Gluten-Free Cinnamon Sugar Baked Donuts Recipe

Have you been craving donuts since going gluten-free? I did too, so I developed this gluten-free cinnamon sugar donut recipe. It’s simple to make and truly delicious.

Doughnuts were one of the things I missed most after giving up gluten. Even though I only bought them a few times a year, not being able to grab one with my kids felt like a loss. So I set out to bake my own.

After testing and tweaking several versions, I landed on these gluten-free cinnamon sugar donuts. They remind me of classic donut holes, but I think they’re even better—light, tender, and full of warm cinnamon flavor.

I made these mini donuts using a Norpro nonstick mini donut pan. I enjoyed them so much I ordered a second pan so I could bake more at once. If you prefer a full-size donut pan, that will work too; expect the bake time to be a couple minutes longer. These also work well in an electric donut maker.

When filling the pan, I learned that using a bag makes the process neater. After a tip from a friend, I put the batter into a gallon-size resealable bag, snipped off a corner, and squeezed the batter into each cavity. It’s quick, precise, and keeps the pan clean.

For the flour I used Gluten Free Mama’s Almond Blend all-purpose gluten-free flour with excellent results. Other measure-for-measure blends like King Arthur’s gluten-free flour or gfJules may work as well, though I haven’t tested them in this recipe. Avoid blends with bean flours for best texture.

These donuts were a hit at a teacher appreciation breakfast I contributed to, where a teacher with celiac could enjoy them safely. I even boxed them up as a gift—she loved them and asked for the recipe, which confirmed they were crowd-pleasers beyond my household.

If you enjoy variations, try maple-glazed or chocolate-topped versions—the batter adapts well to creative finishes. My kids love both the cinnamon sugar and maple versions and often ask me to make them again.

Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour.

If you try these, please come back and leave a rating and review to help others find the recipe and learn from your experience.

Gluten-free Cinnamon Sugar Donut recipe:

Yield: 48 donuts

Gluten-free Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

This cinnamon sugar gluten-free donut recipe is easy, quick, and stays tasting great into the second day. Bake them ahead when you need to.

Prep Time
15 minutes

Cook Time
7 minutes

Additional Time
20 minutes

Total Time
42 minutes

Ingredients

Doughnuts:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup vegetable, corn or canola oil
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 11 1/4 oz. (about 2 2/3 cups) all-purpose gluten-free flour
• 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum*
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. to 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup milk

Topping:

• 5 Tablespoons salted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Spray mini donut pan with non-stick cooking oil spray.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter, oil, and sugars until smooth.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating until combined and smooth.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, xanthan gum, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, salt, and baking soda.
5. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix on low just until combined.
6. Place batter in a gallon-size resealable bag, seal, and snip off a bottom corner. Squeeze batter into the donut pan cavities, filling nearly to the top.
7. Bake at 425° for about 7 minutes, until pale golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Let cool in the pan 2–3 minutes, then turn the pan to release donuts onto a cooling rack.
9. Repeat with remaining batter, spraying the pan between batches. Recipe yields about 4 dozen mini donuts.

Topping:

1. Melt the 5 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl.
2. Whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon in another small bowl.
3. Dip the top half of each cooled donut in the melted butter, then coat in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place on a rack or tray to set.
4. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days.

Notes

*If your gluten-free flour blend already contains xanthan or guar gum, omit the additional xanthan gum in this recipe.

*Tip: The cinnamon-sugar coating can become clumpy after dipping many donuts. Reserve extra coating and refresh the bowl if it gets clumpy for a smoother finish.

*Nutmeg varies in strength by freshness. Start with 3/4 teaspoon if your nutmeg is new, or use up to 1 teaspoon if your nutmeg is mild and you prefer more warmth.

Pin this to your gluten-free breakfast board on Pinterest:

I hope you and your family enjoy these gluten-free donuts. If you try them, please come back and leave a rating and review.