Gluten-free (and kinda healthy?) baked pumpkin donuts are every donut lover's dream come true. These gluten-free pumpkin donuts have a lovely light and fluffy texture, the perfect amount of warm spices, and just the right amount of sweetness. Keep them simple and delicious by tossing them in cinnamon sugar once fully baked. Did I mention they are also dairy-free aside from gluten-free? And since they are baked cake style they are for sure healthy (At least healthier than their deep-fried yeasted relatives)
Jump to:
- Recipe Ingredient Notes
- Special Equipment to make Baked Donuts
- How to make Gluten Free Pumpkin Donuts
- Storage & Freezing
- Can I make Gluten Free Pumpkin Donuts without a Donut Pan?
- Can I use homemade pumpkin puree to make Pumpkin Donuts?
- FAQ for Gluten Free Baked Pumpkin Donuts
- Join my Gluten Free Community!
- Note about Salt in my Recipes
- Baking in grams
- Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures
- Substitutions and Modifications
- More Recipes to try
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Recipe Ingredient Notes
Gluten Free Flour: I recommend using a "structure flour heavy" blend here like my own gluten free multipuporse blend or King Arthur Measure for Measure. A flour blend like Cup4Cup is too heavy on cornstarch and will give you a dense, gummy batter. If you use a gluten-free flour blend without added xanthan, please add 1 teaspoon to the batter.
Almond Flour: the addition of almond flour gives those gluten-free baked pumpkin donuts their beautiful structure and crumb. If you prefer to keep this recipe nut free, please substitute the almond flour with the same amount of gluten-free flour. Please make sure to use Almond Flour and not Almond Meal. Almond Meal is on the coarse side since it's made from ground-up whole almonds. Almond flour is finely ground and blanched almonds. Since the skin of the almonds has been removed, almond flour is very fine, almost like a powder. This makes it a fabulous addition to gluten-free baking. (Pro Tip: Check the baking aisle at your local Aldi - their Almond flour is exceptional)
Canned Pumpkin: Please make sure to buy 100% canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. They often sit next to each other on shelves at the grocery store and have very similar labels. As much as I love making everything from scratch, canned pumpkin is very convenient.
Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix: Pumpkin Pie Spice is a blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. If you do not have it in your pantry you can substitute it with my easy homemade pumpkin pie spice blend.
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Special Equipment to make Baked Donuts
You will need two donut pans to make this recipe for my Healthy Gluten Free Baked Pumpkin Donuts. I use the donut pans from Wilton. While they are available on Amazon, I recommend checking your local craft store such as Michaels. Please stay away from using a silicone pan since they are very flimsy and will work poorly.
For piping the donut batter into the donut pan, I use a disposable piping bag but you can also use a ziplock bag.
How to make Gluten Free Pumpkin Donuts
Gluten Free Pumpkin Donuts take no time to make - all you really need is a mixing bowl, a whisk, and a flexible spatula. No need to use a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer.
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl combine the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, granulated white sugar, neutral oil, and eggs. Whisk until smooth and fully combined.
Step 2: Add the sifted ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk together. You may need to switch to a flexible spatula to make sure everything is combined and no flour clumps remain.
Step 3: Transfer the gluten-free pumpkin donut batter to a pastry bag or a large ziplock bag.
Step 4: Spray the donut pans with nonstick spray and fill each well with the donut batter. You can totally fill them all the way to the top - just make sure not to cover the center of each donut.
Step 5: Gently tap the donut pans against the counter which will help release the air bubbles caught in the piped donuts.
Step 6: Allow the donuts to rest on your counter while the oven preheats to 350F. Just a 10-15 minute rest will help with the hydration of the flour.
Step 7: Place both donuts pans in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or until a cake tester/toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 8: Remove the doughnut pans from the oven and allow them to cool for about 1-2 minutes. In the meantime combine the white sugar and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl to make the Cinnamon Sugar Coating.
