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Home » Bread

November 10, 2021

Gluten Free Vanilla Fried Donuts

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Homemade and fresh gluten free vanilla fried donuts made from scratch. These gluten free donuts are glazed with sugar and vanilla. A bite of these donuts will sure send you to heaven!

flying gluten free vanilla fried donuts and holes.

After going gluten-free to get my health back, one of the things I missed the most was donuts. I kept telling myself I had to come up with a donuts recipe but was always intimidated. Therefore, I’m so happy to have finally developed a gluten free fried donut recipe that is both easy and tastes delicious!  

These fried donuts are easy to make. They are coated with a simple vanilla sugar glaze.  

This post will be detailed so that you can be successful from the first try. Therefore, please make sure to read it well, especially the instructions. 

Things You Will Need 

The ingredients needed to make these gluten free fried donuts are simple but might require a trip to the grocery store.  

  • Gluten-free Flour Mix: The gluten-free flour mix for this recipe consists of white rice flour, tapioca flour, corn starch, and brown rice flour. I highly suggest using a scale to weigh the flours, and a sift to avoid clumps of flour. Meanwhile, we will also be using xanthan gum as a binding agent. 
  • Baking Powder: The baking powder is what makes the donuts puff when inserted in oil. Therefore, use high-quality baking powder. 
  • Salt: To provide flavor to the donuts. 
  • Nutmeg: You want to know the secret to good buttermilk donuts? It is nutmeg. The flavor that nutmeg provides to the donuts makes them irresistible. 
  • Sugar: Granulated white sugar will be used as a sweetener. 
  • Butter: Unsalted butter is the primary source of fat in this recipe. It makes the donuts moist and soft. Make sure that the butter is soft and is at room temperature. 
  • Eggs: The eggs provide structure to the donut dough. We will need one large egg and egg yolk. The extra egg yolk will make the donuts moist and provide them with a lovely golden color. 
  • Buttermilk: If you can’t find buttermilk, simply add one tablespoon of lemon juice to a cup of milk and let it sit for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, the milk will have thickened. 
  • Vanilla Extract: The vanilla extract is used to provide flavor to the buttermilk donuts. 
  • Vegetable Oil: For frying, I highly recommend the use of vegetable oil or canola oil. Moreover, make sure to get a thermometer to measure the temperature of the oil as it heats up. You will see later why is it important and needed. 
  • Powdered Sugar: The powdered sugar will be used to make the vanilla sugar glaze. 
  • Full-Fat Milk: The full-fat milk will also be used for the glaze. 

Preparing and Frying the Donuts

There are four stages to making fried donuts: preparing the dough, chilling the dough, shaping the donuts, and finally frying the donuts. Each step is detailed below with a picture to ensure that you are successful. 

Stage 1: Prepare The Dough

  • Prepare the dry ingredients: In a bowl, add the white rice flour, tapioca flour, corn starch, brown rice flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Then using a whisk, combine the ingredients. 
  • Prepare the dough: In a separate bowl, add the butter and sugar. Using a stand-alone mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Then, add the egg, egg yolk, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Beat at medium speed until combined. Now, add the flour mixture and beat at low speed until combined. The dough will be sticky, and that’s fine. We need the dough to be highly hydrated for soft and moist buttermilk donuts. 

Stage 2: Chill The Dough

  • Chill The dough: Transfer the dough to a flour-dusted plastic wrap and flour the top of the dough. Then, shape the dough into a ball and roll it to a thick disc. Wrap it with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the fridge for up to one hour. Chilling the dough will make it easier to shape the donuts and help them hold their shape when they are fried. 
donut dough on plastic wrap and dusted with gluten-free flour.
donut dough shaped into a disc and placed on plastic wrap.
donut dough wrapped in plastic wrap.
  • Prepare the glaze: While the dough chills, you can prepare the glaze. In a bowl, add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk. Then using a spoon or a whisk, combine until the glaze is smooth. 

