Nothing says the first day of December like peppermint mocha donuts! These donuts are gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free. They’re the perfect winter breakfast or dessert. If you’re a fan of the peppermint mocha flavor, you’ll love these donuts!
How many donuts does this recipe make?
This recipe makes one dozen donuts!
What ingredients do I need for these peppermint mocha donuts?
You’ll only need a couple simple ingredients for these donuts. They are:
- rice flour (or oat flour)
- cocoa powder
- salt
- flax eggs or regular eggs
- baking powder
- brewed coffee (or water, dairy free milk, or a coffee alternative)
- peppermint extract
- coconut oil (or other neutral oil)
- pure maple syrup
- dark chocolate (or unsweetened chocolate, see below)
- candy canes (optional, for the topping)
What if I am allergic to coconut?
If you’re allergic to coconut oil, simply substitute it with melted regular or vegan butter, or with another neutral oil of choice (olive oil, avocado oil, etc.).
What if I don’t have a coffee maker?
If you don’t have a coffee maker you can always use instant coffee in this recipe. Simply mix 1 TBS instant coffee with 2/3 cup warm water and use it in this recipe.
What if I don’t like coffee or I don’t drink it?
If you don’t like coffee or prefer not to use it, simply replace the coffee in this recipe with warm water. You will simply have peppermint chocolate donuts. Another option is to use a caffeine free coffee alternate like Dandy Blend – it’s made entirely from herbs and tastes very similar to coffee!
How do I make my own chocolate icing?
If you want to make your own chocolate icing using unsweetened chocolate instead of using dark chocolate for the icing, simply follow these instructions: add 2oz unsweetened chocolate and 1 1/2 tsp coconut oil to a small saucepan and heat them over low heat until the chocolate is completely melted, stirring frequently.
You can also heat the mixture in the microwave if preferred. If you melt the chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave, make sure to stop and stir them every minute so that they don’t burn. Once the chocolate is melted with the coconut oil, stir in 3 TBS maple syrup, 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract, and 1/8 tsp salt.
Once the icing is finished, simply dip the tops of the donuts in the icing as usual!
How do I store these donuts?
I recommend storing these donuts in a sealed container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. I liked to let them sit out on the counter for awhile before storing them up so that the chocolate icing has a chance to harden.
Looking for more donut recipes?
If you’re in the mood for more homemade donuts, try some of these other recipes!
Ready to make these peppermint mocha donuts? Here’s the recipe!
Peppermint Mocha Donuts
Ingredients
For the Donuts
- 1 1/2 cups rice flour (or oat flour)
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 eggs (flax or regular eggs)
- 2/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 2/3 cup brewed coffee
- 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
- 2 tbsp coconut oil (or other neutral oil)
For the Icing
- 5 oz dark chocolate
- 2 tsp coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease 2 donut pans with cooking spray (I use donut pans that make 6 donuts each, for a total for 12 donuts).
- While the oven is preheating, add all of the dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Once the dry ingredients are mixed, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients one at a time and mix everything together until you have a smooth donut batter.
- Carefully distribute the donut batter between the 12 greased donut molds, making sure to distribute the batter evenly between the molds.
- Bake the donuts in the oven for 12-18 minutes (see notes below). Once the donuts are baked, allow them to cool for 15 minutes in the donut pans.
- While the donuts cool, prepare the chocolate icing: add the dark chocolate and coconut oil to a small saucepan and heat it over low heat until the chocolate is completely melted, stirring frequently. You can also heat the mixture in a glass bowl in the microwave if preferred. If you melt the chocolate in the microwave, make sure to stop and stir it every minute so that it doesn't burn. If you are making your own chocolate icing with unsweetened chocolate, prepare that now (see notes above in the body of the blog post for instructions on making your own chocolate icing).
- Once the donuts have cooled, remove them from the donut pans. Gently dip the tops of the donuts in the melted chocolate and then place them on a wire cooling rack.
- Prepare the crushed candy canes by adding several candy canes to a sealed baggy and crushing them with a heavy spoon. Sprinkle the donut tops immediately with crushed candy canes (candy canes optional, see notes).
- Allow the donuts to cool completely on the wire rack and the icing to harden. If you make your own chocolate icing using unsweetened chocolate, the icing might not harden completely. Enjoy the donuts immediately!
Video
Notes
- If you use rice flour in this recipe the donuts will be done after 12 minutes. If you use oat flour in this recipe you will need to bake the donuts for 18 minutes.
- If you don’t add crushed candy canes on top of the donuts, add 1/8 tsp peppermint extract to the chocolate icing for more peppermint flavor.
- Store donuts in a sealed container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the fridge for 5-6 days. You can also freeze them in a sealed container for 2-3 months.