
- Dip each donut into the chocolate glaze, sprinkle it with chopped pistachios and let it cool off until the chocolate has set.
Nutrition
Did you make these vegan Donut Holes with Chocolate and Pistachios? Write me a comment or post a picture on instagram, use the hashtag #elephantasticvegan and tag me via @elephantasticvegan to make sure I’ll see it ^.^ I love to see all your lovely creations! Thanks! <3
This post was first published on July 8, 2017. Updated on March 27, 2018
Rachelle
Wednesday 24th of June 2020
Instead of the plant based milk, is it okay if I just substitute water? Should it be the same amount?
Mahima
Saturday 11th of April 2020
Hi. I don’t have any coconut oil left. Can I substitute with canola, olive or vegetable oil?
The Foodie Journeu
Saturday 31st of March 2018
They look absolutely delicious!! Definitely gonna try this recipe :)
Bianca
Tuesday 3rd of April 2018
Thank you! Hope you enjoy them! :)