There are desserts that look ordinary going into the oven and come out as something genuinely surprising. And then there are desserts like this Vegan Strawberry Pudding Cake — the kind that bakes into a single dish that separates all by itself into a soft, cakey top layer and a warm, luscious strawberry pudding sauce beneath it, with no effort or technique beyond simply pouring the batter into a dish and letting the oven do something almost magical. This is that dessert. The one that makes people ask how you got two distinct layers from one pour. The one that comes out bubbling with jammy strawberry sauce beneath a tender, golden sponge and tastes like the best summer dessert imaginable.
A pudding cake is one of the most wonderfully deceptive preparations in baking — a single batter, poured into a dish with boiling water poured over the top, that separates during baking into a cakey layer above and a glossy, saucy pudding below. This strawberry version builds on that technique with fresh or frozen strawberries, a light vanilla sponge batter, and a strawberry sugar layer that dissolves into the sauce as the cake bakes.
What makes this pudding cake so outstanding is the textural contrast between the layers — a slightly crisp, cakey top giving way to the soft interior of the sponge, and then the warm, glossy, intensely strawberry sauce beneath that pools in the spoon when served and turns a simple bowl of cake into something genuinely special.
This recipe is 100% vegan, ready in just 45 minutes, and absolutely magnificent served warm with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream that melts into the hot strawberry sauce in the most extraordinary way.
Recipe Information
Prep Time
Cook Time
Total Time
Servings
Calories
15 mins
30 mins
45 mins
6
~290 kcal
Ingredients
For the Cake Batter
1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
½ cup (100g) cane sugar
1½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp fine salt
½ cup (120ml) plant milk
3 tbsp melted coconut oil or neutral vegetable oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup (150g) fresh or frozen strawberries, hulled and halved
For the Pudding Layer
½ cup (100g) cane sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup (240ml) boiling water
1 tbsp strawberry jam or preserves
To Serve
Vegan vanilla ice cream
Extra fresh strawberries
A dusting of powdered sugar
Instructions
Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a deep 20cm (8-inch) square or round baking dish.
Arrange the strawberries. Scatter the halved strawberries evenly across the base of the prepared baking dish.
Make the cake batter. In a bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the plant milk, melted oil, and vanilla extract and stir until just combined into a smooth batter. Pour the batter evenly over the strawberries in the baking dish.
Make the pudding layer. In a small bowl combine the sugar and cornstarch. Scatter this mixture evenly over the top of the batter — do not stir. Dot the strawberry jam over the surface. Then carefully pour the boiling water evenly over the entire surface — again, do not stir. This is the step that looks wrong but is correct.
Bake. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 28–32 minutes until the top is set and lightly golden and the sauce is visibly bubbling around the edges.
Rest and serve. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Spoon into bowls ensuring each serving gets both the cakey top and the strawberry pudding sauce from beneath. Serve warm with vegan vanilla ice cream.
Pro Tips
Do not stir after adding the boiling water — the separation into two distinct layers depends entirely on leaving the layers undisturbed so they can separate properly during baking.
Use ripe, sweet strawberries for the most vibrant sauce — if your strawberries are slightly tart, increase the pudding layer sugar by a tablespoon.
Serve immediately after the brief rest, as the pudding sauce is at its most fluid and abundant while hot — it absorbs more into the cake layer as it cools.
A deep dish is important — the pudding layer bubbles vigorously during baking and needs room to expand without overflowing.
The Science Behind the Magic
The “magic” of a pudding cake is actually a straightforward application of density and heat. The boiling water dissolves the sugar layer on top and creates a liquid that sinks through the batter during baking because it is denser than the unbaked sponge. Meanwhile the batter, which contains baking powder, rises upward and sets into the cakey layer as it bakes. The result is a self-separating dessert that looks effortful and produces two genuinely different textures from a single preparation.
Flavor Variations
Blueberry Pudding Cake: Replace the strawberries with fresh or frozen blueberries and add a pinch of cinnamon to the batter.
Lemon Strawberry Pudding Cake: Add the zest of a lemon to the batter and a tablespoon of lemon juice to the boiling water for a brighter, citrus-forward version.
Mixed Berry Pudding Cake: Use a mixture of strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries for a more complex, layered berry flavor.
Nutritional Highlights (Per Serving)
Calories
Protein
Carbs
Fiber
Fat
~290 kcal
3g
52g
2g
7g
Storage
Best fresh: This dessert is at its best served warm, straight from the oven, when the pudding sauce is at its most fluid and abundant.
Refrigerator: Store covered for up to 3 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 60–90 seconds before serving; the pudding sauce will loosen again when warmed.
Freezer: Not recommended, as the pudding layer does not freeze and thaw well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why didn’t my cake separate into two layers?
This is almost always caused by stirring after adding the boiling water, using a dish that is too shallow, or underbaking. Do not stir at any point after adding the water, use a deep dish, and bake until the top is properly set and the edges are visibly bubbling.
Can I use frozen strawberries?
Yes — add directly from frozen without thawing. The cake may need an extra 3–5 minutes of baking time since the frozen fruit releases more liquid.