Stage 3: Shape The Dough

  • Shape the dough: Transfer the chilled dough to a flour duster working top. Then using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 1.5 cm (½ inch) thick rectangle or circle. Using a 3-cm cookie-cutter, press into the dough. Then using a cupcake corer or a smaller cookie cutter, press into the center of the circle we just cut out to create a donut hole. Repeat until you are out of dough. If any dough remains, you can form it into small circles and fry them to make mini-bites donuts. Transfer the cut-out donuts to a baking tray aligned with parchment paper. Using a knife or a dough cutter, gently score the top of each donut four times to create a rectangle. This allows even cooking.
donut dough on parchment paper.
cutting donuts using a cookie cutter and a cupcake corer.
donuts placed on a baking tray aligned with parchment paper.

Stage 4: Fry The Gluten Free Donuts

  • Fry the donuts: Add vegetable oil to a cooking pot over low-medium heat. Measure the temperature of the oil using a thermometer, and once the temperature reaches 175-180°C (347-356°F), add three donuts. Cook each donut for 1-1.5 minutes, and then flip the donuts to the other side and cook the other side for another 1-1.5 minutes or until golden. Transfer the donuts to a cooling rack and allow them to cool for 5 minutes. 
  • Glaze the donuts: After allowing the donuts to cool a bit, gently dip each donut into the glaze to cover the top and bottom of each donut. You can choose to cover one side only, but I prefer when the entire donut is glazed. 
gluten free vanilla fried donuts placed on top of each other with one donut bitten.

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Print
5 from 41 votes

Gluten Free Fried Donuts

Homemade and fresh gluten free vanilla fried donuts made from scratch. These gluten-free donuts are glazed with sugar and vanilla.
Prep Time30 mins
Active Time10 mins
Chilling Time1 hr
Total Time1 hr 40 mins
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
Keyword: buttermilk donuts, gluten free donuts
Yield: 10 Donuts
Calories: 416kcal

Ingredients

Metric - US Customary

Gluten Free Donuts

  • 128 grams of White Rice Flour
  • 51 grams of Tapioca Flour
  • 26 grams of Corn Starch
  • 51 grams of Brown Rice Flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoon of Xanthan Gum
  • 2 teaspoons of Baking Powder
  • 1 teaspoon of Salt
  • ½ teaspoon of Nutmeg
  • 100 grams of Sugar
  • 90 grams of Unsalted Butter at room temperature
  • 1 Large Egg
  • 1 Egg Yolk
  • 85 ml of Buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Liter of Vegetable Oil for frying.

Vanilla Sugar Glaze

  • 220 grams of Powdered Sugar
  • 70 ml of Full-Fat Milk
  • ½ teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

Instructions

  • Add the white rice flour, tapioca flour, corn starch, brown rice flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg to a bowl. Using a Wisk, combine the ingredients.
  • In a separate bowl, add the sugar and unsalted butter. Using a stand-alone mixer, with the paddle attachment, at medium-high speed, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Then, reduce the speed and add the egg, yolk, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Beat the ingredients until combined (1-2 minutes). Now, slowly add the flour mixture and beat the ingredients until combined (2-3 minutes).
  • Cut a piece of plastic wrap and place it on your working surface. Dust the plastic wrap with gluten-free flour, then transfer the donut dough to the plastic wrap. Dust the top of the dough with gluten-free flour, then using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a thick disc. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap, and allow it to chill in the fridge for one hour.
  • Meanwhile, prepare the vanilla sugar glaze while the dough chills. In a bowl, add the powdered sugar, full-fat milk, and vanilla extract. Using the whisk, combine the ingredients and set the glaze aside for later.
  • Now, transfer the dough to a dusted working surface and roll the dough into a 1.5 cm (½ inch) thick rectangle or circle using a rolling pin. Using a 3 cm (1 inch) cookie cutter, press into the dough. Then, press a cupcake corer into the middle of the cut-out dough to create the donut hole. Remove the donut hole and set it aside. Transfer the cut-out donut to a baking tray aligned with parchment paper. Repeat until you are out of dough. You can also make bite-sized donuts from the donut holes or any remaining dough you have.
  • Using a knife, gently score the top of each donut four times to create a rectangle. This will allow the donut to cook evenly and create texture.
  • In a cooking pot, add the vegetable oil and allow it to get hot. Measure the oil temperature using a thermometer, and once a temperature of 175-180°C (347-356°F) is reached, add three donuts. Cook the donuts for 1-1.5 minutes and then flip them to cook the other side for another 1-1.5 minutes. Transfer the cooked donuts to a cooling rack and allow them to cool for 5 minutes before dipping them into the glaze to cover them completely.

