Gluten Free Baked Donut Recipe
It seems like food allergies and sensitivities are becoming more and more common, which can make it tricky when a craving strikes. This easy gluten free donuts recipe is the perfect sweet treat for any time of day!
And if you or someone you know is eating gluten free, I (Rebecca) have an easy baked gluten-free donut recipe for you.
Because after all, donuts are one of the best baked goods in the world. And it would be a shame to not be able to enjoy them!
Even better, these donuts come together in about 15 minutes and take even less time to bake.
You can coat or frost them in whatever flavors you like to make a completely customized treat.
Let’s get started! But first things first…
What is Gluten Free Baking?
Gluten is a protein found in wheat and several other grains. It’s the component that gives bread its unique texture, strength, and feel.
However, some people can’t digest gluten, which can lead to bad reactions to any foods containing it.
Celiac disease is a severe dietary reaction that is very serious. But there is a whole range of reactions that can occur as a result of gluten intolerance.
Thankfully, there are many grains that are gluten free.
Plus, many companies make great all purpose gluten free flour blends that you can use with similar results to wheat flour in most recipes.
Keep in mind that if you are going to make my chocolate donuts, make sure to choose a gluten free chocolate. Check your labels.
Thankfully, pure un-sweetened chocolate is naturally gluten-free so using high quality chocolate is your safest bet!
What Do Equipments Do I Need to Make Gluten-Free Donuts?
The only specialty tool you’ll need for this recipe is a doughnut pan.
I like Wilton’s Six Donut Pans. You’ll need two of them.
Even if your pan is non-stick, make sure to grease each donut ring so that you don’t end up with stuck, broken donuts. I recommend getting a couple of pans since this recipe makes 12 donuts.
If you have a mini doughnut pan, or would just rather get one of those for the cute factor, you can still use this recipe! Just keep an eye on them during baking, since the smaller size means they’ll bake faster.
Alternatively, you can bake them in a mini muffin pan and just have donuts without a hole. Keep in mind using mini muffin tins will make more of a cake donut.
A wire rack is also helpful for letting the donuts cool without overbaking them.
To get the batter in the donut pan, I like to use a plastic or piping bag. Simply fill the bag up with batter, snip off the corner, and squeeze it into each greased donut ring.
Definitely easier and less messy than trying to spoon and smooth the batter into the pan!
How to Make Gluten-Free Donuts
1 – Start by greasing the donut pans and preheating your oven to 350F.
2 – Also, it’s a good idea to pull out all of the refrigerated ingredients about 20-30 minutes before mixing your donuts. They’ll mix and combine better than if they’re very cold.
3 – Next, melt your butter in a small mixing bowl and stir in other wet ingredients– eggs, yogurt, and vanilla extract.
As with any gluten free baking, texture is always the trickiest thing to get right.
This largely depends on the flours used. There are a lot of really great options on the market now, and they’re available in almost every grocery store.
For these donuts, I used Bob’s Red Mill 1-to1 All-Purpose Flour. It’s the one in the blue bag, and they turned out great!
If you use a mix that doesn’t have any xanthan gum in it, such as Pamela’s All Purpose Flour, add a bit of xanthan gum to help the texture.
All of the other ingredients are pretty much a pantry or refrigerator staple, so you can get baking right away!
4 – In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cornstarch, baking powder and soda, salt, and nutmeg.
The nutmeg may seem like a strange addition, but it’s actually a classic flavor that you probably just haven’t noticed at your favorite donut shop!
Nutmeg tends to enhance the other ingredients, and let them shine without being overpowering at all. Still, if you prefer not to use it, you definitely don’t have to.
5 – After your dry ingredients are mixed together, create a small well in the center of the bowl and pour the wet ingredients into it.
6 – Stir it all together until it’s well mixed.
7 – Next, divide the batter into the donut pans.
Each ring should be nearly full. However, if you run out of batter before they’re all full don’t be shy about redistributing to get a full dozen.
If the pans overflow, you’ll lose the hole in the middle of the donut.
8 – After the donuts have baked for 10-12 minutes, remove them to a cooling rack.
9 – Then, let them cool completely before glazing and topping.
10 – Enjoy!
How to Store Homemade Donuts
Once you have finished glazing them, store them in an airtight container on the counter for 2-3 days.
Avoid refrigerating, as this could dry the donuts out.
Can These Donuts Be Dairy Free?
Yes!
If you want the donuts to be gluten and dairy free, simply substitute the butter for a dairy free butter or vegetable oil.