Can I make this gluten-free?
Yes — use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend in the batter. The pudding layer is already gluten-free.
Tried this recipe? Leave a comment below and let us know how it turned out! Tag us on Instagram and Facebook — we love seeing your plant-powered creations. Looking for more magical vegan dessert recipes? Browse all recipes on Easy Vegan Recipes — new recipes posted every single week!
There are loaves you bake because bread is needed. And then there are loaves like this Vegan Olive Sourdough Bread — the kind that comes out of the oven with a crackling, deeply blistered crust, a wild, open crumb that tears into long strands with the satisfying resistance of properly fermented dough, and the complex, tangy flavor of a long, slow sourdough fermentation threaded throughout with pockets of briny, intensely savory olives that make every single slice its own genuinely extraordinary experience. This is that loaf. The one that fills the kitchen with a smell so good people come to investigate. The one that makes store-bought bread feel like a completely different category of food.
This recipe uses a true sourdough method — a wild yeast starter, an overnight cold fermentation, and a covered Dutch oven bake that traps steam and creates the characteristic crackling, deeply colored crust that defines great sourdough. Kalamata and green olives folded through the dough during the stretching process distribute themselves in irregular pockets throughout the crumb, providing briny, savory bursts that contrast magnificently with the tangy dough surrounding them.
What makes this sourdough so outstanding is the olive and sourdough flavor combination — the complex, tangy acidity of a long-fermented sourdough and the deep, briny, slightly bitter character of good olives are two of the most complementary flavors in all of bread baking, creating a loaf that is sophisticated, deeply satisfying, and genuinely impressive without requiring any ingredient beyond flour, water, salt, starter, and olives.
This recipe is 100% vegan, ready in about 24 hours including fermentation time, and absolutely spectacular sliced thickly and eaten with a drizzle of good olive oil, alongside soup, or simply on its own.
Recipe Information
Active Prep
Bulk Ferment
Cold Proof
Bake Time
Total Time
Servings
Calories
30 mins
4–5 hours
8–12 hours
45 mins
~24 hours
12 slices
~160 kcal
Ingredients
For the Dough
450g bread flour (strong white flour)
50g whole wheat flour
375ml water, at room temperature
100g active sourdough starter (fed 4–8 hours before use)
10g fine salt
1 tbsp olive oil
For the Olive Filling
150g pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped and patted dry
75g pitted green olives, roughly chopped and patted dry
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
Zest of 1 lemon (optional but beautiful)
Instructions
Mix the dough (autolyse). In a large bowl combine the bread flour, whole wheat flour, and 350ml of the water. Mix until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest for 30–45 minutes. This autolyse period hydrates the flour and begins gluten development before the starter is added.
Add the starter and salt. Add the active sourdough starter and remaining water to the rested dough. Squeeze and fold the starter through the dough until fully incorporated. Add the salt and olive oil and continue squeezing and folding until fully combined. The dough will feel rough and shaggy — this is normal.
Bulk fermentation with stretch and folds. Cover the bowl and let the dough ferment at room temperature for 4–5 hours. During the first 2 hours, perform a set of stretch and folds every 30 minutes (4 sets total) — grab one side of the dough, stretch it upward, and fold it over the center. Rotate and repeat on all four sides. This builds gluten structure progressively.
Fold in the olives. After the second set of stretch and folds (about 1 hour into bulk fermentation), add the chopped, patted-dry olives, rosemary, thyme, and lemon zest if using. Gently fold and incorporate throughout the dough during the folding sessions — they will distribute evenly across the bulk fermentation period.
Shape the loaf. Once the dough has risen by approximately 50–75% and looks airy and bubbly, turn it out onto an unfloured surface. Shape into a round (boule) by pulling the edges toward the center repeatedly, then flipping and dragging toward yourself to create surface tension.
Cold proof. Place the shaped loaf seam-side up in a well-floured proofing basket (banneton) or a bowl lined with a floured towel. Cover and refrigerate overnight (8–12 hours). The cold fermentation develops the complex, tangy sourdough flavor and makes the dough easier to score and handle.
Bake in a Dutch oven. Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) with a Dutch oven inside for at least 45 minutes. Remove the cold loaf from the refrigerator and turn it out onto a sheet of parchment paper. Score the surface quickly with a sharp blade or lame. Carefully lower the loaf on the parchment into the screaming hot Dutch oven, cover with the lid, and bake for 20 minutes covered. Remove the lid and reduce the oven temperature to 450°F (230°C). Bake for a further 20–25 minutes until the crust is deeply dark golden brown.
Cool completely before slicing. This is the hardest step and also the most important — lift the loaf onto a wire rack and let cool for a minimum of 1 hour, ideally 2 hours, before slicing. Cutting into warm sourdough collapses the crumb and makes it gummy. The loaf continues to cook and set internally as it cools.
Pro Tips
Use an active, bubbly starter that has doubled after feeding and is at its peak before using — this is the single most important factor in sourdough success.
Pat the olives very dry before folding into the dough — excess brine adds moisture that can make the dough difficult to handle and the crust less crispy.
