Gluten Free Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

These Gluten Free Cinnamon Sugar Donuts are soft, moist, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The cinnamon-sugar topping adds just the right amount of sweetness to these gluten free baked donuts.

If you like baked donuts, you’ll also enjoy my recipes for Chocolate Donuts with Sprinkles (Gluten Free) and Gluten Free Pumpkin Donuts.

We don’t eat a lot of donuts in my house, but sometimes I get a craving for a tender and sweet treat to go with my morning tea.  And there are times when that craving can only be satisfied with a donut.  If you’re a fan of donuts, you know what I mean.

There are a variety of gluten free donuts and donut mixes for sale, but there’s nothing better in my book than homemade donuts.  These cinnamon sugar donuts are easy to make and don’t taste “gluten free.”  And because they’re baked, the donuts are a little healthier than their fried version.

This easy recipe is a must-bake for donut lovers who need to avoid gluten.  The tender donuts, topped with butter, cinnamon, and sugar can be enjoyed for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or even dessert. 

Why this Recipe Works

• Using melted butter instead of oil adds more flavor to the donuts.
• The cinnamon-sugar topping for the donuts adds just the right amount of sweetness.
• Baking instead of frying the donuts makes clean-up a breeze.

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Recommended Tools for Baking Donuts:

Donut pan – I really like my Wilton Nonstick Donut Pan.  If you don’t own a donut pan, consider buying a set. 

You only need one pan to make these cinnamon sugar donuts but having two pans is great when you want to double the recipe.

Reusable piping bag – The piping bag makes it really easy to get the batter into the cavities of the donut pan.  A disposable piping bag, or a sealable plastic bag with the corner cut off will work as well.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Donuts

• Gluten free flour blend - Check your blend for xanthan gum.  If it doesn’t contain xanthan gum, add ¼ teaspoon.  I like to use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour which contains xanthan gum.
• Sugar - White granulated sugar.
• Baking powder - The baking powder gives a little boost to the donut batter.
• Salt - Table salt.
• Cinnamon - Ground cinnamon.
• Milk - I use 2% milk, but whole milk or almond milk will also work.
• Butter - Unsalted butter, melted.
• Egg - A large egg at room temperature.
• Vanilla - Pure vanilla extract.

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

• Butter - Melted unsalted butter.
• Sugar - Granulated sugar.
• Cinnamon - Ground cinnamon.

How to Make Gluten Free Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

1. Whisk together the dry ingredients.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
3. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
4. Transfer the batter to the donut pan and bake.
5. Stir the cinnamon and sugar together.
6. Brush the tops of the cooled donuts with butter and dip in cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Step by Step Instructions

(For ingredient amounts see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)

Make the Donuts:

Spray a 6-cavity donut pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Add the gluten free flour blend, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon to a large bowl and whisk to combine.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, butter, egg, and vanilla until completely combined.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir together until just combined.

Transfer the batter to the prepared donut pan.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the donut springs back when touched.

Cool the donuts in the pan for 4 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the Cinnamon Sugar Topping:

In a small mixing bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon.

Brush the top of each donut with melted butter, then dip in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place back on the wire rack.

Tips for Baking Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

• Spray the donut pan with nonstick cooking spray to prevent any part of the donut from sticking.  Even though the donut pans I use are non-stick, I still take the time to lightly grease them.
• Use a piping bag to fill the cavities in the donut pan.  The bag makes filling the donut wells a breeze.  If you don’t have a piping bag you can spoon the batter into the pan or use a large plastic storage bag with the corner snipped off.
• Allow the donuts to cool for a few minutes before inverting the pan onto a wire rack to finish cooling.  The donuts are delicate when they come out of the oven and may break or crumble if removed from the pan too soon.
• Brush the tops of the donuts with melted butter before dipping in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.  The butter adds flavor and helps the sugar mixture stick to the donuts.

How to Measure Gluten Free Flour

Use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup and use the back of a table knife to level off the top.  Using a measuring cup to scoop the flour out of the canister or bag can result in more flour than needed in the recipe.

Recipe FAQs

If you’ve been missing donuts since going gluten free, give these Gluten Free Cinnamon Sugar Donuts a try.  Baking the donuts makes them easy to make and a little healthier than their fried version. 

I hope you enjoy these gluten free donuts as much as my family does.  Happy Baking!

More Gluten Free Breakfast Recipes You’ll Love

• Mary’s Homemade Banana Bread
• Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Scones
• Simple Gluten Free Apple Muffins
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cups
• Baked Gluten Free Donut Holes
• Gluten Free Pumpkin Banana Bread

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Recipe adapted from As Easy As Apple Pie.