Gluten-Free Baked Donut Recipe

You can whip up these gluten-free vanilla donuts in 30 minutes with one bowl—no mixer required! With a light, tender crumb and delicious vanilla flavor, these donuts are one of our all-time favorite treats.

I especially love making these gluten-free donuts for birthday mornings! They’re delicious anytime! Keep reading for all the tips and tricks you need to make perfect and versatile gluten-free donuts.

Did you know you can bake delicious homemade, gluten-free donuts any day of the week? It’s true!

This GF baked donut recipe is one you’ll turn to again and again. It’s quick, easy, made from simple ingredients, and comes together in one bowl. You don’t need a mixer, and the whole recipe can be made in about 30 minutes.

(PS – you also might like these gluten-free pumpkin donuts with brown sugar glaze!)

I love making this gluten-free baked donut recipe for my kids’ birthdays, parties, days off of school, and holidays. It’s an ideal gluten-free recipe when you need to accommodate food allergies or kids with Celiac’s disease.

Best of all, you can customize the frosting/icing and toppings any way you’d like. If you want to be a super fun parent, you can even create a “donut bar” and let kids add their own toppings, like a rich chocolate glaze, coconut sugar, etc.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Light and tender crumb
• Easy recipe (takes about 30 mins!)
• Can be customized
• Great for birthdays, weekends, or holidays
• Easily made dairy-free!

For more breakfast favorites, you also might like these recipes for gluten-free pancakes, gluten-free waffles and gluten-free scones.

You also might like these recipes for gluten-free banana bread, gluten-free muffins, and gluten-free pound cake.

Want coffee with your donuts? You also might like these articles on is coffee gluten-free and Starbucks gluten-free.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this gluten free donuts recipe:

• Gluten-free flour: I like to use a high quality gluten-free 1:1 baking flour like King Arthur Flour in my baked goods. It’s important to use a high-quality gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum for best results. 
• Milk of choice: Any milk will work in this recipe, including whole milk, skim milk, oat milk, or soy milk. I like to use unsweetened almond milk!
• Sugar: Granulated white sugar is essential to any donut batter! I use and recommend Domino sugar.
• Oil: Any kind of oil will work for this recipe. I usually use vegetable oil or coconut oil.
• Apple cider vinegar: Apple cider vinegar helps the donuts to rise and lightens the crumb.
• Baking powder: Baking powder helps the batter rise and produce a light crumb.
• Nutmeg: I love the unique spice a bit of nutmeg adds to this recipe. Everyone will be wondering what makes them extra delicious!
• Powdered sugar: Powdered sugar is mixed with milk and vanilla to make a delicious icing.
• Vanilla: Vanilla adds flavor to the donut icing. You could also use almond extract, coconut extract, etc.

How to Make Gluten-Free Baked Donuts

• Preheat the oven to 425F. Lightly grease two 6-cavity donut pans with cooking spray.

• In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients until well combined.
• Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and whisk until evenly combined.

• Pour the thick donut batter into a large Ziplock bag or piping bag. Cut a 1-inch hole in the corner of the bag and pipe the donut batter into the prepared doughnut pan.
• Bake the gluten-free doughnuts for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn out onto a cooling rack. Let the homemade donuts cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before glazing.

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract until smooth. You want the glaze to be thick enough that it coats the donut without running off the top/sides too quickly. Adjust the glaze with more powdered sugar to thicken it or more milk to thin as desired.
• Dip the gluten free doughnuts in the vanilla glaze or sugar coating and top with sprinkles (if using.) Enjoy your homemade gluten free donuts!

Baked Donut Variations

Feel free to get creative with the donut frosting/icing and toppings with this gluten-free baked donut recipe. You could make a variety of vanilla donuts, chocolate donuts, strawberry donuts, etc!

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Almond Joy donuts: Chocolate glaze flavored with almond extract, coconut shreds, and sliced almonds.
• Coconut donuts: Icing flavored with coconut extract and coconut shreds.
• Lemon donuts: Icing flavored with lemon juice and lemon zest.
• Orange donuts: Icing flavored with orange juice and orange zest.
• Strawberry donuts: Glaze flavored with strawberry jam.
• Apple cider donuts: Dip the donuts in apple cider when hot, then roll in cinnamon sugar.
• Cinnamon sugar donuts: Roll donuts in cinnamon sugar mixture when hot.
• Chocolate donuts: Chocolate glaze or frosting.
• Maple donuts: Frosting flavored with maple extract.
• Powdered sugar donuts: Roll donuts in powdered sugar when hot.
• Colored donuts: Add your favorite food coloring to the glaze, then add sprinkles.
• Raspberry donuts: Icing flavored with raspberry jam.

Storage Instructions

These donuts taste best the day they are made. (And they will probably disappear quickly, anyway!) But if you’d like to save the leftovers, be sure to store them in an airtight container.

FAQs

Expert Tips & Tricks

• I highly recommend these Wilton non-stick donut pans—they work amazingly well!
• I find it easiest to use a large Ziplock bag to pipe the batter into the donut pan.
• Preheating the oven to 425 degrees is key. The hot oven helps the donuts to rise and create an extra-light, fluffy crumb.

More Gluten-Free Recipes

I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you try these gluten-free baked donuts, be sure to leave me a comment/rating below. I’d love to hear from you!

5 from 8 votes

Gluten-Free Baked Cake Donuts

Author Erin Collins

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Cooling Time 15 mins

Servings 12 donuts

You can whip up these gluten-free vanilla donuts in 30 minutes with one bowl—no mixer required! With a light, tender crumb and delicious vanilla flavor, these donuts are one of our all-time favorite treats.

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Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:

• ▢ 1 ½ cups gluten-free 1:1 baking flour 240 grams
• ▢ ⅔ cup granulated sugar 133 grams
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Wet Ingredients:

• ▢ 2 eggs
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• ▢ ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice
• ▢ ½ cup oil

For the Glaze:

• ▢ 1 ½ cups powdered sugar 195 grams
• ▢ 1-2 tablespoons milk
• ▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ sprinkles for topping

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 425F. Lightly grease two 6-cavity donut pans with cooking spray.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients until well combined.
• Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and whisk until evenly combined.
• Pour the donut batter into a large ziploc bag. Cut a 1-inch hole in the corner of the bag and pipe the donut batter into the prepared pans.
• Bake the donuts for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn out onto a cooling rack. Let the donuts cool for 15 minutes before glazing.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract until smooth. You want the glaze to be thick enough that it coats the donut without running off the top/sides too quickly. Adjust the glaze with more powdered sugar to thicken it or more milk to thin as desired.
• Dip the donuts in the glaze and top with sprinkles if using. Enjoy!

Notes

Ingredient Notes

• Gluten-free flour: I like to use a high quality gluten-free 1:1 baking flour like King Arthur Flour in my baked goods. It’s important to use a high-quality gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum for best results. 
• Milk of choice: Any milk will work in this recipe, including whole milk, skim milk, oat milk, or soy milk. I like to use unsweetened almond milk!
• Oil: Any kind of oil will work for this recipe. I usually use vegetable oil or coconut oil.

Recipe Notes

• I highly recommend these Wilton non-stick donut pans—they work amazingly well!
• I find it easiest to use a large Ziplock bag to pipe the batter into the donut pan.
• Preheating the oven to 425 degrees is key. The hot oven helps the donuts to rise and create an extra-light, fluffy crumb.

Nutrition

Calories: 261kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 181mg | Potassium: 137mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 42IU | Vitamin C: 0.001mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 1mg