Preheat the Dutch oven for the full 45 minutes at the highest oven temperature — the extreme heat hitting the cold dough immediately is what creates the dramatic oven spring and blistered crust.
Score confidently and quickly with a razor-sharp blade — hesitant scoring tears rather than cuts and produces uneven expansion.
Cool the loaf completely before slicing — at minimum 1 hour, but 2 hours produces a noticeably better crumb texture.
The Art of Sourdough
Sourdough is the oldest form of leavened bread in human history, predating commercial yeast by thousands of years. A sourdough starter is a living culture of wild yeast and beneficial bacteria maintained through regular feeding of flour and water. The wild yeast produces carbon dioxide that leavens the dough, while the bacteria produce lactic and acetic acids that give sourdough its characteristic complex, tangy flavor — a flavor impossible to replicate with commercial yeast regardless of fermentation time.
The long, cold overnight fermentation in this recipe serves two distinct purposes. First, it develops the complex organic acids that give sourdough its depth of flavor — the slow, cold environment encourages acetic acid production, which produces a more pronounced tang than a warm, fast fermentation. Second, the cold dough is significantly easier to handle, score, and load into the Dutch oven than room-temperature dough, which can be slack and difficult to manage.
Adding olives to sourdough is a technique with deep roots in Mediterranean baking, where olive bread is found in virtually every bread tradition from Provence to Puglia to the Levant. The briny, savory character of good olives and the complex acidity of sourdough are one of the great natural flavor pairings in all of breadmaking.
Flavor Variations
Rosemary and Olive Sourdough: Double the rosemary and add finely chopped fresh rosemary directly to the dough with the flour for a more intensely herbed version.
Sun-Dried Tomato and Olive Sourdough: Replace half the olives with roughly chopped sun-dried tomatoes for a different Mediterranean flavor combination.
Seeded Olive Sourdough: Press sesame seeds and nigella seeds into the crust before baking for an additional layer of flavor and visual drama.
Nutritional Highlights (Per Slice)
Calories
Protein
Carbs
Fiber
Fat
~160 kcal
5g
28g
2g
3g
Storage
Room temperature: Store in a paper bag or wrapped in a clean towel for up to 3 days. The crust softens after the first day but the crumb remains excellent.
Freezer: Slice the entire loaf and freeze in a zip-lock bag for up to 3 months. Toast slices directly from frozen for the best result.
Do not refrigerate: Refrigerating bread accelerates staling — room temperature or freezing are the only recommended storage methods.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this without a sourdough starter?
This recipe specifically requires an active sourdough starter for both leavening and flavor. If you don’t have a starter, you can obtain one from a friend, bakery, or make your own over 5–7 days by combining equal weights of flour and water daily.
Can I bake this without a Dutch oven?
A Dutch oven is strongly recommended, as it traps steam and creates the characteristic sourdough crust. If unavailable, bake in a covered roasting tin or place a tray of boiling water in the bottom of the oven during the first 20 minutes of baking to simulate steam.
Why didn’t my sourdough rise properly?
This is almost always caused by an inactive starter or bulk fermentation that was cut short. Ensure the starter doubles reliably after feeding before using, and give the dough the full bulk fermentation time until it shows visible bubbles, airiness, and 50–75% volume increase.
Tried this recipe? Leave a comment below and let us know how it turned out! Tag us on Instagram and Facebook — we love seeing your plant-powered creations. Looking for more incredible vegan bread recipes? Browse all recipes on Easy Vegan Recipes — new recipes posted every single week!
There are muffins you bake because breakfast needs to happen. And then there are muffins like these Vegan Apple Cinnamon Muffins — the kind that come out of the oven domed and golden, smelling of warm cinnamon and caramelized apple, with a tender, moist crumb studded throughout with soft chunks of sweet apple and a cinnamon sugar crust on top that catches the light beautifully. This is that muffin. The one that makes the whole house smell like the best autumn morning imaginable. The one that disappears from the cooling rack before the second tray has even finished baking.
These muffins use applesauce in the batter to provide both moisture and natural sweetness, with additional diced fresh apple folded through for texture, and a generous amount of cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg throughout for the warm, spiced character that makes apple cinnamon such a universally beloved combination. A simple cinnamon sugar topping baked directly onto the muffin creates a slightly crunchy, fragrant crust that is one of the most satisfying textural contrasts in all of muffin baking.
What makes these muffins so outstanding is how moist they stay — the combination of applesauce, plant milk, and oil produces a crumb that remains genuinely tender for days rather than drying out overnight like so many homemade muffins, making them an ideal make-ahead breakfast for the entire week.
This recipe is 100% vegan, ready in just 35 minutes, naturally dairy-free and egg-free, and absolutely wonderful eaten warm with a smear of vegan butter or simply on their own.
