While making a homemade fried gluten free doughnut recipe is not difficult, there are a few secret must-dos when it comes to making traditional fried doughnuts. When you get it right, no one would ever know that these yummy, light and airy doughnuts were gluten free!
Follow my tips to ensure your doughnuts aren’t dense, soggy or oily (ew!).
Don’t tell your friends, but it’s actually easy to make a great gluten free doughnut, you just need the right ingredients and these easy no-fail frying tips!
Gluten Free Fried Doughnut No Fail Tips
The most basic and most important, is to use the right gluten free flour. Using a gritty rice-based flour will leave you with a gritty gluten free doughnut (yuck!) and using a heavy flour will make your doughnuts more like bricks.
My award-winning gfJules™ Flour will get them light and fluffy, just like you want them.
Second, don’t overwork your dough. Mix until incorporated, and then make your doughnut shapes and set aside to rise without futzing too much with the dough after that.
Third, your oil must be consistently heated to the proper temperature. The sweet spot is generally 325F, but you’ll need a fry thermometer to know for sure — I go into this more in the instructions, so pay attention!
And fourth, finish with mouth-watering glaze, powdered or granulated sugar, chocolate or sprinkles … any way YOU like it, anytime YOU want a great gluten free doughnut!
Variations on Gluten Free Doughnuts
The beauty of baking a gluten free doughnut yourself — in addition to being able to satisfy a true donut craving any time you have one — is that you can make them just the way you like them.
For example, celebrate May Day by honoring the tradition of Finnish Munkki: just add 1 teaspoon ground cardamom to gfJules Flour in this donut recipe and voilà! Happy May Day!
And mark your calendar for June 2 — it’s National Donut Day (can’t miss that)! Or just make Donut Day any ol’ day you need an excuse to bake happy!
These gluten free doughnuts are really so easy to make, there’s no time like TODAY to make your day better with a doughnut!
I’ve given you some fun glaze options, or you can make an easy jam or cream-filled doughnut or Boston Cream filled doughnut (use my Boston Cream filling from this recipe). A simple powdered sugar dusting or glaze and sprinkles … any combination is delish with a great doughnut!
Need more gluten free doughnut ideas? Try baked donuts and get your donut fix without the oil. Hop over to one of my favorite recipes, Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie Doughnuts!
Feeling chocolatey? Take on my Gluten Free Chocolate-Zucchini Donuts! Or healthier Gluten Free Donut Holes made with protein and coffee! Or search for lots of other fun Gluten Free Donut Holes recipes and others on my site – just use the search bar at the top of each page.)
Or try this recipe in an air fryer — it works beautifully! Check them out!
(If you’d like to make a New Orleans gluten free donut, aka Beignets, hop to my Gluten Free Beignet recipe! And just for fun, how ’bout Gluten Free Apple Fritters? They qualify as a doughnut, right?!)
All right already – time to make the donuts!
If you love this recipe and don’t want to miss any other yummy ones, be sure to follow me on your favorite social media: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or on Instagram — and hashtag #gfJules or tag @gfJules – I love seeing your yummy recipes, too!
Gluten Free Fried Doughnut Recipe
Gluten Free Donut Recipe
The beauty of baking a gluten free doughnut yourself -- in addition to being able to satisfy a true donut craving any time you have one -- is that you can make them just the way you like them. Fry in oil or bake in an air fryer!
Ingredients
Doughnuts
- 3 2/3 cups (500 gr.) gfJules™ All Purpose Gluten Free Flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom (if making as Finnish Munkki for May Day)
- 1/4 cup shortening (I like Spectrum® Palm Oil Shortening)
- 1 egg + 1 egg yolk (or egg substitute)
- 1 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons vanilla paste or 5 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 Tablespoon rapid rise yeast (or 4 packages rapid rise yeast, 1/4 oz. each) – Red Star® Quick Rise Yeast
- High heat vegetable oil, for frying
- Confectioner’s sugar for dusting or prepared glaze recipes (below)
Glazes / Toppings
- 1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 2-3 Tablespoons milk (dairy or non-dairy)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon milk (dairy or non-dairy)
- 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder (optional - for chocolate frosting)
- 1 Tablespoon chocolate syrup (optional - for chocolate frosting)
- 1/2 teaspoon beet powder (optional - for pink glaze)
- gluten-free sprinkles (optional)
Cream Filling**
- 1/3 cup whipping cream (or choose a vegan option from here)
- 1-2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup cream cheese (or choose a vegan option from here)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add 1 cup gfJules Flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, baking powder, salt and shortening. Beat until the shortening is integrated into a mixture resembling small pebbles.
- Warm milk to just above body temperature (approximately 100°F) by heating in a small saucepan or in a microwave for 1 minute. Add vanilla paste, 1 tablespoon of sugar and yeast. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- After five minutes at rest, and when the yeast mixture has begun to bubble and rise, gently stir into the flour mixture with the eggs (whisk together first before adding). Add remaining gfJules Flour, 1 cup at a time, until the dough is firm but slightly sticky.
