Cooking and Serving: 40 minutes | 12 donuts
Ingredients
How to make gluten free donuts | Ingredient substitutions
Description
Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes | Servings: 12 donuts
Ingredients
How to make gluten free donuts
Expert tips
Ingredient substitutions
Notes
* How to make gluten free donuts
* Ingredient substitutions
* Gluten Free Donut Recipe
* Storage instructions
* Texture: Golden brown and slightly crispy on the outside and soft, rich, and
fluffy on the inside — just like Krispy Kreme donuts!
* Taste: With just 1/2 cup sugar in a dozen donuts, the sweet glaze adds just
the right touch. And a dash of nutmeg adds that special taste and aroma.
* Versatile: You can make the dough up to 4 days ahead of time and fry only the
donuts you’re ready to eat. And deep fry in oil or air fry for a lighter but
7 brown donuts with white glaze in pile on white platter
brown donuts with white glaze in pile on white platter
ingredients for gluten free donuts in small bowls
for gluten free donuts in small bowls
* Gluten free flour blend – Make sure you’re using a good quality all purpose
gluten free flour blend that’s made to work with yeast bread dough. As
always, click through to our all purpose gluten free blends
page for full info on this super important topic.
* Tapioca starch/flour – replacing some of the all purpose flour with
additional tapioca starch gives the donuts more elasticity, makes the dough a
bit easier to handle, and helps make the donuts fluffier and more tender.
Even if your all purpose blend contains tapioca starch, you still must add
* Salt – salt brightens all the other flavors and helps keep the yeast from
overproofing the dough.
* Cream of tartar and baking soda – together, they help the donuts puff up and
* Sugar – adds sweetness and tenderness
* Instant yeast – Adds flavor and give the donuts their rise.
* Apple cider vinegar – Helps make the rise more stable and adds flavor.
* Eggs – An egg and an egg white help bind the dough together, and helps the
* Milk – Adds moisture and richness
* Melted butter – Adds tenderness and flavor
* Oil – Any oil with a neutral flavor and a high smoke point will work to fry
the donuts from the outside in
HOW TO MAKE GLUTEN FREE DONUTS
* Whisk together all the dry ingredients, adding the yeast and nutmeg last
* Add the wet ingredients, including the vinegar, eggs, milk, melted butter
* Beat the ingredients very well to form a wet dough
* Let the dough rise in a sealed container in the refrigerator for at least 1
dry ingredients in metal mixing bowl with yeast and ground nutmeg on top
ingredients in metal mixing bowl with yeast and ground nutmeg on top
white dry ingredient in round metal mixing bowl with. melted butter, beaten egg,
dry ingredient in round metal mixing bowl with. melted butter, beaten egg, milk
raw whipped-looking gluten free donut dough in mixing bowl with KitchenAid mixer
whipped-looking gluten free donut dough in mixing bowl with KitchenAid mixer
Cambro plastic proofing bucket with raw unrisen gluten free donut dough
plastic proofing bucket with raw unrisen gluten free donut dough
* Divide the dough in half, sprinkle with more flour, and shape into a round
* Roll the dough about 1/2-inch thick
* Cut out round shapes from the dough, and small center holes
* Place the donuts (and donut holes) on a lined baking sheet, cover, and let
rise at room temperature for about 1 hour
unshaped half raw gluten free donut dough from bucket on white surface with
half raw gluten free donut dough from bucket on white surface with sprinkled
hand shaping raw dough into round on white surface
shaping raw dough into round on white surface
hand using French rolling pin to roll dough into round
using French rolling pin to roll dough into round
hand cutting out small round from larger round of raw gluten free donut dough
cutting out small round from larger round of raw gluten free donut dough
7 raw shaped gluten free donuts and rounds on white paper on tray after rising
raw shaped gluten free donuts and rounds on white paper on tray after rising
* As soon as the donuts appear to be nearly 1 1/2 times as big as they started
(not a full doubling), bring your frying oil to a bit over 350°F
* Fry the risen donuts and holes a few at a time without crowding the oil
* Flip and let fry all the way through on the other side
* Dip warm donuts on both sides in a simple sugar glaze, then let set on a wire
4 raw donuts in frying oil with bubbles
raw donuts in frying oil with bubbles
hand using tongs to turn over 4th frying brown donut
using tongs to turn over 4th frying brown donut
hand holding small white bowl with white liquid glaze and one brown donut inside
holding small white bowl with white liquid glaze and one brown donut inside bowl
hand holding dipping fork holding brown donut with glaze over wire rack
holding dipping fork holding brown donut with glaze over wire rack
side view of brown donuts with white glaze drying on wire rack
view of brown donuts with white glaze drying on wire rack
USE A STAND MIXER IF YOU CAN
A stand mixer with the paddle attachment creates smooth and properly aerated and
incorporated dough. Otherwise, try using a food processor with the plastic dough
Once you’ve made the dough, refrigerate it in a sealed container for at least an
hour. This gives the flour time to absorb the liquid, making it much easier to
handle—and the yeast time to develop flavor. Although the dough is suitable for
use after chilling for an hour, try leaving it in the fridge overnight, if
USE A THERMOMETER FOR FRYING
If you’re frying in a pot of oil, you definitely want to use a candy thermometer
to ensure your oil reaches 350°F. If your oil is too cold, your gluten free
fried donuts will absorb oil as they cook, resulting pale, greasy lumps. If your
oil is way too hot, the outsides of your doughnuts will darken and possibly burn
before the center is done cooking. Your donuts should bubble vigorously and
begin to fry as soon as you place them in the oil.