Recipe Information
Prep Time
Cook Time
Total Time
Servings
Calories
15 mins
22 mins
37 mins
12
~210 kcal
Ingredients
For the Muffins
2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp fine salt
¾ cup (150g) cane sugar or brown sugar
½ cup (120g) unsweetened applesauce
½ cup (120ml) plant milk
⅓ cup (80ml) neutral vegetable oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1½ cups (180g) fresh apple, peeled and diced small (about 2 medium apples)
For the Cinnamon Sugar Topping
3 tbsp cane sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp vegan butter, melted (brushed over muffin tops before topping)
Optional Add-ins
½ cup (55g) toasted walnuts or pecans folded into the batter
¼ tsp cardamom added to the spice blend
½ cup (85g) raisins folded through
A drizzle of maple glaze over the cooled muffins
Instructions
Preheat and prepare. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper liners or grease generously.
Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and sugar until evenly combined.
Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl whisk together the applesauce, plant milk, oil, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar until smooth.
Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold gently with a spatula until just combined — a few small lumps are fine. Do not overmix.
Fold in the apple. Gently fold the diced apple pieces through the batter with two or three strokes.
Fill and top. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin holes, filling each about three quarters full. Brush the tops lightly with the melted vegan butter, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture generously over each muffin.
Bake. Bake for 20–23 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the tops are golden with a slightly crisp cinnamon sugar crust.
Cool and serve. Let cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Best served warm.
Pro Tips
Do not overmix the batter — fold until just combined, with a few small lumps remaining, for the most tender muffin crumb. Overmixing develops gluten and produces tough, dense muffins.
Dice the apple into small, even pieces so it distributes evenly through the batter and cooks through fully during the baking time.
Use a combination of applesauce and fresh apple for the best result — the applesauce keeps the batter moist without making it heavy, while the fresh apple provides texture and distinct apple flavor.
Fill the muffin holes three quarters full for the most dramatically domed tops — underfilled muffins bake flat rather than rising into the characteristic rounded dome.
Why These Muffins Stay Moist Longer Than Most
The combination of oil and applesauce in this batter provides two different moisture mechanisms. Oil coats the flour proteins and prevents them from absorbing moisture as the muffins cool, keeping the crumb tender and soft. Applesauce provides hygroscopic moisture — it actively holds onto water molecules, preventing the finished muffin from drying out over the first few days of storage. Together they produce a muffin that is genuinely as moist on day 3 as on day 1.
Flavor Variations
Apple Walnut Muffins: Fold in ½ cup of toasted walnuts for a nuttier, more substantial version.
Spiced Chai Apple Muffins: Add cardamom, ginger, and cloves alongside the cinnamon for a warming chai-inspired version.
Apple Streusel Muffins: Replace the cinnamon sugar topping with a crumbly streusel made from oats, brown sugar, and vegan butter for a more dramatic, bakery-style finish.
Nutritional Highlights (Per Muffin)
Calories
Protein
Carbs
Fiber
Fat
~210 kcal
3g
34g
1g
7g
Storage
Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The cinnamon sugar topping softens slightly after the first day but the muffins remain moist and delicious.
Refrigerator: Keeps for up to 5 days; bring to room temperature or warm briefly before serving.
Freezer: Freeze individually wrapped muffins for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature or microwave for 45 seconds from frozen.
Meal prep: These muffins are ideal for meal prep — bake a full batch on Sunday for grab-and-go breakfasts all week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different type of apple?
Yes — any eating apple works well. Granny Smith provides a more tart, defined apple flavor; Honeycrisp or Fuji provides a sweeter, juicier result. Avoid very soft varieties that may become mushy during baking.
Can I make these gluten-free?
Yes — use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. The muffins will be slightly more delicate in texture but still moist and flavorful.
Can I reduce the sugar?
Yes — reduce to ½ cup for a less sweet muffin that lets the apple and cinnamon flavor dominate more prominently. Do not reduce below ⅓ cup as the sugar contributes to texture and moisture as well as sweetness.
Tried this recipe? Leave a comment below and let us know how it turned out! Tag us on Instagram and Facebook — we love seeing your plant-powered creations. Looking for more warmly spiced vegan breakfast and baking recipes? Browse all recipes on Easy Vegan Recipes — new recipes posted every single week!
There are breads you bake because something is needed alongside a meal. And then there are breads like this Vegan Turkish Bread — the kind that comes out of the oven with a deeply golden, sesame-scattered crust, a soft and pillowy interior that tears into long, satisfying strands, and a warmth and aroma so inviting that people are already reaching for a piece before it has properly cooled. This is that bread. The one that makes any meal feel more generous and more complete. The one that disappears faster than anything else on the table.
Pide is the everyday flatbread of Turkey, found in every bakery and home kitchen across the country, characterized by its oval shape, slightly puffy, pillowy texture, and distinctive sesame seed topping. Unlike the thin, crispy flatbreads of other bread traditions, pide has a genuine, tender crumb that absorbs sauces beautifully and tears with the satisfying resistance of properly developed gluten. It is the bread that accompanies meze spreads, soups, and stews throughout Turkish cuisine, and it is one of the most rewarding and impressive breads a home baker can make.
What makes this pide so outstanding is its relative simplicity — a straightforward yeasted dough enriched with just a touch of olive oil, shaped into the traditional oval, brushed with a plant milk glaze and scattered with sesame seeds, and baked in a very hot oven that produces the characteristic golden crust and soft interior simultaneously.