- Lightly flour a clean countertop or pastry mat with gfJules™ Flour. Transfer the dough and pat it into a flat disk shape, then gently roll out to 1/2 inch-thick.
- To make donuts, flour (with gfJules Flour) a large round cutter (2-inches or larger) and press into the rolled dough. Use a small round cookie cutters to cut out the middles.
- To make donut holes, use a 1-inch or smaller size cookie cutter. Gently press scraps of dough together to re-cut so that all the dough is used.
- To make donut holes, roll each cut circle lightly between your palms until it is shaped like a ball. Once cut or rolled, place donuts onto baking sheets lined with parchment and cover with another sheet or parchment.
- Place in a warm location or oven turned on to 200°F and turned off. (Place a pot of boiling water in the oven with the dough to help the rise.) Allow the donuts to rise for at least 30 minutes.
To Fry:
- In a large saucepan, heat 2 inches of vegetable oil to 335-350°. Add 3 or 4 donuts at a time, adjusting the heat to keep the oil between 325° and 350°. Use a candy or fry thermometer to be sure of the temperature.
- Fry the donuts until golden brown, flipping so both sides are cooked. This process can take less than 1 minute total with these yeasted doughnuts, so watch closely to ensure they are not over or under-cooked.
- Remove cooked donuts with a slotted spoon and let drain on a wire rack. If rolling in sugar, do so while the donuts are still hot; if using glazes, allow donuts to cool first.
To Air Fry:
- Set the machine to Air Fry at 350F and turn the timer on to start the machine (with my Cuisinart Air Fryer/Toaster Oven the timer must be running for the Air Fry setting to turn on). Put the baking tray on the pan onto rack position 2 (or follow instructions on your air fryer model).
- After about 4 minutes, take the doughnuts out — that’s it! They should be lightly browned and fully cooked inside. The first batch I let cook for 5 minutes, and it was a touch too long. I’m sure it depends on the size of your doughnut holes, but you don’t want them to get too brown or crunchy.
Glaze:
- To make glaze, whisk ingredients together in a small saucepan over low heat. Once integrated and warmed, dunk donuts into the glaze and set aside on a cooling rack covered with wax paper.
- To make chocolate glaze, whisk ingredients together until thick but still spreadable. Dip the tops of donuts into the glaze, then set aside on a cooling rack covered with wax paper until glaze is set. Add more or less milk or sugar until the consistency is right.
Cream-Filled:
- Beat whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy in a medium-sized bowl using an electric mixer with whisk attachment(s).
- In a separate bowl, whip cream cheese until creamy, then fold into the whipped cream mixture.
- To fill the donuts, once the doughnuts are fried and cooled, fit a large opening metal icing tip onto a pastry bag and fill with jam, preserves, frosting or cream as you withdraw the tip. Push the metal tip into the side of the donut hole almost into the middle, and squeeze the jam or cream inside the donut. For larger donuts, insert a pastry bag fitted with a long metal tip into the middle, then squeeze filling as you withdraw the tip.
As with any fried donut, these are best when enjoyed the day you make them.*
Notes
*If you don't intend to enjoy all the doughnuts the day they're made, don't glaze the any you're saving for another day. The glaze won't keep well. Store leftovers at room temperature for up to 2 days.
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Best alternative to eggs for this recipe? Thanks!!
Last week I made gluten free pancakes omg they where really good thank you for your recipe.
This was the best recipe I found online, I live in uk I do go to Canada every other year can I get your products there.
Hi Anu, so happy to hear you had yummy pancake success! I would love for you to be able to try my products – check with me again before you go to Canada next time, as we are working on establishing a distribution system there.
~jules
These are simply divine! I skipped the roll-out step and just rolled balls with my hands. Sooo good whether baked or fried!
Wonderful to hear, Lea! So glad you loved them, and you’re right, the rolling-out step is really not necessary to get delicious doughnuts!!
~jules
I made these today with my sons and it was really fun. I haven’t had a donut since being diagnosed with celliac. Thanks for the recipe. I am not sure what they should taste like since I have never made donuts at home. They didn’t taste like the ones from the donut shop. They were much denser and lacked the airiness. Tasted a little like biscuit dough but not exactly.Still good. I am going to make them again sometime. Thanks again.
I’m glad you tried this recipe, Tina. There’s something about donut shops and mass production of donuts on a line that makes them taste different, that’s for sure, but I still love this recipe and everyone seems to enjoy having a hand in making them and polishing them off, whether they are GF or not, so that must be a good sign!
These look great i look forward to trying them and possibly using the mini doughnut maker to cook them
That would be a wonderful way to make these, Alex!
We used your recipe as a base to make apple doughnuts. Wow were they great. All we did was scant the milk a little and add 3 grated granny smith apples, a little cinnamon and a tiny bit of nutmeg. Great texture!!!! My hubby who got to have regular fresh made apple doughnuts just the day before said that these were way better
Ingenious, Tracy! I can’t wait to try these – maybe make them into fritter shapes?! Yummy!!!!!
Just made these doughnuts they are wonderful will make again and again
Yay! Wonderful to hear, Helen!