Oil that is not quite clean is best for frying. Frying a few chunks of old bread
in the oil before using it for the doughnuts will help all of your doughnuts
come out golden brown and delicious. They brown quickly.
An Air Fryer is not really created to “fry” anything at all. It’s really just a
very efficient, small convection oven.
But you can make foods that do taste like they were, in fact, deep fried in the
Air Fryer. To give air fried food that deep fried taste, spray or brush it first
generously with cooking oil spray and fry at a high temperature. Flip, spray and
Brown baked donuts falling out of an air fryer basket turned on its side
baked donuts falling out of an air fryer basket turned on its side
INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS
I’ve made these donuts dairy free quite easily with virgin coconut oil and using unsweetened almond or coconut milk (in the
carton). Those substitutions work perfectly well.
You can also replace the butter with Melt VeganButter or Spectrum
nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening, each melted and cooled.
Since there are only one egg and one egg white in this recipe, you can try
replacing the egg with a “chia egg” (1 tablespoon ground chia seeds + 1
tablespoon lukewarm water, mixed and allowed to gel).
Try replacing the egg white with aquafaba (the brine from a can of chickpeas). I
haven’t tried either of these substitutions, so you’ll have to experiment!
In place of apple cider vinegar, you can another neutral or full-bodied vinegar.
I would not use a particularly bright, tart vinegar, like white wine vinegar.
White balsamic vinegar is rather mellow. That works well in place of apple cider
vinegar. You can also use freshly-squeezed lemon juice.
I like baking with instant yeast (also called rapid rise or breadmaker yeast)
because you don’t have to “proof” it first. If you prefer to use active dry
yeast, just use 25% more, soak it in some of the milk first before adding it when you add the rest of the
stack of 3 brown gluten free donuts with white glaze on small tan plate with top
of 3 brown gluten free donuts with white glaze on small tan plate with top donut
If you enjoyed creating this recipe, you might as well try my gluten free black
this is the perfect veggie burger.
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GLUTEN FREE DONUT RECIPE
Prep Time: 25 minutes mins
Cook Time: 15 minutes mins
Chilling & rising time: 2 hours hrs
Total Time: 2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins
3 brown gluten free donuts with white glaze on white paper on gold baking sheet
brown gluten free donuts with white glaze on white paper on gold baking sheet
These yeast-raised, gluten free donuts are so soft and fluffy inside, golden
brown outside, and taste just like Krispy Kreme!
* Stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment
* Candy thermometer or electric deep fryer or Air Fryer
* 2 ¼ cups (315 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend
(I used Better Batter; click through for full info on appropriate blends
without which the recipe will not turn out), plus more for sprinkling
* 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum, omit if your blend already contains it
* ⅜ cup (45 g) tapioca starch/flour
ingredient even if your all purpose blend contains tapioca starch
* ½ teaspoon kosher salt
* ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
* ½ teaspoon baking soda
* ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
* 2 ½ teaspoons (8 g) instant yeast, also called breadmaker or rapid rise
* ½ teaspoon fresh finely-ground nutmeg, optional
* 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
* 1 (50 g out of shell)) egg, at room temperature
* 1 (25 g) egg white, at room temperature
* 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) milk, at room temperature, plus more as necessary
* 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
* Oil for frying or non-aerosol oil spray for Air Frying
* 1 cup (115 g) confectioners’ sugar
* 2 tablespoons (42 g) Lyle’s Golden Syrup, (or honey)
* 2 tablespoons (1 fluid ounce) water, plus more as necessary
MAKE THE DONUT DOUGH.
