Doughnuts, one of the many things anyone on a gluten-free diet misses. I took a chance, and made these on a whim this weekend. My family loved them! Enough so, I made a second batch with two different flavors the following day. I decided if they worked out again, I had to share them with all of you. They turned out to be a nice, light consistency. Which was surprising, since most gluten-free baked goods are quite dense.

I use a doughnut pan and bake mine. You might be able to fry them like a normal donut, but you will need a doughnut press. If you have one and they work out, let me know in the comments below. If you can’t find a doughnut pan at your local store, try a craft store, or order one offline. Mine is a nonstick, but I still spray it with a non-stick spray since gluten-free dough is normally quite sticky. It might also be nice to have a cooling rack in case you want to add a glaze, and some parchment paper.

This recipe makes 12 doughnuts. Simply store any leftovers in an air tight container on the counter.

Short and sweet intro, lets get to it.

Basic doughnut recipe

This recipe will make a vanilla donut. I’m calling it a basic recipe, because you can add just about anything to it, but it should taste great by itself as well.

Yields 12 baked doughnuts.

• 2 cups gluten-free measure for measure flour (please check that the flour is also dairy free if that is a dietary need)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract (make sure it’s gluten-free)
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1/2 cup almond milk (I used unsweetened vanilla)

For most of my recipes I just mix everything together at the same time. For this recipe we are going to mix the dry ingredients first, then add the wet ingredients.

1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F
2. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sugar to a mixing bowl.
3. Mix all dry ingredients together with a whisk, or a fork if you don’t have a whisk.
4. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients; egg, vanilla extract, coconut milk, and almond milk (these don’t have to be pre-mixed together, but you can do that if you like.)
5. Thoroughly mix with the whisk until you have a smooth batter.
6. Spray doughnut pan with nonstick spray (if you are baking your doughnuts).
7. Pour batter into doughnut pan mold. Try to make each pour as even as possible so they cook at the same rate.
8. Bake for approximately 10 minutes*
9. Let sit for a couple minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

*I am baking at a high altitude, so if you are closer to sea-level, these could take less time. I’ve noticed this batter does not turn a golden color, you can test with a fork. Insert the fork into the thicker part of the doughnut, then remove. If the fork comes out with no batter on it, the doughnut is done.

Flavor variation ideas

The chocolate chip doughnut is the easiest variation. Simply add one cup of gluten-free (I used gluten and dairy-free chocolate chips). Add the chocolate chips after the batter listed above is mixed, and stir in. Bake as normal (listed above).

This flavor variation is also easy. Mix 1/4 cup of sugar, and 1 tsp cinnamon together in a bowl. Add to the top of each doughnut before baking. Bake as you would the basic doughnut recipe.

A great doughnut for Spring or Summer. For this flavor variation, you will not need to use the almond milk.

You will still only use 1/2 cup of sugar for this recipe, however only add 1/4 cup to the dry mix for this variant. The other 1/4 cup of sugar will be added later.

In a separate small bowl, add juice from one lemon. Stir 1/4 cup of sugar into the lemon juice.

Pour the lemon/sugar mixture into the batter mixture the same time you would add the almond milk in the basic recipe.

Bake these as you would bake the basic doughnut recipe.

Glaze

Here is a basic recipe for glaze. If you would like to use glaze on your doughnuts, I recommend letting them fully cool before adding. Just like any cake and icing, if you pour it on while the doughnut is still hot, the glaze won’t stay on them. I have noticed that glazing gluten-free doughnuts makes them go bad faster. If you have enough to save in an air tight container on your counter, you might only glaze half of your batch.

• 1/2 cup melted butter, melted coconut oil, or melted palm shortening
• 1/2 to 1 cup powdered sugar (the more powdered sugar you add, the thicker the glaze, this also applies to frosting)
• 1tsp vanilla extract, honey, or any flavoring if you desire.
• If your glaze is too thick, you can add 1 Tbs of warm water at a time until it is at a pouring consistency. Some people also use milk, but I use water so that the doughnuts don’t have to be refrigerated.

1. Add powdered sugar to the melted fat of your choice.
2. Stir thoroughly to remove any powdered sugar lumps.
3. Add flavoring if desired.
4. Mix until fully incorporated.
5. Place cooling rack over parchment paper to catch glaze.
6. Place doughnuts on the cooling rack, let cool completely before adding glaze.
7. Pour glaze directly over doughnuts.
8. Enjoy!