Furthermore, use coconut or almond milk based yogurt instead of regular.
When you’re making the glazes, substitute a plant based milk (again like coconut or almond) instead of the cow’s milk.
Are Gluten-Free Donuts Healthy?
Because these donuts are baked, they are definitely healthier than a fried version!
However, they still do contain sugar and saturated fats, so moderation is a good idea.
Which Flour is Best For Donuts?
All-purpose flour is the best choice when it comes to making cake doughnuts, which don’t require as much gluten development and can get tough with bread. For this recipe, we used gluten-free all purpose flour!
Should You Use Bread Flour For Donuts?
Bread flour is great for making bread, but not so much if you want light and fluffy donuts. The high protein content in this type of flour means that it won’t work well when mixed with water or other liquids to create doughnut recipes because they’ll end up tough instead!
What is Stiff Dough?
The dough should be firm to the touch and knead easily on a lightly floured surface. Check your bread for doneness by tapping it with your finger: you want an audible “thump,” but not too much sinking into crumbs!
Topping the Donut Holes
Because they’re a basic vanilla donut, the possibilities for toppings are endless!
I’ve included both a vanilla glaze and chocolate glaze ganache, as well as directions for cinnamon sugar donuts.
You can sprinkle anything you want on the top of the glazes, whether it’s sprinkles, chopped nuts, powder sugar. Anything you want!
I crushed up freeze-dried raspberries for some of these and drizzled ganache over the vanilla glaze on a couple.
Feel free to be as creative as you’d like and even let the kids help out!
More Easy Donut Recipes to Try
In case you’re looking for some other easy donut recipes, here are some of my favorites from our archives —
- Champagne Donuts & White Chocolate Glaze recipe
- Easy Cinnamon Sugar Donuts recipe
- Pink Lemonade Donuts recipe
- Baked Cake Donuts With Chocolate Glaze recipe
- Mini Baked Donuts recipe
And if you’ve really wanted to take them up a notch, we’ve got a tutorial on how to make injectable donuts!
Easy Baked Gluten Free Donuts Recipe
Equipment
- Donut pans
- Large mixing bowl
- Microwave safe bowl
- Pipping bag
Ingredients
For the donuts --
- 1 1/2 cup gluten-free all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum only needed if your flour blend doesn’t contain any
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar lightly packed
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 3/4 cup plain whole milk yogurt not Greek
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
For the vanilla glaze:
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the chocolate ganache --
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1/2 dark chocolate chopped
For cinnamon sugar donuts --
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
Nutrition
Notes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F, and grease your donuts pans to have them ready. Set out the eggs and yogurt and allow them to come to room temperature.
- Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl and allow it to cool, but not harden. Stir in the eggs, yogurt, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, sugars, cornstarch, baking powder and soda, salt, and nutmeg until thoroughly combined. Create a well in the center of the bowl, then pour the wet ingredients into it and stir them in thoroughly.
- When the batter is ready, spoon it into a plastic zippered bag or piping bag. Snip the corner off the bag and squeeze it into each donut ring until it’s about 2/3 full. You can also spoon the batter into the pan -- if you do, just make sure that there isn’t any covering the center ring or your donuts won’t have a hole in the middle.
- Bake the donuts for about 12 minutes, or until the donuts are a light golden brown around the edges. Remove them from the oven, allow them to sit for about 5 minutes, then turn them onto a cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely before frosting or coating.
For the vanilla glaze --
- Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it’s steaming, then sift in the powdered sugar.
- Whisk until the sugar has completely combined, then stir in the vanilla extract.
- Dip the donuts in the glaze and sprinkle it with any nuts, sprinkles, or berries you wish before it sets.
For the chocolate ganache --
- Place the chocolate in a mixing bowl and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Heat the whipping cream until it’s gently simmering but not boiling, then pour it over the chocolate.
- Allow it to sit for about 10 minutes, then gently stir it all together until the mixture has become smooth and thick.
- Allow it to cool until it’s no longer runny, then dip the donuts and sprinkle them with any desired toppings. Allow the ganache to set -- it will thicken more quickly in the refrigerator.
For cinnamon sugar donuts --
- Melt a quarter cup of butter.
- Stir together a 1/2 cup of white sugar and 2 tbsp. ground cinnamon.
- Dip both sides of the donut in the butter, and then toss in the cinnamon sugar.
Don’t forget to share your donuts with us on Instagram using the hashtag #sugarandclothloves. We always love seeing all of your creations! Looking for more quick and delicious recipes? Find them all right here with a few bites to go along with them!
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