Step 9: Remove the donuts from the pan and toss them in the cinnamon sugar. Place them on a wire rack to cool completely or enjoy this sweet treat still warm.
Storage & Freezing
Gluten Free Pumpkin Donuts are the best when freshly baked and still warm. They are the perfect fall treat. Serve them with a mug of homemade hot cocoa or some apple cider for a delicious fall treat.
Store any leftover donuts you may have in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Reheat them in the microwave at 50% for 30 seconds.
To freeze baked gluten free donuts, cool the baked donuts completely but do not coat them in sugar before freezing. Place them on a sheet tray and once fully frozen transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or nuke in the microwave until fully thawed. To coat them in sugar you can lightly brush them with some butter and dip them into the cinnamon mixture.
Can I make Gluten Free Pumpkin Donuts without a Donut Pan?
Yes! If you don't have a donut pan you can bake the batter in a standard muffin pan. Spray the pan generously with nonstick spray and divide the batter between the wells. Bake for 16-20 minutes (baking times depends on how full you fill the wells) or until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove the muffin pan from the oven and allow the "Donut Muffins" to cool for a few minutes. Remove them from the pan and toss them in the cinnamon sugar as directed in this gluten-free pumpkin donuts recipe.
Can I use homemade pumpkin puree to make Pumpkin Donuts?
Canned pumpkins can be difficult to find outside of the US. BUT, butternut squash should be available. Which is the perfect substitute for pumpkin. You will just need a medium-sized butternut squash (around 24oz/700 grams), a sheet tray, an oven, and a food processor or blender.
Preheat to 400F/200°C. Split the butternut squash lengthways, remove seeds, and place cut-side down on a foil-lined aluminum baking sheet. Roast it until fork-tender which can take about 45 minutes depending on the size of the squash and your oven. Remove it from the oven and allow for it to cool until you can handle it. Remove the “flesh” from the squash and puree it with a food processor or blender. Use this in the recipe. Please be aware, that sometimes homemade squash puree is “wetter” than canned pumpkin. So you may need to plot it with some paper towels or drain it in a colander lined with some cheesecloth to remove some of the moisture.
FAQ for Gluten Free Baked Pumpkin Donuts
This recipe calls for 3 eggs therefore I do not recommend leaving them out or substituting them with an egg replacement.
This happens when your baked (healthy) pumpkin donuts have cooled down too much before dipping them into the cinnamon sugar. You can lightly brush them with some butter if you like and then dip them into the cinnamon sugar.
Please use 175 grams of all-purpose flour if you would like to make this recipe for Healthy Baked Gluten Free Pumpkin Donuts with regular flour.
Join my Gluten Free Community!
Note about Salt in my Recipes
I use Diamond Kosher Crystal Salt in all of my recipes unless otherwise stated. If use use a different brand or kind of salt in your kitchen please adjust accordingly since some salts can be saltier. If you use Morton’s Kosher Salt please be aware that their salt granules are smaller in size, denser, and crunchier and twice as salty.
Baking in grams
I share my recipes in grams and by weight since baking by weight is the most accurate way to bake. Digital Scales are very affordable and easy to use. You can purchase them on Amazon for less than a set of measuring cups. For small amounts under 10 grams, I like to use this Precision Pocket Scale. Measuring cups are very inaccurate which can cause significant errors when it comes to gluten-free baking or baking in general. Especially since I bake with gluten-free flours which weigh differently than “regular” flours. I do provide some ingredients like spices and leavening agents in measuring spoons. To learn more about Baking with a digital scale, make sure to check out my post about Baking by weight.
Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures
All my recipes are tested and developed with a conventional oven. I always bake my baked goods on the rack placed in the MIDDLE of my oven. This way the heat coming from the bottom will not burn my baked goods.
If you are baking with convection (fan-forced), please adjust the recipes accordingly. Convection oven can cause baked goods to dry out quickly and still be raw inside. Since takes at least 15-20 minutes for a standard American Oven to be fully preheated. I highly recommend investing in an Oven Thermometer.
