I missed a real doughnut ever since I switched to gluten-free. I didn’t eat them constantly before—maybe a few times a year—but seeing others line up at the apple orchard for hot cider doughnuts or stopping by Dunkin’ on a whim made it sting. Packaged gluten-free doughnuts I’d tried were disappointing. Then I tasted a maple doughnut from Zest Bakery. It was dense yet tender, moist, and unmistakably maple-scented. It also survived a dunk in my latte without falling apart. That bite restored my faith that gluten-free maple doughnuts could be delicious, and it motivated me to buy doughnut pans so I could make my own.
My first attempt at a homemade gluten-free doughnut was a learning experience. I used a mix of sorghum, millet, and tapioca flours and added sour cream for moisture. They rose oddly in the pan and, when inverted, looked like flying saucers. A clever friend suggested using them as strawberry shortcake cups, which saved the batch—but I was determined to get a proper doughnut.
The second attempt, after consulting a few more recipes, brought much better results. I combined rice and millet flours with tapioca flour and substituted powdered milk for the sour cream. The maple doughnuts that resulted were sturdy yet tender, nicely flavored, and perfect for dunking in coffee.
Gluten-Free Baked Glazed Maple Doughnuts
A Girl Defloured
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
For the doughnuts:
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon sweet white rice flour or glutinous rice flour
- ¼ cup brown rice flour
- ¼ cup millet flour
- 2 tablespoons potato starch
- 1 tablespoon tapioca flour
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- 2 tablespoons dry milk powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup canola oil
- ¼ cup whole milk
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1-1 ½ teaspoons gluten-free maple extract
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a doughnut pan that makes six doughnuts.
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In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, whisk the wet ingredients until smooth. Combine the wet and dry mixtures and beat until the batter is smooth. Transfer the batter into a zip-top bag, snip off one corner, and pipe the batter into the prepared doughnut pan for easier filling.
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Bake the doughnuts for 12–15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the thickest part comes out clean.
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Let the doughnuts sit in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack. Cool completely before glazing.
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To make the glaze, sift the powdered sugar into a bowl, then whisk in the milk and maple extract until smooth. Adjust with more milk if the glaze is too thick, or more powdered sugar if it’s too thin. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled doughnuts. These are best eaten the same day.