Vegan Gluten-Free Donuts
These vegan gluten-free donuts are baked, not fried, and so soft and tender, you’ll be ready to go back for more! They’re best with icing and sprinkles on top. For something a little different, try adding some vegan ganache on top.
I love a good donut on the weekend. These kinds of indulgences as part of a healthy diet keep things fun and interesting. These gluten-free donuts are baked, not fried, and are still just as delicious.
To be honest, I prefer baked donuts over fried, unless you’re talking about air fryer donuts. That’s why these gluten-free baked donuts are the way to go. Are they healthy donuts?
Well, they are healthier than fried donuts, but I still look at them as an indulgent treat.
How to Make Vegan Gluten-Free Donuts
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
- Make vegan buttermilk by stirring together plant-based milk with vinegar.
- Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and nutmeg in a mixing bowl.
- Stir together vegan buttermilk, melted butter, water, and vanilla.
- Make the batter by stirring together the milk mixture and the flour mixture.
- Spoon the batter into prepared donut pan compartments.
- Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until the donuts are golden brown.
- Dip donuts in the glaze and top with sprinkles.
Key Ingredients
- Lemon — We’ll use both the zest and the juice of the lemon.
- Oats — I used rolled oats for this recipe, but you can substitute instant oats.
- Chia — We’ll add some ground chia seeds to create a thicker texture. You can use whole chia seeds; I just prefer ground because it creates a smoother finished texture.
- Syrup — I used maple syrup, but you can substitute agave nectar.
- Milk — We’ll use almond milk for the best overnight oats! Substitute your favorite plant-based milk.
- Yogurt — I love adding some plant-based yogurt (plain, unsweetened) for an even more tangy flavor.
- Protein Powder — I add some vanilla protein powder for increased flavor and nutrients. If your protein powder is not sweetened, you may want to add an extra teaspoon or two of sweetener.
- Cornstarch — We’ll use cornstarch to thicken the lemon curd topping.
- Turmeric — A pinch of turmeric makes that lemon curd sunny yellow.
- Non-dairy milk — I prefer using soy milk because it has higher protein, but any plant-based milk will work.
- Vinegar — I use apple cider vinegar, but you can substitute lemon juice or another vinegar.
- Gluten-free flour — Be sure to use a high-quality, 1:1 baking flour.
- Sugar— You can use granulated sugar, which is what I used ot keep these donuts light in color. Or substitute brown sugar or coconut sugar.
- Nutmeg — Ground nutmeg is a favorite secret ingredient when making donuts. If using freshly ground nutmeg, you can reduce the quantity a little bit. Although I highly recommend nutmeg, you can substitute pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon.
- Vegan butter — You’ll need a couple of tablespoons of melted vegan butter. Make sure your vegan butter says it’s suitable for baking.
- Vanilla extract — We’ll add more flavor to these donuts by adding vanilla extract to the batter.
Why This Recipe is a Winner
- Adding ground nutmeg is a secret ingredient that magically creates that delicious donut flavor
- Using a high-quality gluten-free flour creates
- Adding vinegar creates a chemical reaction, adding leavening, and making the donuts light and fluffy.
Frequently-Asked Questions
What egg replacer is best for vegan gluten-free donuts?
Actually, as long as you’re using a high quality, 1:1 gluten-free flour, no additional egg replacer is necessary. Most gluten-free flours contain starches that can also serve as a binder for donut batter.
Why do you add nutmeg to donuts?
You may not realize this, but nutmeg is the secret ingredient added by most bakeries to create that distinctive donut flavor. Try making donuts without it and you’ll see how bland the finished donut it is!
Serving Suggestions
Serve your baked donuts with your favorite beverage, hot or cold. Some of my favorites are:
Storage Tips
Store donuts in an airtight container. They will keep at room temperature for up to 4 or 5 days, or in the fridge for up to 10 days. Store in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 2 months.
Vegan Donuts
If you love vegan donut recipes, here are some favorites to make your weekend so special:
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Vegan Gluten-Free Donuts
Ingredients
Vegan Donuts
- ½ cup plant-based milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (see notes)
- 1 ½ cup gluten-free flour (high-quality baking flour)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pink Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons plant-based creamer * See notes for chocolate glaze
- 1 drop organic pink food coloring
- Optional: sprinkles
Instructions
For the Vegan Donuts:
- Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Coat donut pan compartments with vegetable spray.
- Make vegan buttermilk by stirring together milk with vinegar. Set it aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Set aside
- In another bowl, combine vegan buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla. Stir to combine.
- Stir together the milk mixture and the flour mixture until large lumps of flour are no longer visible.
- Spoon the batter into prepared donut pans, approximately 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter per donut compartment. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl and get every last bit of batter in the bowl.
- Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until the donuts are golden brown.
For the Glaze:
- While the donuts are baking, stir together the glaze ingredients. If you prefer chocolate glaze, skip the food coloring and instead add a tablespoon of cocoa powder.
- Once the donuts are done, let them cool enough so you can handle them. Dip each donut into the glaze. Icing the donuts while they're still warms helps coat each donut evenly and will create a crispy crust on the icing.
- While the icing is still wet, add favorite toppings like chopped nuts, colorful sprinkles, coconut flakes, and more.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. They can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
Recommended Equipment
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Notes
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Just made these and I like the flavor. The dough came out pretty dense (I could form donut holes from it). I’ll try it again with the flour you recommended (I currently use a different high quality flour blend). Thank you!
What gluten free flour brand do you recommend ?
I was thinking the same thing!! I want to use the high quality stuff that she uses lol recipe looks awesome. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Teena. You’ll see my response above, but wanted to share it with you too. I lean towards Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 GF flour. It’s easy to work with and I use it in a lot of my recipes.
Hi Alli. My go-to favorite is Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 GF Baking Flour. King Arthur also has a good 1:1 gf flour. Hope you love these donuts!
Your intro says yeast-based but there is no yeast in the recipe. I just want to be sure I’m not missing anything.
Hi Michelle. Thanks for your note. That is a typo and I will fix it. I experimented with different ingredients, but found this version to be simple and easy, my two favorite ingredients!
Thanks, your recipes are incredible
Thanks Regina! ❤️
I can’t wait to bake these….but how much water? It’s missing from ingredients so I will add til it seems right and hope for the best
Hi Deb. The word “water” should not have been in the ingredients list. My apologies! It’s now fixed!
I love that these donuts are made with simple ingredients. It’s my favorite recipe!
So glad you liked these donuts!