We are new to the gluten free diet, (my son is gluten intolerant) doing some previous baking I noticed alot of recipes use xantham gum, this recipe does not require xantham gum? I have used some recipes that didnt state that and they came out dry and crumbly and tried again using it and it came out good.
Hi Eddie, you are right that a lot of recipes call for xanthan gum to replace the “gluey” aspect otherwise found with gluten. My Jules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour already contains the xanthan gum, and my recipes are written for my flour. It is very different from other flours available and behaves very much like the wheat flour you were used to baking with before, so it works in most recipes calling for wheat flour. Click on the blue box about my flour at the top right of this page, or click on the video link above it to learn more about why it’s so different and so much better to work with. Hope that helps!
Mine were also super yeasty. Is that a typo regarding the 4 1/2 TBSP of yeast? I’m going to try again tonight with only one yeast packet.
Hi Adrienne, I’d imagine 4 1/2 Tbs of yeast would make these super yeasty! I don’t see where you saw that, though. In the ingredients, I list 2 1/2 Tbs. of yeast. I hope you get to try the recipe again with the right amount – I think you’ll love it!!
Do you think the doughnuts would be good if you froze them. We would not be able to eat them before they became stale.
Hi Donna – Freezing would be the next best thing to wolfing them all down immediately! LOL! No doughnut (gluten-free or otherwise) is wonderful the next day, so definitely freeze the ones you cannot eat and gently reheat in the microwave wrapped in a paper towel when you have a craving.
Mine were sense too. And we’re very yeast tasting And did not rise.
Hi Stacey, if you’re having any problems with a recipe, just drop us an email at [email protected] and we can walk through it with you!
I just tried making these and it was a fail I think. They taste ok but came out very dense. Is that how they should be or did I do something wrong?
Hi Christina – they shouldn’t be very dense (as you can hopefully tell from the picture). Do you think you overcooked them in the oil? That’s really the toughest part about fried doughnuts is getting the oil temp just right. Please send an email to [email protected] if you want us to walk through the recipe with you to help you get it just right for next time!
Could you give a rough guess as to how many doughnuts the recipe makes? We do not eat many sweets but would love to try it to have an occasional doughnut Sunday brunch addition.
Hi Leslie, they make approximately 30-40 doughnut holes, depending on the size of your cutter. Hope you get to make them one Sunday soon!
About how many doughnuts will this make? They look so yummy!
Tara, they make approximately 30-40 doughnut holes, depending on the size of your cutter. Hope that helps!
We’re making these for Father’s Day and noticed that although there is one egg and one egg yolk in the ingredient list, the directions don’t include any mention of eggs.
We followed the directions and they seem to be working fine without eggs but I’m wondering if the eggs are supposed to be in there and if that would make them a bit lighter and fluffier.
Great idea to make them for Father’s Day, Trish! So sorry I neglected to add the note about when to add the eggs to the batter. I have fixed it now! The doughnuts will definitely be lighter and fluffier with the eggs, but glad they worked out ok for you anyway!
I see eggs in the ingredients list but not in the directions. Did I miss it? Thanks!
Sorry Rachel! I missed adding that note in there somehow! I’ve fixed it now – thanks for pointing it out!
I was wondering at which point in the recipe is the egg and yolk added? Would it taste ok with an egg replacer? Thanks so much for posting this recipe!
The eggs are added after the yeast has risen – I’ve added that note now (sorry for any confusion!). The taste should be fine with an egg replacer, but choose one that is not heavy or dense so that the dough will be lighter for you. Enjoy!
KingArthur.com has two sized of pans i have and use to bake my dougnts they come out great and whats great I use the bottle that jules had for pamcakes to fill the little areas , i have the mini and reg size doughnut pans well worththe money.
Great idea, Louise!
About how much time does it take to make the doughnuts, including prep, cook, and frost? All I can think about is the Dunkin Doughnuts commercial where the guy gets up in the middle of the night saying “Time to make the doughnuts!” I’d like to try but have absolutely no experience frying doughnuts and I need to buy a candy thermometer. Thanks for posting!
hahaha, Christine, I was thinking of that commercial the whole time I was making them, too! So glad I’m not the only one! You don’t need to get up at 3am to make these, in fact, I made the dough and let it rise, then stuck them (covered) in the fridge overnight. Then all I had to do was beat my kids to the kitchen in the morning and fry them! The part that takes the longest is getting the oil temp just right, which is why the candy thermometer is so helpful. I’d say allow 1 hour to mix, shape and rise the doughnuts (allow longer to rise than that if you have time, but 30 minutes is the minimum) and then another 15-30 to fry them, depending on how cooperative your stovetop is with temperatures. Rolling them in sugar takes no time and the glazes are super quick to just whisk together. Hope that helps!
I bought an electric do nut hole maker at target for about $20. Very quick when you want a sweet treat.
Sounds like a great (and affordable) “sweet treat” solution, Claudette!!
I would love to make these but not fried. Can they be baked with some oil spray?
Phylis, try my recipe for baked pumpkin pie donuts, or follow the directions there for baking donuts and use this recipe, just make sure you let these rise before baking. The pumpkin pie donuts don’t have yeast, so the directions don’t contemplate a rise time!