This recipe is 100% vegan, ready in about 2 hours including rising time, and absolutely magnificent served warm and fresh, torn by hand and used to scoop hummus, dip into soup, or simply eaten with a drizzle of good olive oil.
Recipe Information
Prep Time
Rise Time
Cook Time
Total Time
Servings
Calories
20 mins
75 mins
15 mins
110 mins
8
~220 kcal
Ingredients
For the Dough
3 cups (360g) bread flour or all-purpose flour
2¼ tsp (7g) active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup (240ml) warm water (110°F / 43°C)
2 tbsp olive oil
For the Topping
3 tbsp plant milk mixed with 1 tsp maple syrup (for brushing)
3 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp nigella seeds (optional but traditional and beautiful)
Instructions
Activate the yeast. Combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast in a small bowl. Stir gently and let sit for 5–10 minutes until the surface is foamy and fragrant. If no foam develops the yeast is inactive — start again with fresh yeast.
Make the dough. In a large bowl combine the flour and salt. Add the activated yeast mixture and olive oil. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky. The dough should spring back slowly when poked.
First rise. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap, and leave in a warm place for 60–75 minutes until doubled in size.
Shape the pide. Punch down the risen dough and divide into 2 equal pieces for larger loaves or 4 pieces for individual portions. On a lightly floured surface, shape each piece into an oval approximately 25cm long and 12cm wide, about 1.5cm thick. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets.
Second rise. Cover loosely and let rest for 15–20 minutes until slightly puffed.
Score and top. Using your fingertips, press a diamond or crosshatch pattern gently into the surface of each oval — this is the traditional pide pattern and helps the bread bake evenly. Brush generously with the plant milk and maple syrup glaze, then scatter sesame seeds and nigella seeds if using evenly over the surface.
Bake in a hot oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) — the very high temperature is essential for the characteristic golden crust and soft interior. Bake for 12–15 minutes until deeply golden on top with a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom.
Cool briefly and serve. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Pide is at its best within 30 minutes of baking, while the crust is still slightly crisp and the interior is warm and pillowy.
Pro Tips
Use bread flour if available for the most developed gluten structure and chewiest interior, though all-purpose flour also produces excellent results.
Do not skip the second rise after shaping — even 15 minutes makes a meaningful difference to the final lightness and texture.
Bake at the highest temperature your oven allows for the most authentic result — pide is traditionally baked in a wood-fired oven at very high heat.
Press the diamond pattern gently but firmly enough that it holds during baking rather than disappearing as the dough puffs.
Brush generously with the glaze immediately before baking for the most deeply golden, shiny crust.
The Story of Turkish Pide
Pide is one of the oldest and most beloved breads in Turkish culinary culture, with a history stretching back centuries through the bread traditions of Anatolia and the wider Middle East. The word pide itself is related to the broader family of flatbreads found throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East — sharing linguistic and culinary roots with the Greek pitta and the Arabic khubz.
In Turkey, pide is not a special-occasion bread but an everyday staple, baked fresh multiple times daily in neighborhood bakeries (fırın) and eaten alongside virtually every meal. The characteristic oval shape, scored surface, and sesame topping are recognized immediately across Turkey as the defining features of this bread, as distinct and culturally specific as a baguette is to France or a ciabatta to Italy.
During Ramadan, pide production intensifies dramatically — Turkish bakeries produce extraordinary volumes of Ramazan pidesi, a slightly thicker, more richly topped version of the everyday bread that is baked specifically for the Iftar meal that breaks the daily fast. Long queues form outside bakeries in the hour before Iftar, making the scent of fresh pide one of the most evocative and culturally significant aromas of the Ramadan period in Turkey.
This vegan version is entirely faithful to the original in technique and character — the only change from a traditional Turkish pide recipe is the replacement of the egg or egg wash typically brushed over the surface with the plant milk and maple syrup glaze, which produces an identical golden, glossy crust.
Flavor Variations
Herb Pide: Add 1 teaspoon of dried oregano and thyme to the dough for a fragrant, herbed version.
Zaatar Pide: Replace the sesame seeds with a generous scattering of zaatar for a Middle Eastern-inspired version with a beautiful herby, lemony topping.
Garlic Pide: Brush the baked bread immediately with garlic-infused olive oil for a version that is particularly spectacular alongside soups and stews.
Nutritional Highlights (Per Serving)
Calories
Protein
Carbs
Fiber
Fat
~220 kcal
6g
38g
2g
5g
Storage
Room temperature: Store in an airtight bag or wrapped in a clean towel for up to 2 days. Warm briefly in a low oven or toaster before serving to restore the fresh-baked texture.
Freezer: Freeze baked pide, well wrapped, for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and warm in the oven before serving.
Dough: The risen dough can be refrigerated after the first rise for up to 24 hours — shape, second rise, and bake fresh the next day for the best result.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make pide without bread flour?
Yes — all-purpose flour produces excellent pide with a slightly softer, less chewy crumb than bread flour. Both are entirely appropriate and produce beautiful results.
Why is my pide dense rather than light and pillowy?
