Gluten Free Chocolate Donuts are so tasty and fun to make.
If you didn't know, cake donuts are pretty quick to whip up and relatively low mess. Waiting for the glaze to set is really the only wait in this recipe. You can have a dozen homemade gluten-free donuts on your kitchen counter in about an hour.
These chocolate cake donuts have a tender, moist crumb. They are plunged into an easy glaze, then left to sit 30-40 minutes until the glaze hardens up. If you want an extra thick glaze, you can double dip them at about the 20-minute mark and allow to set another 20 or so minutes.
Jump to Recipe
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post contains affiliate links for products I use and love. You can read my full disclosure here. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Thank you for supporting Wonders of Cooking so that I can continue to provide you with free gluten-free recipes.
Looking For More Gluten Free Breakfast Baked Goods?
- Gluten Free Donut Recipe - Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
- Chocolate Banana Bread - Gluten Free Banana Bread Recipe
- Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Muffins - Gluten Free Breakfast
- Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Glaze - Gluten Free
- Pumpkin Muffins | Gluten Free Muffins with Cream Cheese Drizzle
- Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling - Gluten Free
- Gluten Free Apple Muffins with Streusel - Easy Fall Breakfast
What Ingredients Do I Need To Make Gluten Free Chocolate Donuts?
- High quality gluten-free all-purpose flour containing xanthan gum. I use Bob's Red Mill GF 1:1 Baking Flour or King Arthur's Measure for Measure.
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Unsweetened cocoa powder. I used Hershey's.
- Light brown sugar
- Salt
- Milk, or dairy-free milk such as almond milk. Tip: Avoid DF milks that may add flavor, such as soy milk.
- Unsalted butter
- Egg
- Pure vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar
Do I Need a Donut Pan?
Yes, you will need a donut pan for this recipe. Cake donuts are baked in the oven (as the name suggests, just like a cake), and the donut pan is what gives them their shape.
How to Make Gluten Free Chocolate Donuts:
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease the donut pan with a nub of butter or cooking spray. Set aside.
- Add the dry ingredients to a large bowl: GF flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, light brown sugar, and salt. Whisk until combined.
- Add in the wet ingredients: melted butter, milk, egg, and pure vanilla extract. Stir until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Do not over-mix.
- Using a small spoon, carefully fill the cavities of the donut pan about ¾ of the way full. Be careful to not place any batter on the hole cutout or else they will not be donut shaped. Wipe away excess. Note: Alternatively, you can add the batter to a plastic storage bag or piping bag, cut a small hole at the tip, and squeeze the batter into the donut wells. I just prefer the spoon method as there is less waste and cleanup.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. Donuts should be springy to the touch.
- Allow donuts to cool 5 minutes in pan, then remove to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
For the Easy Donut Glaze:
- Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl, and whisk until smooth. Tip: Be sure to sift your powdered sugar first, this ensures there are no lumps and will make whisking much faster.
How to Glaze the Donuts:
- Place parchment paper or paper towels underneath of the donut cooling rack (this will catch drips later on and prevent a mess).
- Once donuts are completely cool, dunk the top of each one into the glaze. Allow the excess to drip off into the bowl. Then, place on the wire rack. Repeat with remaining donuts.
- Allow the glaze to harden for about 20-40 minutes. Tip: If you want really shiny "white dusted" donuts, you will need to glaze them twice. At about the 20-minute mark, dunk the top of the donuts once more into the glaze. Set aside an additional 20-30 minutes to harden.
- Serve.
Storage Instructions:
The only bad thing about donuts is that they are best eaten fresh the same day that they are made. If left overnight, the glaze will soak into the donuts and become practically invisible. The donuts will still be moist, but they won't have the same taste.
I highly recommend making the amount of donuts that can be eaten in one day (i.e. cut the recipe in half if you only need six). Or, you can store the donuts without the glaze and make a smaller batch of the glaze fresh the following morning. Store any donuts in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
Look at that sheen.
Did You Make Gluten Free Chocolate Donuts? Leave a 5-Star Rating Below!
Gluten Free Chocolate Donuts with Easy Glaze
Your rating helps support the making of more tested, delicious gluten-free recipes.
Ingredients
For the Donuts:
(Dry Ingredients)
- 1 cup high quality gluten-free all purpose flour containing xanthan gum Tested only with rice-based flours, I use either Bob's Red Mill GF 1:1 Baking Flour or King Arthur's Measure for Measure
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder I used Hershey's
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
(Wet Ingredients)
- ¾ cup milk or dairy-free milk like almond milk
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 5-6 tablespoon milk or dairy-free milk like almond milk
- a pinch of salt
Instructions
For the Donuts:
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease the donut pan with a nub of butter or cooking spray. Set aside.
- Add the dry ingredients to a large bowl: GF flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, light brown sugar, and salt. Whisk until combined.
- Add in the wet ingredients: melted butter, milk, egg, and pure vanilla extract. Stir until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Do not over-mix.
- Using a small spoon, carefully fill the cavities of the donut pan about ¾ of the way full. Be careful to not place any batter on the hole cutout or else they will not be donut shaped. Wipe away excess. Note: Alternatively, you can add the batter to a plastic storage bag or piping bag, cut a small hole at the tip, and squeeze the batter into the donut wells. I just prefer the spoon method as there is less waste and cleanup.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. Donuts should be springy to the touch.
- Allow donuts to cool 5 minutes in pan, then remove to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
For the Glaze:
- Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl, and whisk until smooth. Tip: Be sure to sift your powdered sugar first, this ensures there are no lumps and will make whisking much faster.
To Glaze the Donuts:
- Place parchment paper or paper towels underneath of the donut cooling rack (this will catch drips later on and prevent a mess).
- Once donuts are completely cool, dunk the top of each one into the glaze. Allow the excess to drip off into the bowl. Then, place on the wire rack. Repeat with remaining donuts.
- Allow the glaze to harden for about 20-40 minutes. Tip: If you want really shiny "white dusted" donuts, you will need to glaze them twice. At about the 20-minute mark, dunk the top of the donuts once more into the glaze. Set aside an additional 20-30 minutes to harden.
- Serve.
Leave a Reply