Substitutions and Modifications
Any dietary or ingredient modifications/substitutions to this recipe may alter the end result in appearance and taste. I test my recipes several times as published in this post and The Gluten Free Austrian Blog is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe you find on our website.
More Recipes to try
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Baked Pumpkin Donuts
These healthy Gluten free baked pumpkin donuts are every (gluten free) donut lover’s dream come true. They have a lovely light and fluffy texture, the perfect amount of fall spices, and just the right amount of sweetness.
Ingredients
Gluten Free Pumpkin Donuts
- 250 grams Gluten Free Multipurpose Blend
- 50 grams Almond Flour
- 25 grams Corn Starch
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice mix (see Note)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Kosher Salt
- 425 grams pure pumpkin puree ( 1 standard US can)
- 60 grams neutral vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 150 grams granulated white sugar
- 100 grams light brown sugar
For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating combine the following
- 50 grams of granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
How to make Gluten Free Baked Pumpkin Donuts
- Lightly grease two standard doughnut pans with gluten free non stick spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together with a whisk the oil, eggs, both sugars and pumpkin puree until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the gluten free multipurpose flour, almond flour, corn starch, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice.
- Add your sifted dry ingredients to your wet ingredients and with a whisk whisk together until smooth.
- With a piping bag (you can use a DIY piping bag made from a large ziplock bag) fill the wells of the doughnut pans. You can fill them to the top. Tab the pans against your kitchen counter to release trapped air bubbles.
- Let the donuts rest for 10-15 minutes before baking and In the meantime reheat your oven to 350F.
- Bake the doughnuts for 15 to 17 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the doughnut pans from the oven and let them for about 3 to 5 minutes. After they've cooled a bit, loosen their edges, and transfer them to a rack.
- While the doughnuts are still warm coat them in cinnamon-sugar.
- Those gluten free baked pumpkin donuts are the best when eaten fresh but can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Notes
Homemade pumpkin pie spice blend: Combine 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger and a pinch of ground cloves.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 204
Calories are a guestimate and randomly generated.
Jamie says
I made this recipe today. They are fantastic! I used KA flour and Bob's almond flour and did the cinnamon sugar coating. I will definitely make these again. So simple and delicious! Especially great when broken in half and the ends are dipped in the cinnamon sugar! I'll warn whomever makes these that they will not be able to stop at just 1. Especially when warm!
Daniela Weiner says
Thank you so much Jamie! I love hearing this. And yes, they are very addicitive
Sydney Lockard says
My nephew is allergic to nuts! Ahhh! I bake entirely but free so as not to cross contaminate. Any thoughts on what I might be able to substitute for almond flour? Internet suggested sunflower seed flour or pumpkin seed flour (obviously I know a substitution isn’t you original recipe and I’m responsible for any icky results 🤣)
Daniela Weiner says
Sydney, let's NOT use sunflower seed flour HAHAHA. I would recommend just using more of the gluten-free flour mix. I hope this helps
Sydney Lockard says
Perfect thanks! I’ll let you know how it goes!
Martin says
Recommendations on how to coat the donuts evenly without making a huge mess?
Daniela Weiner says
If you are afraid making mess, you can always lightly brush the donuts with melted butter and then dip in the cinnamon sugar. I just use a deep bowl (or a soup plate) for the task.
Jen says
I tried this recipe for my first time making donuts. They are so good and the perfect amount of pumpkin flavor. As always my family, who are not gluten free, loved them as well. Perfect little morning pumpkin treat!
elizabeth a fraccaro says
Made these today. Delish, and it was sooooooo nice that they are baked not fried. Don't need the mess or the fat. Couldn't decide between maple glaze or cinnamon/sugar so I made half of each. Thanks for making your recipes so user friendly and that you give substitutions when applicable. Made the pumpkin pie spice and saved having to buy it, especially since I had all the ingredients already.
