Gluten Free Pumpkin Donuts

These Gluten Free Pumpkin Donuts are tender, lightly spiced, and packed with pumpkin flavor.  The tasty topping of cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and sugar, adds just the right amount of sweetness.  Once baked, they’ll disappear quickly!

If you’re a pumpkin fan, you’ll also like my Gluten Free Pumpkin Cookies and Gluten Free Pumpkin Bars.  My Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread is a must-try as well.

Fall is just around the corner, and with it comes the chance to bake with pumpkin.  Although canned pumpkin is available year-round, I bake more pumpkin treats in the fall than any other season.

My latest pumpkin creation is this recipe for easy gluten free baked donuts.  There’s nothing fancy about this recipe, but the pure pumpkin flavor really shines through.

For me, baking donuts is so much easier than frying them.  And, the clean-up is a breeze.  Plus, a baked donut can be healthier than a fried donut if the ingredients in the batters are the same.

My number one tip for this recipe is to use pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling or pumpkin pie mix.  Pumpkin puree doesn’t have any spices or sweetener added to it.

(This post contains affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.)

Recommended Tools for Making Baked Donuts

Donut pan – If you don’t own a donut pan, consider buying a set.  This donut pan set is perfect.  You only need one pan to make these 6 pumpkin 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 donut pan.  You can also use a disposable piping bag, or a sealable plastic bag if you prefer.

How to Make Gluten Free Pumpkin Donuts

Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Lightly grease one standard donut pan.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, egg, sugar, canned pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and salt, until well combined.

Add the gluten free flour blend and baking powder and stir until combined.

Scoop the batter into a piping bag or sealable plastic bag.  Cut off the bottom tip of the plastic bag with scissors.

Pipe the batter into the prepared donut pan.

Bake the donuts for 16-18 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center of a donut comes out clean.

Allow the donuts to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the topping.

While the donuts are still warm, dip them in the topping and place on a plate or wire rack.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Baker’s Tips

• Be sure to use pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling.  Pumpkin pie filling already contains sugar and spices and will be too sweet for this recipe.
• Grease the donut pan 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 add your batter to the donut pan.  The bag makes filling the wells a breeze.
• Allow the donuts to cool slightly before dipping them in the topping.  The donuts are still fragile when they first come out of the oven and may crumble and break if dipped too soon.
• Check your gluten free flour blend for xanthan gum.  If your brand doesn’t contain xanthan gum, try adding ¼ teaspoon.

Gluten Free Flour

Make sure to use a good quality all-purpose gluten free flour when making this gluten free donut recipe.  I used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 which contains xanthan gum.

Xanthan gum helps to hold the bread together.  In traditional baking, gluten in all-purpose flour acts as the binding agent for the baked good.  Gluten free baking requires a replacement for the binding agent and that’s where xanthan gum comes in.

Your results may vary depending on the gluten free flour you use.  I haven’t tried using almond flour or coconut flour with this donut recipe.

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.  Using the measuring cup to scoop the flour directly from the canister or bag can give you more flour than needed in the recipe.

How long will these donuts last?

These gluten free pumpkin donuts are best served on the same day they’re baked.  However, they will last for 2-3 days, stored in a tightly sealed container.

If you store them, you’ll notice that the donuts absorb most of the topping and don’t look like they did when you first made them.  A simple fix is to whisk up more of the topping and dip the leftover donuts again.

When you want to change up your breakfast routine, give these Gluten Free Pumpkin Donuts a try.  I hope you enjoy them as much as my family does.  Happy Baking!

More Gluten Free Breakfast Recipes to Try!

• Gluten Free Cinnamon Swirl Bread
• Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Scones
• Sour Cream Coffee Cake Recipe (Gluten Free)
• Gluten Free Banana Muffins
• Gluten Free Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
• Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Scones

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!

You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to see more of the delicious food I'm making!