Dense pide is almost always caused by insufficient kneading, an incomplete first rise, or yeast that did not activate properly. Knead for the full 8–10 minutes, ensure the dough has genuinely doubled in size during the first rise, and always check your yeast is active before beginning.
Can I make smaller individual pide?
Yes — divide the dough into 4 pieces instead of 2 for individual-sized pide that bake in 10–12 minutes. These are particularly convenient for serving as individual portions alongside soup or meze.
Is pide the same as pizza dough?
The doughs are similar in their basic composition but pide dough typically has less oil and is baked at a higher temperature, producing a lighter, crispier crust than most pizza doughs. Pide is also served as a bread rather than a base for toppings, though a related preparation called kiymali pide does feature a spiced meat (or in vegan versions, lentil or mushroom) filling.
Tried this recipe? Leave a comment below and let us know how it turned out! Tag us on Instagram and Facebook — we love seeing your plant-powered creations. Looking for more incredible vegan bread and flatbread recipes? Browse all recipes on Easy Vegan Recipes — new recipes posted every single week!
There are moments in baking that stop you completely. And then there are moments like pulling a batch of these Vegan Homemade Krispy Kremes from the hot oil — watching them emerge golden and impossibly light and already puffing up in that characteristic way that makes a great donut look like it is barely holding together from the inside out — dipping them immediately into the warm vanilla glaze and watching that glaze set to a barely-there, translucent, sweet coating that clings to the surface in a way that is so immediately, recognizably right that you understand in that moment exactly why Krispy Kreme became one of the most beloved donut brands in the entire world. These are those donuts. Light as air. Pillowy beyond belief. Glazed to perfection. And completely, entirely plant-based.
These donuts are built on a yeasted dough of extraordinary delicacy — enriched with oat milk, vegan butter, and just enough sugar to feed the yeast and create the characteristic sweetness that makes a great glazed donut so distinctive, and leavened with active dry yeast that produces a rise so dramatic and a crumb so impossibly light and airy that the finished donuts seem to weigh almost nothing despite their generous size. The secret to their legendary lightness is threefold — the enriched dough, the double rise that develops both flavor and structure, and the brief frying at the precise correct temperature that creates a barely-there crust and a completely, gloriously tender interior.
What makes this recipe so genuinely outstanding is its commitment to replicating not merely the flavor of a Krispy Kreme donut but its specific, extraordinary texture. The original Krispy Kreme donut is not merely sweet and fried — it is a specific textural experience of a crust so thin it is almost nonexistent, an interior so soft and pillowy it barely resists the bite, and a glaze so perfectly balanced between sweet and vanilla that it enhances rather than overwhelms everything beneath it. Achieving this in a plant-based version requires specific techniques — the right flour, the right liquid temperature for activating the yeast, the right oil temperature for frying, and the right glaze consistency for dipping — and this recipe delivers all of them.
This recipe is 100% vegan, ready in approximately 2 hours including rising time, and absolutely magnificent eaten warm — ideally within 30 seconds of being glazed, when the glaze is still slightly warm and the donut interior is at its most extraordinary.
Recipe Information
Prep Time
Rise Time
Cook Time
Total Time
Servings
Calories
20 mins
1.5 hours
20 mins
2 hrs 10 mins
12
~280 kcal
Ingredients
For the Donut Dough
3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting
2¼ tsp (7g) active dry yeast or instant yeast
¼ cup (50g) cane sugar
½ tsp fine salt
¾ cup (180ml) oat milk, warmed to 110°F (43°C)
¼ cup (55g) vegan butter, melted and slightly cooled
Chocolate glaze: Replace 3 tbsp powdered sugar with 3 tbsp cocoa powder and add 50g melted vegan dark chocolate
Strawberry glaze: Replace oat milk with fresh strawberry puree
Cinnamon sugar: Skip the glaze and roll warm donuts in cinnamon sugar
Filled donuts: Skip cutting the hole and fill with vegan vanilla cream or jam
To Serve
Warm from the fryer with fresh glaze
With a cup of coffee or oat milk latte
Stacked on a plate for the most beautiful presentation
With extra glaze for dipping alongside
Instructions
Activate the yeast. Warm the oat milk to exactly 110°F (43°C) — warm enough to activate the yeast but not so hot it kills it. A kitchen thermometer is ideal here. Add the sugar and yeast to the warm milk, stir gently, and leave for 5–10 minutes until the surface is foamy and the mixture smells distinctly yeasty. If no foam develops after 10 minutes the yeast is dead — start again with fresh yeast and correctly tempered milk.
Make the flax egg. Combine the flaxseed meal and water in a small bowl, stir, and rest for 5 minutes until gel-like.
Make the dough. In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl combine the flour and salt. Add the activated yeast mixture, melted vegan butter, flax egg, and vanilla extract. Mix with a wooden spoon or dough hook until a shaggy dough forms then knead for 8–10 minutes by hand on a lightly floured surface — or 6 minutes on medium speed in a stand mixer — until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but not sticky. It should spring back slowly when poked. This kneading develops the gluten structure that gives the donuts their characteristic chew and ability to hold the light, airy texture created by the yeast.
