These gluten-free baked vanilla doughnuts are a treat worth making room for. They’re soft, fluffy and incredibly easy to make.
If you’re anything like me, food is your love language. I’m not particularly mushy with words, gifts or over the top affection. When I care about someone, I feed them. I’m not always the best at articulating how I feel, but it’s pretty safe to say that a baked treat from me, is the equivalent of an “I love you” or a “hey, I think you’re a cool person”.
While I may be the only one to admit it, I suspect a lot of you feel the same way. At least to an extent. That’s why so many of our celebrations, gatherings, communities and holidays center around sharing food with the people you love. Food is a pretty universal love language.
Now that I’m an adult, Easter is one of my favorite holidays. It is always a great reminder for me to count all of the blessings I have in my life and I love that it coincides with the arrival of spring. The end of winter is certainly worth celebrating over in my book. Growing up, I had a love/hate relationship with Easter. Really, the only thing I hated was having to wear matching outfits with my family to church (…thanks mom…) but I always enjoyed the time spent with family despite our matching outfits, and the amazingly thoughtful Easter goodies my parents would always put together for us. While I no longer wake up to a stocked Easter basket, I always look forward to a day dedicated to food, family and faith. I also look forward to now picking out my own outfit 😉
I have talked about my former love for doughnuts on the blog before. Although I ate doughnuts on a daily basis as a teenager, I actually haven’t had a real doughnut in years. When it was time to brainstorm Easter-friendly recipes, I knew it had to be a recipe my family would love as well. I came by my love for doughnuts honestly, as my dad and I frequently enjoyed maple bars together when I was a kid. I wasn’t going to go the maple bar route (sometimes you have to let a classic be a classic), but I had a feeling simple vanilla doughnuts that were baked instead of fried, and made with better ingredients would be a good way to go.
Holy moly, these doughnuts were an absolute hit. They are soft, fluffy and sweet but not overly sweet. My dad and brother went crazy for them, and were both shocked to learn they were gluten and dairy free.
I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour as the base, which was key to achieve the amazing texture of these doughnuts. I have used a lot of gluten free flour blends in the past, which always resulted in baked goods that were a little off. The protein in the sorghum flour in Bob’s Red Mill’s blend helps give baked goods an almost wheat-like texture and aids in browning, which is why these doughnuts turned out so close to the real deal.
After the doughnuts came out of the oven, I dipped them in a simple glaze that I colored naturally with beet juice (another fact my dad and brother weren’t aware of when they scarfed down all the doughnuts). Check out those glaze drips, friends.
I know. The glaze drips did it for you, and you want to make them immediately. Don’t worry, I’ve got your back. You can snag a coupon code here to pick up some Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour so you can make your own. These doughnuts would be the perfect treat to share with your family on Easter morning.
Matching outfits are totally optional.
- 1 Cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ Cup Coconut Sugar
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk + ½ Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar (allow to sit for a few minutes to form a "buttermilk")
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 3 Tablespoons Coconut Oil, melted and cooled
- 1 Egg
- 1.5 Cups Organic Powdered Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- A few drops of Beet Juice or Red Food Coloring
- Preheat oven to 350F and prepare a doughnut pan with non-stick baking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, coconut sugar and salt. Stir until well combined.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the almond milk and apple cider vinegar mixture, the egg and vanilla extract until well combined. Slowly pour in the coconut oil and whisk until the mixture is smoothed.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until a smooth batter forms. Carefully spoon the batter into the doughnut pan. There should be enough batter for six doughnuts.
- Bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- While the doughnuts are cooling, whisk together the powdered sugar, almond milk and vanilla to make the glaze. It will take a bit of mixing to dissolve the powdered sugar. Keep mixing until a drippy glaze forms. Gently stir in beet juice or food coloring until desired shade of pink is reached.
- Carefully dip each doughnut into the glaze and return to the rack. I recommend putting another pan or a sheet of foil under the rack to catch any drips.
- Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to three days.
Your Turn:
- Do you also consider food to be a love language?
- What are some of your favorite baked goods?
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
YUM – those look amazing. I am a sucker for a good frosted donut. 🙂
Thank you Jenn – I am too )
Omg these donuts sound so yummy!!!! I will definitely be giving your recipe a try!
Thank you so much – I hope you love it!
These sound AMAZING!!! Love that they’re gluten-free and pretty & can’t wait to try them!!
Thank you so much Kelly! Please let me know if you do 🙂
These look amazing! My daughter loves donuts and I’m excited about the fact that these are gluten free! Yum!
