Buttermilk Donuts | Gluten-Free

Homemade and fresh buttermilk donuts made from scratch. These gluten-free donuts are glazed with sugar and vanilla.

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 buttermilk donut recipe that is both easy and tastes delicious!  

The buttermilk 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 buttermilk 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: It would not be buttermilk donuts without 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 Buttermilk Donuts

There are four stages to making buttermilk 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. 

• 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 and gives the buttermilk donuts the texture they are famous for.  

Stage 4: Fry The Buttermilk 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. 

Other Dessert Recipes

• Gluten-Free Chocolate Muffins
• Gluten-Free Ginger Snaps
• Gluten-Free Cinnamon Bread
• Gluten-Free Snickerdoodles

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5 from 39 votes

Buttermilk Donuts

Homemade and fresh buttermilk 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

Keyword: buttermilk donuts, gluten free donuts

Yield: 10 Donuts

Calories: 416kcal

Ingredients

Metric - US Customary

Buttermilk 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 buttermilk 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 Facts

Buttermilk Donuts

Amount Per Serving (1 Donut)

Calories 416 Calories from Fat 191

% Daily Value*

Fat 21.2g33%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Trans Fat 18.2g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 3g

Cholesterol 57mg19%

Sodium 420mg18%

Potassium 60mg2%

Carbohydrates 54g18%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 32g36%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 300IU6%

Calcium 75mg8%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.