* In the bowl of your stand mixer, place 2 1/4 cups flour, the xanthan gum,
tapioca starch, salt, cream of tartar, baking soda and sugar. Whisk to
combine well. Add the yeast and optional nutmeg, and whisk again to combine
* Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment.
* Add the vinegar, egg, egg white, milk and melted butter, and mix to combine.
Mix on low speed until the liquid is absorbed turn the mixer speed to high and mix for about 2 minutes or until very
well-combined. It should take on a bit of a whipped appearance.
* The dough will be wet but should scrape easily off the sides of the mixer
with a spatula. Beat in more milk a drop at a time as necessary to get the
dough to move freely in the mixer.
* For best results, spray the inside of a lidded bucket or bowl with cooking
oil spray, scrape the donut dough into the container, and cover the bucket or
* Place in the refrigerator to rise and chill for at least 1 hour, or up to 4
days. You can work with the dough immediately, though, if you prefer. It will
just be stickier and a bit harder to handle, and will have less flavor.
* Line rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper and set them aside.
* When you’re ready to work with the dough, divide the dough in half and place
the first half onto a lightly floured surface.
* Sprinkle the dough lightly with some extra flour and turn over on itself a
few times to create a smoother dough.
* Press the dough into a disk, sprinkle lightly with more flour, and roll it
out about 1/2 inch thick. The dough will begin as relatively sticky, so keep
sprinkling lightly with more flour to prevent the rolling pin from sticking,
and move the dough frequently.
* Flour a doughnut cutter or biscuit or large round cookie cutter (about 7 cm
in diameter), and cut the dough into donut shapes. If you’re using a large
plain round cutter instead of a donut cutter, use a much smaller cutter to
cut out donut holes from the rounds (about 2.5 cm).
* Place the donut shapes and the holes on the prepared baking sheets about 1
1/2-inches apart from one another. Gather scraps and reroll, then cut more
* Repeat with the other half of the dough either now or in a few days. The
dough keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
* Cover the baking sheets with plastic wrap, and place in a warm, draft-free
spot and allow to rise to about 150% of their original size. They won’t fully
double, but instead will end up about 1 1/2 times as large as they began.
* This usually takes 45 minutes to 1 hour, but it can take less time in warm,
humid environments and more time in cold ones. Be sure that the dough has
begun to swell before you consider it done rising, or your donuts will be
AIR FRYER INSTRUCTIONS.
* Spray the bottom of the Air Fryer basket with non-aerosol cooking oil spray.
Place as many donuts and holes as will fit comfortably in the basket of your
Air Fryer in a single layer, without crowding.
* Spray or brush the tops of the donuts generously with cooking oil, and place
in the Air Fryer. Set the machine to fry at 380°F for 12 minutes. Allow to
cook for about 6 minutes.
* Remove the basket carefully from the fryer and, using heat-safe tongs, flip
each of the donuts and holes over. Spray or brush again generously with
cooking oil, and return to the fryer.
* Finish frying until lightly golden brown all over. Remove the donuts and
place on a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining donuts and holes.
DEEP-FRYING DIRECTIONS.
* In a large, heavy-bottom stock pot or electric deep fryer, heat at least 2
inches of oil to a bit more than 350°F.
* Line a rimmed baking sheet or tray with paper towels, then place a heat-safe
* Once the oil reaches temperature, fry the donuts and holes in small batches
for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown all over.
* Remove with tongs or a slotted spoon and drain on the prepared wire rack and
* Make the glaze while the first batch of donuts is hot from the oil. You want
to glaze them while they’re still warm.
* In a small-to-medium-sized bowl, place the confectioner’s sugar. Add the
syrup or honey, and mix to combine into a thick paste.
* Add water, a teaspoon at a time, and mix well until you have achieved a
smooth and thickly pourable glaze.
* Immerse the whole donut (or donut hole), while still warm, in the glaze,
covering it on all sides. Lift the glazed donut from the mixture using a
fork, allow any excess to drip off, and then return to the wire rack to set.
* If the glaze thickens between batches, sprinkle in a drop or two of water and
whisk again until smooth. Finish the the remaining donuts.
Nutrition information.
Nutrition information is per donut with glaze, calculated using an online
source, and is inherently unreliable. It should not be used to diagnose, treat,
or prevent any disease.
Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 187mg | Potassium: 78mg | Fiber:
2g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 169IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron:
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an
I wouldn’t recommend storing deep fried donuts for more than a few hours after
frying. They’ll start to harden even if they’re covered in plastic wrap. Air
fried donuts will stay fresher for longer, but they’re also best when freshly
Instead, make the dough in advance and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Just fry as many as you plan to eat!
FILLING AND TOPPING IDEAS
Here are a few ideas to make something other than my personal favorite, plain
* Chocolate – let your donuts cool a bit, then drizzle them or dip them in a
* Jelly donuts – use a pastry bag with a pointy tip called a Bismark tip to
make gluten free jelly doughnuts — just skip the hole during shaping, and
pipe your favorite flavor into the center of the donuts after frying
* Powdered sugar coating – roll a freshly fried donut in powdered sugar as soon
as it comes out of the fryer. Let it set, then coat it again after it’s begun
to cool for a complete covering.
* Sprinkles – Press glazed donuts in sprinkles or nonpareils before the glaze
Is Krispy Kreme gluten free?
No! There is no such thing as a Krispy Kreme gluten free donut. I’m serious when
I say that my recipe for gluten free yeasted donuts is good enough to be a
Krispy Kreme copycat recipe.
Why is my donut dough so sticky?
You may have overmeasured the milk a bit, but generally this is a relatively
sticky dough. Feel free to sprinkle the surface and the dough lightly with more
gluten free flour as you shape it to prevent it from sticking. Just work with a
light touch so the dough doesn’t absorb all of the extra flour. If the raw
donuts are too dry, they won’t rise.
Should I let the gluten free donuts rise twice?
Yes. The first rise, ideally, is slowly in the refrigerator. It makes the dough
easier to shape, and allows the yeast to develop flavor. The second rise is
after shaping and what holds during frying.
What’s the difference between yeast donuts and cake donuts?
The differences between cake donuts and yeast donuts lie in how they’re prepared
and their textures. Cake donuts tend to be sweeter, and because they’re not made
with yeast, they don’t have the same airy texture. As they’re generally cooked
in an oven using doughnut pans, these baked donuts are a bit more dense, like
cake. Yeast donuts, on the other hand, are soft and fluffy after they’ve been
Can I bake these donuts?
Not really. I’ve baked them in the oven, and they taste okay, just not like
donuts. Frying them ensures that they cook quickly while maintaining their
fluffy center. If you’d rather have baked donuts, try my gluten free chocolate
also have gluten free apple cider donuts
in the mood, or our gluten free vanilla donuts
neutral flavor. If you’re looking for a soft, tender yeasted dough that you
don’t fry, try our baked gluten free cinnamon rolls
What’s the best oil for frying gluten free doughnuts?
Vegetable oil is probably the most popular oil for frying donuts, but you can
use any neutral oil of your choosing. You can use vegetable shortening, or you
can try canola oil, peanut oil, or sunflower seed oil. Anything with a
comparably high smoke point will work.
Can I make this recipe into jelly donuts?
Yes! It’s easy to turn plain gluten free doughnuts into jelly donuts. Don’t cut
a hole in the center of the donuts before you rise and fry them. Then, fit a
pastry bag with a long angled Bismark piping tip, or just snip off the end.
Place a jam or jelly of your choosing (I love grape jelly and strawberry jam)
into the bag. Cut a hole in your doughnut using a small knife or skewer (or the
end of your Bismark tip), and then pipe the filling into the doughnut just until
it starts to spill back out.
A close up of food, with Yeast and Dough
close up of food, with Yeast and Dough
These glazed yeast-raised gluten free donuts taste like they’re from your
favorite bakery from way back when. Now, you can fry them in oil, or make them
in your Air Fryer with almost no oil. Either way, don’t forget the glaze!
#glutenfree #gf #airfryer #donuts
glazed yeast-raised gluten free donuts taste like they’re from your favorite
bakery from way back when. Now, you can fry them in oil, or make them in your
Air Fryer with almost no oil. Either way, don’t forget the glaze! #glutenfree
#gf #airfryer #donuts
A hand with a donut dripping glaze
hand with a donut dripping glaze
Donuts with white glaze on a rack
with white glaze on a rack
Shaped donut dough rising on a platter with plastic wrap
donut dough rising on a platter with plastic wrap
3 glazed donuts coming out of a paper bag onto a marble suface, one donut broken
glazed donuts coming out of a paper bag onto a marble suface, one donut broken