First rise. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and leave in a warm place for 60–75 minutes until doubled in size. The ideal proofing environment is a turned-off oven with just the light on — approximately 80°F (27°C) — which provides the consistent warmth that produces the most reliable, even rise.
Shape the donuts. Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll to approximately 1.5cm (½ inch) thickness — not thinner or the donuts will be dense after frying. Use a 9cm (3½ inch) round cutter to cut out circles and a 3cm (1¼ inch) cutter or the cap of a bottle for the holes. Re-roll the scraps once to cut additional donuts. Place the cut donuts and holes on a parchment-lined baking sheet with space between each one.
Second rise. Cover the cut donuts loosely with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise for a further 30–45 minutes until visibly puffed and pillowy — they will not double in size but should look noticeably lighter and more voluminous than when first cut. Do not skip this second rise — it is what produces the extraordinarily light, airy interior that defines a great glazed donut.
Make the glaze. While the donuts complete their second rise whisk together the sifted powdered sugar, warm oat milk, melted vegan butter, vanilla extract, and salt until completely smooth and flowing — the glaze should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but thin enough to drip slowly from it. If too thick add oat milk one teaspoon at a time. If too thin add powdered sugar one tablespoon at a time. Keep warm — a glaze that has cooled and thickened will not create the characteristic thin, translucent Krispy Kreme coating.
Fry the donuts. Heat the oil in a large deep pot to exactly 350°F (175°C) — use a thermometer and maintain this temperature throughout frying. Too cool and the donuts absorb oil and are greasy. Too hot and the exterior burns before the interior cooks. Carefully lower 2–3 donuts into the oil at a time — never crowd the pot. Fry for 60–90 seconds per side until deep golden on both sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack set over a baking sheet for 30 seconds — not paper towel which makes the bottom soggy.
Glaze immediately. Dip each warm donut into the glaze face down, hold for 3 seconds, lift and allow excess to drip off, then place glaze-side up on the wire rack. The glaze should be thin, translucent, and set within 60–90 seconds on the warm donut. Glaze the donut holes too — they are arguably the best part. Eat immediately for the most extraordinary experience.
Pro Tips for Perfect Vegan Krispy Kreme Style Donuts
Temperature is everything — measure it. The yeast activation temperature, the oil frying temperature, and the glaze temperature are all critical variables that significantly affect the finished result. A kitchen thermometer is not optional for this recipe — it is essential. The difference between oil at 340°F and 360°F produces a meaningfully different donut.
Do not skip the second rise. The first rise develops flavor. The second rise — after the donuts are cut and shaped — develops the specific lightness and airy texture that makes a great glazed donut so extraordinary. Donuts fried without the second rise will be noticeably denser and less pillow-like than those given the full proofing time.
Fry in small batches and maintain oil temperature. Adding too many donuts to the oil at once drops the oil temperature dramatically — causing the donuts to absorb oil before the exterior can set and producing greasy, dense results. Two to three donuts per batch with the oil returned to temperature between batches produces the best results.
Glaze while warm — not hot, not cool. The ideal glazing temperature is approximately 30–60 seconds after the donuts come out of the oil — warm enough that the glaze flows and adheres beautifully but not so hot it slides off before setting. A donut glazed when completely cool will have a thicker, more opaque glaze coating rather than the characteristic thin, translucent Krispy Kreme finish.
Eat within 30 minutes of glazing. Yeasted donuts deteriorate faster than almost any other baked good — the extraordinary lightness and pillowy texture that makes them so spectacular lasts for approximately 2 hours after frying, after which they begin to firm and toughen. Make them, glaze them, eat them immediately.
Use a wire rack not paper towel for draining. Paper towel creates a steam trap under the donut that makes the bottom soggy. A wire rack allows air to circulate completely around the donut and maintains the integrity of the exterior on all surfaces.
The Science of the Perfect Yeasted Donut
A yeasted donut is one of the most technically demanding preparations in all of home baking — and understanding the science behind why each step matters helps explain why these donuts are so extraordinary when the technique is followed precisely.
The yeast is the heart of the recipe. Saccharomyces cerevisiae — the species of yeast used in bread and donut making — consumes the sugars in the dough and produces carbon dioxide gas and ethanol as metabolic byproducts. The carbon dioxide becomes trapped in the gluten network developed during kneading and causes the dough to expand dramatically during both rising periods. The ethanol evaporates during frying and contributes to the characteristic flavor compounds that distinguish a yeasted donut from a cake donut.
The gluten network — developed during the 8–10 minutes of kneading — is what gives the donut its ability to stretch and expand as the yeast produces carbon dioxide without tearing. Insufficient kneading produces a weak gluten network that tears during rising and produces a dense, uneven crumb. Proper kneading produces an elastic, extensible network that stretches smoothly as the dough rises and then sets during frying into the characteristic light, pillowy structure of a great glazed donut.
The frying temperature is critical because of how the starch and protein in the dough respond to heat. At 350°F (175°C) the exterior of the donut sets almost immediately on contact with the oil — creating a thin, sealed crust that traps the moisture inside the donut and keeps the interior extraordinarily tender while the exterior turns golden. At lower temperatures the exterior takes too long to set and absorbs oil before the crust forms. At higher temperatures the exterior burns before the interior has time to cook through.
