Are Co-Op Custard Donuts Vegan?

If you’re a vegan looking for affordable, healthy food options, you’ll be happy to know that most Co-Ops in the UK have a wide variety of vegan-friendly items. From plant-based milks and cheese to meatless frozen meals, to… Custard Doughnuts!!

Co-Ops Custard Doughnuts: Custard Balls and Jam Balls, are vegan. Although the packaging for the donuts does not include the ingredients, you can easily identify which products are vegan by the “V” vegetarian & vegan symbol.

Photo by K Zoltan

In this article, we explore:

  1. Do custard donuts have dairy?
  2. What kind of doughnuts are vegan?
  3. Are Sainsbury’s Custard Doughnuts vegan?
  4. Are Marks and Spencer jam doughnuts vegan?
  5. Homemade vegan doughnut recipe with custard filling
  6. Bottom line

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1. Do custard donuts have dairy?

Yes, most of the custard donuts have dairy, using cow’s milk in their recipes.

However, the Custard Balls and Jam Balls are confirmed to be vegan.

For other doughnut offerings, please check for the “V” label or contact the brand directly for confirmation if it contains dairy.

Photo by Snapwire

2. What kind of doughnuts are vegan?

Doughnuts are traditionally made with eggs, milk, and butter. However, there are now many brands that offer vegan versions of this popular treat.

Vegan doughnuts are usually made with plant-based ingredients such as soy milk, vegetable oil, and flour. Some brands also add in extras like fruits and nuts to give their doughnuts some extra flavor and nutrition.

Photo by Alexander Grey

Some of the most popular brands offering vegan doughnuts include Funtime Custard, Co-op, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, and Tesco.

These brands all offer a variety of vegan-friendly options that are sure to satisfy any sweet tooth. So, if you’re looking for a delicious and cruelty-free treat, be sure to check out what these brands have to offer!

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3. Are Sainsbury’s Custard Doughnuts vegan?

Sainsbury’s Custard Doughnuts are not vegan. The ingredients list milk and eggs as two of the main ingredients.

This is the complete ingredient list for Sainsbury’s Custard Doughnuts:

INGREDIENTS: Vanilla Custard (49%) (Water, British Cream (Cows’ Milk), Caster Sugar, Milk Protein Concentrate (Cows’ Milk), Maize Starch, Dextrose, Glucose, Stabiliser: Pectin; Gelling Agent: Sodium Alginate; Icing Sugar, Vanilla Extract, Colour: Mixed Carotenes; Flavouring), Fortified Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Water, Pasteurised Whole Egg, Rapeseed Oil, Palm Oil, Granulated Sugar, Maize Starch, Dextrose, Yeast, Palm Stearin, Emulsifiers: Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids, Sodium Stearoyl-2-Lactylate, Mono- and Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids; Raising Agents: Diphosphates, Sodium Bicarbonate; Wheat Starch, Salt, Soya Flour, Stabiliser: Cellulose Gum; Flour Treatment Agent: Ascorbic Acid.

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However, Sainsbury’s does sell a small range of vegan doughnuts. These include:

3.1. Sainsbury’s Apple & Raspberry Jam Ball Doughnut

INGREDIENTS: Fortified British Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Wheat Protein, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Sugar, Apple and Raspberry Jam (21%) (Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Apple Concentrate, Raspberry Concentrate, Gelling Agent: Pectin; Acidity Regulators: Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate; Colour: Anthocyanins; Flavouring, Preservatives: Potassium Sorbate, Ascorbic Acid; Dimethylpolysiloxane), Rapeseed Oil, Palm Oil, Water, Emulsifiers: Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids, Mono- and Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids; Yeast, Wheat Fibre, Raising Agents: Disodium Diphosphate, Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate; Stabiliser: Carboxymethylcellulose; Salt, Flavouring, Flour Treatment Agent: Ascorbic Acid.

3.2 Sainsbury’s Vanilla Doughnuts

INGREDIENTS: Fortified British Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Sugar, Vanilla Flavour Filling (24%) (Water, Sugar, Glucose Syrup, Maize Starch, Rapeseed Oil, Gelling Agent: Pectin; Salt, Colours: Titanium Dioxide, Mixed Carotenes, Calcium Sulphate; Flavouring, Acidity Regulator: Glucono-delta-lactone; Emulsifier: Sorbitan Monostearate; Preservative: Sorbic Acid; Stabiliser: Agar), Rapeseed Oil, Palm Oil, Yeast, Emulsifiers: Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids, Mono- and Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids; Wheat Fibre, Raising Agents: Disodium Diphosphate, Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate; Stabiliser: Carboxymethylcellulose; Salt, Flavouring, Flour Treatment Agent: Ascorbic Acid.

If you’re looking for a vegan-friendly option at Sainsbury’s, be sure to check the label before purchasing.

4. Are Marks and Spencer jam doughnuts vegan?

Marks and Spencer jam doughnuts are not vegan because they contain ingredients such as milk, wheat flour, and eggs.

INGREDIENTS: Whipping Cream (Milk) (30%), Wheatflour contains Gluten (with Wheatflour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, and Thiamin), Strawberry Conserve (10%) (Strawberry Purée, Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Sugar, Concentrated Lemon Juice, Gelling Agent: Pectin (from Fruit)), Water, Pasteurised Egg, Palm Oil, Rapeseed Oil, Dextrose, Sugar, Cornflour, Yeast, Wheat Starch (contains Gluten), Raising Agent: E450, Sodium Bicarbonate, Emulsifier: E471, E481, E472e, Salt, Soya Flour, Stabiliser: E466, E401, Fractionated Palm Oil, Flour Treatment Agent: Ascorbic Acid

5. Homemade vegan doughnut recipe with custard filling

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegan margarine

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup non-dairy milk

For the Filling: 1/4 cup of non-dairy milk

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup sugar

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a large bowl, cream together margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add flaxseed meal and vanilla extract, and mix well.

Add half of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, then add the non-dairy milk.

Mix until well combined, then add the remaining flour mixture and mix until dough forms.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/2-inch thickness.

Cut out doughnuts with a doughnut cutter, making sure to cut out a smaller hole in the center of each one.

Place doughnuts on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before filling.

To make the filling, whisk together all of the ingredients in a small bowl.

Place the filling in a piping bag or ziplock bag with the corner snipped off, and pipe into the center of each doughnut.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

5. Bottom line

While most donuts are still not vegan in the UK, some grocery stores do offer delicious vegan options. As the demand for vegan food continues to grow, more and more stores will likely begin to offer vegan-friendly options.