These yummy gluten free donut holes, covered in sweet glaze, are perfect for breakfast and dessert. They’re baked, instead of fried, which means they’re super easy to make.
Prior to going gluten free, I would indulge in a donut from time to time. They weren’t something I craved every week, but I did enjoy them several times a year.
However, now that regular donuts are off-limits for me, I’m really starting to miss them. It’s funny how much you can want something when it’s no longer an option. I knew I had to find a way to enjoy donuts again. 😊
I’m not big on frying foods, but baking is right up my alley. Starting off with donuts seemed like a big step, so I decided to give gluten free donut holes a try. Plus, I have a mini muffin pan, but don’t yet have a donut pan.
Did you know that donut holes originally were made from the dough cut out of the middle of a donut? Using up all the dough meant a lot less waste. Luckily, we can now make just the donut holes and skip the rest of the donut.
Anyway, let’s get back to baked donut holes. I have to say I’m really happy with how they turned out. The donut holes are soft and tender and the sweet glaze gives them just the right amount of sweetness.
(This post contains affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.)What kind of Gluten Free Flour should I use?
Use a good quality all-purpose gluten free flour when making this donut hole recipe. I like to use Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1. Your results may vary depending on the gluten free flour you use.
Remember to use the “spoon and level” method when measuring your gluten free flour. Simply use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup and then use the back of a table knife to level off the top.
Tools for Making this Recipe
Non-Stick 24-Cup Mini Muffin Pan – The mini cup size of this pan is the perfect size for baking these donut holes. I like to use this mini muffin pan you can get on Amazon.
1.5 Tablespoon Cookie Scoop – The cookie scoop allows you to transfer the batter to the muffin cups very easily. This is the cookie scoop I use for this recipe.
Baking Pan with Rack – Placing the glazed donut holes on a rack, set over a baking pan, allows the excess glaze to drip down without the bottoms of the donuts becoming mushy. I have two of these baking pan/rack sets and I bake with them all the time.
How to Make Gluten Free Donut Holes
Making the Donut Holes:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 24-count mini muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (3-4 minutes).
Mix in the egg, milk, sour cream, and almond extract until combined.
Add 1/2 the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients until just incorporated.
Use a 1.5 tablespoon scoop to spoon the batter into each muffin cup, filling 3/4 full.
Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool the donut holes in the pan for 5 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Making the Glaze:
In a medium mixing bowl, add the powdered sugar, almond extract, and 3 tablespoons of milk. Stir together with a spoon until the mixture is smooth. Add the additional 1/2 tablespoon of milk, if necessary, to achieve the desired consistency.
Place the cooled donut holes, a couple at a time, in the bowl of glaze. Using two spoons, coat them with glaze.
Transfer the glazed donuts to a wire rack, placed over a baking sheet, to allow the excess glaze to drip off.
Serve and enjoy.
Baker’s Tips
- Check the ingredients of your gluten free flour mix for xanthan gum. If your flour mix doesn’t contain it, try adding 1/2 teaspoon to the recipe. I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour which contains xanthan gum.
- Use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop to transfer the batter to the mini muffin cups. The cookie scoop makes the process quick and easy. If you don’t have a cookie scoop, you can place the batter in a plastic bag. Cut the corner off the plastic bag and squeeze the batter into the muffin cups.
- Set the freshly glazed donuts on a wire rack placed over a baking sheet. Doing this allows the excess glaze to drip on to the pan and not your counter. If you set the glazed donuts on parchment paper or paper towels, the bottoms will get mushy.
These Baked Gluten Free Donut Holes are perfect for breakfast, dessert, or any time you want a sweet treat. Give them a try and let me know what you think. I’ll bet you can’t eat just one. Happy Baking!
More Gluten Free Breakfast Recipes to Try
- Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Gluten Free Banana Blueberry Bread
- Sour Cream Coffee Cake Recipe (Gluten Free)
- Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Scones
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cups
- Gluten Free Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, don’t forget to leave a star rating and let me know how it turned out in the comments below. I really enjoy hearing from you!
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- 1 1/2 cups cup-for-cup gluten free flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 1/2 tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 24-count mini muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.
-
In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
-
In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (3-4 minutes).
-
Mix in the egg, milk, sour cream, and almond extract until combined.
-
Add 1/2 the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients until just incorporated.
-
Use a 1.5 tablespoon scoop to spoon the batter into each muffin cup, filling 3/4 full.
-
Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a donut hole comes out clean.
-
Cool the donut holes in the pan for 5 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.
-
In a medium mixing bowl, add the powdered sugar, almond extract, and 3 tablespoons of milk. Stir together with a spoon until the mixture is smooth. Add the additional 1/2 tablespoon of milk, if necessary, to achieve the desired consistency.
-
Place the cooled donut holes, two at a time, in the bowl of glaze. Using two spoons, coat the donut holes with glaze.
-
Transfer the glazed donut holes to a wire rack, placed over a baking sheet, to allow the excess glaze to drip off.
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Serve and enjoy.
- Check the ingredients of your gluten free flour mix for xanthan gum. If your flour mix doesn’t contain it, try adding 1/2 teaspoon to the recipe. I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour which contains xanthan gum.
- Use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop to transfer the batter to the mini muffin cups. The cookie scoop makes the process quick and easy. If you don’t have a cookie scoop, you can place the batter in a plastic bag. Cut the corner off the plastic bag and squeeze the batter into the muffin cups.
- Set the freshly glazed donut holes on a wire rack placed over a baking sheet. Doing this allows the excess glaze to drip on to the pan and not your counter. If you set the glazed donuts on parchment paper or paper towels, the bottoms will get mushy.
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