Gluten Free Baked Vanilla Donuts

These deliciously soft, tender, and fluffy Gluten Free Baked Vanilla Cake Donuts will definitely satisfy any donut craving you may have. This small-batch recipe is made with simple ingredients and with a few tweaks you can even make them dairy-free. All you need are a few mixing bowls, a whisk, and one donut pan. Since this recipe for gluten-free vanilla donuts is baked, these are definitely healthier than their deep-fried cousins.

This is a wonderful base recipe to have on hand and a fun baking project to make with kids.

If you like donuts, make sure to check out my Gluten Free Baked Chocolate Donuts and Gluten Free Pumpkin Donuts.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Gluten Free Flour: I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour in this recipe. This blend already contains xanthan gum. I have also tried this recipe with my gluten free multipurpose flour blend and King Arthur Measure for Measure and both products work fabulously.

Milk Powder: Milk powder is an optional ingredient to add to this recipe. It enhances the taste of the baked goods by adding just a hint of sweetness as well as a creamier texture (think of it as an additional emulsifier). It also helps with the browning of your gluten free baked vanilla donuts

Vanilla: A good vanilla cake starts with good quality vanilla extract or vanilla paste. I make my own vanilla extract or use Vanilla Paste from Nielsen Massey. The vanilla paste can vary when it comes to its concentration, so make sure to check the label of the jar regarding how much to use. In general, you can use equal amounts of paste as you would vanilla extract.

Sprinkles: Not all Sprinkles are created equally and I always recommend checking the ingredient lists and labels of the sprinkles you purchase. Wilton is widely available and their Rainbow Jimmies are gluten-free. Please be advised that some of their products may contain soy and are made on equipment that also processes tree nuts. Another brand I like a lot is Supernatural Brand. They offer a wide selection of gluten free sprinkles which are also dye-free.

How to make Gluten Free Baked Donuts

This is a small batch recipe so you will only need ONE donut pan. This is the perfect recipe to try if you are new to gluten free baking or baking in general.

Prepare your donut pan: using a nonstick spray to generously spray your donut pan. Please make sure it is gluten-free. Some brands have flour added to their non-stick spray.

Combine your dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together gluten-free flour, milk powder, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Mix your wet ingredients: In another small bowl whisk together vanilla, melted and cooled butter, egg, and milk.

Combine wet and dry: Add your wet ingredients to your dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is smooth.

Pipe your donuts: To pipe your donut batter into the donut pan, you can use a piping bag or a large zip lock bag. Add the donut batter to the bag, cut off a corner (or the tip of your piping bag) and pipe the donut molds around ¾ full. Make sure not to overfill them and don’t get batter on the middle part (You want your donuts to have a hole in the middle)

Preheat your oven: While your oven preheats to 350F, allow your gluten-free vanilla cake donuts to rest at room temperature. This gives the flour time to hydrate.

Bake your donuts: Bake for about 10-12 minutes at 350F. Don’t overbake them. You can test them with a toothpick to check doneness.

Cool completely: Allow your gluten-free vanilla donuts to cool completely before glazing.

Decoration Ideas for this Small Batch Baked Vanilla Donuts

This gluten free vanilla cake donut recipe is a fabulous “base recipe”. Here are a few more fund ideas on how to decorate those donuts. This is a fun way for kids to create their own donut creations:

• Add Sprinkles to the batter: If you choose to add Sprinkles to the batter, please make sure to use Jimmies (little rod-shaped sprinkles). They are sturdy enough to be mixed into the dough without bleeding and don’t melt in the end result.
• Chocolate Glaze: Use the Chocolate Glaze from my Gluten Free S'mores Donuts instead of the Vanilla Glaze.
• Double Glaze: Dip your donuts into the vanilla glaze and once it is set, dip them into the chocolate glaze and sprinkle with sprinkles.
• Gluten Free Candy: Chop up your favorite gluten free candy (like Cadbury Mini Eggs or Mini M&M's) and use it as a topping
• Freeze Dried Fruit: crush up some freeze dried fruit and sprinkle over your vanilla glaze. Or make it even more fun and add some freeze dried fruit to the glaze directly.
• Crushed up Nuts: Got some leftover Cinnamon Spiced Pecans or Candied Coffee Walnuts? Chop them up and sprinkle them on your vanilla-glazed donuts.
• Plain: Keep things plain and simple and just go with a vanilla-glazed donut. Sometimes the simplest creations are the best.

FAQ for Gluten Free Baked Vanilla Donuts

Can I make this recipe dairy free?
To make this recipe dairy-free, leave out the dry milk powder, use your favorite nondairy milk and replace the butter with 25 grams of neutral oil (such as grapeseed oil)

Can I freeze my Gluten Free Vanilla Cake Donuts?
I recommend freezing them unglazed and undecorated if you can. Otherwise, I recommend placing them on a sheet tray (I love my ¼ sheet tray for this task) and freezing them. Once fully frozen transfer them to an air-tight container. If you can, please avoid stacking the donuts on top of each other in the container. Thaw them at room temperature and glaze as directed in the recipe.

Can I make this recipe with “regular” all purpose flour?
To make this recipe with “regular” all-purpose flour, please use 140 grams of all-purpose flour.

Can I double this small-batch recipe?
YES! This is the beauty of recipes shared in grams. You can double them without any issues.

Continue to Content

📖 Recipe

Yield: 6

Gluten Free Baked Vanilla Donuts

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Gluten Free Baked Vanilla Cake Donuts – Deliciously soft, tender, and fluffy baked donuts that taste just like a freshly baked vanilla cake.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

• 165 grams Gluten Free Multipurpose Flour
• 10 grams milk powder (optional)
• 40 grams light brown sugar
• 35 grams granulated white sugar
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 115 grams milk (or your choice of milk alternative)
• 30 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Glaze and Decorations

Toggle ingredient group

• 50 grams powdered sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons milk (or your choice of dairy)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• Gluten Free Sprinkles

Instructions

Make gluten free baked vanilla donuts

1. Spray your donut pan with non-stick spray, set it aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together gluten free flour, milk powder (if using), both sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In another small bowl whisk together vanilla, melted and cooled butter, egg, and milk.
4. Add your wet ingredients to your dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is smooth.
5. To pipe your donut batter into the donut pan, you can use a piping bag or a large zip lock bag. Add the donut batter to the bag, cut off a corner (or the tip of your piping bag) and pipe the donut molds around ¾ full. Make sure not to overfill them and don't get batter on the middle part (You want your donuts to have a hole in the middle)
6. Preheat your oven to 350F.
7. While your oven preheats, allow your donuts to rest at room temperature.
8. Bake for about 10-12 minutes at 350F. Don't overbake them. You can test them with a toothpick to check doneness.
9. Allow cooling completely before glazing.
10. While the donuts are cooling, prepare you simple vanilla glaze by combining the ingredients in a small bowl. If your glaze is too thick, add some additional milk. Please be aware a little goes a long way.
11. When your donuts are fully cooled, dip the tops of your donuts (One at a time) into the glaze and sprinkle with sprinkles or your topping of choice.
12. Those donuts are best eaten the day they are made but will be good for 2-3 days if stored in an airtight container.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Bean Paste, with Gift Box, 4 ounces
• 
  KitchenTour Digital Kitchen Scale - 3000g/0.1g High Accuracy Precision Multifunction Food Meat Scale with Back-Lit LCD Display(Batteries Included)
• 
  Wilton Non-Stick 6-Cavity Donut Baking Pans, 2-Count

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 252Fiber: 1g

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