The glaze — so simple in its ingredients — achieves its characteristic thinness and translucency through the specific ratio of sugar to liquid and the temperature at which it is applied. Applied warm to a warm donut the glaze flows freely over the surface and sets to a thin, even film as both the glaze and the donut cool simultaneously. This simultaneous cooling is what creates the perfectly uniform, paper-thin coating that is the defining visual and textural characteristic of a Krispy Kreme glaze.
Flavor Variations
Chocolate Frosted: Dip in a chocolate glaze made from melted vegan dark chocolate, powdered sugar, oat milk, and vanilla for a rich, deeply chocolatey version that is particularly spectacular with rainbow sprinkles pressed into the surface while the chocolate is still wet.
Strawberry Glazed: Replace the oat milk in the glaze with fresh strawberry puree for a beautiful pink glaze with a natural, vibrant strawberry flavor and color that is particularly stunning in summer.
Cinnamon Sugar: Skip the glaze entirely and roll the warm fried donuts immediately in a generous mixture of cinnamon and caster sugar for a churro-inspired version that is particularly extraordinary with a dipping sauce of vegan chocolate ganache.
Filled Cream Donuts: Skip cutting the hole and fry as full circles. Once cooled use a piping bag to fill each donut with vegan vanilla pastry cream, vegan lemon curd, or strawberry jam for a filled donut that is an entirely different but equally spectacular experience.
Nutritional Highlights (Per Serving — 1 donut with glaze)
Calories
Protein
Carbs
Fiber
Fat
~280 kcal
4g
42g
1g
11g
These donuts are unambiguously an indulgence — and they are completely, unreservedly worth it. Made from real, whole, plant-based ingredients without artificial flavors, preservatives, or additives of any kind, they are a significantly cleaner version of the commercial original while delivering every element of the flavor and texture experience that makes glazed donuts so universally beloved. The flaxseed meal contributes ALA omega-3 fatty acids and lignans. The oat milk base provides beta-glucan fiber. The vegan butter contributes plant-based fats without the cholesterol of dairy butter. This is an indulgence with integrity.
Storage
Best eaten immediately: Yeasted glazed donuts are at their absolute, unequivocal peak within 30–60 minutes of being glazed. The texture deteriorates significantly after 2–3 hours as the yeast structure firms and the glaze absorbs into the surface. Make them and eat them immediately whenever possible.
Room temperature: Store unglazed fried donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day. Warm briefly in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 3–4 minutes before glazing and serving — this partially restores the fresh-fried texture.
Freezer — unfried dough: After cutting the donut shapes freeze them on a parchment-lined baking sheet until solid then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, complete the second rise at room temperature for 45–60 minutes, then fry and glaze as directed.
Freezer — fried unglazed: Freeze fried unglazed donuts for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes and warm in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5 minutes before glazing and serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bake these instead of frying?
Yes — bake at 375°F (190°C) for 12–15 minutes until golden. Baked donuts have a more bread-like texture than fried ones and lack the characteristic thin, barely-there crust of a fried donut but are still delicious and significantly lower in fat. An air fryer at 350°F (175°C) for 5–6 minutes per side produces a result closer to fried than the oven.
Why didn’t my dough rise?
Failed dough rise is almost always caused by dead yeast or milk that was too hot and killed the yeast. Always check that your yeast is within its expiration date and that the milk temperature is between 105–115°F (40–46°C). If the yeast does not foam after 10 minutes in the warm milk it is dead — start again with fresh yeast.
Can I make the dough the night before?
Yes — after the first rise punch the dough down, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. The next morning remove from the refrigerator, roll and cut the donuts, and allow to complete the second rise at room temperature for 60–75 minutes before frying — the cold dough takes longer to proof than room temperature dough.
What oil is best for frying donuts?
A neutral oil with a high smoke point is essential — canola oil, sunflower oil, or refined coconut oil all work beautifully. Avoid olive oil which has too low a smoke point and too strong a flavor. The oil should be clean and fresh — reused oil with food particles produces off-flavors in the finished donuts.
How do I keep the glaze from being too thick?
The glaze thickens as it cools — reheat briefly in the microwave for 15 seconds and stir well to restore a flowing consistency. If making the glaze in advance keep it in a bowl set over warm water to maintain the ideal dipping temperature and consistency throughout the glazing process.
Can I make these donuts gluten-free?
Gluten-free yeasted donuts are significantly more challenging than regular ones — the gluten network is essential for trapping the carbon dioxide produced by the yeast. A dedicated gluten-free donut flour blend with added psyllium husk or xanthan gum produces the best results. Expect a slightly denser texture than the regular version but still genuinely delicious.
Tried this recipe? Leave a comment below and let us know how it turned out! Tag us on Instagram and Facebook — we love seeing your plant-powered creations. Looking for more indulgent vegan baking and dessert recipes? Browse all recipes on Easy Vegan Recipes — new recipes posted every single week!
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