Lisa says
These are amazing. Thank you so much for your recipe! I haven't had a donut in almost 6 years since my diagnosis.
Tina R. says
Just jumping on to say to listen to Daniela’s advice, and not sub the egg!! I usually attempt to sub the egg in recipes when I can so it’s safe for my kiddos, and even though she advised against it, knowing I can often be successful with it…I tried with Aquafaba (my go to egg sub). BIG MISTAKE!! This recipe really needs the egg to make it work in this case. Just wanted to give that heads up!
Nissa says
Can these be frozen?
Daniela says
Hello Nissa, this question is answered here: Storage & Freezing.
Brandi Gipson says
We made the gluten free pumpkin donuts last weekend and they were absolutely delicious! Best GF donuts I’ve made. The kiddos devoured them and they can be pretty picky when it comes to gluten free baked goods. We haven’t found a recipe of Daniela’s we haven’t loved yet. So yummy!
Daniela says
Brandi, I love hearing this. So glad these gluten free pumpkin donuts are a big hit
Eni says
These doughnuts look delicious! I must try the recipe.
Lauren says
Is it possible to substitute applesauce for the pumpkin puree?
Daniela says
Lauren, I have not tried it with apple sauce but I wonder if it is maybe too watery?
Nissa says
Hi! Can you suggest a sub for corn starch in this recipe? I have a family member who is allergic to corn.
Thank you!!!
Daniela says
You can just use gluten free flour instead
Jennifer Campbell says
Hi Daniela, would tapioca flour work in place of the cornstarch?
Daniela says
Yes. Or just more Gluten Free Flour 🙂
Jennifer Campbell says
ok thank you! Thought tapioca might help being more absorbing.
Mallory says
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I would LOVE to have a donut! I am not a huge fan of the pumpkin flavor though - am I able to substitute something else?
Daniela says
There are gluten free chocolate donuts and gluten free vanilla donuts on the website as well. I recommend using the search function.
Cindy L Ranuio says
The recipe link you posted in your latest email was for Gluten Free Chocolate Crinkles Cookies, but when I click on it, it takes me to Gluten Free Baked Pumpkin Donuts, not the cookies.
Daniela says
Mistakes happen to the best of us. There is a search function on the website where you can search for recipes 🙂 Here is the link to the Gluten Free Chocolate Crinkle Cookies.
Crysta says
These are delicious! I baked half of them in a mini muffin tin to make donut holes, with the perfect ratio of cinnamon sugar-to-baked good.
Daniela says
that sounds amazing! thank you so much for sharing.
Cindy bastion says
I make these monthly eating mine plain because I’m a dunker but Mr. Celiac wants them frosted. Try as I might I just cannot get cinnamon sugar to stick like yours do. I’ve sprayed them lightly with Pam but still won’t stick. I want them to look like yours!
Daniela says
Cindy, are you transferring them to the sugar mixture right after baking? They need to be warm so the sugar sticks
Laura says
Hi Daniela, I noticed in the pictures that there is vanilla extract, but I don’t see it in the ingredients list. Should there be some vanilla added with the wet ingredients?
Thank you.
Laura
Daniela says
Hi Laura, yes! You can add a teaspoon of vanilla to the recipe with the wet ingredients. I will add it to the recipe 🙂 Thank you!
Theresa says
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for this recipe! Wow! I didn't even know GF baked goods could be this amazing - not kidding! My daughter also has an egg allergy so we used a boxed egg substitute and it was still out of this world! We did a simple glaze on top and the doughnuts got rave reviews. We can't wait to try out other recipes on your site. Since we figured out our daughter has allergies we despaired ever finding her enjoyable things to eat, but you certainly fixed that problem. 🙂 Thanks so much!
Jackie says
Delicious! I could not find my donut pan so I had to improvise at the last minute. Baked them in a mini muffin tin and they turned out great - donut holes! The perfect fall treat! Thank you for making gluten free baking so easy.
Daniela says
Love that you got create here Jackie! Thank you so much for your kind words <3