So glad you found the post! Let me know if you give them a try 🙂
So pretty! The light pick glaze is perfect!
Thank you so much Rebecca – happy Spring!
Just picked up a few bags of this flour and I am SWOONING over the beauty of that glaze. I will be making these soon. I’m a gluten-free donut FAN. They are my most popular recipes too!
Ooooh what will you make with it? I love getting new ideas!
I totally show my love with food. I mean, why would you want any other form of affection? In my opinion, food is the best. I might be biased (as a food blogger). These are beautiful!
Totally! Food is the best form of affection – it’s just a fact. And thank you!
I 100% believe that food is a love language!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
Yes! So glad you can relate Kari 🙂
Yummy! Are you a professional photographer?
Thank you! I am not a professional photographer, but I would love to keep getting better 🙂
I have been looking everywhere for a great gluten-free donut recipe, and these look amazing. I can’t wait to try them!
I’m so glad you found the post! Let me know if you give them a try 🙂
These look delicious!! I’ve got to make them this weekend! Can’t wait!
xo Ashley
Let me know if you do! I hope you love them 🙂
These sounds amazing! I love the gluten-free option. Bob’s Red Mill is one of my favorite gluten-free products too. It’s super easy to use and not too heavy in texture. I can’t wait to try this recipe. Your pictures are gorgeous, by the way. =)
Yes! Love the texture this flour gives everything. Thank you so much Aarika 🙂
Your photos are so insanely beautiful, you are so talented! The donuts also look so picture perfect!
Thank you so much Courtney – I really appreciate it!
These photos are absolutely gorgeous!! I love donuts — especially homemade ones! I was definitely that maple donut girl too but I love a good vanilla one too 🙂 Beet juice for the red coloring btw, genius.
Thank you so much Kellen! Maple bars, ftw 🙂
These gf donuts look delicious! I love making new gf recipes for all my gf friends! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you!
Gluten free never looked so tasty! Wish I could reach through my screen and help myself to one of those.
Haha well that is the best compliment! 🙂 Thank you
GORGEOUS photos! I absolutely love how pretty the doughnuts are. They also sound delicious which is just an added bonus. I love your sentiment about Easter. It really is a wonderful day to count your blessings and enjoy the love and company of family. Happy Spring!
Thank you so much Pragati! Happy Spring to you too 🙂
Food is totally a love language for me. I always feel so happy after eating pasta haha! There’s no possible way I can narrow down my favorite baked good either! These are so pretty though 🙂
There are too many delicious baked goods to eat just one!
These are oh so fluffayyy!
They so are – that was the best part!
I’m drooling! I need to get a donut pan so I can make these!
Yes! The donut pan seriously makes them so easy!
Ooooh yum! These are SO pretty! I love that you used beet juice to dye the frosting 🙂 Great idea!
Thanks Liz! I figured we all could use a little less Red 40 in our lives 😉
Yum, those look so good! I need to try making donuts, I’ve never done it!
Thanks Angie! It is SO easy!
These are absolutely STUNNING!! I have to get my hands on a donut pan ASAP!
Thanks Alexa! I got mine at Target (where all good things come from 😉 )
WOW, these look so beautiful. I love to make food for my family. I think it’s the love language that God gave me for my family. 🙂 It’s such fun!
Thank you so much Emily! I agree, such a great way to share love with your family 🙂
Oh my gosh!! These look amazing! And I LOVE that they’re gluten free (just like me!) So good and pretty! I hope that you are having a great weekend!
xoxo Cailee!
Thank you so much Cailee! I’m glad you would be able to enjoy these too 🙂
Well I honestly cannot get over how gorgeous these photos are. Like WOAH. And that GLAZE? Can you please come to the east side of the country so we can bake togetha!?
Thank you so much, friend! And YES PLEASE.
I’m trying to cut back on wheat to help with inflammation. My colleague tries to eat GF. I know if I surprised her with these, she would be over the moon happy.
Yum! These look amazing and your photos are gorgeous. LOVE!
I hear you! Food is my love language, too! And these doughnuts are so scrumptious.
Right? So glad you feel me on the food as a love language. And thank you so much!
I have honestly never seen such beautiful colors in a photo! I am legit LOVING these. Must make this weekend and every weekend forward!
Thank you so much Addie! Please let me know if you give them a try 🙂
I know what I’m making this weekend! Donuts – especially glazed ones – are my jam. I’ll be trying these out with an egg replacer so I’ll let you know how that goes (fingers crossed because now I really want donuts!)
Let me know how it goes! I have had a reader try out the recipe with flax egg, and she said it turned out well 🙂