Gluten Free Donuts with Cinnamon Sugar

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Yes, you can eat donuts on a gluten free meal plan! These gluten free donuts are soft, fluffy and tossed in a cinnamon sugar mixture. You would never guess this easy donut recipe is gluten free!

I have a weakness for sweet breakfast recipes like pancakes and muffins. Basically, anything made in an old-fashioned bakery is hard for me to resist.

There is no greater weakness for me than donuts. I got hooked on them as a child when we visited our hometown bakery, so they’re nostalgic for me.

You can imagine my disappointment after discovering I need to cut gluten from my meal plans. There was no way I was going to give up donuts—especially cinnamon sugar donuts—when there’s a gluten free way to make them.

This gluten free donut recipe is a delight. They have everything satisfying about a donut and taste great with coffee (very important!).

What ingredients do I need to make gluten free donuts?

We use the following ingredients to make these donuts with cinnamon sugar:

• 1 cup + 1 Tbsp. Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. baking soda
• ⅛ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp. nutmeg freshly grated if possible
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup buttermilk
• ½ packed cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tsp. cinnamon

How to Make Gluten Free Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

Making donuts from scratch is a lot easier than it might seem. If you think they’re intimidating like I used to, this gluten free donut recipe will change your mind:

Making the Donut Batter

1. In a bowl whisk together 1 cup + 1 Tbsp. Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, ¼ tsp. baking soda, ⅛ tsp. salt, 1 tsp. cinnamon, and ⅛ tsp. nutmeg in a bowl.
2. In a second bowl whisk 1 egg, ½ cup buttermilk, ½ packed cup brown sugar, and 1 tsp. vanilla. Mix these ingredients until combined.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet a bit at a time and fold together until they are completely combined. The batter will be sticky and a little dense.

Baking the Gluten Free Donuts

1. Spray a donut pan with cooking spray or grease with butter or oil to prevent sticking.
2. Place a heavy duty plastic bag in a mason jar or wide-mouthed glass.
3. Pour the donut batter into the plastic bag. Remove the plastic bag, cut a hole in one of the bottom corners, and pipe the batter into the donut pan. You can also spoon the batter into the pan but I have found that piping it works well.
4. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 12 minutes.
5. Remove the pan and remove the donuts once they are cool enough to handle. Place them on a wire rack.
6. Melt 2 Tbsp. of butter in the microwave. Brush the entire surface of the donuts with the melted butter.
7. Mix ½ cup of sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon in a small bowl.
8. Coat the donuts with the cinnamon/sugar mixture once they are brushed with the melted butter. The sugar mixture should stick to the surface of the donuts. Serve and enjoy!

This recipe for gluten free donuts makes 6 donuts.

Can I bake donuts instead of frying them?

Yes, you can! I make these gluten free donuts in the oven. You just need a donut pan.

The thing that makes this baked donuts recipe so easy is a good quality donut pan. This allows them to bake well in the oven, making them a bit lighter and healthier than a fried donut recipe.

Baking donuts is not messy, so there’s very little cleanup.

How do I get the donut batter into the donut pan?

There’s actually a trick to getting the batter into the donut pan that makes it a total cinch.

Simply place a heavy-duty zip-lock bag into a wide-mouthed mason jar. Spread the opening of the bag around the mouth of the glass and pour the batter into the bag.

Remove the bag from the glass, cut a small opening in one corner of the bag, and pipe the donut batter into a donut pan after spraying it with cooking spray.

Gluten free donuts are not terribly sweet on their own, so the sugar mixture is a necessary step. This baked donut recipe is best eaten while still warm.

They’re soft, pillowy, and that sugar gives them a nice crunchy texture. They remind me of the mini-donuts from the county fair during the summer.

And the best part is, you won’t even miss the gluten!

Want more gluten-free recipes? Try these…

• Gluten Free Fudge Brownies
• Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots (Gluten Free)
• Gluten Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
• Smashed Brussels Sprouts (Gluten Free)
• Gluten Free Biscuits
• Irish Mashed Potatoes (Gluten Free)
• Gluten Free Stuffing
• Homemade Rice-A-Roni Gluten Free
• Gluten Free Au Gratin Potatoes
• Gluten Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

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This post was updated on June 27, 2019.