Notes

  • Tips: The secret to successful donuts is the temperature of the oil. Therefore, before attempting to make the recipe, please invest in a kitchen thermometer. You can use the thermometer for other recipes as well, such as bread making. Moreover, make sure to measure the dry ingredients using a scale and sift the flours.
  • Make-Ahead: You can prepare the donut dough ahead of time and store it in the fridge. The dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.
  • Storage: The gluten free fried donuts are best served fresh. However, you can store them in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Storing them in an air-tight container will help to keep them fresh and moist.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Donut | Calories: 416kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 21.2g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 18.2g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 420mg | Potassium: 60mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 300IU | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 1mg
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ramona says

    November 15, 2021 at 10:56 am

    5 stars
    I haven't made homemade donuts like these in a while, but now I know what will keep me busy this weekend! I can't wait to make these, they look super delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe!

    Reply
  2. Katie Crenshaw says

    November 15, 2021 at 4:32 am

    5 stars
    I can't believe how good these donuts turned out. I made them for breakfast. My family loved them.

    Reply
  3. Amanda Dixon says

    November 15, 2021 at 12:39 am

    5 stars
    These donuts were the most delicious way to start the day! The buttermilk added such a nice flavor too. It's such a fun weekend cooking project.

    Reply
  4. Adriana says

    November 14, 2021 at 10:02 am

    5 stars
    The tanginess of the buttermilk adds a very nice flavor to this gluten-free donut. I cannot wait to bake more!

    Reply
  5. veenaazmanov says

    November 12, 2021 at 9:03 am

    5 stars
    These Donuts looks mouth melting. The Glaze on the top looks tempting. Perfect Tea TIme option . Kids to love it.

    Reply
  6. Jessica says

    November 11, 2021 at 11:15 pm

    Buttermilk makes everything better, doesn't it? These donuts were delightful - the texture is perfectly moist. Yum!

    Reply
  7. Lilly says

    November 11, 2021 at 9:12 pm

    5 stars
    Your photography here is stunning! It definitely convinced me to give these donuts a try and I am so happy I did! They are so tasty!

    Reply
    • Aya says

      November 12, 2021 at 6:22 pm

      Thank you Lilly! 😀

      Reply
  8. [email protected] says

    November 11, 2021 at 7:10 pm

    I love buttermilk donuts, and have friends who are gluten free. I haven't made these, yet, but I shared the recipe with all of my gluten free friends. Great, clear instructions. Thanks for this.

    Reply
  9. Liz says

    November 11, 2021 at 4:09 pm

    5 stars
    Yum! These donuts look like they came from a donut shop!

    Reply
  10. Allyssa says

    November 11, 2021 at 2:04 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you so much for sharing this amazing buttermilk donuts recipe! Will surely have this again! It's really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!

    Reply
  11. Agnieszka says

    November 11, 2021 at 8:55 am

    5 stars
    These donuts look insanely delicious. Can't wait to try!

    Reply
  12. nancy says

    November 11, 2021 at 8:46 am

    5 stars
    the photos are really cool! and the donuts are insane delish

    Reply
    • Aya says

      November 12, 2021 at 6:23 pm

      So glad you liked them!

      Reply
  13. Jeri says

    November 11, 2021 at 3:32 am

    5 stars
    I have always wanted to make homemade donuts, and your recipe looked so great I had to try it! I am happy I did! These delicious donuts were so easy to make, and I will make them again. Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply
  14. Luke Ratford says

    November 10, 2021 at 11:37 pm

    5 stars
    These doughnuts were amazing, the kids absolutely devoured them lol
    We will be making it again at the weekend 🙂
    Thanks for sharing!!

    Reply
  15. Colleen says

    November 10, 2021 at 9:44 pm

    5 stars
    Thanks for showing how to make donuts without a donut pan! I'm excited to make these ones, especially because they are gluten free.

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Aya, an engineer by degree and a self-taught baker who happens to be gluten-intolerant. Here you will find creative gluten-free recipes made easy!

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Most Popular Recipe!

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About

Hi, I'm Aya, an engineer by degree and a self-taught baker who happens to be gluten-intolerant. Here you will find creative gluten-free recipes made easy!

More about me →

Seasonal Recipes

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