Let’s put one thing out there, donuts are delicious. I have a friend who can’t have gluten and if you put her in any hypothetical or imaginary situation, her first response is “I would eat a donut”. I was already working on a healthy baked donut recipe, so I decided to make it gluten free as well. You’ll need a donut pan for this recipe; you can find them at most department stores for less than $10 or on Amazon (affiliate link)
I modeled this donut after these very unhealthy donuts I used to get from a local restaurant/bakery. They had a hint of nutmeg and were covered in nuts, with a little bit of maple. To make these donuts a little healthier, I took a traditional cake donut recipe and made it vegan by swapping out the milk and leaving out the eggs, plus added some extra nutrition with bananas. I recommend cooling the donuts, dipping in glaze, and adding nuts, but they are pretty amazing while still warm from the oven.
Optional: chopped nuts (I recommend a mix of pecans and dry roasted peanuts), glaze
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325°
Mash bananas by hand or mix with a paddle in a stand mixer. Once thoroughly mashed, add almond milk, vanilla, and sugar. Mix until smooth.
Combine dry ingredients (flour through salt).
Add dry to wet and mix until just combined.
Spray a donut pan with nonstick spray and fill ⅔ full with batter. Keep the tops smooth for prettier donuts. If you have only one donut pan, the batter can rest at room temperature until you can bake another batch.
Bake 10-14 minutes.
Turn out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
Dip in glaze and cover with chopped nuts, or any other toppings you desire. If using nuts or dry sprinkle-y ingredients, I recommend drizzling more glaze on top to secure the toppings.
Notes
I like to peel and freeze the bananas and microwave briefly before use– this will help get an entirely smooth banana mixture. If you don’t have oat flour/ don’t want a Gluten Free donut, it can be swapped out for white whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour, but then leave out the cornstarch.
Heat the milk and extracts in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Slowly sift in powdered sugar and whisk.
Stir occasionally and heat for a few minutes until very sticky.
Notes
You can make a powdered sugar substitute by taking any dry sugar substitute and running through a food processor until powdery. I had about half of the glaze left, so the calories below are assuming the glaze makes 24 servings.
Hi Carol — on the right side panel, there should be a place to enter your email address. Just FYI, I do occasionally post recipes with gluten, as well, and unfortunately there’s not currently a way to sort those out in the email subscription. I try to keep at least 80% with gluten free options if they’re not gluten free to begin with. Glad you like the donut recipe!
These look amazing! I love how you replaced the butter/oil with nuts (I always do this for cookies). I’ve been looking for more baked doughnut ideas, and this is just fabulous 🙂
You did the exact thing I have been too lazy to do! I thought it would be wooooonderful to make a gluten-free donut but haven’t found the time to experiment. Thanks to you, I have a recipe that I can dive into mouth first! 🙂 The donuts look fabulous!
Kelly Feb 03, 2013
Thanks! Let me know if you try the recipe out. I’ve tried a few more flavors, so those will be coming soon too! 🙂
[…] 1.] Gluten Free Donuts Topped with Nuts […]
I can’t wait to try these! They sound awesome and with no added fat to boot! Thank you.
Let me know if you try them out, Edith!
These look great. How do I get on your list for more gluten free recipes?
Hi Carol — on the right side panel, there should be a place to enter your email address. Just FYI, I do occasionally post recipes with gluten, as well, and unfortunately there’s not currently a way to sort those out in the email subscription. I try to keep at least 80% with gluten free options if they’re not gluten free to begin with. Glad you like the donut recipe!
great healthy doughnuts. yum!
These look amazing! I love how you replaced the butter/oil with nuts (I always do this for cookies). I’ve been looking for more baked doughnut ideas, and this is just fabulous 🙂
Thanks for the kind words, Claudia! These donuts are one of the recipes I re-make for myself the most. So tasty!
your blog is amazing ! I am in love with your posts
keep going
These look incredible! I love a donut that is healthy 🙂
This is a great recipe Kelly.Am bookmarking this one. Healthy donuts are all i need now:)
Glad to hear it! Let me know if you try it out
These look really good!
You did the exact thing I have been too lazy to do! I thought it would be wooooonderful to make a gluten-free donut but haven’t found the time to experiment. Thanks to you, I have a recipe that I can dive into mouth first! 🙂 The donuts look fabulous!
Thanks! Let me know if you try the recipe out. I’ve tried a few more flavors, so those will be coming soon too! 🙂
Ah, bananas are great for making things vegan. And your maple and nutmeg flavored donuts sound excellent!