Strawberries and Cream Donut Sandwiches (Vegan Gluten-free)

This delicious afternoon tea recipe is a cross between a Victoria sponge cake and a freshly baked donut and is naturally vegan and gluten-free. These donut sandwiches are easy to bake and are impressive for special occasions.

I love baked donuts; I think there is something so fun about cake in a donut shape. They’re light and fluffy, sweet and moreish with a sticky glaze. For spring and Mother’s Day this year, I wanted to make donuts even more special and thought I’d experiment with a donut sandwich – in true Victoria sponge style.

To make these Strawberries and Cream Donut Sandwiches:

• Make the donut batter: it all comes together in one bowl.
• Bake the donut rings: until light and fluffy and then allow to cool fully.
• Slice the donuts in half: to make a top and bottom half.
• Pipe on the vanilla buttercream: to the bottom half.
• Add on some strawberries: fresh berries work so well this time of year!
• Sandwich together: with the top donut.
• Glaze the top: with a fresh strawberry glaze.

Once you’ve made these Strawberries and Cream Donut Sandwiches you will want to make them again and again – and even experiment with different berries. You can’t beat strawberries and cream as a classic combination but blueberries, raspberries or even other fruits like banana slices, apple slices or kiwi would work really well.

The batter for these Strawberries and Cream Donut Sandwiches is naturally vegan and gluten-free and relies on a few simple ingredients all whisk together:

• Chia seeds: or flaxseeds, this acts as a natural binder with the water.
• Coconut sugar: just a little to make these donuts sweet but not too sweet. You can also use golden or regular caster sugar.
• Plant-based milk: any milk will work, and my favourites are almond or oat.
• Sunflower oil: an oil that is room temperature works best for the fluffiest and lightest texture, but if choosing to use coconut oil for example, make sure to melt it and then allow to cool.
• Vanilla essence: for the classic and subtle sweet flavour.
• Plain or GF plain flour: this makes sure the donuts are really light and fluffy. If baking gluten-free donuts, make sure to use a recommended 1:1 GF blend.
• Baking powder and bicarbonate of soda: for rise.

It’s amazing what a few ingredients can come together to create. Once the donuts are baked, make the fresh strawberry glaze! This is so delicious, fresh and sweet – simply blitz fresh strawberries to form a puree and then stir with the icing sugar. The colour is beautiful and 100% natural.

These Strawberries and Cream Donut Sandwiches are great to serve to friends and family as an afternoon tea snack or mid-morning with a cup of coffee. They are impressive enough to make for special occasions or just make some for yourself. It makes 7-8 so it’s a fairly small batch which is always welcome! 

If you are looking for other sweet recipes, how about my:

• Vegan Gluten-free Vanilla Sheet Cake
• Vegan Protein Rice Crispy Bars
• Vegan Double Chocolate Brownie Cake for 2
• Banana Chocolate Chip Blondies
• Vegan Triple Chocolate Cupcakes

Strawberries and Cream Donut Sandwiches (Vegan Gluten-Free)

• Servings: 7-8
• Time: 20 minutes plus cooling
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

This delicious afternoon tea recipe is a cross between a Victoria sponge cake and a freshly baked donut and is naturally vegan and gluten-free. These donut sandwiches are easy to bake and are impressive for special occasions.

Ingredients

Donuts:
• 1 tbsp chia or flax seeds, ground
• 2 tbsp water
• 30g coconut sugar
• 150ml plant-based milk
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 140g plain or GF plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• Pinch of salt
• 8 strawberries, sliced
Buttercream:
• 75g vegan butter
• 225g icing sugar
• 1 ½ tbsp plant-based milk
• ½ tsp vanilla essence
Frosting:
• 100g icing sugar
• 50g strawberries
• To decorate: sprinkles

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 160Fan/180*C and grease 8 donut holes (a silicone mould is easiest).
2. Whisk together the chia seeds and water and leave for 5 minutes to form a gel. Now whisk in the sugar, milk, sunflower oil and vanilla.
3. Pour in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt and whisk to a thick batter. Pour into a piping bag and pipe into the donut moulds.
4. Bake for 10-11 minutes until risen and golden. Allow to cool fully and remove from the moulds.
5. Make the buttercream filing by beating the butter until light and fluffy and then gradually adding in the icing sugar, milk and vanilla and continue to mix until soft but stable enough to pipe.
6. Make the strawberry frosting by blitzing the berries until smooth, straining if needed and then adding 1 ½ tsp of the puree to the icing sugar and stir to a thick sticky mix.
7. Slice the donuts in half widthways, dip/spread the top half with the strawberry frosting. Pip the bottom half with the frosting and top with the strawberries. Sandwich back together and decorate with sprinkles.
8. Enjoy straight away or store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days.

I look forward to hearing what you think of these Strawberries and Cream Donut Sandwiches so please let me know in the comments below and tag me in your bakes! I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With donut sandwich love x